Standard IIC: Student Learning Programs and Services

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Library and other learning support services for students are sufficient to support the institution's instructional programs and intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural activities in whatever format and wherever they are offered. Such services include library services and collections, tutoring, learning centers, computer laboratories, and learning technology development and training. The institution provides access and training to students so that library and other learning support services may be used effectively and efficiently. The institution systematically assesses these services using student learning outcomes, faculty input, and other appropriate measures in order to improve the effectiveness of the services.

STANDARD IIC: Student Learning Programs and Services

1. The institution supports the quality of its instructional programs by providing library and other learning support services that are sufficient in quantity, currency, depth, and variety to facilitate educational offerings, regardless of location or means of delivery.

Relying on appropriate expertise of faculty, including librarians and other learning support services professionals, the institution selects and maintains educational equipment and materials to support student learning and enhance the achievement of the mission of the institution.

DESCRIPTION:

Gavilan College has a main library on the Gilroy campus, limited library services provided at the Morgan Hill and Hollister off-sites, and online access to library services and databases available to all students. The main library building includes a Writing Center, Tutoring Services, computer lab, small group study rooms, and a Teaching and Learning Center for faculty and staff. The main campus also has a Student Success Center with small group study rooms, a small computer lab, and student services, business computer labs, math lab, and English as a Second Language (ESL) computer lab. The Morgan Hill and Hollister off-sites both include student computer labs.

The library provides print and electronic resources sufficient in depth, quantity, variety and currency to facilitate educational offerings and support student learning. The collection has been enhanced by acquisition of 27,000+ online e-books, along with the 60,000+ titles in our print collection. The library website provides "anytime, anywhere" access to over 2,500 title newspaper and periodical collections, through various full-text subscription databases (2C.1). The library houses a reserve collection for classes of selected textbooks and course materials for student use.

Mindful of students with disabilities, the library website and library instructional modules are in compliance with Section 508 of the United States Rehabilitation Act. Students in wheelchairs are accommodated with appropriate furniture within student study spaces. Ten percent of the computers in the library are equipped with screen reading programs (JAWS and ZoomText) designed for the visually impaired.

Printed books, e-books, close-captioned DVDs, and videos can be checked out or accessed through the library's website. There are 18 instructional workstations and seven express workstations for students to access the library catalog, databases, and web resources. The library also provides 11 digital tape recorders, 32 wireless laptops for short-term student use and 10 laptops for faculty semester checkout.

Library services are reaching a large number of students. For example, library computer tracking data reveals a steady increase in both the number of students and the numbers of sessions for the past academic years (2C.33). These increases can also been seen in the number of students who have access the library laptop loan program.

In order to ensure library materials are relevant and current, the collection is reviewed, enhanced and culled on a weekly basis by a dedicated part-time librarian in conjunction with full-time library staff. Systemic collection analyses include the use of circulation, reference and student assignment records to identify strengths and weaknesses. The collection is evaluated in terms of quantity, quality, depth and variety through:

Formal assessment techniques developed at George Mason University and other institutions.
Professional library tools such as Choice Magazine, published resources lists, and discipline-based bibliographies.

The diverse professional backgrounds of the library faculty are an asset in the continued assessment of the collections. Participation in the library consortium and professional conferences such as the Internet Librarian further enhances knowledge of useful resources. Together, these efforts help the College maintain a high standard of quantity, quality, and depth.

The library faculty participates in meetings of the department chairs, curriculum, and technology committees to get input on the adequacy of the instructional resources provided. Participation in the Curriculum Committee, in particular, provides information about current and proposed classes that lead to decisions regarding changes in the collection. In addition to this faculty/academic connection, the librarians communicate with other faculty about student needs and changes in academic direction in their classes. These discussions facilitate the development of effective library orientations and reference services that enhance student achievement of identified learning outcomes at the course, program and institutional levels.

Evidence of the library program's impact on student achievement is supported by student and faculty survey results and usage statistics that can be found on the library's website (2C.2). In addition, information competency modules have been integrated into various key courses, specifically "Introduction to Online Gavilan", "Library Research – Research Basics", "Library Research – Develop a Topic", and "Library Research – Avoiding Plagiarism." Student information competency skills are assessed using formal assessment tools.

Another measure of the library program's impact on student achievement is students' use of high-quality information resources. The trend across all the database collections is either steady or increased use from year to year. For example, the library's database usage shows substantial increases: there was a 40 percent increase in total EbscoHost database searches from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012.

In addition to standard services offered through the library, information competency modules have been integrated into various key courses, specifically "Introduction to Online Gavilan", "Library Research – Research Basics", "Library Research – Develop a Topic", and "Library Research – Avoiding Plagiarism." Assessed information competency modules have been integrated into Allied Health 3 and Allied Health 11. The full-time instructors in psychology include information competency modules in Psychology 1A and 1B, and use of the modules in Child Development 2 and 3 is widespread. Information competency modules have also been used in Political Science 1 and English 440, 250, and 1A.

A cornerstone of the library's instructional program is its course and assignment-specific orientations. During the 2011-2012 academic year, the instructional support orientations reached 83 classes with 1,971 students.

An additional support service offered at Gavilan College is the Student Success Center (SSC) that opened in fall 2011. The SSC is a space that encourages community by giving students an area to socialize, study and relax. There is access to technology, use of a "smart room" and small, quiet study rooms, and a schedule of workshop offerings, supplemental instruction tutoring sessions, book loans, and some instructor office hours. The SSC houses ten computers, four iPads, printers, and scanners and both standard and specialized software. Assistive hardware and software are also provided. Successful collaboration with EOPS, TRIO, Counseling, and Basic Skills programs has provided personal and study skills workshops and general and "early alert" counseling. Nineteen workshops that were offered in Spring 2012 addressed student needs and ranged from Math Anxiety, Money Management to Writing Your Personal Statement for Scholarships (2C.3). The Student Success Committee meets bimonthly to assess SSC activities and plan for its growth; in addition, student logs and surveys conducted by the SSC provide critical information about needs for materials and services (2C.8). Evaluation of student satisfaction and needs is assessed annually as part of reporting procedure for the Title V grant.

Tutoring Center services are designed to increase student success in college courses and in the development of their learning skills. Students work with trained tutors who engage them in the examination of concepts and processes, discussion of ideas and theories, hands-on practice, and summarization of findings. In this collaborative learning environment, students develop their confidence and independence as learners, and learn to take responsibility for their learning. The Tutoring Center Website (2C.4) lists roles and responsibilities for both the tutor and tutee with detailed descriptions of a typical tutoring session and a Frequently Asked Questions section. There are also detailed instructions on how to log in and make an appointment and a complete listing of the semester courses for which tutoring is available. Physically, the Tutoring Center is located in a large, open room shared by the Disability Resource Center (DRC) containing tables, chairs, and white boards and Smartboards for online tutoring.

The Tutoring Center is located on the main campus and is open 5 hours daily, Monday through Thursday, with some evening and drop-in tutoring hours. Both the number of tutors and of full-time staff support have recently been reduced due to budget constraints, making it difficult to provide adequate tutoring hours to support instructional programs. The Tutoring Center Coordinator has additional responsibilities, including overseeing the Computer Place. Tutors are available at the Morgan Hill and Hollister off-sites on a limited basis with 3 weekly hours (3:00 PM to 6:00 PM) available at both locations, during which they provide one-on-one or small group tutoring in the various instructional areas. An online tutoring component is under development to increase the availability of services in Hollister and Morgan Hill and in the evenings (2C.10).

A survey was administered to students during spring 2010 to learn more about the impact and level of student satisfaction with Tutoring Center services. A total of 114 students responded. Student feedback was favorable in all areas, with ratings from 61.4 – 70.8 percent in helpfulness, overall rating of the center, satisfaction and meeting students educational needs. Students also provide feedback on what additional services are needed. This feedback is used by program administrators for program planning (2C.5).

The Writing Center is a multipurpose space, staffed by the English Department for drop-in writing tutoring and computer use, classes in practical writing, basic writing, instructional labs, noncredit writers' workshops, and writing club meetings. The physical configuration of the space includes a Timekeeper computer, reception desk, tables, chairs and whiteboards, and a pod for computers. In an adjacent room is the Coordinator's office that is shared with Writing Assistants (tutors) and other English instructors. Tutors support English labs in the Computer Place and off-campus, and supplemental instruction tutors assist in basic skills classrooms. Equipment consists of chairs, tables, white boards, dictionaries, writer's manuals, and 17 computers. The Writing Center is located next door to the Disability Resource Center to accommodate students with disabilities.

Writing Center programs have grown, particularly with the addition of supplemental instruction in the classroom. The number of student tutors has increased from 12-15 to 25-30 over the last five years, even through budget reductions have reduced evening hours of operation. New models to improve student success are being developed through Title V and Basic Skills funding. The updating of the Writing Center for fall 2012 addressed enhanced student needs for technology and multi-purpose workspaces. The Writing Center is part of the regular SLO cycle and regularly gathers qualitative data via student surveys and TimeKeeper data. One-on-one feedback from faculty is also solicited, particularly through a pilot Supplemental Instruction program, which is being developed with faculty input and support.

Computer labs facilitate a goal articulated in Gavilan College's Visionary Educational Values and Goals: To lead in the application of appropriate educational technology. Computer labs also assist college programs with enhancing student achievement of identified learning outcomes (2C.6).

With funds from the 2004 Measure E Facilities Bond, Gavilan College upgraded a number of the computer labs on campus (2C.11). General computer labs, both on the Gavilan College main campus and at the off-site campuses, are not program-specific and are open to all Gavilan College students. The Library Computer Place is located in the library and is the primary lab for all students on the main campus. The 50 workstations have general software programs and discipline-specific support software. A computer classroom in the library, LI 171, can also function as an open lab if needed. All computers in the lab are to be used for instructional and academic purposes.

Computer Labs at the off-site locations in Hollister and Morgan Hill function mainly as computer classrooms with some drop-in times available. The Hollister off-campus site also has two drop-in labs available at the site, with 5 computers in one, and 7 in the Library Research lab. The Morgan Hill off-site location has two available labs used for classroom purposes with each equipped with 24 stations. MIS maintains the computers, which are upgraded as per the Technology Master Plan (2C.12).

There are seven sizeable computer labs serving specific instructional programs:

The Disability Resource Center High Tech Center (HTC)
The Math Lab
The Business Skills Lab
The English as a Second Language (ESL) Lab
The Adult Education Lab (off campus)
The Health Occupations Lab
The Digital Media Lab

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) High Tech Center (HTC), classified as a smart classroom, provides students with verified disabilities access to computers and computer training through state-of-the-art assistive computer technology (2C.15). The up-to-date educational software and equipment is designed to assist students with a variety of disabilities. The HTC is used for class instruction and individualized computer training, focusing on programs designed specifically for students with disabilities. The HTC also provides an open lab course (CSIS 571), where students can use specialized software to complete their mainstream coursework or to improve their basic computer or academic skills.

The HTC lab contains 15 student stations, one teacher station (that can be used as a student station if necessary), and two staff stations. One additional computer is dedicated for the Go Print program, which allows students to print out instructional materials and assignments. An 11x17 printer is also available for students who need an alternate format such as large print. Each student computer station has a computer desk that is both wheelchair accessible and has an adjustable keyboard tray for personal preference. The state-of-the-art HTC software programs and furniture are adequate to serve student needs at the main campus.

The Math Lab has 17 student computers with a variety of software pertaining to mathematics, including Minitab, Scientific Notebook and Geometer's sketchpad. Other Internet and on-line tutorials are also available for student use.

The Business Skills Center Lab, located in the Business Building, consists of two linked labs. Thirty-four computers are located in the drop-in section, and 24 computers are located in the section designated for lecture. Updated two years ago through funding from Measure E, the lecture lab is also a "smart classroom." Thirty-four computers are located in an adjoining room, and are available for drop-in use. Three additional computers are designated for staff and teaching faculty.

The English As Second Language (ESL) Lab, located in the Business Building, is also a smart classroom. The lab contains 32 computer stations equipped with specific software for learning English as a second language. The lab also contains two staff computers, one computer for Go Print and one computer to log onto Timekeeper. One individual computer station is available for students with disabilities. ESL classes are taught in the lab. Students also work individually in open lab to complete class assignments. Software is specific to ESL classes. Material covered, and therefore software used, varies, depending on the level of the students' English proficiency and the level of class instruction.

The Adult Education Computer Lab is located on the campus of South Valley Junior High School, which is part of the Gilroy Unified School District. The site has a 36-station computer lab that is jointly shared between the GUSD Adult Education Program and the Gavilan College Noncredit Program. The computer lab is used as a supplemental tool that supports direct instruction. A significant number of noncredit classes are held at the lab. Computers at the site have Microsoft Office, Internet, Rosetta Stone, Skills Tutor, iLearn and specific software for English Language Learners and Adult Basic Education students.

The Health Occupations Building also has a computer lab specifically for the nursing students that houses 32 new computers provided by Title V with specific health related software. The lab is a smart classroom, and functions both as a classroom for RN and LVN students as well as a drop-in lab where students can do class-related assignments. All testing for RN and LVN classes is done on-line.

The Digital Media Lab has state-of-the art Macintosh equipment for creating and editing print, web, video, and sound projects. There are 26 professional workstations, a large format photographic printer, keyboards, large format displays, and current professional software such as Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro X, Logic, and Adobe Creative Master Suite, a large format photographic printer; music (MIDI) keyboards; a High Definition projector with a Dolby 5.1 sound system; three high definition video cameras, a Sony DSLR camera, tripods, lighting equipment, and a collection of microphones for student use.

There are also smaller labs on campus that provide the use of computers and equipment for students enrolled in specific student services and instructional programs:

The DRC Learning Skills Lab
EOPS/CalWORKS
TRIO
MESA
TV Studio and editing suite

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) Learning Skills Lab conducts the class Guidance 558, a credit/no-credit course designed to assist students who are eligible to receive learning disability services and who are having difficulty learning in regular classroom settings. The lab is staffed by two full-time instructional specialists. DRC's two Learning Disabilities Specialists also provide instructional support in the lab. The lab provides supplemental instruction, academic support, and learning strategy suggestions that are appropriate to individual perceptual and academic needs. Students work with instructors, instructional assistants, and/or tutors for one-to-one instruction, study in small groups, and work independently under the instructors' and instructional assistants' supervision. Seven student computers are located in the DRC lab. The text-to-speech Kurzweil program is available on all computers in the lab. A Kurzweil scanner is provided on one of the computers. ZoomText and Read and Write Gold are also available on all seven computers. One computer has Dragon Naturally Speaking. The lab also contains one computer for Timekeeper, one computer for Go Print, and two staff computers.

The EOPS/CalWORKS Lab is available for the programs' students who do not have access to computers at home. The lab is also an option for students who enjoy using computers to complete their school work in a smaller setting, or who need to use computers during instructional breaks. The lab consists of three computers and a Go Print system. The computers contain the following software: Adobe Reader, ZoomText, Magic 11.0 Read and Write 9, Kurzweil 3000, Eureka, Mozilla Firefox, Gavilan Spanish programs, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer and JAWS 10.

The TRIO Lounge, located inside the TRIO office on the main campus, contains three computers that are used as a resource for TRIO students, to print out papers, check e-mail or surf the web for academic purposes. TRIO provides access to three laptops to use throughout the day so that students will have access to technology that they may not have at home.

The MESA program received a grant from the California Community College Chancellor's Office (2C.16) to purchase laptops for students who work on the Service Learning project. Students are obligated to tutor/work with students from various programs who need help with coursework. The MESA students are required to work 12 hours per week with other students.

The Gavilan College television studio and editing suite is fully equipped and designed to support television instruction, taping and editing of original programs, and public access television production. The studio facility consists of a green room, a control room, video cameras, green screen capability, audio and editing equipment. It is used as instructional space for media arts, television, film, and theatre arts students in addition to hosting special events. The Gavilan Television Studio/Editing Suite provides for pre-production, production, and post-production. The television studio has expanded to include state-of-the-art High Definition field equipment and industry standard software for hands-on, project-based learning experiences.

In Spring 2012, student focus groups were conducted to gain feedback on students' experiences with technology at Gavilan College (2C.7). Some of the findings illustrated the need for improvement. For example, one group of students suggested that the computer labs needed to be open more often. Several students reported that the computer and ESL lab staff may need additional training so they can assist students when they had a problem. Several students commented that instructors had problems or issues with the classroom technology Another suggestion was that supplemental math software be available online, not just in the Math lab.

For the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites, students complained that the Hollister computer lab is extremely slow and that both the computers and programs needed to be updated. Several Morgan Hill students reported that the lab space and time it was open was inadequate. Focus group participants provided important insight into how students use technology, and how technology can be improved to help students be more successful (2C.7, 2C.13). The District Technology Committee will use survey results to inform its 2012-2013 annual review and update of the Technology Master Plan.

Although there have been additional computer labs added in the last several years and additional hours of computer use for evening, weekend, and off-site locations, there are still unmet needs, making it difficult for evening and weekend students to receive the same level of instructional support.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College does not meet Standard II (C) (1) (a) due to unequal access at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites and in the evenings. Budget and staffing plans are needed for each of the student learning support services in order to ensure equal access in all locations. A student focus group indicated a perception that some faculty could use more technology training.

PLAN:

Develop college-wide budget and staffing plans for each of the student learning support services with a particular emphasis on the increase of services to offsite and evening students.

b. The institution provides ongoing instruction for users of library and other learning support services so that students are able to develop skills in information competency.

DESCRIPTION:

The college has developed and offered a series of courses that develop students' skills in information competency. Library instruction is taught in courses such as LIB3/CSIS3 Research Skills (delivered online), LIB 140/ AH140, Online Heath Research (delivered online) and LIB6/CSIS6/DM6 Web Page Authoring I (also delivered online). The Library also provides instruction/reference assistance through face-to-face, chat, email, and phone modalities. Working with faculty, the library provides class orientations and online tutorials. The library also works in partnership with discipline faculty using non-credit courses LIB736 Library Research: Develop a Topic, LIB737 Library Research: Avoid Plagiarism, LIB740 Information Competency for Nursing Assistants, LIB741 Information Competency for the Life Cycle and LIB742 Information Competency for Nutrition to scaffold information competency skills for classes with research components. These courses are used to integrate information competency skills at various levels across the curriculum.

The library provides face-to-face reference service for four hours each week at both Hollister and Morgan Hill sites. Online "chat reference" is also available during library hours when staff is present at the reference desk, and e-mail reference services are provided asynchronously. The library also provides face-to-face library orientations at the off-sites upon request. This, combined with the online instruction in information competency, meets many of the needs of students taking classes off the main campus.

The library assesses its effectiveness on teaching these competencies through surveys, usage statistics and oral discussion. The latest survey (2C.9) documented that 92 percent of the students agreed or strongly agreed that they were getting the information they needed to be successful in finding, evaluation and citing reference material. Ninety-three percent of the students felt they had a better understanding on how to find information after they attended a library seminar. Ninety-four percent of the students surveyed felt that the library seminars were important or very important to student classroom success. Over 90 percent of the surveyed students felt the overall reference service provided was good or excellent.

Information received from seminars, faculty discussions, surveys and face-to-face discussions is used as input into the library's work to stay current with technology trends and providing exemplary service to students. For example, staff observations along with student comments provided evidence of the obstacle that the old student workstations presented to student learning. The library used collaborative Title V grant funds to purchase 24 new computers to provide an improved collaborative learning environment. In Spring 2012, student focus groups were conducted in an effort to learn more about students' views on technology at Gavilan College (2C.7.) Several respondents who had taken a library support class on writing a research paper found it particularly useful and suggested that it should be make available to as many students as possible.

With the retirement of the head librarian in the spring of 2011 the library struggled to provide full library services for the 2011-2012 academic year. Five part-time librarians and the remaining full time librarian provided reference services and class orientations and taught the library courses. This impacted the availability of reference assistance during regular library hours. A new head librarian was hired for the fall 2012 semester.

Library staff is developing more training modules and experimental methods to compensate for the lack of print resources and reference assistance at the Hollister and Morgan Hill sites. The library's large online collection, which is available around-the-clock from the library homepage, is an important means of addressing the problem of unequal access.

A library representative is also an active member of the Distance Education committee and is working with that group to:

Infuse information competency goals into the Distance Education Master Plan,
Develop information competency instructional tools that can be embedded into Moodle shells across the curriculum,
Develop standardized library resource tools that can be easily embedded into individual instructors' online Moodle class pages.

A new information competency initiative was developed in the fall of 2012 consisting of these elements:

Adoption by the Gavilan Academic Senate of the ASCCC-accepted definition of information competency,
Library staff meetings with each academic department to
Review information competency goals,
Determine which goals are already being addressed and which need additional attention,
Develop some easy metrics to determine students' information competency progress,
Development of library research guides for core academic courses. These guides are created collaboratively with instructors and provide both skill-building tutorials and content-specific resources. Model guides for History 3 and English 250 were built in September of 2012, and English 1A instructors and library staff met in early November to begin building a guide for that course. The guides provide data on the number of hits to individual pages and even to individual resources, so their use will provide some measure of the use of information competency-related content and the use of high-quality research resources. Sample guides can be viewed at http://gavilan.libguides.com (2C.17).

Support programs, such as those found at the Student Success Center (SSC), Tutoring and Writing Centers offer assistance to students in developing their information competency skills. For example, Tutoring Center tutors and staff members are trained in various learning pedagogies so as to be able to offer assistance to a diverse group of students with a wide range of needs. The Writing Center collaborates with faculty across the curriculum to increase students' academic success, providing linkage to assignments when possible and to library resources on research and writing strategies.

Students are assisted in the SSC with access to technology as well as being offered relevant tutoring sessions, office hours, and workshops. Although the Tutoring Center does not focus on information competency per se the Tutoring Center staff is engaged in on-going discussions regarding strategies to promote this skill. The Writing Center provides computer and internet access, guidance from tutors in utilizing online writing resources, and web-based lab instruction.

Computer labs and software resources meet students' information competency needs and contribute to student success and overall achievement of student learning outcomes. This is evidenced by the number of computer labs, both general and specialized for specific areas of instruction or special student populations.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard II (C) (1) (b).

PLAN:

None.

c. The institution provides students and personnel responsible for student learning programs and services adequate access to the library and other learning support services, regardless of their location or means of delivery.

DESCRIPTION:

The library's reference and instruction services are available during regular library hours (currently 55 hours per week - Monday through Thursday 8-8; Friday: 8-3) at the main campus and for four hours face-to-face at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites. The library also provides reference services by chat, phone and email.

The library homepage (2C.1) provides one-stop shopping for all library services. Using the online databases, students can locate, view, print, email, and download an enormous assortment of magazines, newspaper articles, and specialized research support materials. Also available for student research uses are several thousand online e-books allowing for full text searching of their contents and providing citations in Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) formats. Reference librarians routinely add materials to the topical subject index of useful websites and online services, and maintain a collection of handouts explaining technical details in using these online resources. A reference librarian is on duty during library hours providing reference assistance to students individually and in class orientations. The reference librarians provide on-request training sessions at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites.

The part-time librarians, by background and expertise, form a team of qualified professionals providing library instruction, reference, and other library services. A new Head Librarian was hired in fall 2012 following the retirement of the previous Head Librarian. The library supports "anytime anywhere" student learning including the development of more online classes, e-books and electronic database. With the help of grants, reference hours at the Morgan Hill and Hollister off-sites have been increased. The library assesses student needs at these sites with the expectation of increasing services as the budget provides. To further address "anytime anywhere" learning, the library has implemented electronic "chat" from the main campus reference desk. The staff is continuing to develop more training modules and experimental methods to compensate for the lack of print resources and reference assistance at Morgan Hill and Hollister sites.

The Student Success Center (SSC), located on the main campus, is open Monday through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The SSC provides a space which encourages community, by giving students an area to socialize and relax, by affording them access to technology, use of a "smart room" and small, quiet study rooms, and availability of workshop offerings, supplemental instruction tutoring sessions, book loan, and limited instructor office hours. The SSC houses ten computers, four iPads, printers, and scanners and both standard and specialized software; assistive hardware and software are also present. Successful collaboration with student support services such as EOPS, TRIO, counseling, and Basic Skills, provides personal and study skills workshops and general and "early alert" counseling. The Gavilan College Career and Transfer center is also located onsite.

The Writing Center, located on the main campus, is open on Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Morgan Hill and Hollister sites are provided with three hours of student tutoring weekly. The Writing Center provides a space for students to get one-on-one and small group assistance with writing across the curriculum. Peer tutors and staff, including Spanish speakers, are on hand during operating hours for drop-in tutoring and assistance with the labs associated with English 250 and 440. Self-paced modules are available for students seeking more individualized approaches to improve their writing, and who prefer a self-initiated model. Individual and small group sessions include grammar and mechanics, research skills, conventions of academics essays, creative writing, the writing process, crafting a thesis, organizing papers, revising and proofreading papers, journalism, and practice for the department final exams. For students who are unable to come to the writing center, online and telephone tutoring is available for specific assignment or general writing questions. Additionally the center maintains a website which provides other online resources such as PowerPoint presentations, tips, and an interactive weblog used for discussions about writing and the writing process.

The Tutoring Center, located on the main campus, is open from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Budget constraints have reduced the number of tutoring hours and the formerly full-time staff support position has been reduced to 20 hours per week. The Tutoring Center provides a centralized location for students to get free one-on-one and small-group assistance with classes across the curriculum. Peer tutors and staff are on hand for appointments and drop-in tutoring sessions. The students, staff, and tutors meet with one another in small groups or individually. The Morgan Hill and Hollister sites have limited tutoring services with three weekly contact hours from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m., one day per week. Current plans include development of an online component that will make services much more accessible at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites.

The Computer Place, located on the main campus, is open from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Fridays. Student focus groups were conducted in 2011 to gain insight on student's use of technology (2C.7). Half of the students who completed the survey indicated that they would attend evening hours at the computer lab if they were offered.

The Business Skills Lab is open Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. The usual hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. are extended on Monday and Tuesday for one additional hour. This lab is also open on Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On the rare occasion that the lab is filled to capacity, students are allowed to work in the room designated for lecture, provided a class is not in session.

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) High-Tech Center's (HTC) current hours are Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The DRC Learning Skills Lab hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Computer Lab hours are Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:50 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 8:10 a.m. to 1:50 p.m., Wednesday 8:10 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. and Friday 8:10 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Class hours conducted in the lab are posted outside the lab. The ESL lab is typically large enough to accommodate all students in the lab. On the rare occasion that the lab is filled and students are waiting, numbers are given out so that waiting students receive a computer in order.

EOPS/CalWORKS hours of operation are Monday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Access to the program's computers is available during all hours of operation. The program is also open during all school breaks when the rest of the labs are closed, allowing for additional computer access for students of the program.

The TRIO Lounge area is available to TRIO students Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The TRIO office is open during the busiest times on campus, which provides TRIO students the opportunity throughout the day to use the laptops provided for them.

Math Lab hours are Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday lab is very popular and beneficial to student success in math classes. Hours vary by semester.

The Morgan Hill site's computer lab operating hours for student drop-in access are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The two full computer labs are open only when an instructor is present. Generally, this site offers evening classes in both labs from Monday through Saturday. Open lab hours are provided on Sunday evenings from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. An additional open lab with five computers opened in the summer of 2012. Open lab is also available on Sunday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The Hollister site's computer drop-in lab hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. These hours serve all students, including those who are attending night classes.

The Computer Technology Center, located on the campus of South Valley Junior High in Gilroy, is used for noncredit instruction in basic skills and English as a Second Language. It is also used by Adult Education students of the Gilroy Unified School District. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and in the evening from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday. This time frame allows students who are enrolled in both Adult Education and Gavilan College noncredit classes to access the lab.

The Health Occupations Lab is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and on Wednesdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Although the lab is only open during the day, most nursing students do their clinical work during the evening, so evening lab hours are not required. Students in the program appreciate the quiet atmosphere and the fact that they don't have to wait for a computer, which often happens when they go to the Computer Place. Computers were upgraded during summer 2012.

Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The lab is also closed on Wednesdays for lunch. Forty-three students were involved in MESA's CAconnects program for the spring 2012 semester. Each student received a laptop computer. As laptops are portable, MESA students are not limited by hours of operation or computer accessibility.

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), located in the library on the main campus, provides a flexible, innovative, and cost effective way to introduce administrative and instructional technology to all Gavilan employees, both part-time and fulltime. It is also available for part-time instructors who do not have an office, as well as other Gavilan employees wishing to use the technology available in the TLC. The TLC provides a collaborative space for staff and instructors. The TLC offers drop in training from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a trainer available during most of this time. It is also open to faculty and staff during the hours that the library is open, (Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 pm. Support for the TLC is provided by the Distance Education Coordinator and a part-time faculty trainer). The TLC is often unstaffed due to meetings, lack of staff hours, and other staff obligations. There is not an evening support person. During the hours the TLC is unstaffed, the main entrance to the TLC may be accessed by key, which is available to any staff/faculty member. No TLC support is provided at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites or at the main campus on weekends. However, staff and faculty at the off-site locations can call the TLC during the hours of operation or email for support. More trainings/workshops/seminars, as well as drop in support, could be offered if there was more staffing available

Most of the computer labs and instructional support services offer convenient hours for many day students; however, some of the labs are closed in the late afternoon or evening, making it difficult for evening students to receive the same level of instructional support. Weekend students are not served well on the main campus or at the Hollister site. In addition, some of the specialized labs for Math, TRIO and MESA offer no services at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College does not meet Standard II (C) (1) (c). Traditional students, and faculty on the main campus during the weekday have greater access to student learning support services than evening, weekend, and off-site students and faculty Although students taking courses at the Hollister and Morgan Hill sites and online are welcome to use the services at the main Gilroy campus, geographic barriers may prevent them from accessing these services.

PLAN:

Develop a long-term budget and staffing plan for Student Services that includes the needs of evening, weekend, and off-campus students.
Develop Educational Centers in Morgan Hill and Hollister to increase access to instructional and student services.

d. The institution provides effective maintenance and security for its library and other learning support services.

DESCRIPTION:

On September 1, 2010, Gavilan College submitted a Final Project Proposal (FPP) to the Chancellor's Office for a new Library/Media remodel. The FPP has yet to receive funding from the Chancellor's Office. It is expected that this will not occur until the budget climate in California dramatically improves. When funded, this project will directly address security, efficiency, maintenance and service needs. Until that time, the College will continue to use all available funds, including grant funds where appropriate, to address immediate issues in these areas.

General maintenance and custodial support is provided to the main campus by the Gavilan College Facilities department. Recently, carpet was replaced in the Writing Center, which is located in the library building. Due to the age of the library, and the fact that the building is not air conditioned, there are issues with the air circulation system.

The Management Information System (MIS) department provides technical support and maintenance to the all the computer labs including those at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites. MIS assists with networking functions, loading software, and other technical assistance on an as-needed basis. Day-to-day routine maintenance of the computers, particularly those in the specialized labs, is done by staff or contracted technicians. For example, a contracted technical support person knowledgeable about assistive computer technologies maintains the Disability Resource Center's High-Tech Lab.

The library's security system is not comprehensive. Library materials and equipment are secured with magnetic strips that trigger an alarm; however, the library security gate is not monitored when the library is closed. Other activities are scheduled in the building during hours when the library is closed and unstaffed. Thefts of expensive equipment and removal of books and library materials have occurred when the security system for such materials was unmonitored. There are several entrances that feed into the library and it is difficult to maintain security.

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) is located in the library building. All doors have locks, including the equipment room and the coordinator's office. During the hours of operation, one staff member is responsible for opening the main center doors and turning on all lights.

The Student Success Center is located in a secured portable building with locks on all doors and is adequately maintained by the Gavilan College Facilities department.

The following labs are equipped with motion detector alarms: Business Skills Center, Digital Media Center, Disability Resource Center (DRC) High Tech Center, Math and the English-as a Second Language Lab. Designated staff supervises the different labs during regular hours of operation and are required to secure the labs by arming and disarming them. Private security companies are contracted to provide building security at the Morgan Hill and Hollister sites. Computer lab instructors and site directors provide supervision during classes and secure the classrooms when not in use.

Even though most of the computer labs are alarmed, there is no uniform practice for ensuring that the labs are secure when not in use and that all computer labs are uniformly secured. Because of this situation there have been losses of expensive equipment and break-ins in some of the labs.

The television studio and editing suites are secure and effectively maintained. The buildings are secured with alarm systems and codes are given to faculty and staff in the designated areas. Each office door has dedicated keys assigned to faculty and staff. Use of the TV studio and editing areas are accessible to students under faculty or staff supervision. Maintenance and upkeep of the TV studio and editing suites are performed by the Media Center Specialist and editing staff on a regular basis.

Gavilan College recently concluded a ten-year shared use relationship between GavTV and the Community Media Access Partnership (CMAP), the local public access cable television organization. During this time some faculty felt the shared use of the building, equipment, television studio, and maintenance of the equipment was not clearly defined. Those concerns were discussed and resolved by the GavTV Committee and the CMAP Board of Directors through their regularly scheduled meetings with faculty and staff to review the maintenance of equipment and joint use of the facility. Through these efforts, the studio has undergone a mini renovation with upgrades in more efficient florescent lighting, the flooring and acquired HD cameras, streaming software, and an expanded audio mixer.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College does not meet Standard II (C) (1) (d).

PLAN:

Evaluate funding for ongoing maintenance and upgrades of audiovisual and electronic equipment through the Budget Request Process.
Explore and assess the need to provide adequate uniform security for all computer labs and smart classrooms.

e. When the institution relies on or collaborates with other institutions or other sources for library and other learning support services for its instructional programs, it documents that formal agreements exist and that such resources and services are adequate for the institution's intended purposes, are easily accessible, and utilized. The performance of these services is evaluated on a regular basis. The institution takes responsibility for and assures the reliability of all services provided either directly or through contractual arrangement.

DESCRIPTION:

The Gavilan College Library and other learning support services have greatly benefited through collaboration with neighboring two and four year colleges and universities. Through these formal and informal relationships, the library has enhanced learning support by obtaining special rates for electronic products and services, printed materials, library automation, participation in training, technical assistance, and sharing library collections.

Resource dollars available for library materials are greatly enhanced by participating in various consortia, including the Council of Chief Librarians, Community College League, Pacific Library Partnership (PLP)/Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Library System (MOBAC), and Califa for special rates for a variety of electronic products and services, from online catalogs to offerings of various journal and newspaper consolidators. MOBAC expedites delivery of materials between libraries, networking opportunities for library staff, and free high quality staff development workshops. Cooperation with CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB), Hartnell and Monterey Peninsula Colleges, with the Voyager integrated library system server residing at CSU Monterey Bay, has assisted with providing more library automation to students and staff. Association with some of California's best libraries such as UC Santa Cruz has allowed the library to participate in cooperative training activities, informal consultation on technical issues, and shared collections.

Formal membership and agreements are in place for all the above consortia (except for the server that resides at CSUMB), as well as for commercial vendors, such as Baker and Taylor for books; the use of Baker & Taylor's e-system allows the library to have access to a cost effective method of maintaining a paperless book ordering system and safeguards against duplicate ordering. The Library currently uses Amazon to facilitate print periodical subscriptions. Electronic databases and the College's integrated library system are evaluated daily through use, availability, support and relevance. Databases are added and removed based on curricular offerings.

In order to more effectively facilitate the teaching and learning environment, Gavilan College has developed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Edustream. EduStream is a California Community College initiative to provide multimedia streaming host services to community colleges. The Gavilan College Teaching and Learning Center provides support and offers training as needed for EduStream. Training is accessed through an online request form (2C.18). Since initiating an agreement with EduStream, the TLC has trained five people and created 22 accounts (2C.19). The EduStream Program benefits the college by providing videos-on-demand for instructional use, audio recordings and PowerPoint slides of lectures allowing faculty to access recorded lecture materials or their own lectures and learning materials.

A formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) also exists between the Gilroy Unified School District Adult Education Program and Gavilan College. This joint partnership effort was part of a Hispanic Serving Institution Assisting Communities Grant received in 2002 (2C.20), and completed in 2006, after which time the MOU was adopted. The MOU has worked well for the last five years. The two programs have leveraged existing resources and aligned their respective curricula to better prepare students for transition to higher education or workforce development.

An agreement between Gavilan College and Community Media Access Partnership (CMAP) was in place from 2002 to March 2012. The agreement was not renewed due to competing needs for space from both organizations. A new addendum has been signed to allow CMAP until March 2013 to relocate. While the agreement was in place, regular meetings were in place with the CMAP programming manager in attendance at GavTV Committee meetings. The GavTV Committee was established to provide oversight of programming content aired on Gavilan Channel Cable 18.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard II (C) (1) (e).

PLAN:

None.

2. The institution evaluates library and other learning support services to assure their adequacy in meeting identified student needs. Evaluation of these services provides evidence that they contribute to the achievement of student learning outcomes. The institution uses the results of these evaluations as the basis for improvement.

DESCRIPTION:

The Gavilan College library and other learning support services practice the defined Gavilan College process of evaluation, review and planning, with integrated budgeting. Programs have defined Student Learning Outcomes. The Office of Institutional Research assists programs with surveys and focus groups to collect quantitative and qualitative data for assessment. Each program conducts a self-study every three to five years through the Institutional Effectiveness Committee. Using data and reflection, the review process culminates in a set of recommendations that are communicated to program staff, the Gavilan College President's Council, and the Gavilan College Board of Trustees. These recommendations then form the basis for annual Program Plans, which are linked to budget requests when there is an additional cost.

In addition to participating in program review, integrated planning and SLO assessment, the library staff regularly evaluates the library collection and services to ensure it adequately meets student and curriculum needs. Three parallel methods are employed to assess the effectiveness of the collection.

Constant review of the collection by the library staff, who consider additions and deletions to the collection using standard professional assessment tools. These assessment tools provide a full spectrum of reviews of materials that are identified as essential or highly recommended for Gavilan's students.
Professional assessment tools provide bibliographic essays reviewing the most useful materials to support micro-topics, and are reviewed by the acquisitions librarian, in order to acquire relevant materials.
Interaction with teaching faculty occurs in professional meetings. A positive impact of having five part-time librarians, some of whom also serve at other libraries in the area, is that they also provide highly useful feedback about the collection.
The library evaluates its quality of services, access to the patrons and its available resources through surveys, statistics and formal/informal communications with faculty, students and other patrons. Surveys (faculty, staff students, and community) indicated that over 95 percent of the students/patrons using the library (online, off-site, main campus) report that the library met their information needs. Ninety-seven percent of those surveyed rated the library experience average or above (2C.2). These assessment efforts are guided by the library's program-level Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) (2C.21). The data for the outcomes are collected and reported on the SLO website. Also, each library support course SLO is assessed and reported on a regular course assessment (2C.22).

Staff uses the results of these evaluations as the basis for improvement. For example, library staff recognized the need for offsite library services and created a two-pronged approach using Title V grant funds and then institutionalizing the costs:

Provision of face-to-face reference services four hours per week at Morgan Hill and Hollister sites
Establishment of a library research lab at the Hollister site to more than double the available open computing workstations available to students.

The student support centers all conduct research to assess their adequacy in meeting identified student needs and evaluating whether they contribute to the successful student learning outcomes (2C.23).

The Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) distributes surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the training, workshops, seminars and webinars hosted and delivered through the TLC. Personnel training needs have been assessed by campus-wide surveys and by individual requests. The TLC solicits ideas from staff about what training modules could be offered (both online and in person) and what software might be beneficial to staff and faculty.

In spring 2012, the Student Success Center (SSC) conducted a student survey that focused on both qualitative and quantitative data (2C.8). Other than this survey there has been no major evaluation conducted on the Student Success Center's first year although student participation in success workshops is monitored along with general center use. Student activity is measured via Timekeeper, and biweekly meetings allow staff to debrief and plan Center activities.

The Tutoring Center is evaluated annually as a part of the learning outcomes assessment process (2C.24). The Writing Center uses student surveys and TimeKeeper for tracking qualitative and quantitative data about effectiveness of services and frequency of use. The Writing Center also solicits one-on-one feedback from faculty, particularly through those involved in the Writing Center's new Supplemental Instruction program. Recently, increased collaboration between all college-wide tutoring programs and Basic Skills specialized tutoring housed in the various college divisions has been encouraged with on-going discussions underway on how to coordinate these activities and student learning support services to reduce duplication and provide for more effective student support.

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) High Tech Center (HTC) student retrospective surveys are developed and disseminated to students to assess the student learning outcomes for all the HTC courses. For example, the CSIS 571 lab course was assessed during the spring 2010 semester, and the results are posted online (2C.25). Student learning outcomes for the CSIS 570 Computer Access Evaluation course were assessed by retrospective survey during spring 2011, and student learning outcomes for the CSIS 572 Adaptive Computer Basics course were assessed during the spring 2009 semester. The HTC instructor and staff members meet monthly with the Associate Dean to discuss goals and improvements for the HTC program.

The DRC Learning Skills Lab uses Student Learning Outcome (SLO) assessment and conducts student surveys at the end of each semester to determine whether it is enhancing student achievement regarding identified student learning outcomes. Staff sets goals for improvement and implementation of new software.

At the Hollister instructional site, the effectiveness of computer labs is assessed in individual classes through student evaluations and the SLO process. Drop-in labs are evaluated through the use of sign-in and sign-out log sheets located in each of the drop-in labs, primarily to measure student usage. The Morgan Hill site conducts student satisfaction surveys to assess student usage of their computer lab (2C.26).

The Computer Place evaluates its computer lab and tutorial services using their Learning Outcome Services form. The evaluation is conducted annually (2C.2). The spring 2011 survey revealed that the lab helped 80.5 percent of students succeed in coursework.

The Math Lab services are measured through institutional research studies and SLOs from individual classes that require Math Lab work. The Math Lab analyses student usage of the lab and compiles statistical data relating student success rates through the implementation of student surveys along with suggestions from faculty and staff (2C.27, 2C.28, 2C.29, 2C.30). Tutors attend training to learn to address difficult math concepts, learning styles, and communication skills. In this manner the lab is able to help students master the learning outcomes of the programs in which they are enrolled.

The Business Skills Lab assesses student success through the use of student surveys (2C.31). The English as a Second Language (ESL) Lab conducts student surveys at the end of each semester to measure student satisfaction with the lab (2C.32).

The Computer Technology Center (Adult Education Lab) assesses non-credit students using the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) for initial placement and to track individual progress. Because the program is in a joint partnership, Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD) Adult Education administrators meet with Gavilan College faculty to plan each school year and determine what software to purchase.

The EOPS/CalWORKS has not yet evaluated its lab's effectiveness. The computer area is small and is an added service for EOPS/CalWORKS students. The TRIO Lab is currently working with the Institutional Researcher to create a survey to get input from students regarding the TRIO lounge area. TRIO will use the data from the survey to determine the effectiveness of its computer technology. TRIO will continue to administer student satisfaction surveys and respond to student feedback. Computers in the TRIO Lounge are not part of the program's SLOs but assist with students filling out transfer applications and financial aid paperwork, required services that must be provided to work toward TRIO program learning outcomes.

Student journals have been a source of evaluation for instructors and staff teaching and working in the television studio and post-production facility. Faculty and staff meet to review the status of the television studio and discuss necessary upgrading of equipment, computers and software.

EVALUATION:

Gavilan College meets Standard II (C) (2).

PLAN:

None.

Standard IIC: Student Learning Programs and Services

STANDARD IIC: Student Learning Programs and Services

Standard II (C) Evidence