Common Course Numbering Art Goss Faculty Curriculum Committee Chair at Bellevue Community College

Common Course Numbering will be a bump in the road for a while… …but the long-term benefits for students are worth it. Besides, the CCN train has left the station. We can’t stop it now.

Common Course Numbering Project

A) Determine equivalent courses

Common Course Numbering Project A) Determine equivalent courses B) Rename & renumber courses

“Bump in the Road” In a one week span, over 90% of our academic courses will have number changes and/or name changes. Some 200s become 100s, and some 100s become 200s 100 level courses could have 200 level prerequisites Dozens of courses will be changed to numbers of existing courses – “collision courses” –Confusion if one is a prerequisite –Confusion when “old” course is humanities and “new” course is social science –Confusion when taking a similar class to one you enjoyed only to find out it is the same class with a new name and number –Confusion when your transcript seems to show you repeated a class when it was two classes with the same number.

Student Chaos Hardest hit will be those who are not engaged on campus, and self-advise. –Low income –Students of color

Bump in the road - staff Hundreds of courses phased out Hundreds of new courses created Advising sheets Course catalogs Degrees and certificates Web of prerequisites changed Other databases of course info 4-year University articulation sites overhauled Advising

Bump in the road - faculty No state-wide systematic faculty input Tends to freeze curriculum Subtle pressure to conform Why Faculty if Staff are doing this now? Staff do not determine “equivalency” except… English and math and those crosswalks created with faculty input State-wide equivalency is a bigger issue than individual student transcripts

What other states did to minimize the “bump” (and which the current plan is not doing) Rename and renumber only courses most common with 4-years It is done slowly rather than all at once Go to 4 digits to avoid “collisions” Participation is optional – colleges can change some or all or none Unique courses are left alone Substantial increase in funding for advising

The “bump in the road”, is a source of confusion that will undoubtedly frustrate some at-risk students, causing them to give up their hopes of getting a college degree. It is a costly and time consuming project, done without faculty input, with disturbing implications for curriculum flexibility.

Common Course Numbering will be a rocky road for a while… …but the long-term benefits for students are worth it. Besides, the CCN train has left the station. We can’t stop it now.

Four-year Universities are NOT a part of CCN.

HB 2382 “state-wide system of course equivalency” 2-year to 4-year transfers or relationship (The HEC Board must…) “Identify equivalent courses between community and technical colleges and public four-year institutions” Clearly the legislature had 2-to-4-year transfers in mind.

College A ENGL 103 College B ENGL 103 They are equivalent !

College A ENGL 103 College B ENGL 103 No! Yes! No they are not!

“Common course numbers will make it easier for students and advisors to identify those courses that are equivalent for transfer among community and technical colleges. Common Course Numbering Newsletter, July 2006.

After changing names and numbers

There will be no difference in the practical experience of a transfer student between CTCs before and after CCN.

“Not for 10 years. We will need crosswalks with our own courses. It’s ridiculous. There will be 10 years of chaos.” Catherine Kwong, Credentials Evaluator, BCC. Won’t it make the evaluator’s jobs easier?

“Common course numbering will reduce the number of repeated courses students take when transferring between community or technical colleges.” Common Course Numbering Newsletter, July 2006.

“This does happen, but seldom with students transferring within the state -- it is mostly with students from out of state, and complaints about this are very rare... maybe once a year.” C. Kwong At BCC this represents 1 / 34,860 X 100 = 0.003% of our students College A ECON 101 Macro econ College B ECON 100 Macro econ

(CCN) “…will address a small problem for a handful of students, but it will also complicate things for 10s of thousands of students who will have to explain this for their entire careers. It’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” Matt Grochong, Associate Dean of Student Success, BCC.

Goals of the legislature Help articulation to 4-year universities Real and Practical impact on transfer among CTCs Problem of transfer students repeating classes The current plan’s long- term benefit to students is virtually zero – there is no upside.

Common Course Numbering will be a rocky road for a while… …but the long-term benefits for students are worth it. Besides, the CCN train has left the station. We can’t stop it now.

Recent Developments Changes in scope and timeline Postponement of implementation by one year

Recommendations

Common Course Numbering Project A) Determine equivalent courses B) Rename & renumber courses

Recommendations 1.Continue defining equivalent courses, but… –With equivalency decision-making being done by faculty from across the state.

Common Course Numbering Project A) Determine equivalent courses B) Rename & renumber courses Student confusion Choosing distribution requirements Prerequisites Different class with the same numbers Harms student success Thousands of hours of staff time Petrify the curriculum Done with no state-wide faculty input Makes no sense without the four- years on board May have to be re-done if the 4- years do come on board later

Recommendations 2.Do not change course names and numbers. –Changing names and numbers should only be done if mandated by the legislature, and the four-year institutions are participating.

Common Course Numbering Project A) Determine equivalent courses B) Rename & renumber courses

Common Course Numbering Project A) Determine equivalent courses B) Rename & renumber courses How will students know which courses are equivalent?

Very Good alternatives to CCN 1.Easy-to-use online database

The COURSE SEARCH Application currently being piloted by U.W.

The REVIEW

Very Good alternatives to CCN 1.Easy-to-use online database 2.Secondary tier of numbers that are common throughout the state (like the California Articulation Number – “CAN #”)

Barstow College, California

Recommendations 3.Pursue alternate methods to inform students of equivalency 1.Easy-to-use online database 2.Washington Articulation Numbers

No other state has done this without: The four-year universities participating Heavy faculty involvement. No matter how small or big the “bump” is, without the 4-year institutions, there is no real benefit. It simply makes no sense.

Summary of Recommendations 1.Continue defining equivalent courses, with greatly increased faculty participation. 2.Do not change course names and numbers. 3.Pursue alternate methods to inform students of equivalency – online database or California system.