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QEP
Roundtable Discussion
Division of Liberal Arts, Health, and Physical Education
Alexander City Campus, 3rd Floor Library
Friday, July 16, 2004, 8:30 a.m.
Present: Rick
Wilmarth, Pam Sherrer, Brandy Mitchell, Ray Pullium, Karen
Huffman, Ron Prochaska, Steven Griffin, Barbara Anne Spears
Spears gave an overview of the Quality Enhancement Plan. She
explained that the plan includes activities over a three-year
period. English and reading instructors will be meeting
throughout the 2004-2005 academic year to make decisions about
changes in the developmental writing and reading courses. These
changes will be implemented beginning Fall 2005.
This fall, the College will begin implementation of changes in
the developmental math courses with its use of the I Can Learn
software. Labs are being installed on each campus.
Instructors asked questions about class size, high school
responsibilities in sending under-prepared students to CACC, and
qualifications for tutors. Spears responded that I Can Learn
labs will house 35 computer stations – 1 teacher workstation and
34 student stations. No more than 30 students will be enrolled
in any given class; students not enrolled in the class that is
meeting at that time may use the other four stations for
additional work. The College will eventually provide tutoring
services in addition to those already provided by Student
Support Services so that the needs of all students can be met.
However, this is unlikely prior to the third year of the plan
because of costs. At that time, instructors will be able to
write a “prescription” for remediation which can be provided in
the Student Success Center (to be renamed).
Huffman noted that many of her students cannot write even though
they may have completed developmental courses. Spears said that
State Board policy currently allows students to enroll in
classes with no prerequisite if that student is enrolled in one
developmental course; many of those students are enrolling in
social science courses. Therefore, students in those courses may
have poor reading, writing, or math skills. Huffman noted that
the skills gained in developmental courses might be gained too
late to help students in the social science courses. However,
students who have successfully completed developmental courses
may perform better in all classes. Therefore, if the new program
is effective, it will have a positive effect overall. Huffman
said that developmental/transitional courses “may, for the first
time ever, be of benefit to the social sciences.”
Prochaska asked whether the changes in developmental education
are a result of SACS changes. Spears explained that the change
in SACS 10-year review process allows colleges to focus their
time and energy on a project to enhance student learning; the
College chose developmental education as its focus.
Wilmarth noted that one aspect of the QEP will be a learning
styles assessment of all students who test into a developmental
class. This assessment will impact both students and
instructors. Students will be provided workshops on learning
styles and how to learn best according to their individual
learning styles. Instructors will also be provided on
incorporating teaching methods into the class for all learning
styles. Mitchell noted that once learning styles are printed on
rolls, an instructor may choose to vary his or her teaching of a
specific subject based on the learning style of the class
majority. Many young people today are visual learners.
Instructors agreed that motivated students are more likely to
learn; therefore, motivation should be an important part of the
plan. They also noted that a better support network is needed
for tutorial services.
Prochaska discussed the College’s commitment 20 years ago to
writing across the curriculum. He noted that he changed his
classroom routine in order to accommodate this writing plan; all
his exams include a discussion question and he requires two
papers. He does not believe, however, that most instructors have
continued this practice. Instructors agreed that new instructors
are not given this information when hired. His concern,
therefore, is that the changes made to developmental education
may not have longevity.
Spears replied that although this concern is valid, the College
is committing time, funds, personnel, effort, and energy to
developmental education. The College is developing a
comprehensive three-year plan to entirely change the face of
developmental/transitional education. This plan includes student
services and instruction; input is college-wide and includes
students, community, alumni, and employees. Spears noted that a
report will be written annually on the progress of the College
and a five-year progress report will be submitted to SACS.
Therefore, there is more ongoing accountability for the new SACS
process than has been expected in the past.
Instructors said they were pleased that additional workshops and
services will be available to students. With a weakening
manufacturing base, more people are seeking employment in
service industry positions. However, these jobs pay little.
Therefore, more students who might not have attended College in
the past are now enrolling in community college to gain
additional training and skills. Service industry personnel
demonstrate weak communication skills and education levels at
present.
Huffman noted that CACC has a greater minority population than
in the past. In the South, minority students are often
first-generation college students, requiring greater support
from the College since support mechanisms are not in place at
home. First-generation students have greater academic and
emotional needs; many of these students will also be in the
developmental courses and take advantage of transitional
services. Therefore, the level of support must be improved.
Instructors agreed that it would be advisable to include
information on how to be a college student in Orientation.
Students should receive more information on appropriate
classroom behavior, classroom etiquette, the role of
instructors. There is a different mindset among returning adult
students, particularly women in the 30-40 age group, leading
them to create more disciplinary problems and exhibit more
inappropriate behavior than ever before. Therefore, additional
formal instruction in appropriate behavior would be helpful.
Wilmarth encouraged everyone to read and keep the QEP
newsletters. He also encouraged the faculty from his division to
submit articles and comments for the newsletter. Spears
reinforced his request, noting that submissions are always
needed.
Discussion then focused on Friday classes. Instructors noted
that although these will probably be unpopular with the
traditional student, they may provide additional options for
developmental courses.
With no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 9:38
a.m.
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