1I1 Common Learning Outcome Improvements

Improvements at the Institutional level:

• Created and implement the Online Student Support position in 2013 to further support online student academic performance and assure CLO across all modalities
• Developed and implemented a common problem-solving and professionalism rubric (CLT) to provide a consistent CLO assessment method and move these assessments from the program to the Institute level. The Institute has established outcomes that are aggregated campus-wide and disaggregated by program.
• Began review process of CLO’s to assure the CLO’s directly align with the Institute’s new mission statement and meet stakeholder needs. The review will be completed in summer 2017. To accomplish this, the CLT developed a survey for faculty to use with Advisory Committees to gather input regarding CLO’s. The survey was also sent to non-advisory stakeholders for input through our Career Connections software. Gathered data will be analyzed by the CLT, which will revise the current CLO’s as needed and make its recommendations to the Futures Team, which will review the CLO’s, make further adjustments, and send to the Administrative Team. The process will continue from the Administrative Team to the Council and finally to the Board, which will adopt new CLO’s for the Institute. Category 1 page 10
• The Institute’s second all-campus Diversity Fair was held in April 2017. The fair’s booths represented cultural, ethnic, gender, religious, sexual orientation, and other forms of diversity. Booth representatives shared their stories, experiences, talents and traditions with the campus community. The Institute’s goal is to hold the Diversity Fair every other year.

Examples of improvements at the program and department levels include:

• Since 2010, the Construction Management program has made significant changes to its curriculum based upon industry standards, the needs expressed by the Advisory Committee and the desire to improve student achievement on the Communication CLO.  These curriculum changes included BUS 130 Business Communications, which has helped program students gain more confidence in their communication skills.
• Based on student feedback, peer listening sessions, and assessments of student learning, the Automotive program integrated more technology assistance into the classroom experience. Online testing and assignments have been implemented since 2010 with tests now almost exclusively completed online. Technology has also been used to record video of procedures and shop projects to better assist students and help them meet assessment requirements. Cameras and video display is also used in the lab so students can better view and detail live demonstrations. These changes were based on the program’s efforts to better meet the Institute’s Communication CLO.
• The Automotive program added more industry certifications embedded into the program’s curriculum, providing more opportunities to assure technical skill standards are met through industry-recognized assessments.
• To improve student performance for the Institute’s Professionalism CLO and based on Advisory Committee input, the Automotive program now requires students to wear uniforms and assesses student safety, work ethic and overall professionalism levels daily.
• To improve mastery in Problem Solving skills, the General Education Mathematics department implemented the Hawkes Learning Systems software in 2015, which promotes mastery-level learning and offers immediate feedback with an Artificial Intelligence component. The department also implemented Math 099 in Fall 2012, a co-requisite course taken with Math 101 Intermediate Algebra and/or Math 102 College Algebra to provide students with additional support and resources.
• To improve mastery in Communication skills, the General Education English department implemented ENGL 099, a co-requisite course taken with ENGL 101 Composition to provide students with additional support and resources.

Over the next three years, Southeast Tech’s priorities for improving Common Learning Outcome results include:

• Introducing (2017-2018) through the CLT the new CLO’s to the Southeast Tech community and begin work on Program Learning Outcome (PLO) review (1P2).
• Strengthening co-curricular programming and assessment through full implementation of the assessment and reporting process by the SGA/Student Activities Coordinator
• Embedding CLO assessments into program curriculum and striving for 100% program participation through the efforts of the CLT.