Skip to Content

Counseling
2019-2020 Program Review


1 ) Unit Profile


1.1 ) Briefly describe the program-level planning unit. What is the unit's purpose and function?

ARC Counseling provides students with personal and academic counseling to help students achieve their academic and career goals. The counseling faculty and support staff of the counseling center are dedicated to providing quality services to all students including new, continuing, returning and potential students. We provide: Academic Counseling Career Counseling Personal/Crisis Counseling Instruction: Human Career Development Courses The Counseling Department is committed to meeting the multifaceted needs of students in an environment that recognizes the diversity of our student body and values the worth and dignity of each student. We work collaboratively with instructional faculty, administrator, and college staff to ensure a seamless delivery of services that cultivate and encourage student success.

1.2 ) How does the unit contribute to achievement of the mission of American River College?

American River College, serving the greater Sacramento region, offers education and support for students to strengthen basic skills, earn associate degrees and certificates, transfer to other colleges and universities, and achieve career as well as other academic and personal goals. The counselors are integral in this mission in guiding and supporting students through their educational journey. ARC Counselors are committed to supporting the emotional, social and intellectual development of all students. The Counseling Center provides a wide range of counseling services that support students in resolving personal challenges and acquire the skills, attitudes and abilities that will enable them to successfully reach their education and personal goals.

2 ) Assessment and Analysis


The program review process asks units to reflect on the progress they've made towards achieving the goals they identified in each of the Annual Unit Plans they submitted since their last Program Review. Follow this link to access your previous EMP submissions. For Faculty support, please contact Veronica Lopez at lopezv@arc.losrios.edu. For Administration support, please contact Jennifer Laflam at LaflamJ@arc.losrios.edu.

2.1 ) Consider the progress that has been made towards the unit's objectives over the last six years. Based on how the unit intended to measure progress towards achieving these objectives, did the unit's prior planned action steps (last six years of annual unit plans) result in the intended effect or the goal(s) being achieved?

Academic Counseling stated goals/recommendations in our last program review: 1. Special Programs undergo their own independent program review: Results: Special Programs undergo their own sperate program review. 2. Each program needs to develop a systematic method by which to collect appropriate data on students serviced by the program as well as data on how effective the program is in regard to student success: Results: Create committee to collaborate with Counseling Administration, research and the department to develop research methods. 3. Explore alternative ways to assess student satisfaction with Counseling services. The department should evaluate the Counseling Services Student Survey and determine whether of not is should be used in the future, review questions and develop new ones: Results: The demographic data does look pretty representative and the counseling specific questions of Q12 are well worded, to make them clear and easily interpretable, while as the same time to minimize both bias and the possibility of steering students to the more desirable response. The survey results are representative of the students that availed themselves of Counseling and to not in any way suggest that the results reflect the counseling needs of ARC’s students (the entire student body). 4. Training - Increase counselor knowledge of campus based programs and services: Results: We have a designated Counselor trainer. Training is incorporated into our weekly meetings for full time faculty and monthly for adjunct faculty. Counselors are also encouraged to attend campus/district training opportunities. 5. Online Delivery Systems: Evaluate and determine what services can be offered online, what forms can be easily accessed online: Results: 2020-21 All counselors are capable of providing distance counseling appointments to students via phone or video appointments. Some fillable forms have been created for online use. Email counseling is also available to students with questions. 5. Increase Counselors participation on committees, grant, and projects: (self reported data) Results: Counselors are involved in many committees, grants and projects, but there is still a need to increase participation. Summer 2018 = 1.666 FTE Fall 2018 = 2.667 FTE Spring 2019 = 2.167 FTE Summer 2019 = 1.633 FTE Fall 2019 = 2.934 FTE Spring 2020 = 2.433 FTE Summer 2020 = 0.867 FTE Fall 2020 = 2.800 FTE 6. Increase number of spaces for Counseling Faculty: No additional space has been created in the General Counseling Center. Results: No additional space has been created in the General Counseling Center. Career Counseling/Instruction stated goals (HCD) in our last program review: The HCD committee recommended an ongoing evaluation process for HCD: Results: The dean started evaluating HCD instructors in 2019-20. Increase FTE in Counselor participation of HCD courses. Results: There has been a slight decrease in FTE over time. Summer 2018 = 1.666 FTE Fall 2018 = 2.667 FTE Spring 2019 = 2.167 FTE Summer 2019 = 1.633 FTE Fall 2019 = 2.934 FTE Spring 2020 = 2.433 FTE Summer 2020 = 0.867 FTE Fall 2020 = 2.800 FTE Update Curriculum: Results: HCD is up to date on these HCD courses: 111, 114, 115, 122, 160, 310, 318, 330, 336 and 382. We are up for review on HCD 331, 337 and 364, (See attached for clarification on status on all courses). Personal Crisis Counseling stated goals in our last program review: Results: The Counseling department has undergone training - Trauma Informed provided by Dr. Tiffany Mimms, NaBita case management training, and in house Crisis training. In review of our last program review there is clearly space for Counseling to collect data to measure our progress of goals.

The standard data set is intended to provide data that may be useful in promoting equity and informing departmental dialogue, planning, decision making, and resource allocation.

Recent updates include (1) better integration with ARC’s Data on Demand system to provide users with more sophisticated and nuanced ways of exploring their unit’s data and (2) greater emphasis and access to disproportionate impact data (how student achievement outcomes vary by gender, race/ethnicity, veteran, foster youth, disability, and income/poverty level status) to enable users to engage in more advanced student-centered and equity-centered analysis, reflection, and planning.

To access the Enrollment or Disproportionate Impact data reports, you may be prompted to log in to ARC’s Data on Demand system. If so, click on “Log in with ARC Portal” and enter your Los Rios single sign-on credentials (same as Canvas or Intranet).

(To streamline the standard data set, the productivity data element has been removed, as has the green-yellow-red light icon system for all data elements except for department set standards.)

The two data sets show 5 years of fall or spring duplicated enrollment, disaggregated by gender and ethnicity. Note that ARC's data-on-demand tool will soon provide considerably more sophisticated ways of viewing and analyzing your planning unit's headcount and enrollment trends.

Green
current fall/spring semester enrollment is equal to or exceeds the prior year's fall/spring enrollment.
Yellow
current fall/spring semester enrollment reflects a decline of less than 10% from the prior year's fall/spring enrollment.
Red
current fall/spring semester enrollment reflects a decline of 10% or more from the prior year's fall/spring enrollment.

The two data sets show 5 years of fall or spring productivity (WSCH per FTEF: the enrollment activity for which we receive funding divided by the cost of instruction). Note that ARC's data-on-demand tool will soon provide considerably more sophisticated ways of viewing and analyzing your planning unit's productivity trends.

Green
current fall/spring semester productivity is equal to or exceeds the prior year's fall/spring productivity.
Yellow
current fall/spring semester productivity reflects a decline of less than 10% from the prior year's fall/spring productivity.
Red
current fall/spring semester productivity reflects a decline of 10% or more from the prior year's fall/spring productivity.

Precision Campus Report Links

The disproportionate impact (DI) links now direct you to your unit’s DI data in ARC Data on Demand. The DI data will show which student groups are experiencing disproportionate impact for course success rates (A, B, C, Cr, P), A-B rates, and course completion rates (students who did not withdraw) at the course level.

In addition, a new report on intersectional DI (e.g., ethnicity/race by gender) is available for assessing intersectional Di for course success rates. The intersection DI report defaults to the subject code level (e.g., all ENGWR courses). Use the org tree in the side bar to filter to individual courses (click on the right arrow next to American River College, right arrow next to your division, right arrow next to your department/discipline, then select the specific course to view).

If prompted to log in, click on “Log in with ARC Portal” and enter your Los Rios single-sign on credentials (same as Canvas or Intranet).

Department Set Standards

Data is not yet available

Shows course success rates (# of A, B, C, Cr, and P grades expressed as a % of total grade notations) compared to lower and upper thresholds. Thresholds are derived using a 95% confidence interval (click the report link for details). The lower threshold is referred to as the Department Set Standard. The upper threshold is referred to as the Stretch Goal.

Green
Most recent academic year exceeds the upper threshold
Yellow
Most recent academic year falls between the lower and upper threshold
Red
Most recent academic year falls below the lower threshold

The faculty's continuous review of student achievement of course SLOs is documented using the Authentic Assessment Review Record (AARR), which involves a review of student work demonstrating achievement of the course SLO. Faculty record student achievement for a randomly assigned course SLO based on one or more authentic assessments that they regularly perform in their classes. The aggregated results are then reviewed annually as part of Annual Unit Planning, in which the results may serve as the basis for actions and, if applicable, resource allocation, and are aligned with college goals and objectives.

The AARR summary link provides an aggregate of the results of the most recent AARR implementation. The AARR results by SLO link provides a more detailed view, including the specific ratings assigned by faculty to each randomly assigned course SLO, and what, if any, actions were taken.

Note: Established thresholds (i.e., green/yellow/red indicators) have yet to be developed for SLO data.

Email Standard Data Set link

In addition to reflecting on the metrics shown above, it may prove useful to analyze other program-level data to assess the effectiveness of your unit. For instructional units, ARC's Data on Demand system can be used to provide program and course level information regarding equitable outcomes, such as program access or enrollment, successful course completion, and degree or certificate achievement (up to 30+ demographic or course filters are available).

You might also consider pursuing other lines of inquiry appropriate to your unit type (instructional, student support, institutional/administrative support). Refer to the Program Review Inquiry Guide under the resources tab for specific lines of inquiry.

2.2 ) What were the findings? Please identify program strengths, opportunities, challenges, equity gaps, influencing factors (e.g., program environment), data limitations, areas for further research, and/or other items of interest.

Program Strengths: 1. The counseling department is committed to evaluating and improving our programs and services based on campus and district wide established procedures. 2. Counselors stay informed on statewide educational initiatives, on campus programs and services, transfer programs and services, resources, and career opportunities available to students. 3. Counselors consistently seek training and gain skills in a variety of different areas such as crisis intervention, diversity, financial aid, technology etc so that we can provide the best possible service to our students. 4. Counselors welcome and continue to seek opportunities to partner with instructional faculty and administration to help identify ways to increase student success. Opportunities: Counseling has undergone many changes with implantation of Achieve and Homebases in the last three years in response to ARC’s redesign and a national COVID-19 pandemic. Counselors welcome opportunities to partner with instructional faculty and administration to help increase student success. Challenges: Data Collection, and Technology to support the Counselling Department's efficiency Equity Gaps: Opportunities to explore equity gaps and alternative ways to assess student satisfaction with counseling services Influencing Factors: Data Limitations Use SARS data for # of students served. Use satisfaction data from in house survey. When students prefer appointments # of Email Counseling contacts each year from 11-12 - 19-20 (Fiscal year Email reason code) 2011/2012 – 11 2012/2013- 244 2013/2014- 271 2014/2015- 1354 2015/2016-1866 2016/2017-1767 2017/2018-1354 2018/2019- 2131 2019/2020- 3817 # of Distance appointments in 11-12 - 19-20 (Fiscal year Distance reason code) 2011/2012 – 0 2012/2013- 0 2013/2014- 0 2014/2015- 0 2015/2016- 0 2016/2017- 0 2017/2018- 4 2018/2019- 134 2019/2020- 190 # of students served from drop in/ same day / appointments in 11-12 through 19-20 (Fiscal year / Drop in and SameDay codes) Drop-in 2011/2012 – 0 2012/2013- 0 2013/2014- 0 2014/2015- 2 2015/2016- 7 2016/2017- 15 2017/2018- 19 2018/2019- 6 2019/2020- 234 Appointments 2011/2012 – 5970 2012/2013- 6219 2013/2014- 5752 2014/2015- 5859 2015/2016- 6293 2016/2017- 5134 2017/2018- 5110 2018/2019- 5142 2019/2020- 8051 SameDay 2011/2012 – 0 2012/2013- 0 2013/2014- 0 2014/2015- 0 2015/2016- 0 2016/2017- 3847 2017/2018- 8273 2018/2019- 7553 2019/2020- 4156 # of additional contacts (define) 11-12 through 19-20 (Fiscal year AdContact reason code) 2011/2012 – 16016 2012/2013- 12750 2013/2014- 4960 2014/2015- 6716 2015/2016- 6929 2016/2017- 5287 2017/2018- 5158 2018/2019- 5871 2019/2020- 4832 General Counseling Survey Results: Disclaimer: The responses reflect the opinions and perceptions of only those that availed themselves of counseling services. Mostly female students complete the survey (79% female) Most student prefer scheduled appointments (85%) Most students would like to see a counselor to explore career, plan required courses and graduate. Most students felt the counselor was helpful, listened and provided clear explanations. Most students would prefer to see the same Counselor each time they have an appointment. In general many student thought the wait time for a drop in appointment was too long. Student would like an easier way (online) to book appointments. COMPLETE SURVEY RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE. *There is a gap in what the department would what to collect data on and Quantify and what we have been quantifying.

3 ) Reflection and Dialog


3.1 ) Discuss how the findings relate to the unit's effectiveness. What did your unit learn from the analysis and how might the relevant findings inform future action?

From SARS and Survey Data we are seeing an extreme increase in online contacts, we are definitely in a time to increase and improve our website to provide clear, relevant and accurate information and our availability to meet with students virtually. General Counseling Survey Results: Disclaimer: The responses reflect the opinions and perceptions of only those that availed themselves of counseling services. Mostly female students complete the survey (79% female) Most student prefer scheduled appointments (85%) Most students would like to see a counselor to explore career, plan required courses and graduate. Most students felt the counselor was helpful, listened and provided clear explanations. Most students would prefer to see the same Counselor each time they have an appointment. In general many student thought the wait time for a drop in appointment was too long. Student would like an easier way (online) to book appointments. COMPLETE SURVEY RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE. *There is a gap in what the department would what to collect data on and Quantify and what we have been quantifying.

3.2 ) What is the unit's ideal future and why is it desirable to ARC? How will the unit's aspirations support accomplishment of the mission, improve institutional effectiveness, and/or increase academic quality?

The Counseling Unit has identified several areas of focus for the future: Implementation of Case Management - Equity and inclusion in a remote environment – how can we serve better serve students with greatest needs in our case management system? Utilize technology to assist early intervention e.g. starfish. Data Informed Approach: Analyze center data e.g. peak week data – use data to inform service delivery. Promotion of equitable support services (easy to navigate web site, include photos or more visual) Update website, user friendly – easy to book appointments with clear instructions and students receive a confirmation email tp their email of choice.

4 ) Strategic Enhancement


4.1 ) Identify/define one or more program-level objectives which enhance the unit's effectiveness. What does your unit intend to do to work towards its ideal future? How will success be measured?

What does your unit intend to work towards the ideal future, how will success be measured? Figuring out a way to measure outcomes based on effective counseling models Training based on outcomes and need Using data to better plan department general function and implement new services.

4.2 ) How will the unit's intended enhancements support ARC's commitment to social justice and equity?

How will the intended enhancements support ARC’s commitment to social justice and equity? With better planning of service delivery Counselors will be more available for students most in need. Case Management – targeted early interventions with students Invest resources in different ways – look at data – who do we see, when, how many units? Identify how can we spend our time most efficiently to serve the students most in need? Are we serving students who already successfully navigating this system.