Accreditation - Hartnell College!!

Institutional Self Evaluation – 12-05-12
Descriptive Summary
The college relies on the expertise of faculty in the development of all course- and programlevel
outcomes. In such areas as career technical and allied health education, faculty are
assisted in the process with the help and expertise of advisory committees, professional
associations, and state standards for professional certification or licensure. When professional
standards are aligned with program learning outcomes, state licensing or specialist
certification exams may be used as a measure to assess program effectiveness.
Advisory committees review curriculum for currency and relevance, provide advice on
industry trends and changes in technology, and discuss the skills, knowledge, and abilities
that are necessary for successful employment. This close association with business assures
the college that programs remain relevant for students. Advisory committees meet at least
twice yearly in the career technical education fields. Among the industry-related advisory
committees that the college convenes are the following: Agriculture Steering Committee,
Food Safety, Agriculture and Industrial Technology, Agriculture Business, Computer
Science and Information Systems, Marketing and Production, Diesel Technology, and
Sustainable Construction. In the allied health care field, advisory committees exist for the
Nursing Program and the Respiratory Care Practitioner Program. (II.A.44)
Faculty play a primary role in measuring student learning outcomes. Syllabi clearly lay out
the grading procedures established by individual faculty for student assessment; syllabi link
graded assignments to learning outcomes so that final grades will be reflective of the
student‘s success in achieving course learning outcomes. Syllabi also provide evidence that
the course instruction follows the Course Outline of Record approved by the Curriculum
Committee. Syllabi are required in all courses, and SLOs are a required component of all
course syllabi. (II.A.45)
Self Evaluation
The college relies on the expertise of its faculty to identify and assess appropriate measures
of competency at the course, program, and degree level. Professional standards are frequently
incorporated into the list of competencies expected of students at the program level. For
career technical education programs, industry-based advisory committees provide expertise
in the identification of program outcomes and may contribute a measure of accountability
and assistance to make certain that educational programs produce qualified graduates for
entry into the workforce.
At the degree level, Institutional Core Competencies and their associated learning skills
address expected learning outcomes and are reflected in requirements for graduation. As
previously described, two of the Core Competencies (Written Communication and
Information Skills) have been assessed multiple times. Global Awareness, Aesthetic
Appreciation, and Personal Growth & Responsibility were assessed in spring 2012. Core
Page 104