Political Science Program Unit Plan ~ October 22, 2009
I. OVERVIEW**
Discipline: POSCI Political Science Dean: Maurice Jones
Department Chair Ed Loretto (chair HIST/POSCI); Contract Faculty: Robert J. Brem (faculty POSCI)
Mission/History: The “politics” program at College of Alameda offers an Associate of Arts Degree in Political Science. Learning is facilitated through discursive exploration of foundational knowledge rooted in student reading and exploration of problems in analysis and their solution. A sensitivity to methods that enhance basic skills guides learning facilitation orientated toward student success. Students in the major are encouraged to ask and explore central questions of politics. Instruction is guided using socio-culturally commensurable “great questions“ of philosophy and politics applied to modern life with “utilization” of student “material” brought to class from their own lives. Natural student interest in politics relative to current events is tapped, to address specific needs unique to our students’ realities and those of Alameda as well as the Bay Area in general. An emphasis is placed on highlighting how politics is relevant to the lives of students. PLOs are rooted in these principles, the stated learning outcomes of College of Alameda, the discipline of political science and shaped by Title 5.
II. EVALUATION AND PLANNING
A. Quantitative Assessments
Baseline Data
Fall2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007* / 2008 / CODE / Comments
1. Enrollment (duplicated) / 231 / 285 / 338 / 265 / 390 / 1 / Overall, 69% rising rate of change
2. Sections (master sections) / 5 / 7 / 6 / 8 / 9 / 1 / Overall, rising trend
3. FTEF / 1.00 / 1.40 / 1.20 / 1.79 / 1.79 / 2 / Mixed trend
4. FTES / 24.76 / 29.80 / 35.39 / 26.91 / 37.72 / 1 / Overall, rising trend
5. FTES/FTEF / 24.76 / 21.31 / 29.53 / 15.05 / 21.03 / 1 / Consistently higher productivity rate than the Peralta standard rate (17..5)
6. Program Cost
(Cost methodology is under development. Please complete the remaining items. This step to be completed later.)
* It has been suggested by the office of institutional research the data for 2007 may be inaccurate.
If so, and if this is possible for al the data, then all data driven results may be problematic.
B. Qualitative Assessments
1. The data suggests an anomaly for 2007 that rendered a drop in what is otherwise an upward pattern of growth. This is suggested as similar results were reported in other programs (e.g. sociology and history).
2. Community and labor market relevance: political science as citizen education is relevant to the development of community leadership – which is acknowledged by the requirement of all transferring students to take POSCI-1. We are also involved in the development of new curriculum to meet community development and leadership programming for which our community partners tell us they are in need.
C. COA Strategic Planning Goals addressed by this program in this unit plan
[district goals in bracket].
1 To improve student persistence, retention and completion rates to increase student success, particularly for educationally and economically at-risk students. [Advance Student Access, Success and Equity]
· We seek to address these needs through student guidance by faculty members, supportive and flexible policies (e.g. testing) to be sensitive to student life needs, and utilization of components of “universal design” in teaching and use of LRC resources to make learning more accessible (see appendix 4 below).
2 To continuously review, improve and develop curriculum in order to meet the changing needs of our students and community. [Build Programs of Distinction and Create a Culture of Innovation and collaboration]
· We hold regular faculty meetings and discuss department direction and try to coordinate curriculum to support Program Learning Outcomes, keep up on current events and integrate these into our work, update course readers and course content. We have been involved in efforts to create larger applied learning community on campus (i.e. the CDL Initiative).
3 To communicate effectively and efficiently with internal and external constituencies in order to achieve COA’s mission. [Engage Our Communities and Partners]
· Work closely with curriculum committee and actively seek to coordinate program offerings with COA Institutional Learning Outcomes. We have engaged in interactive learning community “pathways to success” development efforts with the departments of political science at: other Peralta Colleges, Chabot College, and CSU East Bay. One result has been an interactive club effort (Model UN).
4 To improve administrative services in support of institutional effectiveness. [Develop Resources to Advance and Sustain our Mission]
· We have sought to be involved in consultation with Student Services in improving the effectiveness of Student Government.
D. College Strategic Plan Relevance**
q New program under development -- Community Development and Leadership Certificate and
Degree Program
q Program that is integral to the college’s overall strategy – the Program is consciously shaped to tie in to COA ILOs and the Student Success Initiative
q Program that is essential for transfer – The program has two courses which can satisfy transfer requirements (no other Peralta College has this).
q Program that serves a community niche -- the CDL certificate program is geared to work with
Greater East Bay and Alameda Community Partner needs.
q Programs where student enrollment or success has been – we believe that the needs of the partnerships we have
demonstrably affected by extraordinary external factors, and are forming with East Bay and Alameda organizations
such as barriers due to housing, employment, childcare etc. these populations (e.g. EBALC and Alameda Point
Collaborative) will address needs of these populations
– aiding them in changing their life situations.
E Action Plan Steps to Address Integrated Planning & Budgeting Results**
Please describe your plan for curriculum, pedagogy/instructional, scheduling, and marketing strategies. Also, please reference any cross district collaboration with the same discipline at other Peralta colleges.
These are all ongoing projects with time being assigned to each task as it arises as appropriate to do so. Therefore, completion target dates are flexible.
· Curriculum enhancement goals integrating student learning outcomes in all courses which emphasize: “green” & sustainability themes; civic engagement; and futures consciousness driven life skills development. The overall goal is to inculcate values of public service in the hearts and minds of our graduates.
· Ongoing developmental work on a Community Development and Leadership Certificate and Degree Program (e.g. social change agency certificate [tied into the Kettering Foundation and Camp Wellstone models of social change] as a terminal job skill oriented certificate that will be marketed to non-profit organizations and interested individuals Bay Area wide)
· Cooperative efforts between POSCI Department and CDL, the COA Learning Communities, SSI -- all within the Center for Applied Learning Initiative; and with the Sustainable Peralta Initiative. We have as overall innovation goals:
· creative partnerships with other schools (e.g. within Peralta and with Chabot College and CSU East Bay)and community development organizations -- to aid students in pursuing careers and life style choices guided by the ethics and values of the public service;
· to enhance basic skills mastery, we seek to increase utilizations of library and learning resource center workshops and online Etudes workshops (for credit and/or extra credit); we intend to expand the use of student study circles & peer support groups;
· we have implemented a European Tutoring model of “independent study” mentoring for advanced students;
· a student “Politics/MUN Club” in collaboration with CSU East Bay and Laney College and Chabot College.
· We have facilitated political theatre and Chautauquas at CoA and film projects. We intend to expand this project to work towards an engaged campus model with interdisciplinary objectives. This would include expanding the idea to include student government and community partners and class projects – and do so for Single day events: Constitution Day; Earth Day; Cinco de Mayo -- highlighting civic engagement and green principles in community building.
· Classroom instruction enhancement goals include: increasing Basic Skills sensitive universal design pedagogical (androgogical) techniques, interactive group work & in class self-reflective work; utilize guest lectures and/or interchange visits from other disciplines; exposure to graduate students; service learning components; and learning community style collaborations and hybridization of courses.
o We have a number of technological support goals to improve course content instruction and delivery which include: integration of interactive projection based course survey software and citizen participation software; smart classroom technology as it becomes available; bulletin boards & Blogs; and web-based hybridization. We intend to maintain our “on-line presence” in 2009-10. We have been updating our web-pages and have as a goal that all faculty have a page.
· We have a number of student learning evaluation goals relative to assignments that include: increased dimensionality of self reflective journal and portfolio assignments, pre/post-tests, “process evaluation” techniques & protocols, and means for long term follow up “outcomes evaluation measures.” These are seen as necessary for validity and reliability reasons. We will work closely wit the SLOAC and CC in this effort.
· In terms of outreach – we have some ideas for the future that depending upon our staff availability and institutional support may be useful:
· “COA Days” is a proposed event cosponsored by the political science department and ASCOA and the public relations office. It is a yearly “recognition faire” designed to showcase what students have learned & accomplished in their civic engagement efforts is during the previous year and culminating in the COA Superior Service Awards. This will be a recognition of outstanding students, community partners (organizations & individuals), and other individuals and groups as appropriate. This is part of the institution of an ethic of service into the curriculum.
· Development of a “change agency certificate program”
· work on inter-departmental (liberal arts) program revisions into learning community format and
· Seek to create a Web Based presence in terms of: Blogs and active Public Interest Intellectual Scholarship (create a PIRG….)
· We have a long term documentary film project in conceptual stage regarding democracy as a way of life. Have already discussed this with a few of the key players in this project.
· We have worked on a closer relationship with “feeder schools” (e.g. CSU) and seek through CDL relationships with OUSD and AUSD and ASTI – perhaps a career day presence and workshops for school counselors working closer with the One Stop Center and the transfer and matriculation committees.
o Pitch COA to these schools with the advantage over Laney or Merritt that it is a smaller less intimidating school with more teacher student contact possibilities. It is the same issue that encourages some to go to small colleges rather than the big intimidating UC Berkeley or UCLA.
· Work with Student government to make weekends less "dead" on campus. If there are just a few classes and nothing else, it loses some appeal – this is part of the engaged campus model.
Full Time FTEF/ Total FTEF ratiothis is where you put your total Full time faculty/your total faculty (Full time and part time combined for a ratio)
If 3 full time FTEF and Total Full time, extra serv., and temp= 12
3/12 25% of the classes taught by full time faculty. / Full Time Faculty FTEF (A) / Extra service FTEF (B) / Temp FTEF
(C) /
Total FTEF
(A+B+C) / Ratio A/ (A+B+C)Narrative: The program has one full time faculty and three part time faculty.
Personnel / CD Enrl / Tot FTES / Contract FTEF / Ext Srv FTEF / Tmp FTEF / Total FTEF / Contract % / FTES/FTEF
1 f/t and 3 p/t faculty / 379 / 37.72 / .80 / 0 / .99 / 1.79 / 44.6% / 21
Equipment/Material/Supply/ Classified/Student Assistant Needs:**
· We believe that the services of an institutional researcher is essential in meeting the requisite demands of valid and reliable outcomes research, program evaluation and grant management activities we shall be engaged in the development of the CDL initiative.
· We continue to need and to fully utilize the services of a student teaching and research assistant. We share assistant time with other departments that do not have this resource (evidence of inter-departmental inter-collegial cooperation).
· We also utilize the services of other student workers in development of website and in the development of the CDL program.
Facilities Needs (Items that should be included in our Facilities master Plan) for Measure A funding:**
We note that functionality of facilities is insufficient to meet the requisites of a truly functional 21st Century approach to pedagogy.
· Most classrooms (e.g. all of those utilized by this department) lack sufficient levels of “smart classroom” functionality;
· insufficient patterns of institutional support, in terms of:
- functional supply chain and
- equipment reliability and
- other key support “resources”
These factors often render faculty as defacto “independent agents” in teaching their students.
Technology Needs **
· feeding copier scanner - Brother Dcp7040 $202.26
· printer. Hewlett Packard -HEWCC378A $399.97
· larger flat computer screen - Samsung - SAS743BX $224.94
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· access to “functioning” data reading scantron reader – for use in data analysis of outcomes assessments and other student surveys to support classroom activities relative to the methods of political science. This equipment is (and has been boxed) in the office of institutional research for tw3o years and is not being used due to lack of funding to get the training on how to use it… and now because we no longer have an institutional researcher.
Additional Planned Educational Activities** n/a
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) 2008/09**100% of POSCI courses have Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s).
Due to the integrated nature of our assessment model design (refer to appendix 2), we are able to assess all three components at once:
· course outcomes
· program outcomes (please provide the program definition you used for your #s)
· institutional learning outcomes
We have not yet run an assessment so there is not data as of this writing. Please attach your assessment results and action plan. List needed resources in Section III of Unit Plan.
III. Resources