2012-13 SASI Innovation Awards
Watch the SASI 2012-13 Report video
The PCC Board of Trustees has provided funds in 2012-13 to help the college achieve its Educational Master Plan (EMP) Project 90 goals in five achievement areas: Transfer, AA/AS degrees, AA/AS STEM degrees, CTE certificates, and Basic Skills sequence completion. The Student Access and Success Initiative (SASI) Request for Proposals provides a structure and process for individuals, cross-¬disciplinary groups, and campus departments or divisions to access funds to develop and implement new and innovative educational projects that will help the college reach its Project 90 goals.
This year SASI is funding several ongoing projects that have proven to be effective in helping students reach their academic goals: Math Jam, ESL Jam, First Year Coaching, Math Path, and “One Book, One College.” Seven new SASI awards for 2012-13 are spotlighted below:
Modular Math
Modular math allows students who do not pass their math course because of fundamental “holes” in their mathematical knowledge to move through the prerequisite course as quickly as they desire. Students can rapidly show proficiency of already known concepts and focus on filling in the holes. Students who currently repeat pre-college level math courses can enroll in Modular Math, master the content, and rapidly rejoin their original cohort on their way to degree completion and/or transfer, thus saving the college valuable dollars and increasing availability in these high-demand course for newer students.
• Funding Amount: $23,528
• EMP Critical Priorities addressed: A, B, D, E, G, K
Program Design Institute
The Program Design Institute will assist teams of faculty in English, math, ESL, history, design technology, and counseling with designing and implementing a self-selected project with a focus on making systemic changes in their respective academic programs. The Program Design Institute began in the summer with a three-day retreat at Kellogg West to support the faculty engaged in redesign work. It continues into 2012-13 with coaches, who provide the teams with support.
• Funding Amount: $53,940
• EMP Critical Priorities addressed: A & B
Authentic Assessment
The IEC will award funds based on superior assessment activities as evidenced in Annual Assessment Reports to implement the recommendations of assessment activities, compensate part-time faculty for engaging in assessment, or fund participation in conferences that will have department wide impact in improving student outcomes. SASI funds will also be used to support inquiry into improvements to our General Education program, to support a pilot program to improve the GE program, or to implement other recommendations of the assessment. Finally, funds will support faculty in developing expertise in targeted areas of assessment. Anticipated areas of investigation include developing a protocol to systemically assess critical thinking and how to conduct focus groups.
• Funding Amount: $44,000
• EMP Critical Priorities addressed: A-L
Non-STEM Math Curriculum Redesign
SASI funds will allow a team of Math Division faculty to continue their work to create course materials for a more effective and efficient path for non-STEM students to reach an appropriate transfer level math course, either Math 15 or Stat 50. Curriculum will focus on contextualizing mathematics, feature many opportunities for students to work on projects that relate to real life situations, and provide many opportunities for discovery based learning. The team will also develop assessment instruments and rubrics and provide all faculty with professional learning opportunities.
Honors Pathway
A reorganized and expanded Honors Program will help ensure the timely progression and transfer of college-ready, high-achieving students. To meet this goal, a pathway cohort-based approach will be implemented and will function as one of PCC’s First Year Pathways (FYP) programs. In addition, an Honors Program office will be created; Honors sections will be designated; an Associated Student club which will sponsor events and community service; and an effective program assessment process will be developed to ensure student success.
English Program Redesign Project
The English Program Redesign Team will structure a productive inquiry group to be extended to all English faculty and relevant campus stakeholders; work with external partners to develop an intensive professional learning experience for English faculty interested in “Stretch”; pass a new version of the English composition sequence through PCC’s C & I committee; and assess the impact on student learning from changes in classroom practice and program redesign.
Spring 2013 Intensive Online Institute
The Intensive Online Institute will support the College’s enrollment objectives by developing and offering additional online course sections for the Spring 2013 term — adding up to 1,800 seats. To successfully achieve this, while maintaining accreditation and course quality requirements, project coordinators will work with faculty via a guided process/curriculum to develop online instructional content for Model Online courses. Once developed, faculty will be trained to teach the additional sections, which will then be offered / facilitated starting March 11, 2013.
Professional Learning Design Project
The Professional Learning Design team will develop a structure and curriculum for extensive professional learning opportunities for new and continuing faculty at PCC. They will design a two-year professional learning plan based on best practices, curriculum for professional learning seminars, assessment tools to evaluate the impact of professional learning on faculty and students, a revised faculty orientation program, and a faculty peer mentoring program.
