Academic Program Review

ACADEMIC YEAR	2014-2015	Basic Skills Transfer X Career Technical Education (CTE)
PROGRAM	Legal Assistant and Court Services
DESCRIPTION/PURPOSE	The Associate in Arts (AA) degree and certificate program in Legal Assistant is designed to prepare students for a paraprofessional career in generalized or specialized areas of paralegal service. This program provides students with a strong foundation in communication skills and research. This program also provides students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to enter the job market as a legal assistant in private law offices, government agencies, or business corporations. The Associate in Arts (AA) degree program provides students with an educational foundation helpful for transfer to a baccalaureate pre-law program or related field of student. A legal assistant works under the direction of an attorney in performing legal services to meet the client’s needs. Additionally, The Court Services Specialist Certificate of Achievement program is intended to provide an opportunity for court employees and others interested in the justice process to enhance their professional and personal skills. Students interested can acquire the skills necessary to secure employment as reporter/recorder in our courts of law and legal and business offices.
DIVISION	EWD
DEPARTMENT	BUS
SUBMITTED BY:	Craig Blek

INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 2	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 3	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL 4
INSTITUTIONAL MISSION AND EFFECTIVENESS – The College will maintain programs and services that focus on the mission of the College supported by data-driven assessments to measure student learning and student success. 1.1 Develop systems and procedures that establish the mission of the college as the central mechanism for planning and decision making. 1.2 Develop an institutional score card to assess student learning that drives integrated planning and resource allocation. 1.3 Develop systems and procedures to ensure that the college maintains a collegial and self-reflective dialogue that improves effectiveness. 1.4 Develop systems that are inclusive, cyclical, and understood by all stakeholders.	STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES – The College will maintain instructional programs and services which support student success and the attainment of student educational goals. 2.1 Ensure that all instructional programs, regardless of location or means of delivery, address and meet the current and future needs of students. 2.2 Review program learning outcomes annually (or biennially) to assure currency, improve teaching and learning strategies, and raise student success rates. 2.3 Ensure that all Student Services programs, regardless of location or means of delivery, address and meet the current and future needs of students. 2.4 Ensure that all Student Services programs engage in a process of sustainable continuous quality improvement by annual review of Service Area Outcomes, and annual Program Review. 2.5 Ensure that the Library meets as closely as possible that “Standards of Practice for California Community College Library Faculty and Programs” of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. 2.6 Ensure that instructional labs continue to collaborate in sharing financial and human resources, thus maintaining continuous quality improvement.	RESOURCES – The College will develop and manage human, technological, physical, and financial resources to effectively support the College mission and the campus learning environment. 3.1 Develop and implement a resource allocation plan that leads to fiscal stability. 3.2 Implement a robust technological infrastructure and the enterprise software to support the college process. 3.3 Build new facilities and modernize existing ones as prioritized in the facility master plan. 3.4 Design and commit to a long-term professional development plan. 3.5 Raise the health awareness of faculty, staff, and students.	LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE – The Board of Trustees and the Superintendent/President will establish policies that assure the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of student learning programs and services, and the financial stability of the institution. 4.1 Review all Board policies annually to ensure that they are consistent with the College mission statement, that they address the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of student learning programs and services, and that they guard the financial stability of the institution. 4.2 Maintain a clearly defined Code of Ethics that includes appropriate responses to unprofessional behavior. 4.3 Ensure that the Board of Trustees is informed and involved in the accreditation process. 4.4 Ensure that processes for the evaluation of the Board of Trustees and the Superintendent/President are clearly defined, implemented, and publicized. 4.5 Establish a governance structure, processes, and practices that guarantee that the governing board, administration, faculty, staff, and students will be involved in the decision making process.

I. INSTITUTIONAL GOALS

II. PROGRAM GOALS

PAST – EVALUATION OF PREVIOUS CYCLE OBJECTIVES/PROGRAM GOALS (SET IN PREVIOUS YEAR)

List your previous objectives/goals and associated Institutional Goals. All program goals must address at least one of the institutional goals.

1	PAST PROGRAM GOAL #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary goal.)
Identify Program Goal and Budget request, if any, from the Program Review completed in 2013-2014 (Section II C): Update Course level SLO’s	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 X 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
X Met	Partially Met	Not Met
Describe how this program goal increased student achievement and/or program effectiveness in 2014-2015: There has been no significant change in student outcomes in these programs for several years.

PRESENT – DATA ANALYSIS AND PROGRAM HEALTH – ACCREDITATION

Summarize and analyze all disaggregated data by day, evening, gender, ethnicity, and distance education. Narrative only. Submit electronic excel file with graphs or trend data.

Enrollment and Fill Rates

Discuss the trends in enrollment and fill rate for each program by day and evening at the program level.

If we disaggregate the data (remove CIS 101 from Court Services and BUS 126 from Legal) fill rates plummet in both the Legal and Court Services programs. In legal, we average 12-14 students per semester per class. We do better in Court Services, but these courses share students with our Office Occupations programs. There are very few students that are following the Court Services program of courses.

Productivity

What are the trends in productivity?

Productivity is helped by BUS 126 and the fact that the legal courses are only taught by part-time instructors.

Success and Retention

Discuss the success and retention rates by day, evening (extended day), and online classes in each program and identify gaps.

Both retention and success rates are very low in the Legal program. Both sets of rates are higher in Court Services. The small number of students in both programs is also an issue when attempting to mine information from the data.

Success and Retention by Ethnicity

Discuss the success and retention rates by demographic diversity of students.

Whites have experienced slightly higher retention rates than Hispanics and Unknowns. Success rates are also slightly higher amongst Whites than Hispanics and Unknowns. Sample data is small however and even smaller for Blacks and Others.

Degrees and Certificates

Discuss the trends in the number of degrees and/or certificates awarded.

Students are earning very few certificates and degrees in these programs. Students appear to be voting with their feet.

Program Changes

What program changes, if any, do you expect to have a positive effect on students?

No changes yet made have changed the problem of low enrollment in both programs.

Summarize revisions, additions, deletions, and alternate delivery methods to courses and/or program based on the last program review.

A new instructor was found to teach in the legal program after the lead part-time instructor moved out of the area.

Evaluate the program’s viability by addressing program completion, size (FTES), projections (growing/stable/declining), and quality of outcomes.

It appears that both of these programs are no longer meeting the needs of the student body and the community. In the case of court services, they have changed their entry-level requirements and the program no longer meets the needs of the court. Students would be better off in one of the Office Occupations programs or in Business Administration. The department is recommending that both programs be discontinued at Imperial Valley College so that resources can be transferred to more viable programs.
C. FUTURE – LIST OF “SMART” (SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE RELEVANT TIME-LIMITED) PROGRAM OBJECTIVES FOR NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR TO ADDRESS PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT, GROWTH, OR UNMET NEEDS/GOALS. ALL PROGRAM GOALS MUST ADDRESS AT LEAST ONE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL GOALS.

FUTURE PROGRAM GOALS (Describe future program goals. List in order of budget priority.) You are not required to list 3 goals. Only list/identify goals that are viable in one year’s time or can be carried over a number of program cycles.	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary institutional goal)
1	2015-2016 PROGRAM GOAL #1 Budget Priority #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S)
Identify Future Global Goal: Increase Productivity in the Business Department.	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Objective: Eliminate the Legal and Court Services Programs at IVC
RESOURCE PLAN (Check all that apply.)
Facilities Marketing Technology Professional Development Staffing
Task(s)
Hold a Business Advisory meeting to discuss program elimination with community members
Timeline: October 2014
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
If program elimination is approved at Advisory meeting, notify students currently in the program.
Timeline: November 2014
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
C. Complete elimination process in curricUNET and consult with Curriculum Committee.
Timeline: December 21014
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
How will this objective be measured? If programs have been eliminated.
How will the completion of tasks identified improve student/program success? It will free up resources to be used in other Business Department programs that are better meeting student needs.
Who are the responsible party(ies) and assigned user(s)? Craig Blek and Efrain Silva
FUTURE PROGRAM GOALS (Describe future program goals. List in order of budget priority.) You are not required to list 3 goals. Only list/identify goals that are viable in one year’s time or can be carried over a number of program cycles.	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary institutional goal)
2	2015-2016 PROGRAM GOAL #2 Budget Priority #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S)
Identify Future Global Goal:	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Objective:
RESOURCE PLAN (Check all that apply.)
Facilities Marketing Technology Professional Development Staffing
Task(s)
A.
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
C.
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
How will this objective be measured?
How will the completion of tasks identified improve student/program success?
Who are the responsible party(ies) and assigned user(s)?
FUTURE PROGRAM GOALS (Describe future program goals. List in order of budget priority.) You are not required to list 3 goals. Only list/identify goals that are viable in one year’s time or can be carried over a number of program cycles.	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S) (Select one primary institutional goal)
3	2015-2016 PROGRAM GOAL #3 Budget Priority #1	INSTITUTIONAL GOAL(S)
Identify Future Global Goal:	1 Mission & Effectiveness 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.4 2 Student Learning Outcomes 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.6 3 Resources 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.3 4 Leadership & Governance 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.3
Objective:
RESOURCE PLAN (Check all that apply.)
Facilities Marketing Technology Professional Development Staffing
Task(s)
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
B.
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
Timeline:
Expense Type	Funding Type	Budget Request
One-Time Recurring	General District Categorical (Specify)	$________________
How will this objective be measured?
How will the completion of tasks identified improve student/program success?
Who are the responsible party(ies) and assigned user(s)?

(WSCH/FTEF) The goal is 525 as per state guidelines. A low number means that we are below target levels for productivity. For example, in a small class that has a mandated cap of 15 students, the fill rate may be 100% but the productivity number (WSCH/FTEF) will be very low. A class with a cap of 40 students with a 100% fill rate will have a productivity number close to or above 525.