| Initiatives |
The faculty and staff in the organizational unit that reports to the Vice President of Instruction are currently involved with the following initiatives: |
Recruitment and Retention
Assessment and Cost
Strategic Planning
Curriculum
Articulation
Administrative |
Recruitment and Retention |
GOAL: Increase the number of new students enrolling for the first time and current students who re-enroll in consecutive long semesters.
Recruitment, Retention & Graduates Committee
The Committee, which is primarily faculty driven, is charged with the following three responsibilities: (1) implement strategies that will increase the number of new students enrolling at EPCC, (2) significantly increase the number of current students who will remain enrolled at EPCC until graduation, and (3) increase the number of graduates in the Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degree programs, as well as Certificate of Completion programs.
On-campus orientation sessions for area high school principals, including Juarez secondary school principals were held in Spring 2001. A comprehensive list of retention activities was compiled, including efforts such as student intervention teams and a mentoring/advising program. The formation of an Alumni Association was identified as the number one priority to increase graduates.
Current status: Academic year 2001-2002 marks the second year of operation of this Committee. The Committee kicked off the year with a very successful daylong student retention and success workshop conducted by Dr. Vincent Tinto, a nationally known expert from Syracuse University. The subcommittees (Recruitment, Retention and Graduates) have been asked to identify 2-3 priority initiatives to be carried out during this academic year. It is anticipated that these activities will include an aggressive site-based (high school campuses) recruitment program, a faculty advising/mentoring program, and an active alumni association.
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El Paso Area College Preparatory and Early Admission Consortium
This innovative project forms a collaborative of the 12 area school districts and El Paso Community College for the purpose of inspiring, guiding and preparing students for entrance into higher education and the completion of college course work prior to graduating from high school. A College Prep course is being designed for juniors and seniors in high school which will offer assistance in improving scores on the SAT and ACT Tests, career exploration, advising by college counselors on admission procedures, registration and financial aid, and the creation of a seamless pathway from high school to college. Through the Early Admission Program, students meeting entrance criteria can enroll in college level transfer courses and receive college credit while still in high school. One popular option is dual credit, where the student receives credit both toward high school graduation and college in one course. The anticipated outcomes of this project are an increase in the number of El Paso area college bound students and the increase in enrollment of students in El Paso Community College courses.
Current Status: The Consortium formed a Curriculum Development Team made up of College and school district faculty and staff to design the College Prep course. Ninety percent of the curriculum has been written. The course will be piloted during the Spring 2002 semester in selected area high schools. Dual credit college level transfer courses are currently being offered at ten area high schools. It is anticipated that during the coming school year, most districts will be offering college level courses to junior and senior students. Presentations to high school principals are currently underway.
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Teacher Preparation
The current K-12 teacher shortage is expected to worsen over the next 10 years as career teachers reach retirement age and the attractiveness of the profession continues to decline. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has asked community colleges to step in and assist with this potentially catastrophic problem. El Paso Community College has chosen to respond in two ways: (1) assist with the regular certification of prospective teachers, and (2) assist with the alternative certification of teacher candidates. For regular teacher certification, the College offers lower division coursework in K-4 certification (Field of Study), 4-8 certification (Field of Study) and high school area of concentration. Also under this program teachers will be trained for career and technology teaching fields. For teachers with Bachelors degrees and enrolled in an Alternative Teacher Certification Program, the College will assist with test preparation for content area tests, the professional development test and on-site mentoring.
Current Status: At this time El Paso Community College has implemented the field of study and area of concentration curricula. A consortium has been formed between EPCC, UTEP and area school districts to implement a Paraprofessional to Certified Teacher career track. Another group is being formed to address the certification needs of occupational program instructors in area high schools. Courses to meet certification requirements have been offered by Texas A & M Corpus Christy. However, they will discontinue their presence in El Paso effective May 2002.
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Navy Articulation Program
The College is participating in an innovative partnership with the United States Navy in which students can join the Navy and be paid while taking courses at El Paso Community College. The student then transfers to a Naval training school to complete the rest of his/her courses. Following successful completion of EPCC courses and the Naval training curriculum, the student receives an Associate’s Degree from El Paso Community College in Nuclear Electronics or Communication/Radar Electronics.
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Technical Certification Programs
The College has joined the rapidly expanding field of technology certifications. Training in Cisco, Microsoft Systems Engineer, Novel, A+ and UNIX is currently being offered. Adding this instruction brings a value added dimension to the Computer Information Systems curriculum.
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Learning Communities
The concept and use of Learning Communities at El Paso Community College is in its infancy. Learning Communities have a number of different strands, ranging from the formation of small groups of students into study camps, whereby they transition through college with a support network monitoring and assisting them with their progress, to the inclusion of faculty, staff and external partnerships, such as with business and industry, in setting up real world learning experiences. Just underway, this initiative will be an essential element of the College’s overall strategy to retain and graduate students.
Current Status: Plans are now being drafted to incorporate Learning Communities into the new Maximizing Academic Excellence course that is required of all transfer students. Discussions are ongoing as to how to bring Learning Communities to occupational students. The potential this effort has for improving students’ success makes this initiative a high priority for the College. Learning communities will be a theme of an upcoming New Horizons Focus Group session.
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New Horizons Focus Group Series
New Horizons is a series of focus group sessions designed to bring together experts in selected fields to address issues of importance to the Instructional Division of El Paso Community College. The experts will be drawn from national, regional and local businesses, industries, and educational institutions. The New Horizons Series was developed with three goals in mind: (1) serve as a planning tool for the Instructional Division of the College, (2) increase accessibility to professional development for faculty and staff by bringing to the College, at a cost much lower than sending employees out-of-town, experts in fields related to initiatives being addressed by Instruction, and (3) develop partnerships with business, industry and educational institutions that will benefit the College’s physical, fiscal and human resources. Future New Horizons topics include: Tech-Knowlogy, Learning Communities, Alternative Delivery Systems, Innovations in Teaching and Student Success Centers.
A collateral objective of the series is to form partnerships with key players in business and industry that will benefit students, programs and the College as a whole. For example, one initiative will be to attract Microsoft as a partner with our Computer Information Systems Program that will provide up-to-date hardware and software for students to use in College laboratories.
Current Status: The first seminar was held October 5, 2001 and focused on “Community Colleges: The Next 100 Years.” Presenters included Dr. Jay Gogue, President of NMSU (The University Perspective), Ms. Myrna Deckert, CEO of YWCA (Community Linkages), Dr. Diane Troyer, President of Cy-Fair Community College (Breaking New Ground), Ms. Barbara Walker, Major Accounts Manager, CISCO Systems (Developing the Workforce), Mr. Augie Gallego, Chancellor of San Diego Community College District (Our Changing Students) and Dr. Richard Rhodes, President of El Paso Community College.
The second session will be held February 15, 2002. The theme for that session will be “Tech-Knowlogy.” Experts will be drawn from business and industry, with concentration on the applicability of EPCC technical programs. We already have commitments from Dr. George Boggs, President of the American Association of Community Colleges; and Richard Thompson, Director of Information Technology at DIRECTV.
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Developmental Education Pilot Program
The College continues to work with students who are struggling to overcome numerous deficiencies in achieving a higher education. Many of these students either did not have the opportunity to attend high school, were school dropouts, immigrated to the United States and have limited English skills or were borderline graduates from high school. This population is one of the College’s greatest challenges due to both academic and economic issues. To successfully address these problems the College has undertaken a dynamic approach to preparing students for successful assimilation into college transfer courses.
Current Status: Classroom teachers are completing diagnostic assessments of students’ academic strengths and weaknesses. That information is being translated into prescriptive educational plans for each student. Though just begun in the Spring 2001 semester, it is envisioned that this initiative will be a permanent component of the College’s strategy to transition at-risk students into occupational and transfer programs of study.
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Title V
An exciting and promising initiative at the College is the potential Title V grant from the United States Department of Education. Efforts are underway now to prepare a successful application for a 5 year 2.5 million dollar “shot in the arm” to assist the College in executing many of the retention strategies planned. Preliminary discussions have led to three possible activities: Faculty and Staff Development, Recruitment and Outreach, and Retention.
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Academy for Instructional Effectiveness
This Academy is a future initiative that is envisioned to be an innovative approach to training new EPCC teachers in the latest techniques in instructional effectiveness. The Academy will also offer in-service workshops and seminars for seasoned faculty by honing their instructional skills. Among the topics addressed will be the Effective use of Technology in the Classroom, Making Students Partners in the Learning Process and Diagnosing Student Ailments and Prescribing a Cure. The Academy will disseminate a Best Practices newsletter, which brings to teachers new and innovative approaches to reaching the diverse student clientele we serve. The outcome of this initiative is the development of a cadre of superior teachers who positively impact students’ performance, thereby minimizing attrition and maximizing completers.
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Center for Student Success
Helping students be successful in post-secondary education requires bold new initiatives in the 21st Century. The Center for Student Success is envisioned to be a high tech state-of-the-art approach to working with students. The ultimate goal is the increase in the number of students who leave the institution with the goal they set having been met: from a single course to graduation. The centerpiece of the Center will be the Immediate Response Team, which like in a real life emergency responds to students who are at-risk in their quest for completing a higher education. Every student in this vulnerable situation will be treated as if their future depended on our ability to successfully intervene and redirect the course of events. The anticipated outcome of this endeavor is the increase in the number of students who reach, and in some cases exceed, the goal they set upon entering El Paso Community College.
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Assessment and Cost |
GOAL: Operate instructional programs and services at optimum efficiency and achieve the desired measurable outcomes in a cost-effective manner.
Program Review Committee
Created in January, 2001, this Committee is charged with designing and implementing a comprehensive instructional program review system. The Committee’s work to date has resulted in the identification of viability and quality indicators for credit transfer programs, credit occupational programs and continuing education programs/courses. Viability indicators are intended to provide an assessment of whether a program should continue in operation at EPCC. The purpose of quality indicators is to take a viable program and strengthen it. Following collection and review of all relevant data regarding the viability and quality indicators, the Committee will make one of the following three recommendations: continue the program, continue the program with revisions or close the program.
Current Status: It is anticipated that data will have been collected on most of the credit occupational programs by December, 2001. In February, 2002, the Committee will review the data and make recommendations regarding occupational program status.
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Enrollment Management
Enrollment Management is a critical element of the College’s strategy to provide accessible instruction and services to students within our service delivery area in a cost-effective manner. Strategies employed include maximizing the use of existing instructional space, using distance learning vehicles (on-line courses, video conferencing and television courses) to increase course availability without increasing course costs, and following a defined set of guidelines for building and managing a class schedule. With the implementation of a comprehensive enrollment management plan during the past year, the cost per student to provide the instructional program has been reduced while simultaneously maximizing availability and access. Faculty are an integral part of the team in carrying out the enrollment management strategy.
Current Status: The Enrollment Management Committee, comprised of faculty, staff and students, meets each semester to review and assess compliance with the established enrollment management guidelines for building and managing the schedule.
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Oversight Visits
During the next two years the College will be visited by two oversight agencies which will assess our compliance with specified standards. In Fall 2001 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will bring a team of community college experts to conduct a three-day on-site review of the institution. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will be coming in 2003 to conduct an on-site review leading to a ten-year reaffirmation of the College’s accreditation. The Instructional Division of the College began preparation for these visits approximately six months ago.
Current Status: Teams composed of faculty and instructional staff have been formed to begin preparations for the visits. Evaluation forms are being completed to assess our compliance with the standards set for each instructional measure. Our intent is to intervene with any measure that is not in compliance so that by the time the visiting team arrives as many standards as possible have been met. A mock visit, to prepare college instructional participants, is scheduled prior to each on-site review. For instructional programs, the Deans and Instructional Coordinators are working now to prepare Program Binders which document our compliance with state and accreditation standards
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Strategic Planning |
GOAL: Carry out the objectives identified in the Academic Master Plan and ensure that they address appropriate District goals.
Academic Master Plan
The purpose of the Academic Master Plan is to create a blueprint for the College’s Instructional Division that will guide the institution through the next 3 to 5 years. Included in the Plan are programming, personnel, equipment, technology and facility needs. Serving as the roadmap for instruction, this plan will ensure that El Paso Community College is always current and proactive in meeting the expectations of students and the El Paso community.
Current Status: A 12 person task force has been formed and is beginning work on the format and content of the Plan. It is envisioned that the plan will include an introduction, a compilation of the ten instructional division mini-plans and the instructional services mini-plan, and a set of recommendations that need to be carried out. This Plan will link to the College’s budgeting process and the Institutional Strategic Plan.
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Curriculum |
GOAL: Ensure that the College’s Core Curriculum, Fields of Study and Areas of Concentration are current and comply with state and accrediting agency requirements.
Core Curriculum
The College's latest revisions to the Core Curriculum were approved by the Coordinating Board in February 2001. These changes will probably be the last for the next few years for the 2 year-old curriculum. The Core has been a tremendous asset to students in that completion of it guarantees the transfer of 42 college credit hours to any institution of higher education in the State of Texas.
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Fields of Study
The Fields of Study complement the Core Curriculum in that the State of Texas is identifying the courses beyond the Core which form the content of a specific field. These Field of Study courses are guaranteed to transfer to any Texas public institution of higher education. Combined with the Core Curriculum courses, a student in one of the approved field can expect to transfer up to 60 college credit hours.
Current Status: At this time the State has four approved Fields of Study, with others to come on-line soon: Business, Education (K-4), Education (4-8) and Music.
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Articulation |
GOAL: Maintain current secondary/tech-prep and postsecondary articulation agreements with local and regional educational institutions.
Post-Secondary Articulation
Complementing the Core Curriculum and Field of Study state mandates are the College’s efforts to maximize the number of courses accepted in transfer to colleges and universities. Although we work with many institutions, much time is devoted to establishing and maintaining articulation agreement with area institutions of higher education: University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico State University, University of Phoenix, Park College. Through these agreements students are assured that the maximum number of college courses are accepted in transfer.
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Secondary Articulation/Tech-Prep
The College is an active partner with area school districts in articulating high school credit. This is especially true with the occupational programs, where students can receive college credit for high school vocational courses in over 20 fields. Additionally, some programs, like the Licensed Vocational Nurse, partner with Districts in providing both high school and EPCC courses during the junior and senior years, which allows students to enter EPCC in advanced standing and complete the program sooner.
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Administrative |
GOAL: Enhance employee performance by providing a comprehensive training and professional development program for administrative, professional and classified personnel.
Institute for Employee Excellence
The purpose of this Institute is to provide training for new employees to improve personal and professional performance. For administrators the Institute will focus on improving leadership, decision-making, organizational skills and other relevant management performance characteristics. The Institute will also provide training for seasoned employees in need areas identified by supervisors and employees. This continuous training should result in a heightened level of performance leading to the following outcomes: strong communication, improved financial management, a decrease in grievances, better morale, peak operation of programs and departments and numerous other enhancements.
Current Status: Preliminary planning is underway in the Staff Development Office to create the Institute.
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