2018-19 Strategic Initiative Report MathLab Strategic Initiative Type: Annual Update Plan Date: 10-30-17 Strategic Initiative Description: Introduction Introduction and Certification Program Description Department or Unit Mission Statement Goals Name Benchmark Benchmark Descriptor Annually increase the number of students utilizing the Math Tutoring Center. Surveys have shown that if students utilize the space and resources consistently throughout the semester, the Center promotes Not Started greater student success. In response to AB 705, increasing accessibility to the Center's services will increase campus-wide student success. By Fall 2018, redesign the Center by replacing some computer with whiteboards so that students can utilize the Not Started November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 1 of 9
Name Benchmark Benchmark Descriptor center more efficiently. By Fall 2019, with the assistance of the South Gate IA expand the Math Tutoring program at South Gate that will serve more students with a larger, more effective and efficient tutoring space. Not Started Some Progress Initial discussions and planning meetings have been held to discuss and plan for the goal. An individual or committee has been made responsible for goal. (33%) By the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester fill the Technology Instructional Assistant (Tech IA) position filled. Some Progress Initial discussions and planning meetings have been held to discuss and plan for the goal. An individual or committee has been made responsible for goal. (33%) By the end of Summer 2018, work with I.T. to ensure the effectiveness of the student tracking system. Not Started Please enter your mission below. The Math Tutoring Center is a friendly, learning-centered environment conducive to discussing and exploring mathematics. We assist students in clarifying and filling in gaps in their understanding of course material. Whether the purpose of a student s visit is to seek assistance in completing a Math course, to receive general math tutoring, to use computers for online and technology based assignments or to complete homework assignments, the Math Tutoring Center will provide all East Los Angeles College students with adequate resources and safe environment for any levels of Mathematics. November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 2 of 9
Program Assessment SWOT Analysis Strengths and Opportunities (Optional) Please describe your department or unit's strengths and opportunities. Are there things that your department or unit does better than other departments/units within or outside of the college? What do our students see as your strengths? Are you offering unique programs or courses to our students? Are there interesting trends that your department or unit can take advantage of (including technological, policy, or social trends)? Where does your department or unit excel? What opportunities or initiatives does your department or unit wish to pursue? Our greatest strength is our staff, both tutors and non-tutors. This strength is not limited to the content knowledge they possess but it includes their own individual personalities. The different personalities of our staff give way to a cohesive whole that is palpable in the friendly, and conducive to learning math environment that is created by the staff. This environment that is friendly and welcoming to each student who walks into the math center begins with the front desk staff greeting them and directing them on how to navigate the math center, from explaining the different areas available to the students as well as how to ask for assistance. Our tutors then take over, as students ask for help, and in a friendly and respectful manner help clarify the gaps in understanding students may have. It is in the interaction between student and staff that the math center has its greatest strength. Weaknesses and Threats (Optional) Please describe your department or unit's weaknesses or threats. What can your department or unit improve? What do students see as your weaknesses? What factors are keeping your students from enrolling, persisting, or succeeding in your courses or programs? What obstacles are you facing (these could be technological, policy, or social obstacles)? What are similar departments or units at other colleges doing to be successful? At the beginning of this semester, the directors of various support centers were told that they need to pay through positive attendance for the wages of directors, classified staff, and unclassified staff. Such a view does not look at the crucial role the centers for overall student success. Further, it ignores the fact that we service many international students who are not allowed to count for positive attendance and the fact that our centers contribute to overall student retention, which assists in maintaining FTEs for the entire college. Our center was allocated much less money than the previous year, which, of course, will lead to decreased positive attendance. This means less student success and less FTEs produced. November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 3 of 9
One of our greatest challenge is funding and chronic understaffing. As students seek our help with their math assignments, we often are unable to assist them and students will leave the center. We try anything in our power to take in every student, but at times, during exam weeks many students come in at the last moment and are not able to be assisted. This has a spiraling effect as such students then do not want to return to the center since they do not want to wait. This problem could be abated by increasing staffing, but also by educating students to come on time rather than procrastinating and to start studying when the lesson has been taught and not only during the weeks of an exam. It is also difficult to employ tutors that can tutor all courses. Most of the tutors are either majoring in Math or Engineering. For transfer, it is not required for them to take Statistics, a course that most students come in for assistance. Similarly, but not as impacted, for the Finite Math, Math for Liberal Arts and Math for Elementary School Teachers. Because of our high standards of our personnel, training must be intense and is, therefore, also costly. However we conduct on the job training and don t have any funding to train our tutors at a reserved time. With the loss of any tutor, especially an experienced tutor, affects the performance of the Math Tutoring Center tremendously not only in the speed of effective, accurate assessments but also in the loss of a trainer. Replacing an experienced tutor quickly is virtually impossible due to the intense training and work experience necessary to tutor effectively. With increasingly limited funding, the duplication of services is also a challenge/threat. Since money for staff is scarce, it doesn't make sense to fund other centers with money to provide a service that we cannot afford to provide. Student Service Outcomes Participation Progress (version 2) Please discuss your unit or department's participation in the development or revision of your Student Service Outcomes (SSOs). Please briefly describe your SSOs and the area of student learning they will measure. References: Student and Learning Support Service SSO Development Schedule We are on schedule to meet with the Learning Assessment Office next semester (Spring 2018) according to the Department Assessment Plan. November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 4 of 9
Program Plan Program Plan Update Goals Name Benchmark Benchmark Descriptor Annually increase the number of students utilizing the Math Tutoring Center. Surveys have shown that if students utilize the space and resources consistently throughout the semester, the Center promotes Not Started greater student success. In response to AB 705, increasing accessibility to the Center's services will increase campus-wide student success. By Fall 2018, redesign the Center by replacing some computer with whiteboards so that students can utilize the center more efficiently. Not Started By Fall 2019, with the assistance of the South Gate IA expand the Math Tutoring program at South Gate that will serve more students with a larger, more effective and efficient tutoring space. Some Progress Initial discussions and planning meetings have been held to discuss and plan for the goal. An individual or committee has been made responsible for goal. (33%) By the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester fill the Technology Instructional Assistant (Tech IA) position filled. By the end of Summer 2018, work with I.T. to ensure the Some Progress Not Started Initial discussions and planning meetings have been held to discuss and plan for the goal. An individual or committee has been made responsible for goal. (33%) date has been made towards November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 5 of 9
Name Benchmark Benchmark Descriptor effectiveness of the student tracking system. Not Started meeting Please briefly describe any difficultities in achieving stated goals carried over from a previous Annual Update. Goal 1: With Dean Kozeracki transferring to LACC, the reassignment of three deans to oversee the Math Tutoring Center in the past year and now talks of a budget crisis hiring a Tech IA for the new G5 building has not been a topic of conversation for about a year now. Goal 2: This past year administration has been funding the Math Tutoring Center at SGEC though BSI funds because of minimal funding with the 100 budget. Goal 4: Due to lack of funding leading to the inability to hire more tutors, the director and the IAs work on resources during the Center s down time. When the Center is busy, which can be at least 75% of the operating hours; IAs and director are on the floor assisting tutors and students. This goal will be on going and it will be worked on during the winter and summer sesstions. Goal 5: With two recent wage increases, most funding given to the Center has gone to that or replacing tutors who have tranfereed. After doing some calculations we have determined the following. In the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 semesters there was a total of 9917 hours worked by student workers (including tutors and front desk staff). In the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters there was a total of 8344 hours worked. The reason for this is the rate increase for student workers. Fall 2010/Spring 2011 Tutor 1/student worker: $9.20 Tutor 2: $11.04 Tutor 3: $13.25 Tutor 4: $15.46 Fall 2016/Spring 2017 Tutor 1/student worker: $12.08 Tutor 2: $14.49 Tutor 3: $17.39 Tutor 4: $20.29 November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 6 of 9
The difference in hours is 1573 hours. If we were to divide that per semester, that would be about 787 hours per semester. If that is divided by 15 (the 15 weeks tutors are working), that is about 52 hour per week. Now what does this all mean? If we allocate those 52 hours per week to our "busy hours" of the day then we would be able to have two more tutors for each one of those "busy hours". Two tutors would be a great help for us. If we look at pay rates with the difference in hours, working on average pay rate for the two different school years, the pay rate increase causes there to be a difference of approximately $18,000. We were funded $123,000 Fall 16/Spring 17 and $124,000 Fall 10/Spring 11. The pay rate increased, but when we are funded the same and it is has not been accounted for in the past few years causing us to be understaffed. Goal 6: With Dean Kozeracki transferring to LACC, the reassignment of three deans to oversee the Math Tutoring Center in the past year and the G5 building has not been signed off by the college or district, redesign of the layout of the lab as not been discussed. Please briefly comment on goals completed within the last year. Goal 3: With the assistance of Dean Rivera, a one time budget request was made and books were purchsed for Math 110, Math 115 and Math 125 for In-Center rental. Goal 7: With the assistance of SI, the director has met with and asisted some tutors to assist students taking Math classes via the LCTA program. Recommended Actions Goal: Annually increase the number of students utilizing the Math Tutoring Center. Surveys have shown that if students utilize the space and resources consistently throughout the semester, the Center promotes greater student success. In response to AB 705, increasing accessibility to the Center's services will increase campus-wide student success. Hire more tutors Goal: By Fall 2018, redesign the Center by replacing some computer with whiteboards so that students can utilize the center more efficiently. There are two rows of computers that are along the wall that should be removed to make room for tables, chairs and whiteboards. There are hooks along two walls that beed to be removed to make room for whiteboards. Paint the walls with a different color, paint mathematical symbols and equations. November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 7 of 9
Goal: By Fall 2019, with the assistance of the South Gate IA expand the Math Tutoring program at South Gate that will serve more students with a larger, more effective and efficient tutoring space. Move the SGEC Math Tutoring Center into a larger space to service more students. Goal: By the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester fill the Technology Instructional Assistant (Tech IA) position filled. Hire Tech IA to service the Math Tutoring Center's and G5 building's technology demands. Goal: By the end of Summer 2018, work with I.T. to ensure the effectiveness of the student tracking system. Have a stand alone server and a different, more reliable, tracking system. Program Review Responses Program Review Recommendation Responses # Recommendation Progress to Date 1 That the program work with the Dean of South Gate to identify ways that the program can provide robust tutoring services at the South Gate Center to complement tutoring services currently provided by other departments. RETIRED 2 That, in collaboration with other providers of tutoring services, the program participate in an assessment of the frequency, benefits, and costs of tutoring services offered on campus. This tutoring assessment report should be provided to Academic Senate and the Educational Planning Subcommittee in order to determine whether additional resources are needed for learning improvement. A utilization report of all the labs was presented to the EPSC, and we discussed potential ways to assist the centers in face budget cuts and AB 705. Working with the Learning Center, Writing Center and the new dean by having regular monthly meetings. This is ongoing. 3 That the program develop and implement a plan to outreach to students every session on the main campus and at South Gate. RETIRED November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 8 of 9
# Recommendation Progress to Date 4 5 That the program increase involvement in the Student Services Outcome (SSO) process as they are currently at the awareness level. That the program director regularly attend the Educational Planning Subcommittee and Student Success Committee. RETIRED Director is attending meetings. This is ongoing. November 02, 2017 6:12 PM Page 9 of 9
Request for Non-Faculty Positions Informational Worksheet Used for HR Plan 2018-2019 Position Title: Info Tech IA Cluster: SG Main Campus Salary + Benefits: $3934.70 per month Impact on unrestricted funds: Yes No Program Review/AUP Page # (0-5 points): Justification (include or attach data) to be completed by Cluster VP (0-5 points): In AUP For Use By HR Committee: For questions about Program Review Annual Update Planning process, contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Advancement, 323-415-4152, arenasr@elac.edu OR venturbc@elac.edu.
Classified Hiring Justification of Needs Check all Applicable Items College Goals & Objectives Changing/Updating Technological Needs Increased FTES and FTEF Expansion and/or Remodeling of College Facilities Support for Student Learning Outcomes Staff Ability to Complete Assigned Workload Staff Working Beyond Assigned Hours or Scope of Duties How Position Affects Performance of Other Staff Reference Program Reviews/AUP Changing Job Functions Positions Previously Grant Funded (SFP) Number of Students Served by Proposed Position Reinstating Positions Eliminated Due to Budget Cuts State, Federal, and Other Regulatory Mandates (Categorical) Health and Safety Issues Use of Temporary Hourly Employees Services or Learning Opportunities Will Be Improved Needs of Students & Institution Will Be Met Position Cost (Including Salary & Benefits) For questions about Program Review Annual Update Planning process, contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Advancement, 323-415-4152, arenasr@elac.edu OR venturbc@elac.edu.