TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREVIOUS REVIEW / 3
Strengths, Areas of Concern and Progress Since Last Review / 3
PROGRAM OVERVIEW / 5
Introduction / 5
Program Mission Statement / 5
Program Goals & Objectives / 5
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS / 6
Program Director / 6
Community Advisory Committee / 6
Program Operations / 7
Program Evaluation & Student Outcomes Assessment / 7
PROGRAM CURRICULUM / 8
Degree Requirements / 8
Course Sequence / 8
General Education Requirements / 9
Internship Experience / 9
PROGRAM FACULTY / 10
Faculty Profile / 10
Teaching Effectiveness / 11
College and Professional Service / 13
Professional Development / 14
College Support of CJ Program Faculty / 15
PROGRAM STUDENTS / 17
Applications, Acceptances and Enrollment / 17
Enrolled Student Demographics / 17
High School Statistics / 19
Permanent Residence of Enrolled students / 20
Need for Remediation / 21
Primary Educational Objectives / 22
STUDENT OUTCOMES / 22
Retention, Completion and Time to Graduate / 22
Graduate Follow-Up / 23
EMPLOYER SATISFACTION / 25
Employer Satisfaction with Student Interns / 26
Employer Satisfaction with Employees (graduates) / 26
Employer Satisfaction with Curriculum / 27
Agency/Employer survey comments / 27
PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS / 28
Program Director
Social Science Division
List of Tables
Table 1 Review of strengths as noted by External Review Team / 3
Table 2 Progress in areas of concern as noted by External Review Team / 4
Table 3 Program Evaluation, Surveys and Timetables / 8
Table 4 CJ Faculty Profile 2004-2006 / 10
Table 5 Student Evaluations of CJ Full-Time Faculty / 11
Table 6 Student Evaluations of CJ Adjunct Faculty / 12
Table 7 College and Professional Servic3e of CJ Faculty / 13
Table 8 Professional Development of CJ Program Faculty / 14
Table 9 Applications, Acceptances and Enrollments / 17
Table 10 Age of Entering CJ Students – first time, full-time / 17
Table 11 Gender of Entering CJ Students first-time, full-time / 18
Table 12 Ethnic Origin of All CJ Students / 18
Table 13 Education Levels of All CJ Students / 19
Table 14 Permanent Residence of All CJ Students / 20
Table 15 Remedial Course Recommendations CJ / 21
Table 16 Primary Educational Objectives of first-time/full-time CJ Students / 22
Table 17 Criminal Justice Students-One, Two and Three Year Retention Rates / 22
Table 18 Completion/Persistence rate-first-time/full-time CJ Students compared
to CCC / 23
Table 19 Time to Graduation of Criminal Justice Graduates / 23
Table 20 Perceptions of Educational Experience of CJ alumni / 24
Table 21 Alumni Survey: Transfer data for CJ alumni / 24
Table 22 Alumni Survey: Current Employment Related to Educational Objectives
for CJ alumni / 25
Table 23 Alumni Survey: Career/Employment Information for CJ alumni / 25
Table 24 Employer Survey: Satisfaction with Students / 26
Table 25 Employer Survey: Satisfaction with Employees (graduates) / 26
Table 26 Employer Survey: Satisfaction with Curriculum / 27
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: Advisory Committee Membership
APPENDIX B: Faculty Curriculum Vitae
APPENDIX C: College Overview

CLINTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CRIMINAL JUSTICE - POLICE, A.A.S.

PROGRAM REVIEW

PREVIOUS REVIEW

Strengths, Areas to Enhance and Progress Since Previous Review

The previous program review of Clinton Community College’s (CCC) Criminal Justice (CJ) Program was conducted in 2002 by the Program Coordinator, John Mockry. The following are areas of strengths and areas of concern observed by the external review team.

Areas of strength cited:

  1. The Program offers a broad range of courses that cover 18 credits of core subjects, and 12 credits of CJ electives. In addition, students take 12 credits of English and 3 credits of Public Speaking.
  2. CJ students are taking approximately one-half of their A.A.S. degree credits in Criminal Justice.
  3. The External Team notes the popularity of the current program with present and former students, as well as with employers in the region.
  4. The Program offers students a 2+2 articulation with SUNY Plattsburgh.
  5. The Program attrition rates are currently in line with the College as a whole.
  6. Students in the Program were particularly satisfied with the quality of academic advising provided by the two full-time faculty members.
  7. The External Team found the fulltime faculty to be well qualified.
  8. The External Team was impressed with the wide availability of computer technology on the C.C.C. campus.
  9. The External Team applauded the College andthe Program for its continuing efforts in the area of outcome assessments.

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Table 1 Review of strengths as noted by External Review Team
Strengths noted above / Review of Previous strengths
#1 / Core subjects, CJ electives, and humanities credit totals remain the same.
#2 / 50% of A.A.S. degree credits remain in Criminal Justice.
#3 / Enrollment figures have remained high in the Program and Faculty continues to be evaluated in a positive manner.
#4 / 2 + 2 articulation with SUNY Plattsburgh remains intact and useful.
#5 / Program attrition rate have been lowered as a result of recent retention measures.
#6 / 2 Full-time Faculty continue to advise 50 students apiece each semester. 1 part time faculty member advises 30 students each semester.
#7 / Full-time Faculty has continued extensive professional development in their fields.
#8 / All students have computer technology training and accessibility.
#9 / The Office of Institutional Research and the College Assessment Committee provide strong assessment direction and support.

Areas to enhance cited:

  1. Clarify which goals and objectives are operative in the program in the next program review document
  2. Create an advisement worksheet for general education courses that are suited to the A.A.S. C.J. program.
  3. Consider reducing the member of C.J. courses and increase general education courses and/or electives.
  4. Add a course on Ethics in C.J. to be a requirement for C.J. majors
  5. Consider making Forensics a requirement for C.J. majors.
  6. Revise the Security: Theory and Practice course and carefully select and mentor adjunct instructors who teach it.
  7. Investigate an offering of N.Y.S. 8-hour certificate in Security as a part of the Security course.
  8. Investigate articulation agreements with other four-year colleges.
  9. Continue to offer intensive remedial and other academic services to students such as the Basic Skills program.
  10. Work towards requiring the masters degree as a qualification foradjunct instructors.
  11. Provide access to smart classrooms and computer labs.
  12. Scheduling made more flexible for adjunct faculty to include courses in the late afternoon.
  13. Review salaries paid to adjunct faculty to ensure they are commensurate with salaries offered by similar community colleges.
  14. Continue to improve the quality of assessment data.

Table 2 Progress in areas of concern as noted by External Review Team
Concerns noted above
#1 / Program goals and objectives have been reviewed and re-written for this review process.
#2 / Advisement worksheet has been completed for use.
#3 / No action taken, but discussions have taken place regarding this with the division.
#4 / Ethics in C.J. added as a required core course in the fall of 2005.
#5 / No action taken. Forensics is either a science elective or a C.J. elective.
#6 / Security remains an adjunct-instructed course, and monitoring has been applied.
#7 / Advisory Committee reviewed its merits and recommended no action based on their knowledge of employability in this area.
#8 / One agreement completed with two others in process.
#9 / Academic Assistance Center offers supportive instruction and tutoring.
#10 / Since last review, three adjuncts with Masters Degrees have been hired.
#11 / All Full-time and Adjunct faculty who requested smart classrooms received them for instruction. Computer labs are accessible to all students.
#12 / Classes have been scheduled at 4:30-5:45 time slots. Evening classes from 6-8:45 are available on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
#13 / Salary raises have been increased for adjunct faculty.
#14 / Office of Institutional Research has greatly enhanced the collection and evaluation of assessment data.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Introduction

Clinton Community College first offered Criminal Justice courses in 1971. The Board of Trustees of the State University of New York approved the Criminal Justice Program leading to the Associate in Applied Science Degree in May of 1972. The program was originally developed with areas of concentration in law enforcement and corrections. However, emphasis has been placed upon the law enforcement concentration as a response to an increase in employment opportunities in that field. The program is designed primarily to prepared students in various areas of the criminal justice field. It cannot generally be considered to provide full preparation for careers in this field since most entry-level positions require either selection from a civil service type process with job-specific training or completion of a four-year degree program prior to employment.

The mission and the goals and objectives of the Criminal Justice Program have been expanded and specifically identified to enable practitioners and outside evaluators to determine directions that this program should be pursuing and whether or not the program is being successful. Since the 2002 program review, efforts have been made to upgrade not only the program, but also other functional areas of the College that support or affect the program. For example the Perkins grant as it applies to Criminal Justice majors provides additional support through Institutional Research and Planning.

The Criminal Justice Program is intended to promote student development in many non-technical areas that pertain to Criminal Justice including: academic excellence, critical thinking, awareness of the cultural and constitutional influences within the Criminal Justice network, and insight into the societal factors that influence the Criminal Justice network. In addition, the program promotes other areas of knowledge and experience that will be of value to the student throughout a lifetime regardless of what occupation or vocation the student eventually enters. By striving to meet the stated goals and objectives, the program will meet students’ needs as well as those employers and institutions of higher education in the field. Department goals and objectives are now congruent with the present mission statement and general philosophy of the College. They are also in general agreement with, and have no areas of conflict with, the general education goals and objectives of the College.

The Criminal Justice program at Clinton Community College is currently the largest program offering the Associate in Applied Science Degree. The program accounts for approximately 12% of the college’s full-time enrollment and approximately 10% of the FTE’s generated in the year 2006.

Program Mission Statement

The Criminal Justice Department at Clinton Community College offers a program leading to the Applied Associates Degree. Within the stated mission of the College, the mission of the Criminal Justice Department is to provide educational opportunities and experiences preparing students for employment in some areas of Criminal Justice. The program also provides the basis of further education leading into careers in other social science related disciplines.

Program Goals & Objectives

Based on the Mission Statement the following are CJ program goals related to student growth and development:

  • To provide an educational foundation to prepare Criminal Justice students to be effective members of the criminal justice profession.
  • To prepare students for successful employment in law enforcement or transfer to bachelor degree programs in related fields.
  • To prepare law enforcement professionals for a commitment to professional development.

The following are CJ goals related to program growth and development

  • To increase retention in the Criminal Justice Program.
  • To promote and increase the presence of entry-level criminal justice professionals in Clinton County and surrounding areas.

The following goals were established by the program faculty with the approval of the Division of Social Science in the 2003/2004 academic year:

  • 90% of program graduates feel prepared to take entry level positions in various Criminal Justice agencies.
  • 95% of program graduates report having met their educational and social goals while at CCC.
  • 85% of program graduates report that they completed their degree in the expected amount of time.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS

Program Coordinator

The Applied Associates of Science Degree Program in Criminal Justice is a department within the Social Science Division. There are presently two full-time faculty members in the department, one of whom is designated the Program Coordinator. The position of Coordinator carries with it a one-course reduction per semester. Responsibilities of the Coordinator include assisting the Division Coordinator with course selection and scheduling, textbook selection, recommendation of adjunct faculty though Continuing Education, and other duties as they arise. The Coordinator presently has same formal input into faculty evaluation. This is accomplished through classroom observations and subsequent evaluations.

Community Advisory Committee

The Criminal Justice Advisory Committee was reactivated during the Fall 2003 semester. The advisory committee is composed of Criminal Justice agency-based field representatives and others concerned with the overall quality of the Program. This committee serves to link and strengthen relationships between the program and members of the Criminal Justice community. The primary purpose of the Advisory Committee is to provide consultation, advice and guidance to the Criminal Justice Program Coordinator and, indirectly, the field practicum experience.

Responsibilities of the Criminal Justice Program Advisory Committee are to:

  • Participate in an on-going effort to improve the Criminal Justice Program in accordance with the Council on Standards in Criminal Justice Education through input of suggestions regarding curriculum, program development, and evaluation; and,
  • Meet in the Spring semester of each academic year.

The Advisory Committee currently meets once per year to review program activities. For the community membership list see Appendix A.

Program Operations

The department budget has remained relatively stable since the previous program review with the exception of personnel costs that are largely contractual. The budget has been generally sufficient for the needs of the department since the curriculum involves little in the way of specialized equipment or materials. Infusion of technology since the last program review has come to the program via the support of Perkins Grant monies. Additional smart classrooms have been constructed for CJ faculty utilizing Perkins funds.

There are three concurrent and ongoing responsibilities of the CJ Program Coordinator. These are program monitoring, program improvements, and development of new initiatives. Program monitoring involves the daily operations of the program to include teaching core and elective courses, collaborating with the other full-time faculty member, monitoring of adjunct faculty, advisement of CJ students, and the CJ Club activities.

The program coordinator, with input from all the CJ faculty, presents new initiatives to the Division of History and Social Sciences for their evaluation and/or support. In addition, with the assistance of the social science division coordinator, program assessment and improvements are presented to the Vice-President for Academic Affairs. The program coordinator presents new initiatives to the CJ Advisory Committee for input on program development and employment opportunities. If agreed upon by the Advisory Committee the ideas are presented to the Division of History and Social Science for support to advance to program development. Approval of written components of new program initiatives are presented initially to the Division of History and Social Sciences for approval and support to precede through the internal governance structure (e.g. Faculty council). All approved changes are sent to the office of Vice President for Academic Affairs for final approval and notification of other college departments.

The program coordinator is responsible for program changes and implantation of program changes are presented to CJ advisory committee for input. Upon advisory committee support the proposals presented to the Division of History and Social Sciences for approval and support in the same manner noted in new program planning.

Program Evaluation & Student Outcomes Assessment

Program evaluation is conducted through the use of surveys. Criminal Justice students are surveyed regularly while attending Clinton Community College. These surveys are voluntary, anonymous and are based on self-perceptions. Program graduates are surveyed six to twelve months from graduation for information on transfer and employment activities. Program faculty members and employers are surveyed every five years for the purpose of program review. Table 3 below contains a list of all surveys used for this program evaluation and student outcomes.

Table 3 Program Evaluation Surveys and Timetables
Surveys Used for Program Evaluation / Evaluation of: / Distribution Timetable
Course Evaluation / Student perceptions of course content, faculty rapport with students, mastery of subjects by faculty member, and appropriateness of the workload. / Each Semester
CRIMINAL JUSTICE students, other than immediate graduates, actively pursing degree / Educational experiences, student services, and input into improvements for the CRIMINAL JUSTICE program. / SUNY SOS every three years
Advisement / Advisement Process / Periodically
Alumni / Transfer/employment activities / Annually
Employer / Satisfaction with students and their skill and knowledge levels as well as whether former students are currently employed at the agency. / Every five years
Program Faculty / Innovation in teaching, professional development, and updates on educational advancement. / Yearly self-evaluations and goals. Student evaluations once every two years.

The Program Coordinator works closely with the Office of Institutional Research and Planning to develop, implement and monitor the program assessment process.

PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Degree Requirements

The Applied Associates in Science degree program in Criminal Justice entails successful completion of 63-64 credit hours. Eighteen (18) credit hours of the program are required Criminal Justice core courses. An additional twelve (12) credit hours are required in courses designated as Criminal Justice electives. Twelve (12) credit hours in courses related to language skills, including Literature and Composition, Technical Writing, and Public Speaking, are required in the program.

The student is also required to complete nine (9) credit hours in specific social science courses, three or four credit hours of mathematics or science courses, two credit hours of health and physical education courses, six (6) credit hours of free elective courses, and one credit hour in a computer orientation course. The graduate of this program possesses a well-rounded preparation in Criminal Justice areas and in general education areas as well.