Student Services Program Review-Spring 2010 - Shasta College

Due to funding considerations, the UTRAC program has been suspended. Asimilar but more cost effective program, New TRAC, has been developed whichwill allow students to still meet the intent of this program. A website has beencreated which explains the requirements, but we are currently unable to devotetime to screening applicants and provide individual counseling appointments priorto registration.Procedural changes implemented in 2007-08 address those students who do notmeet the deadlines and/or delay their decision to enroll at Shasta College. Aftercompleting assessment, students then make an appointment to attend anorientation. Orientations include meeting with a counselor and registering forclasses. The students leave this event with a schedule of classes, the name oftheir assigned counselor, and an appointment with the counselor to either developan educational plan or begin the career counseling process. This change hasproven a more efficient process, better managing the shortage of counseling time.In Summer 2009, an additional orientation format was implemented for those whoscored at the basic skills level in English. This was done to support the efforts ofthe Basic Skills Initiative (BSI) program. Students who attend these orientationswill be assigned to one of two part-time counselors who follow up with the studentsperiodically during the semester. This program is supported by funds from the BSIgrant and provides the Counseling Center the opportunity to focus attention on aspecial population without adversely affecting general counselor coverage.Adjustments in counselors‘ calendars to include summer work days have made itpossible to schedule orientations throughout the summer. Scheduling the follow upappointment at the time of orientation and the greater utilization of ExpressCounseling has shifted appointments in such going from 571 unfilled appointmentslots in 2007-08 to 99 unfilled appointment slots in 2008-09. Also, becausestudents are more often receiving educational plans at these appointments, thehigh demand for counseling during registration times has lessened. A check ofthose students seeking Express Counseling at registration time in December 2008shows that 81% did not have educational plans. During Spring 2009 registration,65% did not have educational plans. These efforts in improving efficiency were aresponse to the recommendation in the previous Program Review: ―Evaluate theoverall counselor staffing levels—by program, by number of students served, bypart-time counselors, by drop-in, and by group counseling. Evaluate unfilledappointment slots and determine if availability is due to actual open appointmentsor projects, or data errors.‖Other procedural changes have also supported the transition to a developmentalmodel of counseling. In addition to sending probation notices to students andrequesting they schedule a counseling appointment, follow up is now by a phonecall from us to those students who have not scheduled an appointment. Thisprocess is possible due to the recent purchase of the SARS Call program. Thisprogram has also made it possible to call students who enrolled during the openregistration period and encourage them to make a counseling appointment todevelop an educational plan.Implicit in the developmental model is the need for effective career counseling. In2008-09, the Shasta College Career Planning System (powered by Kuder, Inc.)- 9 -