Santa
Barbara City College
Committee on Teaching and Learning
Minutes
March 3, 2008
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Present:
E. Bowman (Library), A. Cruse (Chair), M. Ferrer (FPDC, FRC), G. Lewin (Ed.
Sup.), M. Lorenzen (Ed. Sup.), E. McCabe (Health/Human Srvc.), J. Millward (Eng.),
P. Nunez (ESL/FL/Ed.), J. Pike (LSS), A. Scharper (Dean), J. Simpson (Sci.),
M. Spaventa (Dean), D. Starkey (Eng.), N. Warner (F. Arts)
Anita
Cruse
The meeting began with Anita giving a brief overview of the National Association
of Developmental Education (NADE) conference that she recently attended. The
conference excited her (in good ways), and she promised to detail it for us
at the next meeting.
Mark Ferrer
Mark returned to ask again (and more formally) to what extent CTL can commit
to the oversight of Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs). CTL playing
a major role in this makes sense institutionally but the question has to do
with the boundaries that would guide CTL’s work. The following were suggested
as possibilities:
• Recommend training to assist faculty in achieving SLOs
• Recommend areas or categories to be developed, i.e. outcomes that aren’t
as yet fully articulated
• Recommend budgeting
• Recommend, for example, support for a component of an existing ISLO
or a new one with a web-based array of support materials for faculty to use
(e.g., DLAs)
Discussion:
Nina asked about “ISLO data analysis” and Mark explained that CTL
would not crunch numbers. That’s the domain of Darla Cooper’s office.
CTL would assess the results.
Mark suggested that we make a list of filters for Darla: e.g., re-entry students,
age, gender, educational experience, ESL to English transfers; pre-registration
data etc.
Alice proposed that P and R handle program SLOs, that CAC handle course SLOs,
and that CTL handle ISLOs, to which Anita added that CTL is cross-curricular,
reinforcing the logic of Alice’s proposal.
Other possibilities were suggested:
• Student Services may want to form its own committee to address SLOs
outside the classroom
• CTL could make recommendations to the Partnership for Student Success
steering committee based on data from Darla
• CTL could edit ISLOs or recommend changes to the Senate
• We should invite Darla to discuss variables in data crunching before
submitting categories
Following this brainstorm, Mark answered questions about the organic nature
of ISLO development, how it proceeded from a core of 40 to 45 faculty over the
summer.
David expressed his concern that we remain focused on helping and improving
services and not in just fulfilling the requirements of WASC, and Mark assured
us that these are WASC’s goals as well, not mere reportage or hoop jumping.
Elizabeth worried that all of our work would come to naught since we don’t
have a fund or method for making things happen, though it was pointed out that
we do have the Partnership for Student Success (PSS), a Senate initiated and
backed movement on campus that is funded through Basic Skills dollars.
Jody moved that we make preliminary investigations into the feasibility of CTL
examining ISLO data to be reported to the Senate so that we can give our interpretation
of data with or without recommendations for action, including thoughts on the
language of ISLOs. We determined that we should be able to vote next time on
the above, once we have heard from Darla.
Gerry Lewin
Gerry gave an update on the CTL web page, first apologizing to the two-year
hiatus in production (failing to note that she took the job on voluntarily several
years ago and with no support whatsoever apart from the goodness of her heart),
stating that she is now renewed in her effort and will input all recent requests,
including
• Area for highlights on teaching and learning (these can be sent to Gerry
with citation and she’ll post them)
• Postings of photographs
• Keith McLellan’s URLs for student services
Anita reminded
us that our last discussion of the CTL website included the suggestion that
we provide a home for conference summaries, both for SBCC attendees and presenters
and that we could link to the sabbatical leave committee’s website, to
post the sabbatical leave reports that go to the Board, that we could request
abstracts of the sabbatical leavertakers.
Anita reported that Christine D’Arcy is asking for someone to take Kathy
Molloy’s place on the Orientation Advisory Committee.