QEP Focus Group Meeting
Middlesboro Campus
April 21, 2005
Attending: Robin Haggerty, Rick Mason, Jamie Vaught, Sue Wyatt, Joe Sutton, Robert Cox, Ann Maciula, Denise Shumate, Margaret G. Billings, Susan Croushorn.
Rick Mason explained the reason for the QEP. Three topics were identified as problem areas by the President’s Leadership Team:
- Improving Student Performance in Developmental Courses
- Enhancing Student Success in Allied Health Programs
- Helping Students to Reach Career Goals by Improving Retention
Terri Maciula stated that the focusing on the developmental courses would carry over into all areas, that once that is improved, retention and student success would follow.
Robert Cox said that it was his understanding that the allied health programs have a process in dealing with student achievement.
Sheila Miracle indicated that she was interested in the Allied Health topic, that students were dropping because they haven’t finished their general ed component, and it was leading to an increased attrition rate.
Robert Cox said that the students in developmental have been held to the same standards as other courses, but they are not the same, are needier, need to be treated differently.
Joe Sutton stated that students not doing well in the first developmental course usually do not come back. There could be a 50% improvement in retention by having one contact point.
Terri Maciula indicated that she would like to see a study of teaching styles of developmental teachers.
Robin Haggerty said that there was research on this. Students in developmental do better with structure and boundaries because they don’t know how to structure themselves.
Robert said that we must focus on more than the subject matter. Terri agreed, saying that students have difficulties recognizing that they have to follow requirements.
Joe Sutton recommended that we establish clear exit standards for developmental classes
Robin said that there was a way in PeopleSoft to block enrollment – that it would better serve the students if they didn’t jump around in sequence for developmental courses. She also said that many general ed classes don’t have reading requirements.
Joe said that on-line registration would take care of that problem because there would be no overrides. He also suggested that twelve hours of developmental classes be offered in order to make students full time.
Robin recommended cohort groups, and asked if writing could be done like the math classes – blocked back to back in one semester.
Rick asked if we could use the TABE test to further distinguish student weaknesses.
Joe said that the compass was a “power test” and therefore weak in determining student problem areas. Career goals and career plans were also a weakness.
Terri said she was against focusing on retention. If we focused on the other problems, retention problems would be resolved.
Joe said that students don’t understand how the developmental courses work, that we need to look at developmental and different teaching styles.
After all discussion ended, it was the consensus of the group that the QEP should focus on improving developmental courses.
A second QEP meeting was held on April 27 at 2:00 p.m. with the following present: Rick Mason, Robin Haggerty, Amy Kreiter, Lisa Ahlstedt. This group discussed allied health retention. Do we have enough data about why people withdraw in order to help? Child care was suggested. Issues within developmental include standard for exit/entrance, success rates in general Ed classes. To get in allied health programs, students must have entrance scores and be successful in classes. The consensus of this group was also to concentrate on developmental courses.
Robin Haggerty suggested the following:
- No waivers for reading classes
- Retest using diagnostic for COMPASS challenges
- Exit exams with standards for each level of developmental
- PeopleSoft block for developmental pre-requisites
- Central
developmental education director/division