City College of San Francisco - California Competes

STANDARD II.A
According to a recent report, 43 percent of
first-time students are placed into one or two
lower-level pre-collegiate courses. Additionally,
33 percent are placed into one or two upperlevel
pre-collegiate courses. The Basic Skills
Subcommittee and the Diversity Committee
are working on proposals to increase the success
rate of these students.
The creation and dissemination of data regarding
the identification of student learning needs
changed significantly when the Office of
Research, Planning and Grants set the goal of
creating an information-rich environment in
the late 1990s. The DSS has provided highly
accessible data to the College community regarding
student demographics, enrollment trends,
graduation rates, and other types of statistical
data. A recent external study indicated that the
DSS has not only changed the way research is
used, but also the speed at which research is
available. The study concluded that the DSS has
democratized the dissemination of information,
making it widely available to the College community.
As a result, data are used more often to
substantiate claims for additional resources, or to
make decisions regarding the need for more class
sections or the need to market a program to a
larger audience. In addition, the study reported
that pre-existing negative attitudes about the
source of these data are being dismantled.
[Ref. 2]
The Office of Research, Planning and Grants
now publishes numerous reports that are available
on the website maintained by this office. A
review of the December 2003 Mid-Year Summary
Report from this office indicates a total of 183
requests for information were received and
responded to during the Fall 2003 semester.
[Ref. 23] Most of these requests for data originated
from an administrative office or department.
A survey was conducted in Fall 2004 to determine
how the provided data were used and
whether these data were used to identify student
needs and assess student learning outcomes.
In addition, this office provides a Program
Review Data Book to all departments when they
undergo Program Review. [Ref. 24] These data
books include student success data, demographic
data, weekly student contact hours (WSCH),
and faculty load data. Also included are student
success data for the entire institution and sample
registration outcomes data. The Office of
Research, Planning and Grants also assists
departments in creating student and faculty
surveys for Program Review purposes.
II.A.1.b. The institution utilizes delivery systems
and modes of instruction compatible with the
objectives of the curriculum and appropriate to
the current and future needs of its students.
The institution comprises 12 primary campuses
and nearly 200 sites located within San Francisco
County. These campuses and sites provided
instruction to approximately 100,000 students
during the 2003-04 academic year. A day and
evening instructional program is planned each
year that includes a credit and noncredit program,
a continuing education program, and an
apprenticeship program. Given the diversity of
the student body, the instructional program is
tailored to meet the needs of those students
served by each primary campus.
A diverse and flexible instructional delivery
system has been developed to serve these
students. While this instructional delivery
system is primarily composed of the traditional
in-class lecture format for credit courses and a
lecture-practicum for noncredit courses, the
institution also offers telecourses and online
courses. Indeed, an increasing number of online
courses have been developed subsequent to the
2000 Accreditation Self-Study Report. In addition
to these technology-mediated courses, hybrid
courses (i.e., courses that are primarily in-class,
lecture-based but include a technology-mediated
element) have also been developed. Perhaps one
of the more significant activities in technologymediated
instruction has been the development
of two certificate programs (i.e., Fundamentals
of Networking and Wireless Networking), offered
through the Computer Networking and
Information Technology Department, in which
all coursework can be completed online.
Given the growth in the number of technologymediated
courses offered, the Office of
Technology-Mediated Instruction and the
CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO
111