Program Review of the Associate in Arts Program in The Liberal Arts at Kaua`i Community College

III. Program Review Criteria

Introduction

This is a program review of the Associate in Arts program in Liberal Arts (see pages 67-68 of the 2003-2004 on-line College Catalog for program description http://www.kauaicc.hawaii.edu/catalog_04/index.htm . See APPENDIX I for statement of Liberal Arts mission and goals. For the purposes of this review we will be focusing on the success of the program in meeting the needs of declared Liberal Arts majors and will discuss only tangentially the other responsibilities of Liberal Arts faculty: providing support courses, personal enrichment courses and remediation.

Liberal Arts courses are required of all degree-seeking students at the College. The faculty who

teach courses in the Liberal Arts program and the courses that they teach serve many students who are not declared Liberal Arts majors. English, and mathematics courses are required of most KCC programs and many programs require that courses be taken in speech, the humanities, sciences and social sciences. Students whose educational goals may or may not be in the Liberal Arts often must take remedial and developmental courses offered by Liberal Arts faculty but these courses are not, strictly speaking, part of the Liberal Arts program, either. Additionally, a large number of students, generally between 120 and 160—in spring 2004 there were 142—who declare themselves to be Liberal Arts majors are actually pre-nursing students, (source: Nursing Counselor) who are advised by counselors to register in the Liberal Arts program as they complete their prerequisites for the Nursing program (see also yellow and green advising sheets, Appendix II). A number of students, mostly unclassified, take Liberal Arts courses for the sheer pleasure of learning and have no interest in acquiring a degree. All of these factors make it difficult to assess the program.

The Program Review Criteria, see APPENDIX III or visit http://kauai.hawaii.edu/moxie/admin/pcd/finalprogrev.shtml, that provide the questions that will be addressed in this review, were developed by the Assessment Task Force with input from KCC faculty and staff during the fall semester of 2003. (See page 12 of the “Focused Midterm and Midterm Report” on the KCC web page for a description of the process by which they were developed. http://kauai.hawaii.edu/atf/final%20focused.pdf.) In spring 2004 the Program Review Criteria were divided up and assigned to teams, each composed of three Liberal Arts faculty members, who sought out answers to the questions they were assigned. Their findings were shared with other program faculty and critiqued and amplified at five meetings that took place late in the semester. During the summer of 2004 two faculty members, working with the division chairpersons of the two divisions that make up the Liberal Arts program, the SAM (Science and Math) and LAH (Language, Arts and Humanities) divisions, edited and in some cases rewrote portions of the drafts provided by the teams.

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1.1Outreach

1.1.1: Comment on your program’s marketing and recruitment efforts. How do students and the community at large learn about the program?

Students and the community at large learn about the Liberal Arts program through the Schedule of Classes published each semester in The Garden Island newspaper, the on-line schedule, the bi-annual catalog of courses and programs (some hard copies and the on-line form), information distributed at the annual College Fair in November (some faculty and students, especially those from Hawaiian Studies attend), community and school visitations to the KCC campus, and occasional newspaper articles and radio spots, the latter often aired close to the beginning of semesters and focused on low enrolled classes. Student Services provides some outreach work at the island high schools through its Outreach Counselor and at least one program faculty member tries to attend annual career fairs held at each of the island high schools. In addition, community familiarity with the KCC campus, and thus rapprochement with the Liberal Arts Program, is promoted by the various community activities engaged in by individual members and departments of the program: music concerts, lectures, plays, etc., as well as participation in the DOE sponsored Science and History fairs.

While the Liberal Arts program has the highest enrollment on campus (See Table I below), there is much that can be done to improve our outreach efforts. In the spring semester 2004, for example, 16 Liberal Arts classes were cancelled due to low enrollment, including five English classes, one French, one Spanish, and two Japanese language classes, two math classes, as well as classes in art, biology, history, learning skills, and zoology. Although not low enrolled, many other Liberal Arts classes had seats available. The low enrollment numbers are not unique to the Liberal Arts program but are widespread, so some of the plans suggested below address strategies that could benefit all of KCC’s programs. TABLE I

Program: Liberal Arts Fall 1999 Fall 2000 Fall 2001 Fall 2002 Fall 2003DEMAND:Headcount/Percentage of Total Enrollment

506/44.3% 513/48.8% 545/46.0% 592/48.5% 565/46.6%

Average Class Size 18 16 18 17 17PROGRAM EFFICIENCY:Number of Classes Offered 123 123 108 133 129Student Semester Hours 6,139 5,738 5,647 6,637 6,045PROGRAM OUTCOMES:Degrees Awarded (Academic Year)

44 52 41 35 51

Sources: www.hawaii.edu/iro/maps.htm “Departmental Activity & Instructional Workload Measures”, “Course Registration Report”, “Fall Enrollment Report”

Plan of Action:

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Collect information

Work with the Institutional Researcher to survey incoming students to determine how they “found out” about KCC. Results from the survey will help direct our future efforts. ASAP

Print sources of information Work with the Graphic Artist to develop a Liberal Arts brochure to hand out during registration periods, College Fairs and other public presentations by the College. (A basic brochure [a list of courses/requirements, see draft in APPENDIX IV, should be developed by the fall semester, 2004; a more informative and attractive brochure by the fall of 2005.) These brochures should be made available at the KCC Performing Arts Center and at other public venues where potential students could locate them.

Provide periodic news stories to The Garden Island newspaper on activities in various classes, success stories of Liberal Arts graduates, and exciting new course developments. These stories would fit well on the Education page of the Thursday edition. Ongoing.

List KCC in both the Verizon and Adventures Kaua`i telephone books—white pages and yellow pages—to enable interested persons to find and contact the College. Spring 2005.

Reinstate the print version of the College catalog. The College Bookstore receives a minimum of twenty requests per semester for hardcopy catalogs, and there is much anecdotal feedback from prospective customers who either do not have access to a computer and Internet connection or who prefer hardcopy and are put off by the electronic-only version of the catalog. Spring 2005.

(A limited number of “print versions,” of the Catalog, copied off the Web site, are sold at the bookstore.)

Electronic sources

Carry out intensive work, with help from Support Services, on the Liberal Arts program’s web site; the initial work, including Liberal Arts program requirements, listing of course outlines, syllabi, etc., should be completed by fall 2005 but will require continuous updating thereafter. Eventually each discipline should have its own page with information on faculty as well as courses and related activities.

The KCC on-line catalog should be made searchable by converting it to HTML and inserting live links to the various program pages. Spring 2005.

A part-time KCC Webmaster should be hired—Fall 2004. Radio and Television

As part of the College’s marketing plan, record and broadcast radio announcements at least once a month and before each semester announcing new courses and promoting courses and classes that may be under-enrolled. Ongoing.

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Record and broadcast film shorts about the people and programs at KCC to be broadcast on community information channels such as Ho`ike. Ongoing.

Personal Presentations

Develop presentations for campus visits by students from island schools and have faculty accompany the Outreach Counselor for presentations at the high schools, community clubs and organizations in order to heighten public awareness of the courses and programs in Liberal Arts at KCC. Fall 2004 and ongoing.

Faculty should be present on campus during the week before classes begin to meet with students and answer their questions about courses being offered. Ongoing.

The Performing Arts Center is an important meeting place between the campus and the community. The Liberal Arts program strongly recommends that it be adequately staffed and maintained. ASAP.

Faculty will continue to develop community partnerships (see 5.2.1). Ongoing, The Professional Development Coordinator will assist with service learning projects. Fall 2004.

Faculty will also explore the feasibility of a summer youth program to introduce students to “college survival skills” and college courses. This may be done in conjunction with the Case Management program at KCC (see 2.3.1 below). Summer 2006.

1.2 Enrollment

1.2.1 Comment on your program’s retention efforts over the past 2 years.

In an effort to retain students and have them successfully complete the program, we have employed course prerequisites to ensure the possibility of success in each course; we have coordinated with the Learning Center to provide tutors to help the students through their various courses, and we work with Students Services’ referral process to encourage students to maintain progress, fulfill attendance requirements and to withdraw from courses if they cannot complete the work. Individual faculty spend countless hours meeting with students during office hours and beyond, providing help with coursework as well as academic and personal guidance.

Table I above provides the numbers of degrees awarded in each academic year from 1999 to 2003. At present it is difficult to interpret the meaning of these numbers and the success of the Liberal Arts program in meeting the needs of its students as many of the leavers do not have a Liberal Arts degree as their goal. (See Introduction.)

Plan of Action:

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Work with the Institutional Researcher to develop a better instrument to survey all leavers, not just graduates, to determine student satisfaction with our program. (See also 3.1.3) Spring 2005 and continuing.

Work with the Institutional Researcher to conduct a survey of student satisfaction with the various retention efforts to determine how much each effort helped. Fall 2004 and continuing.

1.3 Placement and Scheduling

1.3.1 Is enrollment in any required program course dependent upon student performance on assessment/placement tests or prerequisites/corequisites? Have results of these assessment /placement tests or prerequisites/corequisites been demonstrated to be related to student success in the program? What strategies will your program use to improve effectiveness in utilizing these results?

We use COMPASS placement tests for reading, writing and mathematics in order to determine appropriate classes for incoming students, with placement scores that are judged appropriate for basic education, basic skills, developmental, and transfer level classes in reading, writing and mathematics. These scores (Appendix V) are periodically reviewed by English and math faculty, working together with their peers at the other U. H. Community Colleges, to ensure that they are appropriate based on student performance in the classes. The scores presently in use are continually under review.

For subsequent courses in these two disciplines, as well as for courses in some other disciplines, such as foreign/second languages, there are pre-requisites for sequential courses. The College Catalog provides information on prerequisites for all courses.

English faculty regularly discuss the effectiveness of the placement process in their department meetings and have met with the academic counselors on the issue. The consensus is that the process is working fairly well. An informal poll of the math lecturers teaching the math courses in the spring of 2004 similarly found agreement that the placement process was working well. Concerns, as they arise, will be taken up at system-wide meetings where the cut-off scores are reviewed.

There is no established “baseline” for technology literacy for our students, and it has been noted that the lack of technological skills is a factor in student failure in some classes.

Plan of Action

To address the need for technological literacy, the Instructional Technology Committee has suggested that a technology literacy placement exam be administered to students: Spring 2005When students apply for admission to the College they will take a test; scores will be set as pre-requisites for certain courses. A set of modules will be established so that students can gain the skills necessary for success in the courses they need. (See Information Technology Plan draft. (APPENDIX VI)

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1.3.2 Does the current scheduling method adequately support access and completion needs of students? Describe your scheduling method. What other data and/or approaches would help in improving the course scheduling procedure?

Scheduling is a multi-step process. Each instructor or department submits a proposed schedule to the Division (SAM or LAH). The English department, math and ICS faculty carry out extensive consultation with faculty and division chairs in other divisions and with counselors before submitting these schedules. The division chairs and members of the respective divisions then look over the proposed schedules and make suggestions for possible changes based on courses that might be “competing” with each other for the same group of students, past enrollments, student requests and ideas, and input from the Liberal Arts counselors. Following that step, the LAH and SAM division chairs get together with the counselors to look over the schedules to see what conflicts might occur and what changes need to be made. At that point, the campus-wide schedule is discussed by all the division chairs, counselors, and the Interim Dean of Instruction, leading to further changes. Finally, the schedule is approved, entered, printed, and distributed in time for registration.

In order to improve the scheduling process and ensure that students will have appropriate courses available at convenient times and are able to plan out their programs of study in advance, the Interim Dean of Instruction has produced several documents intended to provide guidance in the scheduling process and is working with the division chairs to produce a two year schedule. See the following documents in the appendix: “Progressing towards improved scheduling”(APPENDIX VII) and “Schedule building guidelines” (APPENDIX VIII)

Plan of action:

To assess how well student access needs are being met, work with the Institutional Researcher to conduct a survey of the students, focusing on dates/times and other scheduling issues (ie: distance education options such as HITS [Hawai`i Interactive Television Service], cable television, and asynchronous formats such as the Internet and CAI [Computer Assisted Instruction]), to give us more information about student needs, to help us schedule courses more effectively. Fall 2004

Work with the Interim Dean of Instruction to complete a two-year grid of courses so that both students and faculty can better plan their schedules. Fall 2004

1.3.3 Does your schedule meet the needs of special populations (Running Start, Early Admits, Workforce)?

We try to accommodate the needs of special populations such as Running Start students http://www.hawaii.edu/runningstart/ and people in the workforce by scheduling multi-section courses such as ENG 100, SP 151, HIST 151 and 152 and others) on various days and times (e.g., some MWF, some MW, some TR, some mornings, some mid-days, some afternoons, some evenings). Transfer math and science courses are scheduled in the afternoons so we can serve Running Start students. We rely on counselors to advise us which courses these special populations can take and the days and times that are best suited to their needs when scheduling these courses. Our summer session courses are also available to Running Start students.

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Despite these efforts to address the needs of all of the populations on Kaua`i, there is anecdotal evidence of inadequate scheduling for special populations. The survey suggested in 1.3.2 would help address this deficiency.

Plan of Action:

Conduct the survey suggested in 1.3.2.

1.3.4 Have you surveyed employers and scheduled according to their needs?

We have not done general surveys of employers to assess their needs for classes for their employees. The feeling among the Liberal Arts program faculty is that our mission is not to train employees for any specific occupation but rather to educate our students generally so as to prepare them to function effectively in a variety of occupational settings. Perhaps we need to do a better job of educating employers as to the benefits of a Liberal Arts education at KCC.

Plan of Action:

Since our mission is not to train employees for specific occupations we should conduct the survey mentioned in 1.3.2 and provide employers with additional information about our program by providing them copies of our new, informative brochure. FALL 2005

1.4 Support Services for Access

1.4.1 Comment on your program’s level of collaboration with access services such as: advising, admissions, registration, financial aid, and business office support services. How could this be enhanced?

Our program has regularly collaborated with counselors each semester on scheduling of classes as well as other issues that come up from time to time, such as sharing information on placement scores, course offerings (including new course proposals and modifications of existing courses), enrollment issues, and other topics. Counselors who work with Liberal Arts students are periodically invited to division meetings. We work with Admissions and Records on entering courses into the BANNER system. Liberal Arts Faculty are regularly involved with student orientation and some faculty have helped with the registration of students during the main registration period before classes begin. This has allowed faculty to gain “face recognition” with students and provides the latter a friendly first impression of faculty. Student Services has been appreciative of our help. Our work with Financial Aid Office is often limited to responding to its requests for signatures on student financial aid report forms, updates on attendance for some students and other related work. We regularly interact with the Business Office in matters of requisitions, travel requests and reimbursements, pay and other issues.

The flow of information from program faculty to support services is neither full nor smooth, so students do not always receive all the accurate information they need to enroll in and successfully complete the courses needed for their goals in a timely manner.

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Plan of Action:

To enhance our contacts with student services, invite Liberal Arts counselors to all division meetings. Currently, these counselors are invited only when there is an agenda item that relates to a counseling or advising need. Fall 2004 and ongoing

Periodically review program requirements and course information with counselors to help inform them about the courses so they, in turn, can better inform the students. Fall 2004 and ongoing

Encourage faculty to be available to students (be on-campus and hold office hours) during the first, non-instructional, week of the semester. Spring 2005 and ongoing

Consider moving the Liberal Arts counselors’ offices to the Liberal Arts buildings. Fall 2006

Meet with the Financial Aid officer to share information about financial aid opportunities and responsibilities for our students. Spring 2005

2.2 Curriculum

2.2.1: How is program curriculum reviewed for currency and relevancy to institutional, community, and student needs?

Currently, program curriculum review is done on an ad-hoc basis; the AA program has generally reacted to changes initiated at UH-Manoa. Twice in the last three years the KCC Liberal Arts faculty considered altering the existing program requirements to fit with the program offered at Manoa. Faculty chose to retain the current program requirements as taught at KCC because we believe our program requirements to be more stringent and demanding than Manoa’s and more in line with our students’ needs. We believe that our students will benefit from a more prescriptive program of study, including a lower-division oral communications requirement and three required courses each in the humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences, as opposed to two at UHM. Our major concern in retaining our current program requirements is that our students might have difficulty transferring easily between our campus and UHM. So far this has not been a problem. We will continue to monitor our students’ ability to transfer to institutions within the University of Hawai`i system.

In 2001 program faculty proposed the addition of a one-course Writing Intensive (WI) requirement as part of the Associate in Arts degree requirements. The Curriculum Committee rejected the proposal on the basis that students would not have enough WI courses to choose from. Although the Liberal Arts faculty felt the choices were adequate, students would be better served with more choices, especially in the sciences and social sciences.

An analysis of course outlines [the course outlines examined are available in a file, not part of the Appendix] shows that, as the program currently stands, students fulfilling the basic requirements of the Associate in Arts Degree (ENG 100; Math 100; Sp 151 or Sp 251; HIST 151 and 152) will meet the majority of the program’s stated student learning outcomes which are aligned with the Campus-wide SLOs. A representative sampling of courses which students may use to fulfill area requirements

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in the humanities (ENG 250 and 257; LING 102; PHIL 100 and 101; REL 150 and 205; ART 101; HWST 107; SP 231 and 251) and natural and social sciences (ANTH 200; BOT 105; SCI 121/122, and 121L/122L; ICS 100, 101, and 111; PHYS 100/100L, GEOG 101; and transfer-level courses in economics, political science, psychology, sociology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, horticulture, microbiology, and oceanography) reveals that students will meet the balance of SLOs upon completion of the program. Both LAH and SAM divisions offer a variety of elective courses from which students may select their 14 – 17 elective credits.

It should be noted that a significant portion of the responsibilities of both LAH and SAM divisions is to support other programs with service courses providing instruction in key content areas including English composition, mathematics, and the sciences. Liberal Arts courses are also necessary for the AS (Early Childhood Education and Nursing) and AAS (Accounting, Auto Body Repair and Painting, Automotive Mechanics Technology, Culinary Arts, Electronics Technology, Hospitality Services, and Office Administration & Technology) degrees in addition to the AA degree.

Students who receive the AA degree at KCC are able to meet most of the core requirements for UH Manoa graduation by choosing courses that satisfy the foreign or Hawaiian language requirement and the Writing Intensive requirement (ENG 250, 254, 256, and 255; LING 102; SP 251; BIOL 123L). See “Kaua`i Community College—Courses Articulated to UHM General Education Requirements,” APPENDIX IX.

A survey of LAH course syllabi shows that courses’ objectives are stated in course syllabi, and that these objectives are aligned with the student learning outcomes developed by the College as a whole. See “Course Outlines—Analyses,” APPENDIX X and “UHM General Education Requirements—College SLOs,” APPENDIX XI. A similar review of SAM courses produced the same result. Plans are being made to make specific correlations between course objectives and SLOs in course syllabi, phrasing course objectives to show course content being related to SLOs, and where applicable, to community and student needs.

The program is responsive to community needs as shown by its ongoing development of courses that reflect community requests and its accommodation of the Running Start program (see website at http://www.hawaii.edu/runningstart/) by which qualified high school juniors and seniors are able to enroll in specific Liberal Arts courses. Language courses in Spanish and Japanese are scheduled for afternoons to allow high school students to conveniently obtain credit in 100-level courses. In 2002 it was decided that major expansion of program offerings would depend upon further increase in enrollment. Courses for which there have been varying degrees of community demand and which are under consideration include slack key guitar, photography, television broadcasting, dance, theater, screenwriting, and ethnic literature of Hawaii. As of this writing, HAW 261 (Hawaiian Literature in English) is being offered in response to student / community interest, and COM 210 (Intercultural Communication) is under consideration. LAH and SAM divisions are also involved with the Title III initiative to deliver courses with a native Hawaiian focus. Among the courses developed with Title III support are: Hula and Chant, Understanding Hawaiian Religion, Rediscovering Polynesian Connections, History of Kaua`i, Taro Cultivation, and La`au Lapa`au (Hawaiian Medicinal Herbs). SAMD and LAHD faculty collaboration has also been fruitful, creating the new Certificate of Competence in Hawaiian Botany, a response to companies wanting to hire students with this certification and, in response to community interest, a Certificate of Competence in Polynesian Voyaging.

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2.2.1 (cont’d) Include recent deletions, additions, and revisions. Since October 2001:

As shown above, the Liberal Arts program has offered courses mostly to meet institutional needs; new courses have been developed and existing ones modified to meet these needs. In addition, in trying to meet institutional needs, SAM and LAH faculty have been very accommodating in the scheduling of their classes, particularly in the areas of English, math, ICS, and zoology. Each semester, the divisions remove some course offerings from the schedule, replacing them with others to be offered. This ensures that a variety of courses are offered on a rotating basis.

During the last decade a number of new courses were added to the Liberal Arts program despite slight declines in enrollment; new faculty brought new expertise and students exhibited new interests. Consequently, some of the courses listed in our Catalog had not been offered for an extended period of time. In 2001 the LAH division purged the Catalog of courses that had not been recently offered. Some of these courses were deleted entirely from the curriculum, others remain “on the books,” available for restoration and offering in the future when enrollment grows. The Catalog today represents a more “honest” listing of what students can expect to find offered during their sojourn at KCC. (See February 20, 2001 memo, “Courses removed from the catalog” APPENDIX XII.) SAM division needs to review its Catalog listings as there are several courses that have not been offered in the last few years and are candidates for removal.

Since the fall of 2000 four courses, ENG 18 (Pidgin English), 20 and 102 and REL 21/155 have been removed from the curriculum. Courses added include a new ENG 18 (see 2.3.1), 19, and 257K; REL 205; PHIL 250; HWST 251, 285 and 290; SPAN 101, 102, 201 and 202; MUS 220; HIST 284K; BOT 130/130l; BIOL 100/100L, 123/123L and 208; CHEM 152; GEOG 101L; SCI 97; and MATH 22.

Courses recently revised include ENG 21, 22, 100, 215; SPAN 101 and 102; JPNS 101, 102, 201 and 202; FR 101 and 102; HAW 101, 102, 201 and 202; MATH 24 and 25; ICS 101. (See Curriculum Committee Actions for 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, and 2003-2004 in APPENDIX XIII).

2.2.1 (cont’d) What are your upcoming plans in this area?

Courses will continue to be developed on an as-needed basis, as described in the plan of action below, and courses not regularly taught will be removed from the Catalog and/or deleted from the curriculum.

Plan of Action:

Maintain communication with both two and four year campuses within the UH system to ensure that KCC courses are transferring smoothly between campuses. Ongoing

Create a procedure and schedule for ongoing curriculum assessment and review by the division.Fall 2005

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Adopt a template to ensure a consistent format and structure for all course syllabi—the model currently being proposed by the College’s curriculum committee provides an example.Fall 2005

Review course syllabi periodically, beginning in Fall 2006

SAM division needs to review its courses listed in the Catalog for possible removal, based upon the likelihood of their being offered in the near future. Fall 2004

Recommend that the College Catalog list the Liberal Arts courses that fulfill degree requirements for the most common majors sought by KCC students at Manoa, Hilo, and West Oahu. The Writing Intensive requirement is already noted in the catalog. Spring 2005/publication of next catalog

Develop SLOs for all courses. Fall 2004-2009

Increase number and variety of Writing Intensive courses offered. Fall 2005

Add a Writing Intensive requirement to the Associate in Arts degree requirements. Spring 2006

Work with the Institutional Researcher to prepare and conduct a survey of community needs and interests to guide the development of new courses. Fall 2004

2.2.2: Are instructional methodologies appropriate for program content? Explain. Do instructional methodologies utilize available, current technology? Explain. Indicate recently implemented innovations in instructional methodology or use of technology as well as changes your program is considering within the next two years.

A survey of representative course offerings reveals that LAH and SAM instructors utilize a variety of methodologies (see course syllabi in supplemental file). All course syllabi surveyed specified or implied methodologies to be used in each course. Methods used included discussion, lecture, viewing video material, field trips, guest speakers, independent reading, interviewing, role-playing, in-class writing, writing assignments (including lab reports, logs, field notes, essays, and research papers), student-instructor conferences, peer editing and evaluation, group work, and student presentations. Almost all of the syllabi reviewed require a relatively large amount of writing, which indicates efforts to cultivate critical thinking. These methodologies are appropriate for AA courses because they encourage active involvement (discussion, role-playing, interviewing, in-class writing, group work, and peer editing and evaluation), allow efficient information dissemination (lecture and guest speakers), encourage student responsibility and self-development (independent reading, group work, conferences, and presentation), and improve engagement and retention (discussion, in-class writing, conferences, and presentations). Students are encouraged to ask questions, to participate in class discussions, and to solve problems.

All students are expected to be minimally computer literate: be able to use the Internet with its email and search engines and, in some cases, know how to use WebCT.

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All students are expected to be able to use a word processor for their written assignments. Some courses require knowledge of Excel spreadsheets and graphics, and use of scientific calculators. The microscope is used in the microbiology lab. The zoology instructor uses models of the human body. Overhead projectors and transparencies are used by many of the faculty. One instructor uses a visual presenter that throws the image of the calculator on a screen, thereby facilitating calculator instruction. Other technology-based instructional methodologies include the use of audio-visual materials, videotaping and peer-critiquing of student presentations, computer applications in artistic expression, and, most recently, the use of the interactive English writing lab located in FAC 2-115 in which students and instructors can collaborate on written work via the computers’ word processing programs. Instructors are also able to utilize the computer labs in the Learning Resource Center and to have students oriented to technology use in the Learning Center through hands-on workshops. There is also a Hawaiian Studies/Language Lab (located next to the Hawaiian Studies Building) that students use to work on their Hawaiian language lessons using computer-assisted learning. Tutors are available there for oral practice in Hawaiian.

Recently implemented innovations include the new English Writing Lab located in FAC 2-115. Some instructors are currently involved in utilizing the FLE3 program to provide asynchronous support to students in Spanish language and English literature courses. A linguistics course is being developed for Spring 2005 delivery via WebCT, and several instructors are currently involved in the development of other distance-delivered courses using various technologies.

Despite this, however, one can still conclude that the program remains essentially low-tech. The syllabi do not reveal a high degree of technology being utilized. This may be due to budgetary constraints leading to minimal availability of high-tech equipment, and a lack of institutional support for faculty for professional development to improve their computer literacy, although the minimum desirable level of computer literacy has not been determined. To address these needs continued efforts are being made through program faculty’s involvement with the Instructional Technology Task Force to encourage faculty use of technology in the classroom. In an informal survey conducted by the Task Force in March of 2004, faculty responses overwhelmingly indicated a need and desire for more effective and up-to-date in service training on computer applications for the classroom. (APPENDIX XIV) At present, there are few faculty (two of whom are ICS instructors) who have web pages for their classes; those who have created such web pages have posted them as links through the College website. Instructors indicated a willingness to integrate more technology into their courses, but noted that they did not feel comfortable using new technology because of limited technical support and training opportunities provided by the College. Many instructors noted that a computer technician or technologist assigned to the program would be extremely helpful in troubleshooting and in assisting instructors with both software and hardware questions and classroom applications.

However, another reason for the relatively low level of faculty computer and technology literacy is structural, rooted in the norms and patterns of operations on this campus. First, there is no mechanism by which information regarding the availability of

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technology is shared. Second, instructors often cannot make use of “higher tech” equipment because it is unavailable to them, sometimes a function of how equipment is bought. Again, there is no routine mechanism for input from faculty as to what should be purchased and no follow-up on their recommendations. Third is another communication issue: even if computer equipment and later software are available, there is no mechanism to convey the information automatically to the faculty. For example, the computers in the writing lab were not outfitted with the software when a workshop was given to English faculty about these machines. Not everyone can think back to the workshop and go from the “hypothetical” (which was the situation at that time) to the actual. In fact, many of the instructors were not even notified when the software was installed. Fourth, while technology committees have been formed over the years, there is still no fully-implemented working information technology plan for the campus, which would also include consideration of reassigned time for faculty e.g., to learn to use equipment and the basics and finer points of putting at least their syllabi online and then to provide students with links to other sites.

In general Liberal Arts faculty are willing to work toward increasing use of technology in their curriculum. To this end, there is interest in applying for an implementation grant from NSF in the form of a TCUP grant (Tribal Colleges and Universities Program). The focus of this grant is on SMET (science, math, engineering, and technology) and the primary purpose is to prepare Native Americans and Hawaiians for a future in these fields. KCC qualifies because of the high percentage of Hawaiian students enrolled. Envisioned is a high degree of infusion of technology in science, math, and technology courses, as well as other courses within our purview. There will be a strong component in the proposal for addressing under-prepared students (see 2.2.4 below). As of yet, however, the grant proposal has not been submitted. A deadline was missed this spring--neither the administration nor the faculty involved in preparing the proposal was fully prepared—but another opportunity will present itself in the fall. Questions remain regarding the commitment of the faculty and support of the administration for the project.

Plan of Action:

A working information technology plan needs to be implemented which will allow interested faculty to pursue ways to integrate technology into the existing curriculum. Spring 2005.

Additional funds need to be provided to improve the quality and frequency of technology training provided the faculty. Fall 2005.

Assistance with software applications and classroom technology needs to be made available on a timely and consistent basis. Fall 2005.

A more efficient communication mechanism needs to be developed between faculty, computer services, and administration. Fall 2005.

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A technology literacy test needs to be administered to all incoming students and workshop modules need to be developed to teach students the skills they need to succeed in their courses. Fall 2005. (See also Plan of Action 1.3.1)

2.2.3: What steps are taken to develop and ensure consistent application of academic standards? (e.g. grading standards, course objectives . . . etc). Comment on plans you have to improve this process.

All courses undergo careful scrutiny at the time they are proposed by both division faculty and the College’s Curriculum Committee. Course syllabi, including course objectives, content, requirements, teaching methodologies, grading policies, etc. are all examined. Courses undergoing substantial modification undergo similar scrutiny.

All course syllabi are submitted to the Office of the Dean of Instruction and are kept on file in both the Dean’s office and the offices of the divisions; this allows for review of course syllabi and comparison to ensure consistency. However, while syllabi are submitted, there is no formal system to review them.

Course syllabi surveyed included specific or implied statements of desired student outcomes or course objectives. With few exceptions, course syllabi surveyed utilized similar grading standards (A=90% to 100%; B=80% to 89%; C=70% to 79%; D=60% to 69%; F=below 60%); however, there exists no official standard for grading which is consistent across all courses offered by the division.

There is currently animated faculty discussion concerning the “N” and “I” grades:

how they should be used, and in the case of the “N,” if it should be retained. Faculty campus-wide have expressed concern with the consistent application of the criteria for these grades, and their use is currently being reassessed. Because receiving institutions have had difficulty interpreting these particular grades, faculty throughout the College seem to feel that more consistent guidelines for their use need to be established.

In individual courses, the bases for grading vary, involving different numbers of quizzes, tests, exams (unit, midterm, and final), varying amounts and types of homework and other assignments, as well as other factors such as attendance and participation. Some courses, notably composition courses, place great emphasis upon holistic evaluation of student portfolios. All course elements are variously weighted.

Although there is a writing assessment rubric in existence (APPENDIX XV), its use is not required or universally followed either by the LAH and SAM divisions or by the College as a whole. The use of rubrics should be encouraged, and additional rubrics for other skill sets and assignment types should also be explored and considered for implementation.

Furthermore, while almost all course syllabi included a statement addressing issues

of academic dishonesty and an accommodation statement concerning students with disabilities, there was not a consistent format for these statements. Regarding academic

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honesty, the syllabi of two SAM faculty members require students to formally pledge it by signing a form; one of them requires students to sign off on each assignment submitted. Clear, standardized statements should be developed for consistent usage throughout the program. Also, specific consequences for enumerated types of academic dishonesty should be established, included in all course syllabi, and enforced consistently by all faculty.

Plan of Action:

Review course syllabi in conjunction with the development of SLOs. Fall 2006

Agree on consistent meanings and usages of the I and N (if continued) grades. Spring 2005

Develop and adopt evaluation rubrics as appropriate. Spring 2006

Develop, adopt, and consistently enforce clear, standardized statements concerning accommodation of disabled students, academic dishonesty, and consequences for enumerated types of academic dishonesty. Spring 2005

2.2.4: Comment on how your program addresses the learning needs of under-performing students. Are there strategies you are considering to help strengthen this process? If so, describe them. Are there other programs and services currently not available that would help in this area?

Under-performing students are assisted in a number of ways. Instructors are available during office hours, as well as other times, to assist students needing additional instruction and tutorial assistance. Many instructors conduct student-instructor conferences on an ongoing basis, or at mid-term, to allow for confidential mentoring and assistance. Other instructors conduct student-instructor interaction through regular journaling assignments that allow students to request help and voice concerns in a confidential setting. In some courses, instructors provide additional structured classroom or laboratory time for students.

Several instructors volunteer time in the Learning Center and various other similar settings to provide tutoring for students in need of extra help. Instructors can refer students to the Learning Center and to the writing specialist for help. Student tutors are available on a rotating basis in the Center, and many students are able to avail themselves of their services. Perkins Grant funds have been used to provide additional student tutors for individual classes. One instructor, hired with Title III funds, has dedicated a portion of her workload to working with under-performing students, especially Hawaiian students, in the areas of both English and math. Unfortunately, her services as a tutor will probably end with the termination of the grant in June of 2005.

All instructors are apprised by Student Services in an on-going series of mail-outs of techniques by which students with diagnosed learning disabilities may be accommodated in the classroom; some instructors are knowledgeable in the detection of

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learning barriers and disabilities and will confidentially refer students with suspected disabilities to Student Services.

Another related issue stems from the implementation of the BANNER registration system. This new system allows students to register on-line for courses, but also may allow them to effectively by-pass course prerequisites. Thus, students are able to register in courses for which they are not adequately prepared because they have not fulfilled the course prerequisites. Because instructors have relied upon established prerequisites to screen out under-prepared students, instructors have difficulty identifying these students early enough in the course to prevent students’ encountering extreme difficulty with course content. In addition, student services counselors have not consistently honored prerequisites established by faculty for particular courses—either prerequisite courses that must have been taken and passed with a “C” or better, or prerequisites involving COMPASS scores. This is one of the reasons for the presence of “under-prepared” students in our classes.

It is important to note a distinction between “under-performing” and “under-prepared” students. Underperformance may be due to many factors beyond faculty control, including, but certainly not limited to, lack of motivation, personal, financial or health problems, etc. These factors are difficult, if not impossible, for faculty to realistically address. Underperformance can also be due to under-preparedness or simple lack of ability. It is important to note a distinction between “under-performing” and “under-prepared” students. The issue of under-prepared students is dealt with in 2.3 below.

Plan of Action:

Seek College support for a faculty mentoring program (See 2.5.2 below). Fall 2005

Identify and seek funding for more and more highly paid tutors. Fall 2004

Work with Student Services to assure that prerequisites for courses are adhered to by both counselors and by the BANNER system. Fall 2004

Continue reevaluating course prerequisites (both courses and COMPASS scores) for core courses on an as-needed basis. Fall 2005 and continuing

Consider re-evaluating course prerequisites (both courses and COMPASS scores) for elective courses on a regular basis. Fall 2006 and continuing

2.2.5: What assessments are being used to determine if current teaching methods used in the program are adequately meeting student needs? How are the results of these assessments currently being used?

A combination of assessment strategies is used to ensure that teaching methodologies are meeting student needs. Most importantly, instructors are evaluated by

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students and by their peers. These evaluations address teaching methods specifically. The results of these assessments are used by the Division Personnel Committees in their reviews of contract renewals, promotion requests for non-probationary and probationary faculty and applications for tenure. Faculty undergoing evaluation are required to discuss their teaching methods in their professional dossiers and to respond to critiques made by their students, peers and the DPC. Lecturers, similarly, are expected to carry out regular student evaluations and undergo annual peer evaluations. Tenured faculty, while not required to submit annual dossiers, are required to conduct these evaluations when applying for promotion. Many tenured instructors continue to request student evaluations and sometimes invite fellow faculty members to observe their teaching.

A Graduate Survey and a Leaver’s Survey to assess student learning outcomes, college culture, and environment have been conducted on a regular basis since 1999. Because the published results were not broken down by program, the Institutional Researcher culled through the original responses to gather the following data. Although based on a very limited sample, the results indicate that AA degree students are generally highly satisfied with the quality of instruction at KCC.

Grad-Leaver Data on Goal/Satisfaction

A 5-year average of responses from both graduates and leavers indicates that 17% of all students surveyed (all majors) intended to complete the Liberal Arts program with an A.A. degree.

A 5-year average of responses from both graduates and leavers indicates that the 99 Liberal Arts students surveyed rated the overall quality of instruction with a 3.45 on the following scale:

1-poor quality2-fair quality3-good quality4-excellent quality

The biggest concern with the above data lies in the small sample size. The five year total sample was n=99 Liberal Arts students. On average, less than half of all Liberal Arts graduates attended graduation ceremonies [where the surveys have been administered]. Future plans to improve the measurement of student satisfaction (with their education) and other outcome data include follow-up alumni surveys and improved survey instruments which will gather data at the program and student level. Focus groups are always an option but only as a supplement to alumni and grad/leaver surveys.

Source: Memo from the Institutional Researcher based on responses to the 1999-2003 Graduation and Leaver Surveys

In April of 2002 and 2003 a writing assessment of graduating students was conducted as a pilot project. Student writing samples were assessed by the Assessment Committee and faculty volunteers using the Kauai Community College Writing Assessment rubric (APPENDIX XV). Unfortunately, no controls were in place. Information on the students whose writing samples were used was lacking: for example, how many and which courses they had taken at KCC was not known. Student samples were selected in a haphazard manner. There was little follow-up on the results of this assessment on the part of either the College as a whole or the program faculty. The recommendations of the faculty volunteers from the Spring 2002 and 2003 assessments

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suggested a need for faculty professional development in holistic evaluation of student writing and in clearly defining expectations for papers assigned to students. The volunteers noted that students’ papers showed a marked skill deficiency in grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. The Assessment Committee recommended, in September 2002(APPENDIX XVI), that faculty receive more training in writing assessment and design of writing assignments, but no follow up was made, perhaps because the membership of the Assessment Committee lacked continuity.

Although it was not a systematic process, the writing assessment project indicates that students need more intensive instruction in writing skills, and to address this need, the LAH division offers several writing-intensive courses as well as remedial and developmental writing courses. SAM division currently offers one writing-intensive course, Biology 123L-WI. Almost all instructors in both divisions require writing, be it lab reports, research papers, assignments, journals, and/or other reports and papers. Some follow-up is clearly needed, but who should take the responsibility for this follow-up is unclear. It is significant to note, however, that the majority of instructors who have already volunteered to be trained in holistic evaluation techniques have been from the LAH division.

In 2001 the Liberal Arts faculty proposed the addition of a WI (Writing Intensive) requirement of one course to the Liberal Arts program, but the proposal was rejected by the Curriculum Committee because it felt that there were not enough WI options available to students—especially within the SAM division. (See 2.2.1 for plan of action.)

Plan of Action:

The writing assessment project should be implemented in a more controlled manner in order to gather data annually. Spring 2005

Further training should be provided for all instructors in holistic evaluation and in clearly defining expectations for papers assigned to students. Spring 2005

2.2.6: What distance learning options are available in your program? How is your program responding to student needs by using distance learning? Do you have a timeline?

In the spring semester 2003 only two Liberal Arts courses were offered via distance education: ICS 100 and ICS 101. No LAH division courses were delivered through distance, although in the past, ENG 251, ENG 252, and LING 102 have been offered.

Currently available distance learning courses delivered from elsewhere in the UH system which are appropriate for students working toward the AA degree are ART 101 and 112; COM 145; ENG 100, 103, 104, 209, 210, 215, 225, 250, 252, 256, and 257X; GEOG 101, 102, 102X, HAW 102; HIST 151, 152, 242, 281, 282, 288, and 297; HWST 107, 221, and 232; JPSE 102; MUS 106; PIL 100, 101, 110, and 120; SP 151 and 181;

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ANTH 200: BIOL 130/130L; ECON 130 and 131; GEOG 101; GG 101; ICS 100 and 101; MATH 25, 100, 115, 135, and 140; MICR 130; POLS 110; PSY 100; PHYS 122; SOC 100; ZOOL 141 and 142.

At present, instructors are working towards implementing a variety of Spanish courses, ICS 101, and LING 102 as WebCT or FLE3 based distance delivered courses in the 2004 / 2005 academic term. Plans are also underway in Hawaiian Studies (in coordination with other Hawaiian studies departments at other campuses in the UH system) to develop a HITS course in Hawaiian places and stories. Some planning has been done towards returning to a modularized delivery of an elementary algebra class in conjunction with community college faculty in Honolulu, however, these plans are presently on hold.

It should be noted that the question 2.2.6 assumes there is a student need that warrants our attention to provide distance learning, and even expects us to set up a timeline. However, data regarding which specific courses are being demanded via DE delivery are not available. Should we be duplicating courses taught online elsewhere in the UH system? Is it true that if we but offer these DE courses, the students will take them? There are several questions to which we need answers before we commit to developing and delivering DE courses. How many students on Kauai—who would have been warm bodies here—have been “lost” to DE courses offered by other campuses? What is their success rate? What are the numbers, not merely percentages? How many students on Kauai who, for one reason or another, cannot be a warm body here, are taking DE courses? Which courses are students taking by DE? (The courses being taken at the 300- and above level should NOT be included in DE figures, although the University Center provides service to all students.) If our faculty teach a course online, what happens to the warm bodies here? If the course draws most, if not all, students from off island, then what about our mission as a community college?

Plan of Action

Continue delivery of established DE courses. Ongoing

Continue development of established courses (Spanish, Linguistics, Hawaiian Studies, and ICS) presently being developed for DE. Fall 2004

Work with the Institutional Researcher to gather data to address questions regarding the viability of increased DE offerings. Fall 2004

Determine if DE offerings are drawing students from on-campus, courses which would be filled if the DE option were not available. Spring 2005

2.3: Remedial / Developmental

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2.3.1: How has your program addressed academic remediation for students? Has this been effective? What proposals for change in this area does your program have?

Students who require remediation are often deficient in English skills and math skills, as well as other areas falling under the auspices of the LAH and SAM divisions, such as computer skills, study skills, critical thinking, and pre-science. Each semester, the LAH division provides several sections of remedial and developmental courses in English (18, 19, 21, and 22) and has also provided ESL courses in the past. There has also been a Learning Skills (LSK101) course offered, although in the last semester in which it was offered, the course was cancelled due to low enrolment. SAM division offers a developmental math course, MATH 22, “pre-algebra” and a remedial science course, SCI 97 “pre-science.”

SCI 97 was proposed to address the lack of preparation that is seen commonly in science courses. It was designed to cover some basic concepts in math, physics, chemistry, and biology. The course has not, to date, been very effective. Students seem uninterested, even with a hands-on, application approach. The instructor has considered that perhaps the course has assumed an initial skill level that is too high. In an attempt to make SCI 97 more effective, the course will use a textbook which starts at a more basic level with more interesting activities. It is hoped that this will better capture students’ imaginations and make the course more relevant to their lives and priorities.

MATH 22 was developed as part of the Title III grant to address the needs of students who completed or tested out of Adult Basic Education (ABE) math but who were not yet prepared for MATH 24, Elementary Algebra. Several sections of MATH 22 have been offered each semester over the past two years with varying results. These sections have been taught primarily by lecturers. The lecturers and full-time math faculty need to work together more closely to ensure that students are mastering the skills that will prepare them effectively for MATH 24.

The remedial and developmental English program within LAH has seen

substantial revision in the past few years. The courses were revised to meet the needs of students and reflect the time required for students to master necessary skills. ENG 20, a remedial course that addressed both reading and writing skills, was deleted in 2002 and replaced by a pair of courses, ENG 18 (reading) and ENG 19 (writing). ENG 20 was deleted because as a combined skills course in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, it covered too much ground to be taught effectively. The developmental level courses ENG 21 (reading) and 22 (writing) were realigned to reflect the new ENG 18 and 19 courses as prerequisites, thereby creating two “streams”: reading and writing.

Data collected regarding the developmental / remedial English courses show some interesting results. While ENG 18 seems to prepare students adequately for ENG 21, and ENG 19 for ENG 22, there is a discrepancy between the grades achieved by students taking ENG 18 and 19 consecutively, and by students taking ENG 18 and 22 consecutively—crossing streams, as it were. This implies that some changes need to be made in how ENG 18 is delivered. A possible pilot project might be to “package” ENG

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18 with ENG 19 so that students take ENG 18 and 19 simultaneously with the same instructor for both courses. This would encourage cross-stream cognition and application, and likely allow students to be prepared in a more integrated fashion for ENG 21 and 22, and ultimately for ENG 100. (APPENDIX XVII)

Data should be collected reflecting the effectiveness of ENG 21 / 22 and MATH 24 in preparing students for ENG 100 and MATH 100. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of students who successfully complete these developmental courses (demonstrating approximately a C to C+ level of mastery) are adequately prepared for transfer-level coursework, students who enter the developmental courses with “borderline” COMPASS scores appear to be at great risk for either failure in the developmental course itself, or for subsequent failure in the 100-level course. Clearly, there exists a need for addressing these at-risk students.

A new strategy being explored in this area is the proposed College Success Pilot Program, a Case Management program cohort planned for the fall 2004 semester. This program is intended to proactively address the specific needs of under-prepared and high-risk students in order to help them to perform to their best ability in their subsequent college courses. Based upon their COMPASS scores, students will be directed toward this cohort by counselors. Students will take ENG 18 and ABE Math as core courses; in addition, the cohort will take IS 097 and IS 105, taught by a counselor. Students will be tracked and their success or failure in subsequent courses monitored to provide data that will inform subsequent case management initiatives. See APPENDIX XVIII, the College Success Pilot Program.

Another new strategy hinges upon the TCUP grant proposal being prepared by SAM division. A crucial component of the proposal is curricular change, taking a multidisciplinary, project-based approach to help students cross the “bridge” from the under-prepared to the prepared side. While the aim is to ready students to take higher level STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) courses, SAM faculty recognize that verbal skills are essential and want to work closely with the English faculty in the development of the proposal. This may, in turn, be integrated with the College Success Pilot program, if the latter proves to be a successful model. With additional funds, hitherto unused technological approaches could be incorporated into how courses are taught. Faculty professional development in teaching methodologies appropriate for those in the remedial / developmental category of preparedness could be funded and new methodologies incorporated into the program.

Another discipline that might consider developing remedial and / or developmental courses is philosophy; many students who are lacking in math skills might benefit from developmental instruction in symbolic reasoning that would prepare them for success in MATH 100 or PHIL 110.

Plan of Action

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Continue delivery of established developmental / remedial courses in English, math, and science and monitor success. Ongoing

Work with Institutional Researcher to track and gather data to monitor student success in transfer-level courses following completion of developmental courses. Fall 2004

Provide course support to the College Success Pilot Program cohort. Fall 2005

Consider developing additional remedial / developmental courses in ICS and philosophy. Spring 2006

Pursue interdisciplinary applications in new course development for under-prepared students. Fall 2005

Encourage professional development in the area of remedial / developmental pedagogy. Spring 2005

Pursue and secure additional grant funding for remedial / developmental programs. Spring 2006

Student Learning Outcomes:

2.4.1: How does your program encourage and assess student growth in areas such as communication, cognition, information competency, social interaction, and personal development and responsibility?

After considerable thought and discussion a committee made up of both LAH and SAM faculty recommended that the Associate in Arts program adopt the same Student Learning Outcomes developed for the College as a whole. This recommendation was accepted in the fall of 2003 by both divisions. The SLOs address all of the areas listed in the question 2.4.1 above. The program SLOs are listed in 2.4.2 below.

Nearly all of the courses reviewed stated that students are expected to demonstrate skill in speaking and writing in Standard American English. Written papers often require students to analyze and/or synthesize information, which are aspects of cognition (See attached essay topics, for an example). Students are also expected to do research and to demonstrate in their writing their ability to understand what they have read (which involves communication, cognition skills, information competency, personal development, and responsibility, since these papers must be turned in on time). Required reading, homework assignments and attendance requirements also help to develop personal responsibility. Students are also required to work together and are encouraged to study together and to share their findings through oral reports and shared papers. Most classes involve group work and other forms of social interaction. In many classes, students keep portfolios or notebooks to collect their work. In the future, these portfolios could be part of the evaluation process for the graduating student and the school.

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What are the results of the assessment, and what plans do you have to improve SLOs in these areas?

Formalized program assessment procedures in most areas are only just now being created. The writing assessment pilot project has been discussed above. The data that have been gathered from the 2002 Graduate Survey, and 2002 Leaver’s Survey are limited but suggest that most students are generally satisfied with our program. However, we have no way of measuring our students’ success in acquiring the program’s SLOs other than from their success in passing our various courses. Theoretically, by completing the program requirements, they should have mastered the program’s SLOs.

In the future we will compare objectives from syllabi with our program SLOs, to ensure that the connection between course goals and program goals is clear. Syllabi will specifically list course level SLOs and how they fulfill the Liberal Arts program’s SLOs.

To improve consistency in the teaching and evaluation of writing, the Assessment Committee needs to provide further training for the faculty in the use of the writing rubric. The faculty should familiarize themselves with the program-created writing rubric and insofar as it is consistent with their own philosophies of teaching and grading, make use of it. (Perhaps the rubric could be included in course syllabi—some faculty are already doing this. Another future project is to create rubrics in other areas, i.e. science labs, computer skills, thinking skills, etc.

Plan of Action:

Create SLOs for all existing Liberal Arts Courses that are consistent with the Liberal Arts program and College SLOs beginning Fall 2004, completed by Fall 2009

Require all new Liberal Arts Courses to include SLOs that are consistent with the Liberal Arts program and College SLOs. Fall 2004

Review the existing writing rubric, revise it if necessary, and adopt it for use in evaluating writing assignments within the Liberal Arts program. Fall 2004

Explore the possibility of developing rubrics for use in grading student work in thinking skills, science, etc. Fall 2005

Work with the Assessment Committee/Institutional Researcher to devise ways to measure success of program in imparting SLOs to students. Spring 2005

2.4.2: List the student learning outcomes that you have identified for the program.

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Current SLOs include assuring that students 1) “Communicate Effectively”; 2) use “Critical Thinking” skills to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate ideas; 3) have “Information Competency”—that is, can conduct, present, and use research; 4) are “Socially Responsible,” which is demonstrated, in part, by their ability to interact with others while showing respect toward their opinions, feelings, and values; and 5) develop “Personal Responsibility,” which includes demonstrating self-management through practices that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

What is the minimal level of performance that you expect program completers to accomplish? How are student-learning outcomes monitored and evaluated?

Currently graduating students are expected to complete 60 credits of course work, including Basic Requirements, Area Requirements and electives with a minimum grade point average of 2.00. (See the Liberal Arts Program in the Kaua`i Community College Catalog.) Students who complete the program are assumed to have gained competence in oral communications, thinking, writing, and mathematics, as well as significant understanding of the major concepts involved in the sciences, social sciences, humanities and the arts. By earning passing grades in the courses that deal with the above fields, students are understood to have accomplished the goals of the program.

Since the Liberal Arts program SLOs have just been created, faculty members need time to incorporate them into their course syllabi with appropriate evaluation techniques. During the next two years each course should identify which SLOs it benchmarks through its course objectives, and the SLOs will be evaluated based on various course requirements. The minimal acceptable student performance in a course is currently demonstrated by a grade of “D” or better. A committee made up of SAM and LAH faculty needs to be created to assure that the Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts degree requires courses that ensure each graduating student has fulfilled the minimum requirements for each program SLO.

The Curriculum Committee is presently revising the format used to approve new

and revised courses at the school to ensure that these courses require the fulfillment of specific SLOs. As the college courses go through the curriculum review process, SLOs will be required in all syllabi.

Plan of Action:

See Plan of Action for 2.4.1 above regarding the development of SLOs.

Review all courses that fulfill requirements for the Liberal Arts Program to ensure that collectively they will provide graduating students with the required SLOs. Fall 2005.

Academic Support:

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2.5.1: Comment on program use of auxiliary resources—e.g. library, instructional media, laboratory resources, computer assets.

Library: The Liberal Arts faculty would like to see the library more vigorously used by both students and instructors. Most of our students work and come to campus only for classes. Most of the courses require research papers and/or reports and therefore many instructors do an introductory tour of the library, but these tours are often not followed up on by further required visits. Faculty would like to find a way to give students more help doing research in the library and on the computers without taking class time.

Computer technology: Students sometimes come into our classes unprepared to use the computer programs that we expect, such as a word processing program, the Internet to do research, and Excel, for those classes that require it.

Instructional Media: Faculty members seem satisfied with media services now that a new copy machine has been purchased. Media and Division budgets, however, allow for the purchase of almost no instructional media.

Plan of Action:

Budget additional funds for the purchase of up-to-date instructional media. Fall 2005

Laboratory Resources: There are two painting studios, a ceramics studio, a music lab/classroom, and three science laboratories that are used on a regular basis. There is also a photography lab room that has not been used in many years, although a portion of it was used for the production of a campus newspaper two years ago. The ceramics studio has recently been provided with a new kiln. The painting and drawing studios are adequate. The science laboratories are heavily utilized and facilities are insufficient. The Performing Arts Center classrooms and stage area are underutilized because of maintenance and air-conditioning costs. Each division is responsible for the cost of supplies and equipment used in the labs. These supplies encumber a major portion of the budgets of both divisions. As a consequence, expensive equipment is almost impossible to purchase and funds for the repair and maintenance of the laboratories is difficult to find.

Plan of Action:

See 2.7.1 below for action regarding additional science laboratory space.

Computer labs: There are four computer classrooms available for use by Liberal Arts students:

1) Information and computer sciences (ICS) Lab in Learning Resource Center (LRC) Room B-123,

2) Writing lab in Faculty II, Room 115, 3) Hawaiian language MAC lab in OCET 1 building (a portable trailer), and 4) The Learning Center (TLC) tutoring/computer area, Room 124, which is

generally an open lab but sometimes is used for classes.

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Faculty members would like to see more computer access in the classrooms for instructional purposes and more training on how to use computer technology effectively. A first step might be to equip each classroom with a functioning computer so that instructors can access the Internet and give PowerPoint presentations. Second, we need to ensure that students can access the Internet via their own portable computers in the classrooms. Finally, students should be able to print from the classrooms.

Plan of Action:

Provide at least one additional fully furnished Liberal Arts computer classroom with supporting software. Fall 2008

Provide all Liberal Arts classrooms with wireless Internet access for students to use personal computers. Fall 2004

Equip all Liberal Arts classrooms with computer, printer, and LCD projector for instructional use. Fall 2006

How can you improve the utilization of these resources?

The computer labs could be better utilized, as they are sometimes not used to their potential. We need to assign more classes in the labs and get more tutors to oversee the labs so that they can be open to students working independently. Faculty and students need training in how to use the technology in the writing lab so that students can transport their work to and from the lab.

Many students clearly would benefit from greater familiarity with the auxiliary resources available on the campus—especially the library and computer resources. A one-credit/non-credit class offered early in the fall semester each year could be developed for such a purpose, or this module could be incorporated into a required course such as ENG 100. A third possibility would be to test the computer literacy and library skills of all incoming students and require those who lack these skills to gain them in workshops.Some faculty members could benefit from such workshops as well as more advanced training in library research and computer skills.

Plan of Action:

Work with Support services to investigate and put into practice measures to help students make better use of the library and computer resources available on campus. Fall 2005

2.5.2: What tutoring, mentoring, and/or counseling services are available to support students in your program? Comment on ways your program can work with these groups to improve service to students.

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Currently much of the tutoring is done in the Learning Center (TLC). Title III-Activity 2 provides tutoring services upon request in many subject areas. Some students use these facilities but not enough. Counselors and faculty should make students more aware of and familiar with the tutoring service and could bring students over to see the services. Teachers could include available academic support services on their syllabi; a generic statement could be created for use by everyone. (Support Services has a brochure that we could hand out to our students.) Formal mentoring is practically nonexistent on campus. If we move to the Case Management model, mentoring will be incorporated.

Counseling is available through Student Services. Two counselors are assigned specifically to work with Liberal Arts students and a third is responsible for advising the pre-nursing students who make up more than one-quarter of our clientele. Students appear to make good use of academic advising, but it is unclear the extent to which they avail themselves of other counseling. Faculty would like to improve communication between themselves and the counselors. Guidelines regarding the handling of student complaints should be revised. Faculty need more input into their students’ course planning. Proposals to improve faculty-counselor communication have been included in 1.4.1 above.

Plan of Action:

Investigate and put in to practice more effective measures to make students aware of and comfortable using tutoring services. Spring 2005

Adopt a mentoring program such as the Case Management model to provide for faculty mentoring of students. Fall 2005

Implement actions recommended under 1.4.1 above to improve communication between Liberal Arts faculty and counselors. Fall 2004 and ongoing

Develop, revise or clarify the process by which student complaints are dealt with by counselors. Fall 2004

Faculty and Staff

2.6.1: Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the faculty/staff appropriate to the program’s current status or future development. Comment on the adequacy of faculty to meet program outcomes. Indicate any immediate and projected future staffing needs.

In the spring semester of 2004 there were twenty-two full-time teaching faculty (including one who was on leave) and fifteen part-time lecturers who taught approximately125 courses. Since the end of the spring semester, one faculty member has retired, one has resigned, one has been hired and the status of one has changed from non-tenurial to tenurial. At present fourteen instructors are tenured, four are probationary instructors on the tenure track, and three are holding non-tenurial positions. Of the

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twenty-one full-time faculty, all but one have at least Master’s degrees, and five have Doctorates. Most of the lecturers have at least Master’s degrees except those teaching remedial or developmental math or Hawaiian language courses who have Bachelor’s degrees. Both LAH and SAM divisions have a full time clerk/steno.

The available faculty and staff are competent and well prepared to teach the courses they are assigned, although many lack knowledge of computer technology. A problem that has beset the program over the last several years has been a relatively high rate of faculty turnover, the result of both retirements and resignations. Since 2001 seven faculty have resigned, four retired and one left the program when the grant funding his position was not renewed. The English and mathematics areas have been particularly affected. In English, there have been three resignations and one retirement in the last three years, and in mathematics there have been two resignations, and one retirement during the same period. In the spring of 2004 there were no full-time math faculty on the campus, so all math courses were taught by lecturers. Replacements have been hired in both areas, although one English position and one math position remain unfilled, and concerns about continuity and stability remain. The fact that a number of senior faculty are of retirement age suggests that stability will remain an issue and that with their departure the program may suffer not only the loss of their experience and expertise but also the loss of a good deal of “institutional memory.” Perhaps some of the potential retirees can be persuaded to “fade out slowly,” returning to teach part-time for a year or two while their replacements gain experience on the job. Greater efforts could be made to retain younger faculty, several of whom resigned due to their perceptions of a lack of support from the administration.

Because we are a small College the total number of faculty is small. This means that in most cases we have one-person departments. Thus the loss of a faculty member in any area leaves a large void. The result in SAM division has been that there are only two social science faculty. One teaches all of the psychology courses and statistics and the other has been called upon to teach anthropology and economics in addition to her usual assignments in sociology and political science—all in a single semester. There has been no geographer or economist on campus for more than a decade. The need for another social scientist needs to be balanced against student enrollment, but fewer students are likely to enroll if they have fewer choices. A related concern is the dearth of qualified lecturers on the island who could teach these courses. The lack of qualified lecturers is not limited to the social sciences.

Another ramification of the College’s small size is that individual faculty often are called upon to teach as many as four or, rarely, five different courses in a semester. This is not typical, but it is not unusual either. Thus an important strength of the faculty is its versatility, but students sometimes suffer because instructors lack the time to prepare as fully as they would like.

As mentioned in 2.2.2 above limited knowledge of computer technology is a concern for a number of faculty in the program. A major problem is that computer expertise or use of computers in the classroom is not rewarded or adequately supported by the institution. Faculty who have worked to develop their skills or those who have

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developed instructional materials for use in the classroom often have difficulty in using their skills or materials because of insufficient technical support or antiquated or unavailable technology.

Instructors, especially English and math faculty, also need to continue training in the best techniques to help developmental-level students, as this is a growing percentage of our population. At present there is no available process to identify students who are having difficulty learning in their classes, if they have not been officially diagnosed with a learning disability.

Plan of Action:

Fill the vacant English position. Spring 2005

Fill the vacant math position. Spring 2005

Fill the vacant social science position with an instructor qualified to teach at least two of the following disciplines: anthropology, geography, economics. Fall 2005

Fill the vacant art position. Spring 2005

Hire an additional math instructor. Spring 2008

Provide additional training for faculty in information technology. Ongoing

Work with administration to develop a senior faculty phase-out strategy. Spring 2005

Facilities

2.7.1: Comment on the facilities that the program uses, their current adequacy, and any immediate needs.

The facilities, in general, are well maintained, well lighted, attractive and functional. For a thirty year-old campus, the buildings and grounds look remarkably new and fresh. The classrooms are generally inviting and offices are spacious and comfortable. Presently all full-time faculty have individual offices, as do most lecturers, allowing for private, confidential conferences with students. The Liberal Arts faculty are appreciative of all of the effort that has gone into keeping the campus healthful and attractive. The availability of classrooms remains a problem, as does the condition of some of the furnishings.

The Liberal Arts program presently has available for its use:1) three classrooms and one computer lab in the LRC, 2) two classrooms in the Social Science building, 3) one small computer writing lab in the Faculty II building,

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4) three science labs and one classroom in the Natural Science building,5) three art studios and a kiln in the Fine Arts II building,6) one music classroom/lab in Fine Arts I building,7) and one classroom in the Hawaiian Studies building and one Hawaiian

language lab in the OCET 1 trailer.(Other classrooms in the welding, automotive, autobody, culinary arts and business areas have been used over the past few semesters to teach a variety of Liberal Arts courses.

A Liberal Arts building was included in the original and subsequent campus plans but was never built. Consequently, there are not enough classrooms and the facilities are sometimes inadequate. For example, some English, French, and Japanese classes are being taught regularly in the Welding and Automotive buildings. In addition, there are not enough computer labs. Designated computer labs, such as the writing lab and the Hawaiian Studies lab, leave other classes, like Spanish, speech, and science, without easy access to a computerized classroom. For example Spanish should be taught in a lab since classroom activities include use of a CD-ROM and the Internet, but there are not enough labs. Unfortunately the Hawaiian language MAC computers do not accept the PC software used in the Spanish and Japanese courses.

Biology lecture courses are being taught in a chemistry lab with a configuration and facilities that are inappropriate to teach these classes effectively. Moreover, there is not enough biology lab space available for biology or zoology students to set up labs and experiments that run longer than one class period or a sink available for hand washing in the assigned lab classrooms. (See attached 1997 education specifications requirements for lab and lecture classrooms (APPENDIX XIX). The Chemistry lab gas hoods need to be replaced to meet minimum safety standards.

Results from the attached “Title III-Hawaiian Studies Survey” (APPENDIX XX) indicate the need for air conditioning in the new Hawaiian Studies building. Curtains in two of the Learning Resource Center classrooms, although constantly repaired, do not work properly and the entire curtain system needs replacing.

Students deserve new, more comfortable chairs and desks in many of the classrooms. For example, the new English writing lab lacks a sufficient number of swivel chairs for all twenty stations; the physics, biology, and chemistry labs have antiquated and extremely uncomfortable lab stools; and three of the classrooms in the Learning Resource Center and the Social Science classroom feature still functional but uncomfortable plastic desk-chairs that are almost thirty years old.

The music instructor needs freer access to the Performing Arts Center to make full use of the facility for instructional purposes.

Plan of Action:

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Ease restrictions on access to the Performing Arts Center for instructional purposes. Fall 2004

Provide air conditioning unit for the Hawaiian Studies classroom. Fall 2004

Replace curtains in LRC 128 and 129. Fall 2005

Provide new, more comfortable classroom chairs and desks and lab stools incrementally over the next five years. Completed by Spring 2009

Replace the gas hoods in the Chemistry classroom. Fall 2004

Make available two additional Liberal Arts classrooms. Fall 2007

Construct or renovate an existing classroom to serve as a biology/zoology multi-purpose lecture/laboratory room. Fall 2005

Provide at least one additional fully furnished Liberal Arts computer classroom with supporting software (see 2.5.1 above). Fall 2007

2.7.2: Comment on the currency of equipment and technology for the program. Indicate immediate needs.

As stated in the previous section, equipment is antiquated including computer set- ups. The computer art course is using old recycled computers that don’t accommodate the software. New hardware and software are needed in this lab; consideration should be given to using the software for commercial art as well as artistic expression. The new English computer writing lab (Faculty II, Room 115) is very up to date, but the faculty members need more training in how to use it to its full potential.

The music faculty is trying to purchase keyboards on a piecemeal basis from division funds, but the entire piano lab needs a total replacement of existing instruments.

Most classrooms have a cart with some sort of computer, CD drive, VCR and DVD players with a monitor and supposed access to the Internet. In reality the resolution on the monitors is so poor for CD’s and the Internet that it is often unusable. Instructors cannot connect to the Internet or even to their office computers from the classroom. Most times logging on is a challenge involving constant error messages or messages of no memory. Often the connections are messed up so that the VCR cannot be used, etc. One instructor became so frustrated that she used her personal funds to purchase a laptop so that a reliable source could be counted on for PowerPoint lectures in class, but the Internet is often not accessible depending on the room. (We understand that all Liberal Arts classrooms have been equipped with wireless access to the Internet this summer. Faculty will still require training in how to make use of this technology.)

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Computer or component repair is not always readily available because the technical support staff is overworked and the components are sometimes not repairable or not available.

Plan of Action:

Work with Support Services to equip all Liberal Arts classrooms with a computer, printer, and LCD projector for instructional use (see 2.5.1 above). Fall 2008

Work with Support Services to provide more immediate technical support and additional training for faculty so that information technology can be used effectively. Fall 2005

Replace computers and software used to teach computer art class. Fall 2006

Replace keyboards necessary for an up-to-date piano lab. Spring 2005

Financial Resources

2.8: What efforts has the program made to investigate entrepreneurial opportunities or alternative funding sources to support program goals? Describe your program’s level of success in obtaining funds and future plans.

All liberal arts faculty work on general fund raising events for the school. Some examples include the annual book sale to buy books for the library, the annual breakfast to provide equipment and scholarships for the culinary arts program, donations for student graduation, individual contributions to the KCC fund, etc.

Several faculty members have received grants for computer equipment, LCD projectors, and laboratory equipment. Also, Hawaiian Studies and the English writing lab received funds last year.

An English instructor, with the assistance of other program faculty, wrote the most recent Title III grant, and a substantial reward was received by the school. The grant money was used for the construction of the Hawaiian Studies classroom building, helped fund the English computer writing lab, and purchased some zoology models and science equipment. It also paid for salaries, course development, and supplies for the Hawaiian Studies program.

An EPSCOR grant was worked on by a number of Liberal Arts faculty as part of a larger UH grant. Kauai CC received part of that larger grant and most of the funds are being used by the Pre-nursing program.

Another grant proposal for which AA instructors put in a lot of time collecting data, researching and writing is the NSF T-CUP (Tribal College and University Program) Grant. The College received a preliminary planning grant but the next step of the

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proposal was never written. Disagreements among administration and faculty contributed to the failure to complete the application in a timely manner. Those working on the grant proposal remain hopeful that the project will be revived.

The computer instructor is applying for a Hewlett Packard (HP) teaching grant concerning information technology and mobile network information. A multiple lab room for students is part of the grant to include math, science, and computer lab equipment.

Although the administration, spurred on by budgetary constraints, has urged faculty to embrace a more entrepreneurial attitude, most instructors feel that it is not their job to do fundraising. However, some faculty do continue to look for funding opportunities on their own.

Plan of Action:

Continue present activities. Look for grant opportunities and apply where appropriate. Ongoing

Program articulation with workforce needs.

3.1.1: How does the program identify applicable workforce trends? What trends or projections in your discipline may affect your program in the next 5 years? How will you address this?

The general feeling among the Liberal Arts program faculty is that our mission is not to train employees for any specific occupation but rather to give our students a broad general education, including critical thinking and communication skills. The Liberal Arts program’s Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) will prepare them to function effectively in a variety of occupational settings. One of the major goals of the Liberal Arts program is to prepare students for transfer to institutions granting the baccalaureate degree. To date there is no way to keep track of where our students transfer to or their performance at their new institutions. Thus, our focus is not on workforce trends per se, but on articulation procedures within the UH system. A large part of what we do is dictated by the agreement on articulation and transfer between the University of Hawai`i (UH) and the Board of Regents (BOR Policy 5-13.a., b., and c.). For the students’ benefit it is desirable that required courses for the Liberal Arts AA degree articulate smoothly with baccalaureate degree programs within the UH system. UH Executive Policy E5.209, University of Hawai`i System Student Transfer and Inter-Campus Articulation (APPENDIX XXI) states:

The University is committed to functioning effectively as a system. This requires facilitating the smooth transfer of students who desire to move among the campuses of the University of Hawaii system in order to meet their educational objectives. University of Hawaii campuses are required by Board policy to eliminate unreasonable barriers to transfer (E5.209, II.a.1)

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This document also charges the University Council on Articulation (UCA) with overseeing and coordinating the UH system articulation process, ensuring maintenance and dissemination of an inventory of articulated UH courses, and hearing appeals as provided in this policy (E5.209, V.C.2. APPENDIX XXI). The UCA is assisted in its work by standing committees in the major areas of the undergraduate curricula including:

Written CommunicationOral CommunicationMathematical and Logical ReasoningLanguagesWorld CivilizationNatural SciencesArts and HumanitiesSocial SciencesNon Liberal Arts Courses

The standing committees have an equal number of representatives from baccalaureate campuses and from associate degree campuses with at least one representative from each campus (E5.209, V.C.4.a. APPENDIX XXI). Thus, it can be seen that at least one faculty member from each of the major areas of our Liberal Arts program will be serving as a representative functioning as a conduit between our program and other campuses dealing with transfer and articulation issues as they arise. Additionally, individual faculty members and administrators meet regularly both here and at other institutions. The online version of this policy is available at http://www.hawai`i.edu/apis/ep/e5/e5209/htm

With this focus on transfer in mind most of our contact with employers has been in the science disciplines. Examples are the Pacific Missile Range, the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, the Pioneer Seed Company, and Kaua`i Coffee. These employers realize that the science requirements for the AA degree will enable students to fit into their workforce with little or no special training. Liberal Arts course also comprise part of the curriculum requirements of other KCC programs such as nursing and the vocational and trades programs. We provide support primarily through our English and math courses and we offer remedial courses to bring under-prepared students up to the level needed for transfer level courses. We get feedback from these programs on the appropriateness of our support courses. Thus, the Liberal Arts Program does not grant licenses, but it helps to prepare licensed graduates of the other programs for success in the workplace. We provide training in the basics of communication skills (listening, speaking, and writing), in problem-solving and critical thinking, in personal management (goal-setting and personal development), in teamwork (interpersonal skills), and in leadership through organizational effectiveness.

There has been a decline in the number of courses and classes at KCC generally, which has led to a reduction in the number and variety of courses offered by the Liberal

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Arts program. Table 2 lists the absolute count and percentage change from 1987 through 2002 for number of courses and number of classes for all seven community colleges in the UH system. Table 3 gives the data for Kaua`i Community College on the same variables. In both tables columns 2 through 4 list the absolute count and percentage change for number of courses and number of class from 1987 through 2002 while column 5 lists the average class size for the group “General and Pre-professional instruction” which is approximately equal to the Liberal Arts major curriculum. The information in both tables was collected from data contained in the Course Registration Report, University of Hawai`i-Community Colleges for Fall 1996 and Fall 2002, Tables 1, 1A, and 2. The full reports are available online at http://www.Hawai`i.edu/iro/maps/htm, but note that the medians and arithmetic means were added by the current authors.

Table 2Data Summary for UH-CCs

YEAR COURSES PERCENTAGECHANGE IN COURSES

CLASSES PERCENTAGECHANGE IN CLASSES

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE (GENERAL ED.)

1987 1,805 3.4 3,232 2.5 231988 1,812 0.4 3,222 -0.3 221989 1,856 2.4 3,420 6.1 221990 1,955 5.3 3,693 8.0 221991 1,961 0.3 3,744 1.4 221992 1,965 0.2 3,841 2.6 231993 2,012 2.4 3,843 0.1 241994 1,968 -2.2 3,780 -1.6 241995 1,914 -2.7 3,634 -3.9 251996 1,834 -4.2 3,485 -4.1 241997 1,850 0.9 3,452 -0.9 241998 1,877 1.5 3,460 0.2 251999 1,912 1.9 3,600 4.0 242000 1,908 -0.2 3,572 -0.8 232001 1,894 -0.7 3,593 0.6 232002 1,937 2.3 3,695 2.8 23Medians 1,910.00 3,597 23Means: 1,903.75 3,579.13 23.31

Table 3 gives the same information specific to KCC for all programs. This data, while not broken down by program, can be used in our analyses of Liberal Arts courses for two reasons. First, the General and Pre-Professional Instruction courses are approximately equivalent to the Liberal Arts curriculum. Note: the Information &

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Computer Science (ICS) courses which at Kaua`i CC are part of the Liberal Arts offerings, are listed under the Business Group in system-wide summaries (APPENDIX XXII is a copy of Appendix A in the Academic Crossover Study, University of Hawai`i-Community Colleges, Fall 2001 available online at http://www.Hawai`i.edu/iro/maps/htm). Second, at KCC for Fall 1996 through Fall 2002, the proportion (including ICS classes) of Liberal Arts classes relative to the total number of classes ranged from a low of .58 to a high of .63 (see Table 4: based on summary data from Table 1 and additional data provided by our institutional researcher: APPENDIX XXIII, SECTION B, page 11). Hence it is likely that the changes in the Liberal Arts offerings are similar to the trends depicted in Table 3.

Table 3Data for Kaua`iCC

Kaua`i CC

X6 X7 X8 X9 X10

YEAR COURSES PERCENTAGECHANGE IN COURSES

CLASSES PERCENTAGECHANGE IN CLASSES

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE (GENERAL ED.)

1987 181 10.4 235 7.3 161988 185 2.2 248 5.5 181989 180 -2.7 250 0.8 191990 193 7.2 268 7.2 181991 195 1.0 295 10.1 181992 192 -1.5 290 -1.7 191993 189 -1.6 281 -3.1 181994 189 0.0 274 -2.5 201995 181 -4.2 266 -2.9 191996 164 -9.4 229 -13.9 211997 167 1.8 219 -4.4 201998 159 -4.8 211 -3.7 171999 167 5.0 210 -0.5 182000 164 -1.8 207 -1.4 162001 159 -3.0 198 -4.3 182002 174 9.4 219 10.6 17Medians 181 242 18Means 177.44 243.75 18.25

Table 4Data for KCC: Liberal Arts

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YEAR TOTAL NUMBER OF CLASSES

L.A. CLASSES L.A. PLUS ICS CLASSES

PERCENTAGE FOR L.A. PLUS ICS

1996 229 125 132 581997 219 125 130 591998 211 125 131 621999 210 123 128 612000 207 123 129 622001 198 108 114 582002 219 133 139 63

The fifth column in Table 3 shows that from 1992 through 2001 KCC suffered ten straight years of decline in the number of classes offered; a reduction of 33%. This decline lowered the effectiveness and efficiency of our program for the students in that the number of courses over the same time period showed an 18% reduction. The reduction in the number of classes, while larger, was proportional because some courses have multiple sections. Indeed, the correlation between these two variables from 1987 to 2002 is +.93. Thus, there were fewer courses (less variety) and fewer classes available to our students. Anecdotal reports support a direct effect in that some students had difficulty completing their program requirements within a satisfactory time period. While this decline is significant in itself the fact that each year’s decline was on a smaller base makes it more difficult to reverse the effects. To get back to the number of classes and courses offered before the decline started would require a one-time increase of 49% in the number of classes offered: 198*1.49 = 295; and a 23% increase in the number of courses: 159*1.23 = 196. The reversal of this trend is a desirable goal but it is a complex problem tied to causes that may or may not be easily identified; the effects of Hurricane Iniki, fluctuations in Kaua`i’s population, tuition increases, and economic ups and downs are some probable variables. It is difficult at this time to see any reversal that would support such large increases in the number of classes and courses that KCC offers. In addition, according to members of the review team for this section, increases in the number of distance education courses have drawn some students from our campus courses. The list of courses is extensive (see narrative for 2.2.6 above which lists over 50 courses) but since we do not have data to measure the effects of this competition we can only speculate about the impact on our program.

To reverse this decline KCC and the Liberal Arts program should focus on recruitment and retention, and consider external resources from private foundations and governmental programs to fund additional classes and develop new courses. We qualify for monies from these sources due to the large number of Native Hawaiian students at KCC.

Plan of Action:

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Work on articulation with other campuses in the UH system. Ongoing

Work with Student Services, the Office of the Dean of Instruction and the University Center to collect data on the possible impact of distance learning on campus enrollment trends. If there is an impact then its magnitude and direction will dictate appropriate responses. Fall 2005

Work with the institutional researcher to collect, separate or summarize the data that is relevant for the Liberal Arts program. Ongoing

Get a new UH President who is committed to fully integrating (APPENDIX XXI) the ten campuses of the UH system. Fall 2004

Work to increase the number of courses offered by the Liberal Arts program. Ongoing

Offer more courses and classes with more variety and interest value in an attempt to make KCC more attractive to local students. Fall 2005

3.1.2: How is the selection of courses reviewed for relevancy to community and workforce need? What recent changes have resulted from their reviews?

Liberal Arts courses are selected primarily based upon KCC degree requirements, division mission statements, and the needs of students who plan on transferring into baccalaureate programs. Those students intending to transfer to baccalaureate programs within the UH system should be informed as to which KCC Liberal Arts courses will fulfill the degree requirements at the receiving campus. A listing in the KCC Catalogue would be a logical first step to help these students make relevant selections while at KCC. Contacts with colleagues on the other campuses help with concerns over articulation and course content. We are also sensitive and responsive to student and community demands. Many classes in the arts like ceramics, painting and music, and in the natural sciences like botany, horticulture, and oceanography, are based on community interest as well as degree requirements

We have reviewed our program requirements in light of changes at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa (UHM) and determined that our requirements are as stringent, or more so, as theirs. We have recommended that a writing intensive course be required for students pursuing the AA degree. To date this proposal has not been accepted by our Curriculum Committee. We are continually adding and deleting courses based on changing faculty expertise and student interest (see criteria 2.2.1 above for related discussions on curriculum relevancy issues).

Plan of Action:

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Maintain communication with both two and four year campuses within the UH system to insure KCC courses are transferring smoothly between campuses. Ongoing

Create a procedure and schedule for curriculum assessment by the divisions. Fall 2005

Periodically review the Liberal Arts courses listed in the Catalogue for possible irrelevancy based upon the likelihood of their being offered in the near future. Fall 2004

Publicize the list of KCC Liberal Arts courses that fulfill degree requirements for the most common majors sought by KCC students at UH-Manoa, -Hilo, and –West Oahu. Spring 2005

3.1.3: What method is used to assess student and employer satisfaction with the program’s effectiveness? What are the results of this assessment and how have results changed over time? What changes did you make due to the results?

Assessing employer satisfaction is not appropriate for our program. However, the College does administer leaver and graduate surveys that give an indication of student satisfaction with their college experience. The graduate surveys are given at the end of the academic year prior to graduation. Some of the items in this survey relate to satisfaction with the Liberal Arts program. Our institutional researcher summarized some relevant data for the past 5 years. The results show that liberal arts majors rated the overall quality of instruction with a 3.45 on a 4-point scale where 4 is the rating for “excellent quality” (APPENDIX XXIII, SECTION A, page 3). These data do not give a clear picture of the Liberal Arts program’s effectiveness in meeting our students’ needs because the instruments were designed to assess the whole student body and do not give adequate attention to the breadth of the Liberal Arts area. Additionally, the sample size (n=99 for the 5-year average) is too small. The graduate survey is administered the night of graduation where, on average, only half of Liberal Arts graduates are in attendance. Administering the survey when they apply for graduation might yield a larger sample. KCC has recently been able to hire a full time institutional researcher and we are expecting some positive changes in our ability to generate new surveys, testing procedures and tracking methods that will produce data for our program review and planning efforts. A survey of students’ initial expectations and goals entering into the Liberal Arts program and an assessment at the end of one year could enable a more reliable interpretation of the Leavers and Graduate Survey data.

Plan of Action.

Work with the institutional researcher to develop graduate and leaver surveys for the Liberal Arts program. (Spring 2005)

Work with the institutional researcher to develop an entrance survey. (Spring 2005 for use in Fall 2005)

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3.1.4: What program initiatives have been implemented to improve course completion, and job preparation?

Job preparation is not the objective of the Liberal Arts program leading to the AA degree.

3.1.5: What are the expected career/occupational outcomes for students?

The expected outcomes are that students receiving the AA degree will have successfully met all of the Liberal Arts program’s Student learning Outcomes (SLOs) and that they will be able to successfully transfer to a baccalaureate campus within the UH system, or other baccalaureate degree institutions. A detailed description of the new SLOs can be found at http://kauai.hawaii.edu/moxie/admin/slo/newslo.shtml. The University of Hawai`i Transfer Agreement (see APPENDIX B, page 1 in E5.209 in APPENDIX XXI for this program review) states that “a primary objective of articulation is to assure that transfer students are prepared for work at their receiving campus, and that success will be evaluated through the collection and analysis of performance data;”. By developing skill in reading, writing, speaking, thinking, computing, social responsibility, and personal responsibility we are preparing our students for success after they transfer. If they choose not to transfer these skills will serve them well in the workforce.

3.1.6: Does the program have an Advisory Board Committee? How does the program work with the Advisory Board to assess its effectiveness?

Faculty from the LAH and SAM divisions, which comprise the Liberal Arts program, have met on more than one occasion to consider creating an advisory board. There is general agreement that an advisory board is not applicable for our program. Guidance for the program comes through contact with faculty in the other KCC programs, our peers at two- and four-year campuses, and from the professional organizations we belong to within our respective disciplines.

3.2.1: What is the percentage of your graduates that receive licensure/certification? Is this satisfactory? How can this be improved?

We do not prepare students for licensure or certification. Our graduates receive the AA degree. (see narrative for 3.2.3 below)

3.2.2: Comment on the level of job placement in the field of study. Is this satisfactory for your program?

Job placement in the field of study is not applicable to the Liberal Arts program. Our students end up as baccalaureate candidates or in many different fields of employment.

3.2.3: Do you have a percentage of program graduates that are expected to transfer to an appropriate upper division program? If so, what is this percentage and has

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your program met this benchmark? If not, would this be one appropriate index of your program’s success. Please comment.

We have not preset a percentage for liberal arts students that are expected to transfer. Transfer to an upper division program could be an index for assessing the effectiveness of the Liberal Arts AA degree program. Such an index should be in terms of a range rather than a “benchmark”.

There is some data on the level of transfer to a baccalaureate degree, but it is difficult to interpret due to problems in classifying new KCC students, in the lack of information about their original intentions regarding transfer, in tracking students after graduation and in getting information about their post-transfer academic performance. The data available shows that cohorts have transferred at rates as high as 22%, with a 5-year average of 11% (APPENDIX XXIII, SECTION A, page 2). While these data do not reflect well on the Liberal Arts program they are equivocal as many Liberal Arts majors do not intend to get an AA degree. Probably 20-plus percent are in Liberal Arts while they prepare for entrance into the Nursing program and untold others use our program as a “holding stage” while they decide what their educational or career objectives are. Others intend to transfer to other campuses but for economic reasons spend time at KCC where room and board costs are comparatively minimal. Still others switch from other classifications into the Liberal Arts program. Lack of information on these variables makes transfer level a tenuous index of our program effectiveness.

Our program needs an entrance survey that will identify the number of students intending both to get an AA degree and transfer to a baccalaureate program. This number would then be used as part of the base to compute the transfer level percentages. Students switching into the Liberal Arts program would have to be identified and surveyed and included in the base before reliable percentages could be computed. With the implementation of the BANNER System and access to the National Clearinghouse for Students data bank we should get better data in the near future.

Plan of Action:

Develop an entrance survey for Liberal Arts majors on academic objectives. Spring 2005

Develop a robust database that would allow the establishment of a benchmark range for transfer level. Spring 2005

4.1: Faculty/Staff Development.

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4.1.1: Explain how faculty and staff maintain expertise in their discipline or area of responsibility.

Faculty development is regarded by everyone as a primary factor in maintaining the high degree of professional expertise here at Kaua`i Community College. Results of an inquiry sent to program faculty members, for the express purpose of getting data for this review, indicate that all members actively initiate and cultivate professional development in their disciplines. They keep current in their areas of expertise via professional journals; seek out and attend workshops, lectures, conferences, and exhibits; and pursue particular interests in performing arts and fine arts. Some take course work and some have made use of sabbatical leaves to pursue professional development. While individuals keep track of their activities for their own curriculum vitae, data on the number or percentage of faculty taking courses and/or taking sabbatical leaves should be compiled as an index of program commitment to professionalism. It should be noted that the college provides financial support through the Edward T. White Fund and/or the Kaua`i Community College Development Fund. Additional financial support has come also from the KCC Staff Development Fund. Faculty in need of financial assistance from any of these foundation funds are required to submit requests through the Chancellor’s office.

4.1.2: Describe the Professional Development plan, including availability of resources and the process of allocating these resources. Does this plan adequately meet Professional Development needs?

The campus does not have a college-wide plan for Professional Development. Nonetheless at KCC professional development is an expectation. It is an area stressed in the decision making process for all levels of evaluation: reappointment, tenure, promotion, post-tenure review. As such, all faculty members should have their own professional development plans. The funding of professional development plans is a concern due to years of budgetary cutbacks and subsequent restrictions on expenditures. Formerly there were funds available for at least one member of each division to attend an out-of-state conference or workshop each academic year, as well as funds for twice-yearly intra-state trips for all program faculty. These all came out of the General Fund. Currently, inter-island travel comes out of the Tuition and Fee Fund while out-of-state travel comes from the Edward T. White Fund, the Kaua`i Community College Development Fund, and/or the KCC Staff Development Fund; all of which are more limited than the previous General Fund allotments. Within these budgetary constraints, the faculty are given encouragement to pursue and maintain expertise in their disciplines or areas of responsibility. The Administration encourages and looks for money to support individuals and groups to seek speakers, conduct workshops, and travel to attend workshops, seminars, conferences and exhibitions. While sabbatical leaves are granted most have been given to faculty pursuing one-year leaves; six-month leaves are discouraged because the cost to the College is greater. The fact that faculty on one-year sabbaticals have to live and, sometimes, travel on half their normal salary makes it financially impossible for some to take sabbatical leave. The normal teaching load for instructional faculty has been 15 credits per semester or 30 credits per academic year. Our recent 6-year contract has language to the effect that

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any faculty teaching 15 credits in one semester may take a 3-credit reduction in his/her teaching load in the following semester to work on other duties. This reduction can be used for professional development. Another vehicle for addressing professional development is the Board of Regents policy on post-tenure evaluation. This self-evaluation, which each tenured faculty is required to undergo every 5th year, provides the opportunity to highlight needs for professional development. The campus is then required to work with that individual to address meeting those needs during the following 5-year period.

In addition to the many ways to pursue professional development, our program would be enhanced if faculty members were encouraged to share the benefits of their activities with the rest of the program faculty and, in some cases, all college faculty.

Plan of Action:

Work with the administration to increase the number or proportion of ½ year sabbatical leaves. Fall 2005

Lobby the governor’s office to restore our prior level of funding. Ongoing

Develop a procedure for sharing information gained from sabbaticals, conferences or other significant professional development activities. Fall 2005

Establish a campus committee to review the funding and prioritizing criteria for professional development. Fall 2004

4.2.1: Describe program faculty involvement in providing opportunities for students’ personal enrichment through co-curricular activities.

There are a variety of registered clubs that KCC students can join. See pages 35 and 36 in the online catalogue at http://www.kauaicc.hawaii.edu/catalog_04/index.htm for a listing. These clubs are classified as Academic, Arts, Media & Performance, Cultural, Honors, Recreational, Religious, Service, or Special Interest. All registered clubs receive financial support from the Associated Students of Kaua`i Community College with a grant of $400 per semester. Table 5 list those clubs that Liberal Arts faculty are involved in and their major activities during the past year.

Table 5

Name Type Examples of ActivitiesBahai Club Religious Conducted “Virtues” class for young

children, a community service projectHawaiian Performing Arts Club

Cultural Cultural sharing trip to Rapanui with 19

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KCC students and 3 faculty members; An annual Kaho`olawe Island visitation and cleanup work by faculty and students

KCC Choral Music Club

Performance Provides students with the opportunity to learn more about the western choral music tradition; performance trips to England and Australia allowed others to see the level of expertise/talent at KCC

Ka Leo O KCC Online Newspaper

Arts, Media & Performance

Provides a hands-on opportunity in the discipline of Journalism

Nihongo Kurabu Cultural Hosted visiting Japanese students from Okinawa Christian College and Chiba KeizaiCollege; KCC students visited Chiba KeizaiCollege in the summer of 2004

Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Pi Xi Chapter.

Honor Society

Hosted 80 participants from other UHCC campuses at the annual Pacific Region Leadership Conference; did service projects for the American Cancer Society, Kaua`i Food Bank, Children’s Justice Center, etc.

Speech/Communication and Theater

Arts, Media & Performance

Hosted a debate on genetically engineered food; did readings for the preschoolers in the Early Childhood Education program; produced commercials for KCC recruitment/programs

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4.2.2: Does the program support non-traditional approaches to education? If so describe these. What outcomes are expected and how have they affected student success across the curriculum?

In addition to traditional approaches (see Criteria 2.2.2 for a fuller discussion) to educating students the Liberal Arts program uses experiential learning, multidisciplinary teaching and cohort groups in some of the courses. Some examples are:

Hawaiian Studies (HWST 281): Hawaiian Astronomy and Weather Relating to Polynesian Voyaging. In addition to studying navigation students help to build a replica of an ancient voyaging canoe. In HWST 251 (Taro Cultivation) the historical and cultural material is presented in conjunction with hands on experience in the cultivation of taro. These courses along with others in Hula and La’au Lapa’au (Hawaiian medicinal herbs) provide holistic learning experiences where sensory stimulation enhances intellectual learning.

Hawaiian Language: HAW 201-202 includes lab work that consists of helping at the neighboring Hawaiian Language immersion school. This allows the use of language in an informal setting.

The use of an interdisciplinary approach is seen in the HWST 281 course and the ethnobotany course (BOT 105). This approach allows the student to appreciate that professionals can view the same phenomenon from different yet valid perspectives. The interdisciplinary approach involves team teaching. The cohort approach allows team learning. Central to this approach is that learning for some students is facilitated if they can become a team. This objective is achieved by having a cohort go through a program of developmentally sequenced courses taking the same courses together, studying together, and helping each other with the stresses and emotional ups and downs of their experience. This approach also requires faculty from different disciplines working together to achieve student success. Some of the Liberal Arts program faculty are part of a three year EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) project to prepare student cohorts for successful entry into the KCC Registered Nursing Program (APPENDIX XXIV).

Two other non-traditional approaches are seen in Cooperative Education courses and service learning. CASE 193 (Cooperative Arts and Science Education) is a course for liberal arts students interested in participating in a career exploration internship (Note: due to the fact that usually only one student is involved in an internship in a CASE course or class these courses and classes are not included in system-wide data as they would skew statistics like average class size towards lower values. The internship is for 75 hours (1 credit) and involves hands on experience in the student’s area of interest and can be paid or unpaid. The course involves evaluation of the student by the employer and the KCC faculty member in charge of cooperative education courses.

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Service learning is an approach that combines classroom instruction with volunteer work for non-profit agencies that is related to the course subject. In Spring Semester 2000, a Liberal Arts lecturer received three credits release time to serve as Service Learning Coordinator. Partnerships were made with community agencies including the Kaua`i Food Bank, the Koke`e Museum/Hui O Laka, and the Koke`e Resource Conservation Program among others. The campus now has four co-coordinators of service learning. Currently there are five Liberal Arts faculty offering service learning as part of their course work; service learning is an extra-credit option that students may choose. The outcomes expected from service learning pedagogy include developing and enhancing skills and knowledge, connecting academic work and “real world” experiences and contributing to the community in a meaningful way.

There are no hard data to evaluate the impact of these non-traditional approaches on student success across the curriculum. Anecdotal evidence supports positive academic and personal benefits for the students participating in these approaches. Continuing and expanded opportunities for Liberal Arts faculty to learn about and implement non-traditional approaches to education would be desirable for faculty and students. Support for assigned time projects to investigate and develop non-traditional curricula and pedagogies that have the potential to increase student interest and learning outcomes would be welcomed.

Plan of Action:

Work with the institutional researcher to develop an assessment tool to measure the effectiveness of non-traditional approaches, both within these courses and on their impact on student performance in other courses. Spring 2005

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 5.1.1: Comment on activities initiated and led by program faculty and staff that have positively impacted our community. List pertinent community services and activities. Discuss leadership roles in other community activities that you are interested in pursuing.

Community service, as part of the evaluation criteria for tenure and promotion applications, calls attention to the importance that the UH system puts on faculty contributions to their respective communities. Within the Liberal Arts program, individual members have varying degrees of involvement in leadership activities in their community that attests to a personal commitment above these requirements. We generally feel that leadership activities in the community are best if they evolve from personal choices and commitments. As evidenced by the following narrative there is a broad range of community involvement by our faculty.

Faculty members in the Liberal Arts program are active in their community through the public schools by mentoring students, tutoring, fund raising for sports and field trips,

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judging contests, and providing input on boards or commissions. Some are involved in their churches as Sunday School teachers, committee members, and lay leaders. Some nonprofit organizations that get or have gotten leadership support from our members during the past five years are:

American Cancer Society Garden Island Arts Council Hawai`i Council for the Humanities Kapa`a High School Boys Soccer Booster Club Kaua`i Arts Society Kaua`i Community Players Kaua`i Farm Bureau Kaua`i Food Bank Kaua`i Historical Society Kaua`i Japanese Society Kaua`i Educational Association for Science and AstronomyKaua`i Wildlife RefugeMalama Pono National Tropical Botanical Garden Na Kalai Wa`a O Kaua`i Wai`oli Corporation: Wai`oli Mission House and Grove Farm Homestead

Various businesses and industries also get assistance from program members who provide expertise in their fields of study, consultation, translation of materials, etc.

Some faculty require community involvement as part of their classroom assignments. These vary from extra credit volunteer work for an English class that requires a graded paper and a journal to biology laboratory participation in annual whale monitoring and student contribution to research. Botany classes propagate native Hawaiian plants to give to island schools and require students to complete 10 hours of botany related service (such as to assist in a botanical garden, and teach a lesson in a local school). Japanese classes annually assist in the setup and cleanup of the Kaua`i Japanese Cultural Festival.

5.2.1: What has the program done to establish partnerships, communication, and cooperation with high schools, other community college programs, the community, and four-year institutions in supporting their missions and goals? Discuss successes, challenges, lessons learned and how these findings will be applied in future plans.

Through Program Coordination Councils (PCCs) in subject areas and Articulation Sub Committees [standing committees of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa’s University Committee on Articulation (see narrative under 3.1.1 above). faculty members provide input and are a part of the decision making process that coordinates the articulation of the program and individual courses within the University of Hawai`i System. The UH Executive Policy E5.209 in APPENDIX XXI details the agreement between all two and four year campuses that comprise the UH system.

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Running Start is a partnership with the DOE and the UH community colleges that allows qualified high school juniors and seniors to take certain courses at any of the seven community college campuses and receive both high school and college credit (http://www.hawaii.edu/runningstart/). The Running Start Task Force recently has recommended expanding the number of course articulated with the UH system to 35 in the hope that high school students “will have greater access to subject matter instruction different from what may be available in the existing high school curriculum, yet consistent with the general learning outcomes required by the Hawai`i Department of Education” (see APPENDIX XXV, page 1). Thirty-three of the 35 courses are Liberal Arts courses. According to the LAH and SAM Division Chairs all of the 33 courses are offered regularly here at KCC except for HIST 241,242, HIST 281, 282, PSY 170, and ART 107.

Distance Learning courses are provided in partnership with other community colleges in the UH system. These courses allow our students access to a broader curriculum than would otherwise be available at a small campus. They also have been used to help students finish their AA degree requirements sooner when needed courses were cancelled on our campus due to low enrollment. [from conversation with the Interim Dean of Instruction].

Individual faculty members are in communication with DOE faculty in English, math, and science at island high and intermediate schools. One math and one science faculty are providing opportunities for DOE teachers this summer (2004) to improve their skills in their disciplines and the teaching of these areas so that their students will be better prepared for college level classes. This is an on-call format whereby Liberal Arts faculty can respond to requests from the DOE or community. The DOE teachers earn credits for participating in these workshops and classes (see APPENDIX XXVI for documentation on the science activity). We rely on our counselors and individual faculty members to recruit students for specialized programs. The program needs better data to assess successes in this area. The data will be used to help our outreach efforts (see Plan of Action section for Criteria 1.1.1). Members within the arts engage in art outreach projects such as working on how to use and fix kilns for K—12 institutions as well as with community organizations like the Lions Clubs. They also serve as judges for art shows and competitions. Other faculty members have been actively involved in running the Teen Literacy Festival. This festival last occurred in 2003, but some faculty are interested in reviving it.

Individual faculty, because of opportunities for student involvement, have established partnerships with the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kilauea Refuge, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Kaua`i Wildlife Refuge.

Several members are actively involved with the community organization Na Kalai Wa`a O Kaua`i in the construction and use of a replica of a traditional double-hulled canoe. The canoe will act as an educational tool to reinforce the pride and culture of the Hawaiians as seafaring people.

In addition to these formal activities, the Liberal Arts faculty continually interact with the community in many informal ways. Their daily activities may lead to new

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opportunities for connections between the community and our special resources and areas of expertise and then, as a program, the faculty are always alert to the possibility of new partnerships that will benefit the college and the community.

Plan of Action:

Work with the Administration to evaluate and expand our partnerships with other community colleges and departments at the four-year institutions. Ongoing

Evaluate and expand our partnerships with the DOE. Expand contacts between individual LAH/SAM faculty and DOE faculty by discipline. Ongoing

Spearhead more activities on campus of an intellectual nature. These should include lectures and activities for and by community members. Fall 2005

6.1.1: How does your program support diversity and cultural awareness? What are the desired outcomes? How have these outcomes been met?

Hawai`i is home to diverse cultures from around the world. The cultural climate in Hawai`i allows these groups to maintain their traditions and ethnic identities. The Liberal Arts faculty likewise is multicultural. Within this milieu it is little wonder that the Liberal Arts program encourages all disciplines to include material from diverse cultures to address a variety of subjects and alternative viewpoints. The appreciation of culture on both a global and a local level is achieved through the total efforts of our program.

An example of the Liberal Arts program’s commitment to cultural awareness and diversity is seen in the AA degree requirement that all graduates must have taken World Civilizations (HIST 151, 152). Thus all students earning the AA degree are required to study a multiplicity of cultures. It is hoped that this foundation in cultures of the world will mitigate one’s tendencies toward ethnocentrism and support our program’s other courses that deal with cultural diversity and cultural awareness.

Cultural awareness, global understanding, and appreciation of diversity go to the heart of literature courses, such as World Literature (ENG 253/254), British Literature (ENG 251/252), and Japanese Literature in Translation (EALL 272) and Literature of the Pacific (ENG 261). To study the literature covered in these courses is also to study the context in which that literature is produced; appreciation and tolerance should follow. Instruction in Hawaiian and foreign languages and culture is another way that the program emphasizes the study of global awareness and cultural differences. Hawaiian, Japanese and Spanish are offered on a regular basis, and French is offered dependent on enrollment. International students visiting from institutions in Japan take part in integrated classroom and social activities sponsored by the Office of Continuing Education and Training. These exchange programs in the area of language and culture take place with Japanese language

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classes and natural science classes on a regular basis. In addition, KCC students are encouraged to participate in extra curricular activities such as joining one of the several clubs on campus that emphasize culture awareness and service to their community [Nihongo Kurabu (Japanese Culture), Hawaiian Performing Arts Club, Pamantasan (Filipino Culture)].

To understand and provide cultural awareness of Hawai`i and the Pacific region the Liberal Arts program has developed an Academic Subject Certificate in Hawaiian Studies as part of the AA degree. This program provides students an alternate route for selecting core courses to fulfill Liberal Arts requirements. There is also an emphasis on incorporating the Hawaiian language and culture into other courses taught on campus. The Liberal Arts program is currently in the fourth year of a 5-year Title III grant to enhance educational opportunities for native Hawaiian students at Kaua`i Community College. We have found that our students benefit when required courses utilize examples from Asia and the Pacific to incorporate cultural awareness. Some Liberal Arts faculty have established a community and education project to build and sail a double-hulled voyaging canoe. When completed the canoe will serve as an active teaching tool that will utilize traditional as well as modern sailing techniques for long open ocean voyages. The canoe is a physical manifestation of common values and attitudes and the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the Pacific. There are also Certificates of Completion in Polynesian Voyaging and Ethnobotany both using an interdisciplinary approach to integrating traditional cultural values and modern techniques. The Liberal Arts program through the efforts of individual faculty has had guest speakers from the Pacific Asian Affairs Council and the East West Center address their classes and campus audiences.

It is important that faculty appreciate how cultural values influence their students’ education The Title III program drawing on the expertise of native Hawaiian professionals has held workshops to increase faculty awareness of the Hawaiian culture and how it influences the Hawaiian students’ learning style. Lack of faculty awareness on this issue might lead to inaccurate labeling of some Hawaiian students as under-performing or under-prepared. One of the goals of the Title III grant has been to develop new courses with hands-on learning and the incorporation of specific local examples and connections to culture.

Additional Liberal Arts program courses that support cultural diversity and awareness include the following:

ANTH 200-Cultural Anthropology; ANTH 205-Legends and Myths ART 110-Introduction to Raku; ART 170-Introduction to Western Art;

ART 180-Introduction to Eastern Art; ART 210-Intermediate Raku; ART 227-Oriental Brush Painting; ART 228-Chinese Landscape Painting.

All HWST courses. Social Science Courses; POLS 110-Introduction to Political Science; PSY

100-Survey of Psychology; PSY 220-Developmental Psychology. While these courses do not specifically deal with cultural diversity it is a recurrent theme and they allow for discussion of effects resulting from membership in subcultures and minority groups.

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Plan of Action:

As a program we need to do a better job of sharing our efforts and activities in support of cultural awareness. This could be accomplished informally during division meetings or more formally as part of our efforts to spearhead more intellectual activities (see Plan of Action for 5.2.1). Fall 2004

6.2.1: What academic relationships does your program have beyond Kaua`i, Hawai`i, and the U.S.? Describe these and their impact on student learning experiences. What areas of the program could benefit from such relationship? Describe plans ready for implementation and/or projects to be developed.

The KCC Catalogue (2003-2004, page 11, online copy) lists the colleges and universities that we have articulation and/or student exchange agreements with. Several international agreements with colleges and universities provide for student exchanges. Student exchanges provide many benefits for both visiting students and faculty as well as students and faculty at the host institution. In addition to reinforcing the study and practice of language with native speakers, there is exposure to educational, cultural, historical, interpersonal, and environmental differences and similarities. Table 6 lists the current partnerships that promote cultural awareness that our program is involved in. These relationships are covered in the Integrated International Education and Globalization Activities Annual Reports, Honda International Center, University of Hawai`i Community Colleges; a copy is available at the Chancellor’s Office.

Table 6Academic partnerships

Name Location Date of Involvement withKaua`i Community College

The University of Ryukus Okinawa, Japan 1998

*Okinawa Christian Junior College

Okinawa, Japan 1994

Chiba Keizai College Chiba, Japan 1994*Christ Church Polytechnic New Zealand 1992 Bow Valley College Calgary, Canada 1998Okinawa Prefectural College of Nursing

Okinawa, Japan 2001

*These institutions are not listed in the hard copy or online copy of the 2003-2004 KCC College Catalogue. They are listed in the annual reports published by the Honda International Center cited above.

While the basic benefits of student exchanges are similar different institutions have their own missions, thus giving a broad scope to the interactions and accrued benefits.

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On four occasions since 1994 KCC students spent one month in Okinawa at the University of the Ryukus (UR) studying Japanese language, culture, natural environments and local history. Under this agreement, students from UR can come to KCC for a two-week program to study conversational English, Hawaiian culture, and our natural environment. This agreement has also provided opportunities for faculty from both institutions to exchange research information and give presentations to the host institution. The agreement with Okinawa Christian Jr. College allows visits with students annually during early February. While here the students are provided with experiences directly related to the only majors at Okinawa Christian Jr. College, Early Childhood Education and English. This exchange has enhanced the language programs at both institutions. The Japanese students also interact with science classes on campus where they have to compare the island ecosystems of Hawai`i and Okinawa. This exchange has provided a unique opportunity for our students to learn first hand about another island system and find out in the process that we have the same types of problems and that we are not as different as they had thought. Chiba Keizai College students also visit KCC on an annual basis in late February. Compared to students from the other institutions, these students are focused more on global awareness and cultural diversity because most of their students are from the metropolitan area of Tokyo and they may someday be working overseas in different cultures in the areas of economics and education. This summer five KCC students enrolled in JPNS 299V, Directed Studies, did a 10-day exchange at Chiba Keizai College. New Zealand’s Christ Church Polytechnique and Kaua`i Community College faculty entered into a partnership in 1992. At this time KCC students who went to New Zealand gained a better understanding of the Maori people and their culture through their firsthand experiences in day-to-day Maori practices. Later in 1993 a group from Christ Church Polytechnique visited KCC to learn about Hawaiian culture and values. During their visit they put on three workshops and presentations about Maori culture and values for our students and faculty.

Bow Valley College, Canada has developed a faculty exchange mechanism to share expertise between our institutions. However, to date there have been no takers to their offer.

While not the result of a formal academic relationship, the Hawaiian Studies program took a cultural awareness field study expedition to Rapanui (Easter Island) this past semester. This unique experience provided students with an opportunity to hear and study Rapa, the indigenous language that is spoken by fewer than 3,000 native speakers. Rapanui and New Zealand and Hawai`i were the farthest points of Polynesian expansion in the Pacific. The students were impressed with the similarities between Rapa and the Hawaiian language, archeological sites and environmental problems faced by this small Pacific Island and the Hawaiian Islands.

Other informal endeavors undertaken by Liberal Arts faculty that support cultural awareness are trips coordinated by faculty to learn about different cultures as they relate to their courses in oriental brush painting and watercolor (China), ceramics (O`ahu and Japan) and music (singing performances by the KCC Choral Music Club in England and Australia).

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There are plans to improve our academic relationships with other institutions. With the development of Biology 208 (Island Ecosystems) and a preliminary visitation to the University of Ryukyus campus and the Field Biology Laboratory on Iriomote Isand a natural science faculty member is in the process of developing a field course experience for KCC students in Okinawa. The course will provide students the opportunity to study a sub-tropic ecosystem on three of the Okinawa Islands. A field station and dormitory on Iriomote will provide laboratory space that students will use to conduct field research projects. Establishing a telecommunication link so that data, photographs, and results can be shared in real time with students at both institutions is also part of the project.

Plan of Action:

Encourage other faculty to take leadership roles to develop study abroad and other international programs that are specifically linked to their disciplines. Fall 2005 It should be noted that while our current agreements have provided the opportunity for faculty and students to study abroad and to learn first hand from their experiences the drawback is that these study abroad experiences are expensive and usually out of the range of KCC students. This is the lead factor on why we have not expanded on study abroad agreements.

Encourage faculty to explore mechanism by which students can study abroad. Explore mechanism to fund study abroad programs. Fall 2005

Disseminate information on higher education opportunities in the U.S. by the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) programs. Fall 2005

Work with the institutional researcher to collect data and evaluate the effectiveness of student exchanges. Fall 2005

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