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Divisional Summary 2004-2005: Instruction
The Instructional Division of Florida Keys Community College is led by the Vice President of the College and is composed of 11 main program areas. During the 2004-2005 cycle, each area has moved closer to reaching the strategic goals of FKCC by achieving individual program annual planning objectives.
This division of the college is marked by overwhelming creativity in its pursuit of learning and knowledge and in its common quest to make a difference to each student at FKCC. With quality improvement as its ultimate goal, the division initiated environmental scans to help guide the budget process and assess departmental outcomes to insure that results were utilized to plan for improvement.
This year marked the beginning of monthly Vice President Staff meetings in an extended timeframe to insure that communication was strengthened and that teaching and enrollment strategies were shared. Additionally, the planning model as well as budget and expense strategies were discussed along with responses to variable factors related to the mission of the College.
The academic year became thwarted by the ongoing storm season that culminated with Hurricane Charlie in fall 2004. Gains to program enrollments and retention efforts were challenged at this time. Nonetheless, administrative personnel and faculty alike came together to provide personal attention to students’ educational needs. Highlights of the academic year follows:
The Office of the Vice President has made positive strides in involving more faculty heads in college decision-making. Several faculty are members of the newly formed Enrollment Management Committee, the Website Advisory Committee, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, the Distance Learning Committee, and the Technology Planning Committee. Staff and Program Development funds were disbursed throughout the division to insure that all faculty and staff attended valuable training opportunities and statewide council meetings.
For 2004-2005, the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences established objectives to enhance relationships with faculty and staff. To accomplish this, the Dean met with the Faculty Council President at least once during the month, which served to improve response time to faculty questions and concerns. Also, a significant result of this enhanced communication was the faculty decision to not pursue unionization as they expressed comfort in freely addressing their thoughts and concerns.
Training for faculty was another important task for the Dean. He established trainings every term for faculty members that included personal technology instruction from the library staff. This has resulted in faculty expressing a heightened comfort level utilizing instructional resources as well as a more positive working relationship with library and IT staff.
Student evaluations of faculty surveys have undergone several revisions over the past years. The current online survey software system has proven to be the most effective method of acquiring anonymous responses with results tabulated in the most useful manner. The biggest challenge, however, is encouraging students to take the surveys. Faculty and administration provide incentives for students to take the surveys and as a result, participation levels are beginning to increase. Many instructors are giving extra credit points for classroom participation if a student brings survey completion verification to class. The administration has conducted a drawing of survey completers’ names (provided by instructors) and given away gift certificates as prizes. This activity has helped promote the importance and availability of online surveys. In addition, now that the surveys are administered online, every course is being evaluated rather than a selected few
Another survey that is useful to the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences is the Graduate Exit Survey. The question regarding satisfaction with required courses has identified a 10% decrease from 2004 to
- This is due primarily to the challenges associated with locating SACS qualified adjunct instructors. Because the college does not have enough SACS qualified instructors, there have been approximately 15 courses that have not been able to be offered each semester this year. The college has addressed this by developing faculty qualification matrices to demonstrate instructors’ skills, training and abilities and also by continuing to seek potential new instructors.
The priority of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness this past 2004-2005 reporting year was to improve the quality, quantity, appearance and timeliness of the planning, assessment and research documents. In order to effectively accomplish this, the unit was granted budgetary approval for a part- time assistant position, printing cost funding and a laptop computer. These three approved budget items have been instrumental in ensuring that processes run as scheduled and that they are well publicized to the college community.
In addition to publishing institutional effectiveness documents and accomplishments, there were also college-wide presentations and workshops offered to the college community in order to communicate the various processes the college utilizes for evaluation and assessment. Just over half of the employees who participated in the employee survey for the past three years reported that administration is moving in outcomes-based direction. For this reason, the OIE continues to educate the college faculty and staff in the importance and value of planning and assessment activities.
Because the college is preparing for its mission and vision review in summer 2006, the OIE produced comprehensive environmental scanning documents to help identify the current opportunities and challenges confronting the college. The internal and external scanning documents were presented to the BOT in November 2005 and are in the process of being consolidated for the use in the new 2007- strategic plan.
The Office of Open Campus made many accomplishments during the 2004 to 2005 year. There were 345 non-credit courses offered in the areas of Recreation and Leisure, Continuing Workforce Education and Lifelong Learning. Approximately 99% of Continuing Education students enrolled in these courses rated their course with the rank of “good” or better on the Continuing Education Questionnaire/Evaluation. Two custom Spanish courses were created for the United States Coast Guard as well as a custom Microsoft Access course for the Public Defenders office. This unit also aided in the creation of several dozen non-credit cross-listed courses. A contract with Desire2Learn was successfully implemented allowing for the delivery of online courses and a Coordinator of Distance Learning was hired to facilitate the development and implementation of curriculum and coursework offered through various Distance Learning modalities.
The Library staff continued its support and collaboration with instructional programs this 2004- year. Faculty from the areas of Marine Technology, ENC 1102, ENC 1101, Business Law, Psychology and Computer Programming worked in conjunction with librarians in order to link their class syllabi or assignments to library resources. This activity has enhanced student learning and encouraged students to access the library and the services it has to offer.
Another significant project completed by library staff was the development of the College Preparatory Lab. This Prep Lab has 11 new computers available for student and instructor use. State of the art equipment and software has been purchased and installed in this new lab facility and faculty in-services have been conducted by library staff.
Library staff completed a total revision of the online LIS 2004 class, which is used statewide. Another technological advancement was that ILL Librarian successfully installed the ARIEL computer program to allow email delivery of ILL documents.
Students assisted in presenting educational workshops and programs to the college and the community at venues such as the public library, senior centers, and community centers, regarding the use of application software and Internet. Student participation in these activities promoted their level of confidence, reinforced their knowledge and skills and exposed them to various population sectors in the community. These activities helped reinforce the learning process and retention levels, evidenced by the 58% graduation rate in the new AS program and the 83% of students completing with a C or higher.
Professionally, the program director published a paper: “Special Topics in Information Systems – A Human Component First”, that he presented during a national paper/conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. This paper discussed the inventive activities that help to facilitate the learning process for information systems. He also presented programs on computer tips and tricks for various community and civic organizations throughout Monroe County.
The objectives for the Marine Environmental Technology Program during the 2004-2005 school year included solidification and expansion of ongoing participation with ocean related industries. To that end, field trips were taken to the Clark Maxwell Environmental Habitat and Observatory, Operations Management International Wastewater Treatment Facility, Key West Aquarium and the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Gardens.
The field trips added a “hands on” dimension to the curriculum allowing the students to experience first hand in the field what they had been taught in class. In addition the field trips get the students out of the classroom and into the jobsites where they may seek employment. Furthermore, student to employer contact allows industry/agency the opportunity to evaluate our educational programs and give suggestions for curriculum changes that will improve performance of our students on the job. For example, one of our students was just placed as a domestic inspector for the Monroe County Mosquito Control district as a direct result of this kind of interaction.
Guest speakers from the Marine Environmental Technology Steering committee bring their industry/agency into the classroom giving the students a realistic understanding of applied science in the workplace. Another enhancement to the learning experience is the encouragement of students to volunteer for marine environmental causes. In 2004-2005, four students volunteered for the Whale Stranding Volunteer Network and spent 30 hours assisting stranded dolphins. Some of the dolphins survived and have been successfully released back into the wild.
The graduation rate has improved 100% from 2002 to 2005 at 13.8%. And the average class sizes are approximately 20 students. This increase enrollment in MET courses is due to several reasons. First, the program is industry driven. Eco-tourism is a major industry in the Keys, receiving $5 billion from tourist related activities last 04-05 year. Students who participate in these classes not only acquire knowledge of the field, but they are exposed to various employment opportunities. The program’s advisory committee evaluated the prospect of a certificate in Eco-tourism and 100% of those that responded supported the development and offering of such a certificate.
The second reason for the increase in enrollment is due to the constant updating and supplying of information. The textbooks for this program are reviewed annually by the program director, which ensures currency and relevancy of information. In doing this, the program and the students stay very connected to the Marine Environmental Agencies. Also, eleven members of the advisory/steering committees have given permission to allow their websites to be added to the Marine Environmental Technology Program website allowing perspective students to visit the businesses and agencies that hire our graduates.
The Marine Engineering & Seamanship unit began a new course in personal watercraft. When students successfully complete this course, they receive the State of Florida delivery certificate, which is necessary for anyone who is working in the watercraft rental industry or directing tours around the islands. Another curricular certification development during the 2004-2005 year was the added availability for students in the outboard courses to get factory certificates from Mercury and Bombardier outboards. 100% of the students who chose to take the tests have passed and received certificates, which will increase their ability to attain employment in the marine field.
A further enhancement to the Marine Engineering program was the hiring of a new fulltime instructor. This enabled the Unit to offer adequate programs throughout the year so that students can complete their degree in the 1 or 2-year time frame. In addition to this improvement, lab fees were revised so that current equipment could be purchased to compliment instruction. Three new Yanmar Diesel engines and various engine parts, such as cylinder hones and piston compressors, were purchased to allow students the opportunity to properly learn how to rebuild engines.
In 2004-2005 the Graphic Design Program began offering digital filmmaking classes in cooperation with the Key West Film Society at the Tropic Cinema in downtown Key West. This created an alternate venue for courses, one that stands to attract a student population that differs from the main campus. The courses have been quite popular and more than 50 students have been served through this initiative.
Also added, in collaboration with the photography area, was an Epson Stylus Pro 4000 8-color inkjet printer to the Graphic Design Computer Lab. This large-format printer allows the production of larger prints with greater detail and color fidelity. This capability enhances both the digital photography and digital imaging classes offered by the fine arts and graphic design areas.
The Addictions Studies program hired 2 new adjunct instructors to teach in the Lower Keys, however, it remains challenged to find qualified instructors to teach in the Upper Keys. Due to those challenges, the program director has implemented curricular changes to transition all Addictions Studies courses to online instruction. In doing this, the student need will be met along with the community need. This transition is projected to take 2 years to complete and will be the first online community college addiction program in the country.
The Addictions Program in 2004-2005 maintained a 100% pass rate for the International Exam administered by the Florida Certification Board of Addictions. 11 program graduates were placed in fulltime jobs throughout Monroe County and 5 new potential employers were identified for the Lower Keys.
The Aquatics unit replaced much of its existing equipment in order to enhance its services to the college and community. New weights and weight racks were purchased, a new stereo system was installed, and new lane lines and slide were purchased for the pool. The funding for these improvements was supplied by the college, the Florida Keys Educational Foundation, the high school and swim team, Bone Island Swim Club and the College Reach-Out Program.
The Business Administration Program in 2004-2005 focused on achieving correct degree coding for its enrollees in order reflect an accurate number of business students, especially those students who have a double major. Consultations with Enrollment Management and IT were conducted to correct this issue. The business administration program also extended itself to international students whereby 2 individuals from Poland who participated in the program were granted college credit from a University in Poland.
For the school year 2004-2005, the Criminal Justice program instituted the new state mandated curriculum for Basic Recruit Training for Law Enforcement Officers. This increased the number of hours for training from 672 to 760 hours for the Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Basic Law Enforcement
experienced much popularity and success since its inception, demonstrated by a waiting list to enroll every semester. The program director also revised her curriculum for the documentary photography course to include a segment on social change. A curricular component that allows for a trip to a culturally different destination was incorporated so that students will become more aware of diversity and cultural issues. In addition to these curricular modifications, an adjunct instructor was hired which enabled photography courses to be offered over the summer and consequently increased student accessibility.
Foreign Language this 2004-2005 year was instructed solely by adjuncts since the fulltime instructor was on sabbatical for his doctorate degree. With the fulltime foreign language instructor gone, the college was not able to offer as many courses, which explains the decrease in enrollment for the 2005RY. Student performance, however, remained high with 81% passing with a C or higher. Administratively, the foreign language unit was still able to acquire equipment to support the new software purchase for use by Spanish II students.
The Letters unit continues to pursue the hiring of another fulltime faculty member so that a program director can be established. Although the unit was not able to accomplish that this 2004-2005 year, there was curricular progress made. A partnership with Tropic Cinema was established to offer credit courses in film and media. The media part of the curriculum is now taught at the cinema and the lecture portions are held at the college. In addition, the fulltime letters instructor continues to develop professionally and published 6 poems in the Massachusetts Review, Tar River and online with Slate magazine. One of her poems was used for an anthology.
Computers and software to enhance instruction were bought and installed for the Math Unit this past 2004-2005 year. This area is being used primarily for tutoring purposes and to actively engage students in critical thinking and problem solving in calculus by exploring “what if” strategies in graphing procedures. The software is also assisting students in statistics classes to perform linear regression procedures and to interpret graphs quickly to obtain various charts and tables.
One of the fulltime Math instructors has written three instructional CD’s for the following courses: College Algebra & Intermediate Algebra and Math for Liberal Arts. These CD’s allow students to continually repeat a lesson until it is clearly understood. Repeating lessons on the CD’s is easier than with a textbook because the CD’s have sound and audio instruction. The CD’s are made and distributed by the instructor free of cost to students.
In statistics instruction this year, the instructor’s textbook started being used as a supplement for continued improvement in learning (Textbook title: An Introduction to Probability and Statistics with Applications to Minitab). A large majority of the students have been found to be utilizing this text instead of class assigned text. Anecdotal information regarding the textbook is that it explains statistics in a more direct and simplified manner. Evaluation of the grade reports next year will help to determine if the new text is assisting in overall learning.
Student learning for the Physical Sciences unit has been very positive this 04-05 year. 5% more students have passed with a C or higher compared to last year. Another positive development to the Physical Sciences unit this year is that the enrollment rate increased by 32%. The enrollment rate and satisfactory student performance rate are attributed to the communication techniques employed by the director. Last year, the instructor modified the exams so that they can be mailed to the teleconferencing students and completed at home. This action addresses the issue of many students failing to come to the college to take their exams. Therefore, mailing out the exams has improved retention and enrollment considerably.
As a result, the instructor plans to communicate in a similar fashion with his traditional students. Exam performance rates will be mailed to the students throughout the semester. In addition, students who fail to show up for an exam will also be mailed a letter asking them to schedule a make-up exam. Enhancing
communication with students is a method for maintaining engagement and improving retention and success.
The College Preparatory Computer Lab began development this past 2004-2005 year under the supervision of the Learning Resources Center. The Learning Resources Center is managing the College Preparatory Computer lab and plans to offer faculty tours for those instructors who teach preparatory classes and for any other faculty members who are interested in utilizing the facility. It is the intention of the College that the new Prep Computer Lab will assist in improving student enrollment, performance and retention.
The level of preparedness of high school graduates is decreasing; a challenge that the college is addressing with the installment of the lab. In addition, this 2004-2005 year witnessed the resignation of the reading and math preparatory instructors. Two new instructors were hired for the 2005-2006 year and the new instructors, along with the new learning resources for college prep are expected to assist in increasing success rates and keeping students engaged.
The Social Sciences unit is another unit that experienced personnel transitions in the 2004-2005 year. The history professor retired after many years with the college and a replacement was found for the fall 2005 semester. The psychology instructor changed the formatting of his telecourses to allow students to view the courses while at the Library or borrow them from the Library for home viewing. No longer broadcasting the telecourses from the college has improved delivery efficiency, especially the elimination of technical challenges associated with the college broadcasting.
The psychology instructor also continually updates the content of his curriculum as directed by new breakthroughs in psychological research. This past year the modifications were based on the discovery of new brain chemicals that play a role in behavior and mental processes or new biological treatments for brain-mind disorders. Enrollment in psychology courses has remained strong, which is believed to be a result of the current and challenging curriculum developed by the instructor. During the 2003-2004 Fall and Spring Semesters, 210 students were enrolled in psychology courses, and during the 2004-2005 Fall and Spring Semesters, 212 students were enrolled. This averages out to over 20 students per course, significantly above the college norm.
The religion instructor, a part of the Social Sciences unit, wrote and submitted a new course called “The Wisdom of the Bible.” The text for this course is a comprehensive, 230-page compilation study guide. This course was approved by the curriculum committee and will be available in fall 2006. The instructor also began developing another curriculum called “Philosophy of Beauty” which is anticipated to be submitted to curriculum committee in fall 2006.
