 College Skills Tutorial Report Winter Quarter Site Visits Presentation to PaRC June 2, 2010

Overview  Purpose  Methodology  Findings  Next Steps

Purpose of tutorial search  How have tutorial services been provided at Foothill College?  Some services focus on basic-skills students:  Pass the Torch  ESL Writing Center  Math Center (AKA PSME Center when there was a coordinator)  Puente  Mfumo  EOPS  LA/Academic Skills lab

Purpose of tutorial search  How have tutorial services been provided at Foothill College?  Some services assist basic-skills students, but do not purposely target them  Tutorial Center  English Writing Center  PSME Center

Purpose of tutorial search  How have tutorial services been provided at Foothill College?  None of the services are centralized or coordinated  Why did the college skills committee undertake this project?  State funding for redesigned Learning Resource Center  2007 Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success in California Community Colleges report (Poppy Copy)

“Poppy Copy”  A5: A comprehensive system of support services exists, and is characterized by a high degree of integration among academic and student support services  C1: Administrators support and encourage faculty development in basic skills, and improvement of teaching and learning is connected to the institutional mission  D10: Programs provide comprehensive academic support mechanisms, including the use of trained tutors

Methodology  Narrowed 110 community colleges to 8 colleges for site visits based on recommendations/knowledge of their excellent programs  Developed common questions to be asked during site visits  Sent at least two committee members to each campus

Colleges Visited  Northern  Santa Rosa  San Francisco  Canada  De Anza  Southern  Pasadena  Mt. SAC  San Diego City  Miramar

12 Questions  Funding  Level of faculty participation  Student participation  Who is the director? (faculty, classified, administrative)  Curriculum offerings  Physical layout (space limitation)

12 Questions  Assessment (student satisfaction, effectiveness of services)  Perception of support (administrative, faculty, student)  Accessibility (drop in, appointment)  Mission  Development  Specialized tutoring

Results: 9 Themes  1. Services were customized to meet students’ needs— make-up testing, online tutoring, ADL services, group vs one-on-one  2. Administrative support  3. Faculty support (many faculty-run)  4. Centrally located (main, if there were satellites)  5. Centralized services—one-stop shop for tutoring

Results: 9 Themes  6. Self sustaining for funding –i.e. courses (Supplemental Learning Assistance—open entry/open exit, different from Supplemental Instruction), credit and non-credit  7. Sense of professionalism—having a greeter, students were tracked and monitored, annually reported data  8. Open spaces, group study rooms, access to computers for students, space could be reserved  9. Location of intense student activities

Next Steps  Form college-wide tutorial committee (maybe under PaRC)  What services to put in LRC space  How to staff LRC—structure and shared duties  Develop a self-sustaining center  Time constraint  5 years until groundbreaking  2 years to make plans