Sacramento City College
GERONTOLOGY
PROGRAM REVIEW
2005-2006
Sacramento City College
2005-06
Program Review Process
Purpose: Program review is one element in the on-going planning and review process that focuses on improvements to benefit students. Program review is a three-step process:
§ Curriculum Review and Clean-up using SOCRATES
§ Program Research (the big picture)
§ Prerequisite and Co requisite Validation Research
As you study your program and prepare your review, you will want to consider a variety of factors related to the success of your students. You will also want to take into consideration how your program contributes to the total college and district mission and how to incorporate the proposed changes into your annual unit plans and budget requests.
As part of the program review process, you also are being asked to review and verify course and program pre/co-requisites, as well as general education, multicultural graduation requirements, distance education, and eligibility for honors offerings.
Cycle of
Review: Each education program reviews its offerings every six (6) years. Under special circumstances, where enrollment trends and/or productivity fluctuates significantly, a special program review may be requested.
Factors
to be
Analyzed:
§ Demographics
§ Productivity
§ Successful course completion rates
§ Enrollment trends (WSCH)
§ Currency and relevancy of curriculum
§ Currency of all staff in discipline and methodology
§ Student placement (occupational only)
§ Other factors (e.g., industry standards, student goals/majors, equipment/technology changes)
§ Recommendations from Accreditation, if appropriate
§ College/District Initiatives, such as Enrollment Management, grants (Title III), the Education Initiative
§ Student Learning Outcomes (as reflected in curriculum language and goals)
§ Delivery methods
§ Alternative scheduling models (length and non-traditional times)
Process: Program Review should follow these steps:
1. Data Review
§ SCC’s Research Office will provide demographics, successful course completion rates, and enrollment trends.
§ As it becomes available, this information will be posted in the Outlook Public Folder “Instructional Program Review.”
§ Productivity data is available via PeopleSoft/Crystal Reports through your division dean’s office.
§ Student placement for vocational programs will be taken from statewide core performance indicators for VTEA-funded programs. The district’s follow-up study is available at the LRCCD IR web site (http://irweb.losrios.edu).
§ Curricula are available in SOCRATES.
§ Staffing information is available in division offices.
- Data Analysis – Departments identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement based on the data provided.
3. Research Plan – If a communication or computation skills course is a pre/co requisite for a course outside the English and math sequences, research may be required. A checklist will be provided to determine if research is necessary.
4. Action Plan – Departments develop specific action plans and timelines. Such action plans should be reflected in your unit plan and in requests for budget, staffing, sabbaticals, facilities, and reassigned time.
5. Implementation and Evaluation – Departments implement their action plans through annual unit planning and resource requests. Evaluation occurs during the annual unit planning process and reflection on the year’s accomplishments.
Analysis and Action
Please review the data provided by the Research Office and respond to the following questions.
1. Demographics – Enrollments by gender, ethnicity, and age group for department, division, and college. 5-year trend data (fall semesters).
Please see attachments.
a. Strengths
Ethnicity: There is a balance of African American students in the program.
Age: The program definitely is attractive to the 40+ age group which ties into the course content of gerontology.
b. Areas needing improvement
Gender: Our program needs to increase the male ratio.
Ethnicity: The program can target additional ethnic groups in order to
provide a more diverse group.
c. Follow-up items for the department’s Units Plans
· Publicize Gerontology classes to various community groups.
· Ensure that program public relations materials are not gender-biased.
d. Priorities (1=Immediate, 2=midterm, 3=long-term. Assign a priority according to when solutions will be proposed through the department’s Unit Plans.)
· #1-3: Publicize Gerontology classes to various community groups.
· 1-3: Ensure that program public relations materials are not gender-biased.
These items need to happen not only in the near future but need to be long-term and ongoing.
e. Anticipated Implications and Resources (budget, staffing, sabbatical, facilities and reassigned time requests; curriculum proposals).
Resources are needed to develop program publicity materials. Also, future staffing needs include hiring full-time faculty to coordinate this program. Reassigned time to update the program and expand it might also be needed.
f. Future Directions
As the program expands, gender and ethnic diversity needs to be a priority. Also, full-time staffing needs to be addressed.
2. Student Success – Successful course completion rates (number of A,B,C,and Credit grades divided by all grades) for department, division, and college. 5-year trend data (fall semesters).
Please see attachments.
a. Strengths
Successful course completion rates for the Gerontology Program are consistently above division and college rates. The half unit Gerontology courses that are currently held on the West Sacramento campus are consistently fully enrolled and according to the statistics, the students successfully complete them.
b. Areas needing improvement
Before program review, there were only 10 half unit courses in the rotation. During the program review cycle, 6 more course were added in order to attract more students through the expanded offerings. Also, there are a few classes that are core requirements for the certificate program that have not been offered regularly.
c. Follow-up items for the department’s Units Plans
The FCS Unit Plan, which includes the Gerontology program, includes items such as develop brochures to publicize the program, purchase new video programs, and increase distance education course offerings.
d. Priorities (1=Immediate, 2=midterm, 3=long-term. Assign a priority according to when solutions will be proposed through the department’s Unit Plans.)
1 = increase distance education offerings
2 = purchase new video programs
3 = develop brochures for publicizing the program (to be completed in the next couple of years).
e. Anticipated Implications and Resources (budget, staffing, sabbatical, facilities and reassigned time requests; curriculum proposals).
Budget requests will include money to purchase materials, publish brochures, and staffing for increased course offerings. Facilities such as smart carts and/or classrooms in addition to computer labs will be needed also.
f. Future Directions
Gerontology is expected to be an explosive field in the next few years as the baby boomer generation retires. An educated and trained workforce will be needed. The Gerontology program at Sacramento City College needs to be prepared with not only the course offerings but also with community resources and facilities to provide learning experiences for students.
3. Productivity – Weekly Student Contact Hours (WSCH) divided by FTE for department, division, and college. 5-year trend data (fall semesters).
Please see attachments.
a. Strengths
Productivity statistics have shown some growth from 2000 to 2004 but these figures are below division and college figures.
b. Areas needing improvement
Although the Saturday, half unit classes, in West Sacramento are consistently enrolled at approximately 20-25 students, it is not high enough to bring productivity up to college standards.
c. Follow-up items for the department’s Units Plans
The FCS Unit Plan includes plans to offer more distance education course offerings. These courses tend to have higher enrollments than face to face courses.
d. Priorities (1=Immediate, 2=midterm, 3=long-term. Assign a priority according to when solutions will be proposed through the department’s Unit Plans.)
1 = distance education courses will be offered in Fall 2006
e. Anticipated Implications and Resources (budget, staffing, sabbatical, facilities and reassigned time requests; curriculum proposals).
Staffing will be needed to teach the distance education courses. New curriculum may be needed to enhance present offerings and to meet workforce needs.
f. Future Directions
The FCS department would like for this program to increase enrollment and course offerings.
4. Enrollment – Weekly Student Contact Hours (WSCH) for department, division, and college. 5-year trend data (fall semesters).
Please see attachments.
a. Strengths
The WSCH has definitely increased in the last five years. In 2000, it was
93.5 and in 2004, it was 177.3 This is in line with the increases of both
the division and the college.
b. Areas needing improvement
The program still has limited offerings and needs to broaden the courses
offered.
c. Follow-up items for the department’s Units Plans
The FCS Unit Plan calls for continued revision of the program, including
adding more courses.
d. Priorities (1=Immediate, 2=midterm, 3=long-term. Assign a priority according to when solutions will be proposed through the department’s Unit Plans.)
1 – 3 = This is ongoing from the short- term to the long-term.
e. Anticipated Implications and Resources (budget, staffing, sabbatical, facilities and reassigned time requests; curriculum proposals).
Staffing is always an issue. The program will require additional faculty to
increase WSCH.
f. Future Directions
`` The FCS department sees the Gerontology program as being not only an
integral part of the department, but also serving student and community
needs. The department wishes to make this a larger program through course offerings and higher enrollment.
Curriculum History
All curriculum outlines must be reviewed for every course as part of Program Review. Prerequisites and co requisites must be validated through the validation process established by the Curriculum Committee. This includes the review of distance education, general education, and multicultural graduation requirements. The curriculum part of program review must be completed in the Fall. Please refer to the Curriculum Committee Submissions Calendar posted in Outlook under Curriculum so that deadlines are not missed.
1. Courses
a. List department courses; check with Instruction Office for last revision date.
The following courses went through the curriculum review process in Fall
2005:
GERON 302/PSYC 374/FCS 332 Psychology of Aging: Adult
Development and Aging
FCS 324/PSYC 370 Human Development: A Life Span
GERON 300/SOC 335/FCS 330 Sociology of Aging
PSYCH 390 Psychology of Death and Dying
GERON 330 Techniques for Communicating with and Validating Older
Adults
GERON 334 Reminiscence Therapy
GERON 494 Topics in Gerontology
GERON 498 Work Experience in Gerontology
FCS 340 Nutrition
GERON 360 Ethnic Diversity and Aging
GERON 364 Medical World of Elderly: Pharmacology
GERON 366 Coping with Death and Related Bereavement
GERON 372 Alzheimer’s Workshop
GERON 376 Aging and Family Dynamics
GERON 378 Body Mechanics and Safety
GERON 380 Nutrition and Aging
GERON 389 Treatment of the Geriatric Patient
GERON 404 Sexuality and Aging
The following are new Gerontology courses added Fall 2005:
GERON 396 End-Stage Life Care
GERON 382 Stress Management: New Approaches
GERON 386 Strategies for Caregivers: Effectively Caring for the Elderly
in the Community
GERON 368 Mental Health and Aging
GERON 370 Topics in Gerontology: Elder Abuse
GERON 388: Interpersonal Relationships
GERON 403 Legal Issues for the Elderly
b. The courses which need validation of prerequisites or co requisites should be marked with an asterisk.
These courses do not have pre- or corequisites.
2. Relevancy of program and college goals
a. Determined by advisory committees, business contacts, articulation with four-year institutions, district-wide initiatives, etc.
The Gerontology Program prepares students to manage the health,
psychological, and social needs of the elderly population. The need for
specialization in gerontology is clearly show in population trends and
documented in literature citing the lack of adequately prepared geriatric
caregivers. Students can either plan to transfer to a four year university
with a gerontology major and/or obtain a certificate that provides them
with the proper training for a number of career opportunities.
Staffing
These data are available through your division dean.
Current Staffing:
- Adjunct/Full time ratio
Currently, there is one full-time faculty that is teaching one of the Gerontology
courses. Otherwise, all of the courses are taught by adjunct.
- Dates staff began work in the department
Jo-Ann Foley is the full-time professor who was hired in Spring, 1999. The
adjunct vary each semester with some who are brand new for the semester to
some that have been teaching the courses several semesters. Sam Rios had
been teaching the longest, which has been approximately 12 years.
- In-service/professional development activities
During the 2004-2005 school year, Gloria Lopez participated in several
workshops that were sponsored by the Chancellor’s Office through a Family and
Consumer Science grant. The grant was administered through Mt. San Antonio
Community College. These workshops included faculty from the entire state and
produced a curriculum booklet on teaching aging in all areas of Family and
Consumer Science. Jo-Ann Foley has been instrumental in revising Gerontology
courses to include distance education.
Student Placement
(Vocational Only)
- Student Follow-Up Survey
Although the Gerontology Program is considered a vocational program. We have
not developed an instrument to adequately track student placement and/or
transfer. Students taking these courses can be employed in a number of areas
such as volunteer services, elder care provider, program aide or assistant,
geriatric aide, home care specialist, home health aide, intergenerational care
provider, private or professional caregiver.
- Indicators of student success
The FCS Unit Plan does not at this time include Key Performance Indicators but
it has included a goal for next year to develop these. At this time, indicators of
student success for the Gerontology Program will be included.
- Core Indicators
Other Factors
Discuss any other factors that are important to the success of your program.
The Gerontology Program relies upon the expertise of faculty in a number of different areas of expertise. This makes staffing of classes difficult. Also, in order for this program to grow and provide more service to the community and students, the department needs to make more of an effort to provide field experiences for students at elder care facilities and to make sure that all core courses are offered.