Speech Communications
2022-2023 Program Review
1
Unit Profile
1.1
Briefly describe the program-level planning unit. What is the unit's purpose and function?
Our purpose and function are to provide transfer-level instruction in communication for students seeking certificates and degrees as well as personal growth and enrichment.
1.2
How does the unit contribute to achievement of the mission of American River College?
Our department places students first in providing an academically rich, inclusive environment that inspires critical thinking, learning and achievement, and responsible participation in the community. We are committed to offering education and support for students to strengthen basic skills, earn associate degrees and certificates, transfer to other colleges and universities, and achieve a career as well as other academic 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.
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?
Overall, yes our action plans have resulted in the intended effect of maintaining our student success rates. Our success rates have been stable despite the declining overall student success rate at the college. Over the years of review, we have made objectives and action steps that include the following:
- Promote a culture of innovation. We have achieved a culture of innovation. Our evidence is that we new innovative curriculum (New Course 362) and use new technology in the classroom. Utilize innovative, high-quality instructional methods and technologies
- Engage students early and often.
- Utilize innovative, high-quality instructional methods and technologies
- Teach culturally relevant curriculum
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
Disproportionate Impact
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
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.
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.
We found that we are still experiencing equity gaps with our African-American student populations.
Some of our data is restrictive as we have changed our designator from SPEECH to COMM and it is difficult to see the changes in success rates on one page.
We are interested in looking at how the different modalities (fully online, partially online, synchronous zoom, on-ground) may impact our data beyond the pandemic.
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?
Although we have worked to increase success rates of our African-American students we have not been able to move the needle. Recognizing that we still have some work to do in raising the success rates of our African-American student population helps us to redouble our efforts to do better. We have an Umojia dedicated professor in our department and moving forward our department will have discussions based specifically.
Professor Paez has experienced high success rates in the COMM 301 Umoja sponsored course. He will be sharing the various methodologies/techniques that have contributed those success rates with the department to help increase African American/Black American student success rates across the unit. An added goal will be to use this data as a springboard for additional offerings to other student sponsored programs from underserved, disproportionately impacted student populations, such as Puente, PRIDE, PRISE, and Umojia learning communities.
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 communication department sees the importance of students learning how to use their voices in academics and in their community. Additionally, we see the importance of students taking communication courses early in their college career as they benefit from the skills they learn in communication courses as a foundation for their academic knowledge for college success. Our department envisions continuing to offer a vital and applicable degree. We intend to continue to provide and promote oral communication as a viable and important study for students as they progress in their general education academic career. This supports ARC mission by promoting students' achievement of their career, academic, and personal goals, inspiring critical thinking, and responsible participation in the community.
We envision closing equity gaps for African American, Latino/a/x, Native American, and Filipino, Pacific Islander students in all of our courses.
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?
Our objectives are:
- Increase collaboration between COMM departments (All Los Rios colleges) on curriculum development, teaching & learning practices, and class scheduling.
- Use culturally relevant assignments through all course offerings.
- Increase collaboration and alignment of practices among all Communication faculty (including part-time).
- Connection to student resources: HomeBase, UNITE center, and other relevant campus resources.
- Increase use of Zero-cost textbooks.
- Increase number and variety of class offerings to programs that represent DI student populations and learning communities.
We intend to:
- Use department level/and cross-college meetings and other professional development opportunities to increase collaborative work.
- Work with administration to increase class offerings.
Our success will be measured by student course evaluation, feedback, faculty professional development, and data collection provided by the college.
4.2
How will the unit's intended enhancements support ARC's commitment to social justice and equity?
Our department is dedicated to foster classrooms that are safe, inclusive, and equitable for all students. Some of the ways in which we plan to do are the following:
- Collaboration and connection to other COMM departments to discuss equity in offerings and modalities in an effort to help employees deepen their commitment to equity and inclusion.
- Promoting services and programs on campus: DSPS, WAC/RAD, Library, and UNITE Center will help create an inclusive and safe campus environment for all.
- Increasing Zero-cost textbooks will provide accessibility for all.
- Sharing Canvas shells to strengthen inclusive and culturally rich assignments will help challenge power, privilege, and oppression.
- Increase class offerings to programs that represent DI student populations and learning communities.