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EMCC Home ›› Self-Study 2011

E-Clips - Sharing Our Journey to Re-accreditation

Fall 2011

A Message from the President

As you all know, on November 7 – 9, a six member team from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) will be visiting the Estrella Mountain campus to evaluate how the college is meeting its institutional mission. The HLC Team visit is a culmination of a two-year organizational self-reflection process and an opportunity to showcase the excellence of the Estrella Mountain campus community.
 
In preparation, our self-study documents have been finalized and sent to both the HLC Visiting Team and the MCCCD Governing Board.  The final report and executive summary is available for you to review through the links listed below. For your reference, as required by the new HLC requirements, the Institutional Snapshot, Federal Compliance Information and the Electronic Resource room are located in the EMCC Appendix B.  By the end of next week, a web version of the self-study will be completed and a printed copy of the executive summary will be available for all employees.
 
EMCC Executive Summary
http://www.estrellamountain.edu/sites/default/files/docs/self-study-2011/emcc-2011-executive-summary-final-web.pdf

EMCC Self-Study Report
http://www.estrellamountain.edu/sites/default/files/docs/self-study-2011/emcc-2011-self-study-report-final-web.pdf

EMCC Appendix B
http://www.estrellamountain.edu/sites/default/files/docs/self-study-2011/emcc-appendix-b-required-supplement-final-web.pdf

Due to the hard work of the various Criterion Teams, the report is a strong reflection of how the faculty and staff of Estrella Mountain are providing exceptional and creative learning experiences for all students. As a reminder, please note the upcoming meetings regarding the November HLC visit:
 
All-Employee Meeting
Preparation for the HLC Team Visit
October 13, 3:00 p.m.
EMCC Community Room

MCCCD Governing Board Meeting *
October 18, 5:30 p.m.
EMCC Community Room
* Employees are welcome to attend

SPRING 2011

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

A Message from the Co-Chairs

Our journey to re-accreditation has provided many opportunities to reflect on how we each influence learning on a daily basis. Your hard work during this self-study process has provided the evidence necessary to complete our self-study report. We want to share with you some of the initial strengths, challenges and recommendations. The information below is not a comprehensive list, but an insight into what findings are emerging. During the next few months we will share more with you as the report is finalized.

Sincerely,
Dr. Bryan Tippett and Dr. Stephanie Fujii
Self-Study Co-Chairs

Criterion I - Mission and Integrity
      Strength

  • The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) Governing Board regularly reviews and periodically updates the District's mission, vision, and values. Its latest review process took place in 2010 and included community input.

      Challenge

  • The economic downturn will influence budgeting and subsequent progress of expected mission driven outcomes.

      Recommendation

  • The recent economic downturn has reduced budget allocations during a time when the number of students attending College has significantly increased. Continuous review of budgeting decision models should occur to ensure budget decisions are mission driven.

Criterion II - Preparing for the Future
      Strength

  • Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) planning documents such as Strategic, Instructional, Budget, Master Plan, Enrollment Management, Technology and Learning, and Program Review coordinate the College’s response to enrollment growth and a steadily increasing diverse student population.

      Challenge

  • Planning documents should incorporate a greater student voice to facilitate change.

      Recommendation

  • The College should create a visual tool (a concept map) and workflow of how all of the planning documents support each other, how components are incorporated into each document, and how stakeholders are represented.

Criterion III - Student Learning and Effective Teaching
      Strength

  • Estrella Mountain Community College’s (EMCC) learning college journey has effectively raised awareness of the need to ask the following questions: 1. What are students learning? and, 2. How do we know?

      Challenge

  • The use of assessment data that directly drives instructional improvement is not evident in all instructional programs.

      Recommendation

  • The College should design and communicate consistent student learning, persistence, and completion metrics to guide all institutional decisions regarding instruction and support services.

Criterion IV: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
      Strength

  • Estrella Mountain Community College has made a concerted effort to integrate learning-centered principles into the College’s long-term and strategic planning documents.

      Challenge

  • The College lacks an overall institutional roadmap or summary of employee development activities and opportunities. Development activities and opportunities for non-faculty at the campus level could be considered limited.

    Recommendation

  • The College should improve the communication of employee development opportunities.

Criterion V: Engagement and Service
      Strength

  • Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) hosts numerous events each year that serve the needs of diverse populations.

      Challenge

  • There is a lack of physical space for fine arts, student life, and sports programming.

    Recommendation

  • Estrella Mountain should create a community partnership/service learning office.

Summer 2010

As the spring semester came to a close, criterion team members celebrated the completion of a major milestone in the self-study process. Each team reached their goal of having fifty percent of the evidence gathered. During the summer, the project writer will take this evidence and create a first draft. This will allow the Executive Team to identify gaps and recommendations for further evidence gathering.

This edition of E-Clips includes updates from each of the teams. Please take a few minutes and learn more about the processes that are critical to the continuous improvement of learning.

Criterion I: Mission and Integrity:

The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.

The Criterion I: Scene Investigators (C1SI) continued the hunt for evidence to support the Mission and Integrity of Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC). The team broke down core components of Criterion I and began gathering information related to each section. Key areas that support the Mission and Integrity include: Mission, Vision, and Core Values documents, strategic planning processes, budgeting protocol, employee hiring practices, student complaint processes and information provided through the catalog, etc. The team will continue its work during the summer and will provide further updates in the fall.

If you are interested in becoming a Criterion I Scene Investigator or would like more information, please contact Ralph Campbell by e-mail or call 623.935.8051.

Criterion II: Preparing for the Future:

The organization's allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.

Criterion II members have been holding weekly sub-team meetings to identify and evaluate the evidence that supports EMCC's preparation for the future. They have been examining all of the college plans including strategic, financial, human, enrollment, and capital to determine how the institution is fulfilling its mission. This has proven to be an enlightening process for team members and they still have spots available for anyone who wants to join the team.

If you are interested in becoming a Planning for the Future team member or would like more information, please contact Clarissa Davis-Ragland by e-mail or at 623.935.8594.

Criterion III: Student Learning and Effective Teaching:

The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.

The investigation into Student Learning and Effective Teaching is reaching a fever pitch. As the end of the semester approaches, faculty are deeply engaged in researching best practices, curriculum processes, professional development opportunities, and learning spaces on campus. Some early strengths are evident in the work of SAAC, in program review, learning support services, E-learning, learning spaces, student programs, and in faculty collaboration across the board.

If you are interested in becoming a Student Learning and Effective Teaching team member or would like more information, please contact Jennifer Means by e-mail or call 623.935.8035.

Criterion IV: Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge:

The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.

During the past two months, Criterion IV divided into four sub-teams and began the examination and collection of evidence that focuses on "a commitment to learning for all people connected with EMCC." Key themes have emerged including: institutional commitment to learning, college professional development activities, freedom of inquiry, recognition of successful learning, currency and relevancy of courses and programs, intellectual property, academic integrity, and ethical use of knowledge. The team has also examined areas with overlapping data and further refined our approach in how the evidence will be presented.

If you are interested in becoming a Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge team member or would like more information, please contact Maria Reyes by e-mail or call 623.935.8583.

Criterion V: Engagement and Service:

As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways both value.

The Service and Engagement Sleuths have been investigating the many ways that Estrella Mountain Community College serves its constituents. The team is investigating campus events, partnerships, curricular and co-curricular opportunities. Criterion V has researched everything from what events and activities EMCC offers, to who was the intended audience and how satisfaction and learning outcomes are measured. They are also looking at facilities and funding. They sent out a campus-wide survey and received 185 responses, providing a wealth of information carry on their investigation. Criterion Team V is continuing to gather, evaluate data and put all of the pieces together. They look forward to the next investigative update.

If you are interested in becoming a Service and Engagement Sleuth or would like more information, please contact Lauren Shellenbarger by e-mail or call 623.935.8808.

Resources and Logistics:

It has been a productive semester for the Resources and Logistics Team. Accomplishments include:

  • Selected the MindView mind mapping software

  • Developed a scaffolding mind map for each criterion team to use as evidence is gathered

  • Provided training to HLC Steering team members for the MindView software

  • Created a Sharepoint site to house and organize information necessary for the accreditation self-study and team visit

  • Created e-mail lists for each team

  • Met with the self-study project writer to determine their information needs and subsequently communicated those to the criterion team leaders

The majority of this team's work will take place during the HLC site visit and the month leading up to that event. The resource team leaders are currently working on a timeline to reserve and prepare the resource room and make travel arrangements for the visiting team at the appropriate times.

If you are interested in becoming a  Resources and Logistics team member or would like more information, please contact Nikol Price by e-mail or call 623.935.8087.

Spring 2010

Estrella Mountain Community College has begun its journey to re-accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools . The college's 3rd accreditation visit will occur in fall of 2011, during which the focus will be on how the college is developing as a learning-centered organization that values teaching, learning and caring.

In March 2009, two coordinators were chosen to lead the institutional self-study process: Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Bryan Tippett; and Counseling Faculty, Stephanie Fujii. Tippett and Fujii have since implemented the selection of a steering team and organized employee workshops delivered to help the campus community understand the accreditation process.

The All-Employee Meeting held in October 2009 introduced faculty and staff to the five criterion teams that are part of the self-study process. A self-study is a process for questioning, reflecting, data gathering, analyzing, and drawing conclusions. These criterion teams will help the campus to identify areas for improvement as well as how those areas can more effectively demonstrate learning college objectives while meeting all the criteria required for accreditation. Dr. Kathleen Iudicello, English faculty, was chosen as project writer to summarize our findings and supporting documentation into the self-study report.

"Road Map for the Self-Study."

Dr. Henry Rinne, consultant, visited the EMCC campus at the end of October to discuss the "Road Map for the Self-Study." Rinne emphasized the importance of presenting evidence during the self-study and how student assessment outcomes are an integral component of learning. He also made the following suggestions: include all campus constituencies in the self-study process, create an electronic resource room, and ensure federal compliance. More on Dr. Rinne's visit.