Standard Five - Faculty

 

DESCRIPTION

The students' education is the top priority at Cape Cod Community College. To achieve this goal, the College is dedicated to attracting well qualified, diverse, and dedicated professional faculty. The College and its faculty are also committed to professional development, innovation in teaching, and using new technology to promote professional growth, high standards, and sound ethics.

Faculty Profile
The primary mission of the College is fulfilled by competent faculty. In the fall of 2007, the College employed 64 full-time (FT) faculty members and 213 adjunct faculty. Together they taught 4,434 students, according to the Board of Trustees Fall Enrollment Report. The FT faculty are well credentialed with 32% holding doctoral degrees, while 68% hold master's degrees in their fields. These percentages reflect an increase in doctoral degrees compared with 1997, when 27% held doctorates, 71% master's and 2% bachelor's degrees.

During the two decades between 1977 and 1997 the number of FT faculty remained relatively steady; in 1977 there were 87 faculty; in 1987, 84 faculty; and in 1997, 85 faculty. Since 1997, 47 faculty have retired or left and 28 have been hired; today there are 64 FT faculty. In 2007, 38 of the FT faculty (58%) will be 55 or older, 18 (28%) will be 60 or older, and 3 (5%) will be 65 or older. The median age of the FT faculty has continued to rise from 50 in 1997 to 55 in 2007. Sixty-four percent of the FT faculty are female and 36% are male. The average length of service for the faculty is 13 years with 40% of the faculty hired in the past ten years. Of the FT faculty 45 have achieved tenured status with the rank of Professor or Associate Professor. Untenured faculty hold ranks as follows: one Professor, one Associate Professor, 13 Assistant Professors, and four holding the rank of Instructor.

Profile of Full Time Faculty
	Fall 1997	Fall 2007
Total:	85	64
Women:	46	41
Men:	39	23
Minority:	7	11
Median age:	50	55

Adjunct/Part-time Faculty
In Fall 2007 there were 213 adjunct faculty, reflecting a significant increase in dependence on adjunct faculty since 1987, when there were 117, and 1997, when there were 129 adjunct faculty members. Adjunct faculty now teach approximately 40% of all sections offered during the day at the College. The number of adjunct faculty varies from semester to semester, but has averaged around 220 in the last few years. Of the adjunct faculty 16% hold doctoral degrees, 55% master's degrees and 20% bachelor's degrees in their fields, while 9% hold other certifications or professional licenses. The ratio of female to male within the adjunct faculty is similar to that found within the FT faculty.

Diversity
The College values diversity and has made a concentrated effort to enhance the education it offers by increasing the diversity of our faculty, staff, and students. The percentage of FT faculty who self-identified as members of minority groups has increased over the years. In 1997, seven of 85 (8%) were within minority groups, as compared to 11 out of 64 (17%) in Fall 2007. Within the adjunct faculty 4% self-identified as members of minority groups. The percentage of female full-time faculty also has steadily risen since 1987 (44%) and 1997 (54%) to 41 of 64 (64%).

Hiring, Recruitment, Evaluation, and Promotion
Since the previous self-study, 28 new FT faculty have been hired. The College forms search committees and advertises widely to attract qualified candidates to fill faculty vacancies. Members of search committees are appointed by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and consist of FT faculty, professional staff, a member of the Affirmative Action Committee and an academic dean. Copies of all position vacancies for FT faculty must be sent to the Massachusetts Community College Council within three days of the posting. The Dean of Human Resources oversees the search process and meets with each search committee to explain the process in detail. Generally there are 75-100 applications for each vacancy, although this number is shrinking due to the rising cost of housing on Cape Cod. The College advertises vacant positions in special diversity-focused recruiting sites. In addition, a notice of all vacancies is distributed to the Diversity Advisory Committee and Affirmative Action Officers/Committees of other colleges. All advertisements for a position include an Affirmative Action Statement. Academic deans are responsible for hiring adjunct faculty, but department chairs and full-time faculty may assist the process by reviewing curriculum vitae, interviewing, and making recommendations.

The 1999-2002 Agreement by and between the Board of Higher Education and the Massachusetts Community College Council (MCCC) defines procedures for the evaluation of fulltime faculty (Article XIII), and procedures for the promotion in rank of full-time faculty (Article XIV).

An adjunct faculty member, also referred to as a part-time faculty member, is clearly defined under the MCCC Agreement as "a unit member whose responsibilities may include teaching credit courses during any part of the academic year. Absent exceptional circumstances, no parttime faculty member shall be assigned more than three 3-credit courses or their equivalent during any single semester" (Article I). The responsibilities and workload of adjunct (sometimes informally referred to as DCE) faculty are governed by Article XIII of the DCE Contract and consist entirely of instructional responsibilities. In addition, the College has created an adjunct faculty handbook to clarify expectations, responsibilities, and rights. Adjunct faculty who have taught over a period of three years and have received satisfactory evaluations are offered one course every semester from that time on, unless they do not teach for two academic years. In that case they forfeit seniority (Article X; section 10.05).

Adjunct faculty participate in the governance of the College through representation in College Meeting and may participate on Standing Committees of the College Meeting. However, the primary function of adjunct faculty is to teach. While adjuncts are welcome at all department and division meetings, they are not required to attend, nor are they required to maintain office hours or provide academic advising for students. They are required to attend an orientation session at the beginning of each semester.

Faculty Responsibilities, Workload, Contractual Security, and Benefits
The responsibilities and workload of the FT faculty are outlined in Article XII of the MCCC Day Contract. This contractual agreement governs much of the relationship between the College and faculty and provides the parameters for many College regulations. The Agreement defines salaries and terms of employment, promotion and tenure, workload, work assignment, working conditions, evaluation procedures, grievance procedures, and dismissal and retrenchment procedures. The Agreement also provides a clear statement regarding academic freedom, as well as the responsibilities of faculty (Article VII).

The 1999-2002 MCCC Day Contract increased the faculty instructional load from four courses to five per semester. A classification study of faculty salaries accompanied this increased work load. The study included salary surveys from 100 public two-year colleges from 10 industrial states. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and the State Legislature initially set salaries of full-time faculty at the 15 public community colleges at around the 75th percentile, based on the salary study. As a result, most faculty received a substantial increase in compensation. However, in recent years, salary compensation has fallen far below the 75th percentile, since this benchmark was not guaranteed by the legislature or the BHE in writing. Following the expiration of the 1999-2002 Contract, a one-year extension, including a minimal increase in pay was approved by the legislature but was not submitted by the Governor back to the legislature for funding (See Ch 150E of General Laws). This set of events led to three years without an increase in pay and three years of working without a new contract. Consequently, in September 2004, the faculty voted to start the job action called "work-to-rule." Under the work-to-rule condition, FT faculty perform only those duties that are stated in the Contract. When the new and present Contract was ratified in September 2006, the FT faculty voted to end the work-to-rule job action. This was the first contract to be agreed upon within the proper three year time frame in 17 years. The new Contract calls for a 3% salary increase for each of the three years following its ratification. Under the present Contract, instructional responsibilities make up 75% of the faculty workload. The remaining non-instructional workload includes student assistance and advisement, office hours, College service, College-recognized community service, and professional development activities.

Professional Development
The College encourages professional development of its faculty and has a standing Professional Development Committee comprised of the VP of Academic and Student Affairs, four other administrators and professional staff, two support staff, one adjunct faculty or part-time professional staff, one student, and four faculty members. This committee plans and executes social and professional activities designed to enhance College community life and to upgrade the professional skills of all those who work at the College. The Committee assists in the planning of all Professional Day activities that begin the Fall and Spring semesters, and invites requests for the disbursement of professional development funds. The maximum professional development funding per person, per fiscal year, is $700 and is given on a "first come first served" basis.

Faculty members at the College are encouraged to maintain and develop their professional skills. The College supports professional development in a number of ways. For example, it sponsors two or three Professional Days per year and has also sponsored workshops for both full-time and adjunct faculty in the use of the College's learning management system, Blackboard. The College also encourages sabbaticals for professional renewal. Faculty are eligible for sabbaticals of six months duration at full pay or of one year at half pay. The total professional development funding for 2006- 2007 was $50,000, including academic and social activities, while in 1996-1997, the funds for professional development were $60,000.

In addition to this existing funding, the Bartlett Fund is also available for faculty and staff who wish to pursue further scholarship or to improve teaching practices. The Bartlett Fund is a special endowment fund that provides substantial grants each year to approved applicants. The Bartlett Fund Awards Committee reviews applications and determines the number and size of the awards.

Categories for Professional Development Allocations for 2006-2007
Category/Amt.	Type/Uses	Description
I $26,000	Workshops Conferences	registration, travel, hotel & related expenses
II $3,000	Educational Assistance	tuition, books
III $14,000	College community projects	projects/events benefiting the entire College: professional days, guest speakers, consultants
IV $7,000	Other, special use, Unrestricted funds	misc. items related to professional growth and development, special equipment, hardware/software, books

Advising
Each full-time faculty member carries an advisee load of 18 students (as per MCCC Day Contract) with Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, and Information Technology faculty agreeing to take all of the students in their areas of study as advisees. During the pre-registration period, students receive letters recommending they meet with their advisors to plan a course schedule for the coming semester. Although students are encouraged to meet with their advisors at least twice a year, many students use the Academic Advising and Counseling Center instead of scheduling appointments with their faculty advisors. In addition many part-time students are not assigned an advisor and must therefore use the Advising Center. The Advising Center is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 8:00pm and Fridays from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Students may "drop in" without an appointment. Some students prefer the convenience of a drop-in Advising Center over scheduling appointments with their assigned faculty advisors. Faculty are informed via email if one of their advisees has been advised at the Advising Center. Faculty can access advisees' transcripts and assessment scores online and thereby prepare ahead of time for meetings with advisees. The responsibilities for all academic decisions rest with individual students, but advisors help students plan their course schedules in order to graduate, give advice concerning transfers to other institutions, and help with career planning. Faculty advisors are responsible for posting office hours during preregistration periods and for making sure they are available during those hours. In addition, faculty advisors must understand academic requirements, prerequisites, resources and procedures, and know when and where to refer students. Faculty often advise students who, although not their assigned advisees, are current or former students in their classes.

The following quotation comes from the Academic Advising Handbook, Advising Mission Statement: "Cape Cod Community College views the advising relationship as an ongoing conversation that transcends more than course selection and attempts to assist students as they explore the breadth of the curriculum available, the challenges of college life, and the preparation for life after college."

Teaching and Learning
Instructional techniques and delivery systems are compatible and serve to carry out the mission of the College, as well as the learning outcomes of programs and individual courses. The mission statement asserts, "The students' education comes first at Cape Cod Community College. We are a learning-centered community that values the contributions of a diverse population, welcomes open inquiry, and promotes mutual respect. The College provides a strong educational foundation of critical, creative thinking, communication competencies, and a global, multicultural perspective that prepares students for life and work in the 21st Century." To this end the College endeavors to foster teaching and learning through a variety of courses and instructional approaches.

Various instructional techniques are used throughout the College. Professors can vary their techniques within classes, and students are exposed to various Professors with different instructional techniques in different settings. These instructional settings may include traditional on-site classrooms, online courses, or hybrid courses. The College has adopted Blackboard as its learning management system, and currently 27 fully online courses and 5 hybrid courses are being offered with a total enrollment of 700 students. If a course is not provided online at Cape Cod Community College, a student may take a course through Mass Colleges Online (MCO), a consortium of 15 Massachusetts Community Colleges and 9 Massachusetts State Colleges that have agreed to promote their online courses via the MCO portal and participate in course-brokering efforts between member colleges. Over the last three years, three members of our faculty, (two full-time and one adjunct) have been the recipients of Massachusetts Colleges Online Course of Distinction awards.

Along with totally online courses, faculty are supplementing in-class instruction with a wide array of online enhancements from the most basic posting of syllabi and class lecture notes to pod-casting of lectures. Technology-assisted teaching and learning is not the only technique that has been enhanced. Service-learning projects are encouraged, and the Honors Program continues to develop and to promote Honors credit. In order to enhance student retention, the College is experimenting with paired courses that will function as Learning Communities. The College encourages student creativity and scholarly achievement by displaying student art work, publishing student writing in the literary magazines Sea Change and The Write Stuff, and offering opportunities for students to perform in a variety of theater productions, to name a few. Academic achievement is also honored through nomination into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Students may receive practical experience in journalism by submitting articles and becoming involved in the publication of the college newspaper, The Main Sheet. In addition, students who have completed IRS training may participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. In order to foster student involvement in various campus clubs and activities, the College recently reinstituted the "Activity Hour," a time frame within which courses are not offered. Increased opportunities for student involvement help to enhance leadership skills, and to promote a stronger sense of community.

Instructional techniques are designed to meet learning needs and abilities of our students. New students who matriculate into the College undertake assessment tests to ensure proper placement in classes. Professors evaluate outcomes of teaching and work to enhance learning. For students with learning difficulties, a full-time Learning Specialist is available to offer guidance to faculty to enhance student learning.

The quality of teaching and learning is important, regardless of techniques used. Effectiveness is fostered on an individual course, program, and institutional basis. Assessment of effectiveness is carried out on an institutional basis by means of the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory. These surveys have been conducted over the past ten years, and student satisfaction with "Instructional Effectiveness" has consistently scored above the national average for community colleges. Results of these surveys are disseminated through fora. "Thirty-one members of the college community participated in these forums." Furthermore, the NEASC accreditation process fosters the evaluation of teaching and learning effectiveness.

On a program level several methods are used to assess effectiveness of instruction. Programs such as Medical Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Nursing, Massage Therapy, Fire Science, Criminal Justice, and Early Childhood Education are accredited by outside agencies. Advisory committees have been revitalized, and these committees provide input to program standards, as well as assess basic needs for student preparedness in the work force. A program review process has been proposed for regular evaluation of academic programs and student learning support services. With this undertaking, academic departments and programs develop mission statements and improve library and media holdings in their disciplines. In order to gain information regarding preparation and needs in science, technology, engineering, math, and writing, the College faculty and staff are participating in the STEM and CONNECT partnerships (Academic and Student Affairs Annual Report 2005-2006).

In individual courses, a major effort to evaluate effectiveness has been undertaken in the development of Student Learning Outcomes. Currently all AS programs and approximately 40% of AA and Certificate Programs have published student learning outcomes. Additional courses are being revised this year with the goal of having student learning outcomes for all courses by Spring 2008.

Support is provided to assist faculty in evaluating and improving instructional effectiveness. Currently a full-time Director of Distance Learning and a part-time Manager in the Instructional Technology Center assist faculty in the development and use of technology for teaching. In addition a Help Desk has been developed to assist both students and faculty with technology problems. The expansion of the number of online courses has been encouraged by the provision of a stipend for their development. Several classrooms have been renovated with presentation podia that allow computer projections and internet access. The new Lorusso Applied Technology Building allows for additional use of technology in teaching and learning. Other resources that enhance instructional effectiveness include the new Nursing Learning Resource Center with its new "human patient simulators" and in-service workshops to instruct faculty in their use and operation. The increased availability of technology has helped to diversify learning opportunities for all students at Cape Cod Community College.

 

APPRAISAL

Faculty Profile
Cape Cod Community College's faculty reflect the College's mission of putting student education first. Our faculty represent a diverse population, welcome open inquiry, and promote mutual respect. A strong educational foundation of critical, creative thinking, communication competencies, and a global, multicultural perspective is provided by a faculty of whom 32% hold doctorates and 68% have master's degrees in their fields. The faculty composition of 70% tenured faculty and 40% of faculty hired within the past 10 years allow us to "honor our past, celebrate our present, and imagine our future" (2007 Mission Statement).

The number of FT faculty from 1977–1997 averaged 85, but in 2007 the number dropped to 64 FT faculty. One of the major reasons for the decline in FT faculty was the Early Retirement Incentive Programs (ERIP's) offered by the Commonwealth in 2002 and 2003. While the ERIP's encouraged 18 FT faculty to retirement it also limited the number of new faculty hires. The decrease in the number of FT faculty, an increased workload and a decreased number of advisees for faculty due to the 1999-2002 MCCC Contract has negatively affected several areas: the variety of courses offered, the number of students without an advisor, involvement of faculty in student clubs, faculty attendance at conferences, general faculty involvement in the College community as well as faculty morale. As the number of FT faculty has decreased, FT enrollment has increased from 1,792 in 1997 to 2,449 in 2007 (Board of Trustees Fall Enrollment Report). Despite this increased need for FT instructors, the number of FT faculty has declined by 24%. This has caused an increased reliance on adjunct faculty, and in order to provide students with sufficient sections, many FT faculty (51%) also teach DCE courses. The increase in the median age of the FT faculty is another concern. With 58% of the faculty reaching 55 or older in 2007 there are bound to be many retirements in the next 5 to 10 years.

In Spring 2007, the College's Board of Trustees voted to increase student fees. This increase allows the College to provide additional financial aid for needy students and to address the concern of diminished numbers of FT faculty. In Fall 2007, the VP of Academic and Student Affairs implemented a plan to hire five additional FT faculty. To determine which FT faculty positions would be filled, the VP met with academic deans, department chairs, and program coordinators, held open fora and encouraged electronic communication so that the entire College community had input into the process. This open process along with the promise of more FT faculty has had a positive impact on the morale of faculty.

Adjunct, Part-Time Faculty
Since 1987, the number of adjunct faculty has increased by 90%. When the FT faculty load was increased by 25% per Contract agreement, there should have been a decrease in dependence on adjunct faculty. This increased dependence on adjunct faculty is due partly to the administration's policy of limiting adjunct faculty to a maximum course load of two classes. It also reflects an increase in the breadth and variety of courses offered at Cape Cod Community College, along with the need to increase the number of FT faculty to reduce the heavy dependence on adjunct faculty. The adjunct faculty are, however, a flexible and skilled resource of the College. Only 71% of adjunct faculty have master's or doctoral degrees, whereas 100% of FT faculty have those credentials. Moreover, the diversity of the adjunct pool (4%) is less than that of the FT faculty (17%).

Diversity
Cape Cod Community College has actively sought to increase the diversity of its faculty by directed advertising for all positions. With 40% of our faculty hired in the past ten years, we have more than doubled the percentage of minorities from 8% to 17%, which is considerably higher than the College's surrounding counties of Barnstable, Plymouth, Dukes, and Nantucket, which reported 9.6% minorities in the 2000 US Census. It is important to note that diversity is based upon how people self-identify themselves and does not reflect the true diversity of the College.

Recruitment, Hiring, Evaluation, and Promotion
During the past ten years 28 new FT faculty have been hired. In order to attract qualified and diverse applicants the College has broadened its recruitment process to include a wide variety of diversity-focused sites. Each year academic departments are invited to create a list of positions that they desire to have filled. Academic deans bring this list before the Administrative Council and Cabinet for discussion. However, since state funding has not increased since 2001, only a limited number of positions have been filled. Once the Administrative Council and the Cabinet decide that a faculty position is to be filled, a job description is developed by the appropriate department and sent to the VP of Academic and Student Affairs for approval. Although faculty are involved, the VP of Academic and Student Affairs makes the final decision about minimum qualifications of the job description. In order to increase the pool of applicants for FT faculty, the minimum qualifications have been reduced to only 18 credits in a discipline. Academic departments consistently recommend at least a master's degree in the instructional discipline for FT faculty applicants because this higher minimum qualification is congruent with the standard for teachers hired for K-12 public schools in Massachusetts.

A factor that has and will continue to limit the pool of applicants is the high cost of housing on Cape Cod. According to the Cape Cod Commission, the median price of a home in Barnstable County in 1998 was $135,000, while in 2006 the median price had risen to $379,000. According to the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds, the median price as of September 2007 was $387,500. In the last two years the median price of a house in Barnstable County has ranged from $350,000 to almost $390,000. Since the median salary for a tenured Professor at CCCC is $60,460, it is difficult for new hires, starting at under $40,000, to find affordable housing. The Nursing Department has found it especially difficult to recruit and hire new faculty, because Nursing candidates command higher salaries than offered by the College.

The integration of newly hired faculty into the College community has improved over the last ten years. New hires receive an orientation from the VP of Academic and Student Affairs and also from HR that includes relevant College policies and procedures, benefits options, and a tour of the Library and the rest of the College. In addition, they are given the Academic Advising Handbook and receive an advisor orientation from the Advising Center during their first semester to assist them with student advisement. Each new faculty member is paired with a faculty mentor in his or her department to help with adjustment to the College. The Academic Policy and Procedures Manual has been recently updated, and this manual, along with the MCCC Contract, defines the rights and responsibilities of the faculty and also outlines procedures for evaluation, promotion, and tenure.

The process of evaluation, appointment, reappointment, tenure, and change in rank is well defined, equitable, and fairly administered. The evaluation of FT and adjunct faculty is based primarily on student evaluations and classroom observations. The appropriate academic dean performs the classroom observations and discusses areas of strength along with areas that need improvement. Student evaluation is the only component in the evaluation process that includes a standard rating scale (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, or very poor) and these evaluations are useful in the self-assessment of teaching. Administrators and faculty use evaluation processes to support professional development for the faculty and to support improvement of skills where needed.

Faculty Responsibilities, Workload, Contractual Security, and Benefits
Contractual security is based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the MCCC and the BHE. Prolonged negotiations have resulted in the faculty working for five of the last ten years without a contract. Although there have been severe funding cuts by the state, the College has managed to avoid staff layoffs or retrenchments. For the purpose of maintaining a credible academic institution, the College has continued to provide contractual security.

Salaries and benefits are also determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreements. In several of the last 10 years raises in salaries did not cover the increased cost of living. The 1999-2002 Contract brought about a state wide classification study and the average faculty salary increased by approximately 31%. This was done in order to bring the salary structure more in line with other industrialized states. However, the workload was also increased by adding one course per semester to each faculty member's load, increasing the course load from four to five.

Since that time, and due to the difficulty in resolving collective bargaining, faculty salaries have once again declined below those of colleagues in other states, teaching in institutions similar to ours. It should be noted that the difficulty in bargaining rests with the state (BHE), and not the College. It is thought that the low salary structure may prevent the College from attracting young, bright instructors from other areas of the country.

Faculty workload is also determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreements. The primary responsibility of faculty members is the instruction, advising, and assessment of students. Some faculty feel that the extra course per semester has compromised the effective delivery of high quality education. The College has attempted to deal with this issue by offering faculty reassigned time if they are involved in initiatives that benefit the core mission of the College.

The job action of work-to-rule, voted by the faculty in response to the Commonwealth's refusal to cover contractual increases in pay, was in effect from September 2004 until September 2006. Work-to-rule meant that Standing Committee meetings and College Meetings were quickly adjourned, so little work was accomplished beyond instruction and advising. This had a negative impact in many areas of the College. Not surprisingly, the morale of FT faculty declined during this time.

Professional Development
Professional Development Days have provided information and training for the College community in such areas as technology advancements and campus-wide issues, including pedagogy, academic advisement, and safety issues. Encouragement for faculty professional development beyond College sponsored events has been less effective. With the increased workload, faculty have difficulty in finding time to attend conferences held during the academic year. In addition, the policy and funding for professional travel is an area in need of improvement. The funding for professional development has been reduced during the past ten-year cycle from an annual budgeted amount of $60,000 to $50,000. The budgeted amount of $50,000 is for use by the entire College community, and less than 50% was used for academic professional development. Many faculty are required to use significant funds of their own in order to attend professional meetings because approval is granted on a "first-come, first served" basis. The use of professional development funds for social activities reduces the limited funding available for faculty.

Advising
The College has made a strong effort to improve academic advising. The results from the Spring 2006 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory indicate that these efforts have been effective. The student satisfaction score for academic advising from the Fall 2001 Noel-Levitz Survey was 4.80, which was below the national average. The same satisfaction score from Spring 2006 improved to 5.18, which is slightly above the national average for community colleges.

The Academic Advising and Counseling Center has made significant progress in supporting the relationship between students and their faculty advisors. The Academic Advising Handbook is regularly updated and distributed to all advisors, training and advisor-shadowing opportunities are provided for all new faculty advisors, and the Advising Tip of the Week is distributed by email to provide pertinent advising updates and important reminders to all faculty. The Advising Center has expanded evening hours to accommodate student needs and sponsors numerous advising-related events, such as the Transfer Fair, and visits by representatives of baccalaureate institutions to promote transfer. Over 11,000 students visited the Advising Center in 2006, and 8,487 visited by the end of September 2007.

As noted previously, the significant decrease in the number of FT faculty due to the Early Retirement Incentive Programs has resulted in a significant increase in the number of advisees assigned to the Academic Advising and Counseling Center. Fewer students have access to FT faculty advisors as a result of this shift, reducing the number of direct faculty-student relationships and mentoring opportunities that are often forged between advisors and advisees. In order to address this problem, the College hires adjunct faculty and others as advisors during pre-registration periods. In addition, FT faculty whose courses have been cut due to low enrollment may be assigned to the Advising Center to make up for the decrease in workload.

Teaching and Learning
Many of the techniques used in the teaching and learning process have undergone change at Cape Cod Community College. The College has made progress in broadening the delivery methods of instruction to meet the needs of our students. Infrastructure has improved with smart classrooms, but more classrooms need to be converted and the access to technology needs to be expanded.

The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey and program reviews by outside accrediting agencies have indicated that the College has met or exceeded external standards satisfactorily and demonstrated progress. The Noel-Levitz Surveys have consistently ranked instructional effectiveness above the national average, which is significant, since students rate instructional effectiveness as the criterion of highest priority. However, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) results, which were similar to national standards in 2005, dropped noticeably below the national standards in Spring 2007.

Good progress has been made in articulating Student Learning Outcomes for courses, programs, and disciplines. Although support is provided in assisting faculty to improve curricula and instructional effectiveness, this support is limited.

There are several opportunities for students to transfer learning from the academic classroom by participating in related activities outside the classroom. This allows for scholarly activity and creative expression. Co-curricular experiences are available to meet a wide range of interests, including discipline-specific opportunities ranging from the humanities to career-related areas.

 

INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

The evaluation of instructional effectiveness is an ongoing process through several avenues, including the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), program evaluation, advisory committees, yearly student evaluations, and classroom observations. Student evaluations and classroom observations by academic deans aid individual faculty in assessing their instructional effectiveness, while outside accrediting agencies and advisory committees evaluate instructional effectiveness on a program level. At the College level, the Noel-Levitz and CCSSE surveys performed on alternating years allow the College to assess and monitor its effectiveness in teaching, learning, and student success. Results of these surveys are presented in public folders and are also disseminated in forum. In the past, results from the Noel-Levitz Survey indicated a weakness in academic advising and as a result, the College focused on improving this important area. The results from the Spring 2007 CCSSE survey showed a noticeable decline in all but one of the benchmarks. The Director for Institutional Research and Planning in conjunction with the Strategic Plan Committee will address these declines in the 2008 Strategic Plan and will use future CCSSE surveys to determine if their efforts have been productive. Thus, the College has and continues to demonstrate a commitment to using results of surveys to make improvements that enhance the achievement of its mission.

Projections - Standard Five - The Faculty
Projections Develop a formal hiring plan that will seek to increase the number of FT faculty and integrate this plan into the Strategic Plan and budgetary process.	Responsible Staff VP Ac. & Student Affairs Strategic Planning Com.	Completion Date FY 2008
Seek to raise sufficient funds for an endowed chair. This endowment fund will be used to pay the salary of a full professor.	President	Ongoing
Work to maintain an inclusive climate on campus for students and employees regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability status	Dir. of Equal Opportunity & Institutional Planning Affirmative Action Com.	Ongoing
Review and revamp the Professional Development budget and make recommendations to improve the process for allocation or resources to better reflect the College's mission and goals.	Dir. of Equal Opportunity & Institutional Planning Professional Dev. Com.	FY 2009
Establish a formal mentoring program and provide additional professional development opportunities for Adjunct Faculty.	Division Deans Dept. Chairs	FY 2010
Develop specific strategies to strengthen relationships between Academic Advising Center and FT faculty.	Director of Advising & Counseling Services; Advising & Counseling Advisory Com.	FY 2008
Convene a student success task force to implement recommendations for the improvement of the College's advising system	VP of Academic & Student Affairs	FY 2010
Develop a cohesive plan to upgrade existing curriculum and to identify potential new curricular programs. The plan will include FT and Adjunct faculty and will be coordinated with the Program Advisory Groups to meet community needs and trends. The plan will incorporate new technologies, and Faculty will explore and discuss best practices in using new technology to enhance learning	VP of Academic & Student Affairs	FY 2009