1. ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts
Meta-Majors
AQIP Committee Report
December 13, 2016
ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts

2. Higher Learning Commission Accreditation
Required Quality Standards/Criteria:
Mission: The institution’s mission is broadly understood within the institution and guides its operations.
Integrity: The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.
Teaching and Learning: The institution provides high quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered. The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments, and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.
Resources, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness: The institution’s resources, structures, and processes are sufficient to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its educational offerings, and respond to future challenges and opportunities. The institution plans for the future.
Background

3. Accreditation Pathways
Standard: Original, traditional approach; has been criticized for fostering long gaps in improvement
Open: Newest pathway; added to allow institutions to focus intensely on a major area of concern
AQIP (Academic Quality Improvement Program): Developed in response to standard pathway; based on continuous quality improvement models; ACTIVE approach to accreditation; requires 3 active quality improvement projects at all times
Background

4. Project Requirements
Background

5. The Guided Pathways Initiative at MCC
Began in late 2014 as part of MCSS/MCCA Cohort
Multiple components, including:
Intake and Orientation
“Intrusive” advising
Semester-by-semester course plans for both occupational programs and transfer disciplines
IT support and changes (eg. Backpack, new College website)
MCC’s approach to semester-by-semester course plans
Background

6. Committee Purpose
The Meta-Majors AQIP Committee was formed to develop meta-majors for Mott Community College.

7. Committee Process The committee was formed in December 2015.
The first meeting was conducted in January, 2016 with monthly meetings thereafter.
Research was conducted by each committee member and reviewed as a group.
Sub committees were formed based on areas of academic expertise.
Academic divisions were consulted for the creation of each meta-major.
Academic divisions reviewed the final proposal.
Semi-regular feedback was sought from the project sponsor, Dr. Fugate.

8. Committee Members Project Sponsor AQIP Support Co-Chairs Members
Amy Fugate
AQIP Support
Michelle Glenn
Aaron Gulyas
Co-Chairs
Robert Benard
Krista Black
Members
Julie Steffey
Janet Westhoff
Matthew Sullivan
Sharon Schapel
Stephen Shubert
Kim Owens
Michael Carr
Emily Varney
Bill Withem
Anne Gupton

9. Meta-Majors: Defined
Meta-majors are sets of courses designed around seven broad subject areas for students who are undecided about their specific program of study but who have identified a broad area of interest. The meta-major cluster of courses enables these students to explore this area of interest and its career options while earning credits in required gateway courses common across many fields of study.

10. Meta-Majors: Research
Research for meta-majors has shown legislation in the state of Florida and then various applications throughout the country. The core of all is that there are groupings of programs based on broad career pathways. Research did not find a program that clearly identifies how a student can explore areas of interest. It appears that Mott Community College will be a trailblazer in this approach.

11. Meta-Majors: Research
The state of Florida passed Florida Statute S
Defines “Meta-major” as a collection of programs of study or academic discipline groupings that share common foundational skills. Groupings are defined as:
Arts, Humanities, Communication and Design
Business
Education
Health Sciences
Industry/Manufacturing and Construction
Public Safety
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Social and Behavioral Sciences and Human Services

12. Meta-Majors: Research
Cuyahoga Community College Cuyahoga Community College meta-majors including arts, humanities, business, communication, education, health, mathematics, science, engineering, engineering technologies, social sciences and foreign languages have been developed by faculty teams.

13. Meta-Majors: Research
Lorain County Community College
Lorain County Community College defines program and career pathway options.
Business and Entrepreneurship 
Computer and Information Technologies 
Culinary and Hospitality  example description: Programs and majors in this pathway lead to careers in culinary arts, tourism, and transfer programs in this field.
Education 
Engineering and Manufacturing 
Health and Wellness 
Human/Social Services and Public Safety 
Liberal and Creative Arts 
Science and Math 

14. Meta-Majors: Research
Lake Sumter State College

15. Meta-Majors: Research
Macomb Community College
Macomb was part of a cohort of guided pathways institutions and is one of the only schools to meet the goals of guided pathways.
Macomb follows the model of Michigan Career Pathways.

16. Meta-Majors: Model
The Meta-Majors committee identified seven meta-majors for Mott Community College. These (with the exception of college readiness) closely align with Michigan Career Pathways, a model familiar to Michigan high school students. Every Michigan high school graduate has already identified a Career Pathway of interest, and is familiar with the Career Pathway terminology.

17. Meta-Majors: Model

18. Meta-Majors: Model
The meta-majors identified for Mott Community College are:
Arts, Humanities and Communication
Business, Management, Marketing and Information Technology
Engineering, Manufacturing, and Industrial Technologies
Health Sciences
Human Services, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Science, Natural Resources and Math
College Readiness

19. Meta-Majors: Pathways
The meta-majors pathways stem with students being declared in Associates of Arts degrees. This provides them with an opportunity to explore areas under electives while making progress with general education requirements.

26. Meta-Majors: Transformational Changes
Undecided students will be mandated to select a meta-major.
Advising with students during their first semesters will be necessary so they may declare in a pathway allowing graduation. Decisions should be made during a student’s first semester, but may extend through a second semester.
Technology will need to be adapted for the meta-major model as it was for pathways.
Entering the course sequences for the meta majors into the Student Backpack system will be a time consuming process, but we’ve learned a lot from doing the same with the discipline and program pathways.
Institutional Research will need to analyze success and use of meta-major on a regular basis.

27. Meta-Majors: Advantages
Undecided students get guidance with their programs of study.
Students explore areas of interest to best determine their best pathway.
Selected courses within the meta-major generally apply to the degrees students would be exploring with minimal loss of credits.
Students are taking guided credits rather than randomly selecting courses efficiently using financial resources.
Entrance to degree time should be reduced by providing students with a path for success.

28. Meta-Majors: On-Ramp
Undecided students must select from a meta-major. Student selection will be based on one or more of the following:
Student interest in a broad area represented by a meta-major.
Advising provided by Mott Community College Advisors.
A career assessment survey conducted by Mott Community College Advisors (third party survey already in place).

29. Meta-Majors: Off-Ramp
The primary goal is to have students declare in a pathway that allows graduation. The action is encouraged as soon as possible, but could extend to their second semester (based on full-time equivalent credits). Students may not complete a degree with a meta-major. Off-ramp options are:
Student self-identifies an area of interest and declares in a pathway.
Advising provided by Mott Community College Advisors help student determine appropriate pathway.

30. Conclusion
Meta-majors at Mott Community College will provide direction to undecided students. The pathways identified allow exploration into career options while keeping students in line with graduation requirements. With the support of E.C., we would like meta-majors to be implemented by Spring/Summer/Fall 2017 registration.