RVCC 2019 NECHE Self-Study

oards and clinical/practicum preceptors assist with evaluation of programmatic
effectiveness. Input from individual advisory boards, as well as information that Program
Directors glean from their participation in community boards and professional
organizations also helps to inform the evaluation process.
The new co-requisite math project has also undergone regular evaluation via surveys
deployed to both instructors and students. Since Fall of 2017, feedback from instructor
and student surveys has been gathered following each semester. Changes made to the
co-requisite math courses since this time, based on student and instructor feedback
include: the elimination of requiring the iLearn software in the Statistics I course (it is now
optional at the request of both students and instructor feedback); labs are now attached
directly to a lecture course as opposed to being open to students from multiple sections;
and lab courses are taught by the same instructors that teach the lecture sections (a direct
request from students).
One clear example that has been implemented in evaluation and planning of academic
programming relates directly to enrollment and the delivery of courses. Word of mouth
feedback from advisors revealed students’ concerns regarding RVCC’s pattern of course
cancellations of under-enrolled sections. This led to a Catch-22 in that students waited to
enroll in courses, but courses would be cancelled due to under-enrollment. Beginning in
Fall of 2017, the Department Chair of Liberal Arts started focusing much more on
scheduling based on utilization of enrollment data. By evaluating tallies for the previous
three corresponding semesters, and evaluating student enrollment at each Academic
Center (Figure 2.2), the Chair was able to see patterns of registration and to identify
sections of courses that filled, and sections that traditionally did not.
While this data was evaluated based on each location, the goal of this process was to
create a college-wide schedule of Liberal Arts electives that met the needs of all students
and programs, prevented overlap of courses in the two closest locations (Claremont and
Lebanon) unless both sections could fill, and decrease duplication of face to face and online
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