Accreditation - Hartnell College!!

Institutional Self Evaluation – 12-05-12
I.B
IMPROVING INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
The Institution demonstrates a conscious effort to produce and support student learning,
measures that learning, assesses how well learning is occurring, and makes changes to
improve student learning. The institution also organizes its key processes and allocates its
resources to effectively support student learning. The institution demonstrates its
effectiveness by providing 1) evidences of the achievement of student learning outcomes
and 2) evidence of institution and program performance. The institution uses ongoing and
systematic evaluation and planning to refine its key processes and improve student
learning.
I.B.1
The institution maintains an ongoing, collegial, self-reflective dialogue about the
continuous improvement of student learning and institutional processes.
Descriptive Summary
In the years since Hartnell College was placed on probation in 2007, the college community
has been very active in establishing—and sometimes re-establishing—structures designed to
promote dialogue about learning and institutional processes. In that time, the college has
reorganized its administrative structure three times: first creating positions for faculty
division chairs (―Pod Leaders‖) for the first time in over thirty years, then phasing out that
system as faculty declined to fill these positions (citing significant responsibility but no
power, and inadequate compensation). Mid-level administrative duties in instruction were
handled by the Vice President for Instruction until new area deans were hired between 2009
and 2011. In 2012, the Vice President was dismissed and later two deans—who had come
from the faculty ranks and were hired as interim administrators—were returned to their
faculty positions and not replaced at the administrative level. The first administrative
reorganization was carried out through extensive dialogue and an open shared governance
process; the last changes were carried out by the departing superintendent/president. A new
superintendent/president began at the college in July 2012.
The 2008 reorganization of the college governance committee structure (I.B.1) created an
organized path for much institutional decision making. This structure includes input from all
constituencies, with defined roles for each governance committee. Governance committees
are representative bodies which provide structured avenues for input from everyone in the
college community.
ONGOING DIALOGUE ABOUT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Beyond the official governance structure of the college, dialogue on student learning and
college processes has taken multiple forms. For example, the 2009 meetings of the college
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