ACTION RECOMMENDED:

None. This is an information item. No action is required. RESOURCES:

Dr. Susan S. Wood, VCCS, Vice Chancellor for Academic Services & Research,

[email protected], 804-819-4972

Dr. Catherine Finnegan, VCCS, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness,

Information Item III.A.3.b) BACKGROUND:

In early June, the Chancellor will host the 3rd annual one-week summer institute for

developmental education faculty and student development service leaders, in partnership with the leadership at the National Center for Developmental Education located on the campus of

Appalachian State University, Dr. Hunter Boylan and his staff. The Chancellor’s Developmental Education Institute will be aligned with VCCS reform efforts in developmental education and the new curricular structures for developmental mathematics and developmental English, and will be led by Dr. Boylan and his staff. The focus of the 2013 Chancellor’s Developmental Education Institute is on the integration of academic and student services in support of student success in developmental mathematics and English.

The dates for the 2013 Institute are Sunday, June 2, 2013, through Friday June 7, 2013, and the location will be announced soon. Twenty-five developmental education faculty (mathematics or English) and 25 student services leaders will be selected to attend the Institute. Participants selected for the Institute will also attend an Institute orientation at the Chancellor’s

Developmental Education Symposium on April 2, 2013, attend 3 follow-up sessions, complete a project, and share with colleagues during the 2013-14 academic year. The project will be

collaborative in nature engaging the Institute participants and their colleagues. The projects will also align with the efforts in strengthening developmental education. Applications were collected in February and Institute participants were notified of their selection in early March.

RECOMMENDATION:

None. This item is presented for information. RESOURCE PERSONS:

Dr. Susan S. Wood, VCCS, Vice Chancellor for Academic Services and Research,

[email protected], 804.819.4972

Dr. Van C. Wilson, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Services, [email protected], 804.819.4697

Information Item III.A.3.c)

BACKGROUND:

Version 4.0 of the Virginia Education Wizard was released on January 20, 2013. The release of Wizard 4.0 makes available in the Wizard the Career and Course Planner. The planner allows VCCS student users to transfer their Virginia Education Wizard and PeopleSoft 9.0 information into a single document (the course planner), allowing students to map out their future college and career planning. Once the student has transferred information to their course planner, their

academic advisor will be able to view and add notes to the planner. Students can also share their planner via email with other individuals including, but not limited to, college counselors and SDV instructors.

Other enhancements incorporated in Wizard 4.0 include additional dual enrollment text, updated test preparation information to include the VPT, and additional resources for K-12 administrative users.

These enhancements are part of ongoing efforts in the VCCS to strengthen and automate student services in support of student progression, completion, and overall success.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an information item. No action is required. RESOURCE PERSONS:

Dr. Susan S. Wood, Vice Chancellor for Academic Services & Research, [email protected], 804.819.4972

Dr. Chris Pfautz, Director of Student Support Technologies, [email protected], 804.819.4784

Information Item III.A.3.d.1)

BACKGROUND:

Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) and the Local College Board have approved the establishment of a Mechantronics Plan of Study under their existing Technical Studies Degree. This proposed program has been approved by the BRCC Curriculum Committee.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an information item. No action is required. RATIONALE:

Hershey Company and other manufacturers in the Shenandoah Valley are expanding their businesses into the field of mechatronics by focusing on technology intensive manufacturing. This work requires production line employees to be knowledgeable about mechanical systems, electronics and robotics.

This new technical studies degree plan of study provides newly hired Hershey apprentices and current mechatronics-certified employees with the opportunity to qualify for first level

management positions within the organization. The program has been developed in response to a pressing workforce demand at Hershey: with approximately 75% of the company’s employees eligible for retirement, there is a growing demand to offer the degree program to employees seeking management positions. The college’s four career studies certificates in mechatronics would serve as pathways to the technical studies degree.

BRCC currently offers four career studies certificates in mechatronics and is the only institution in the service area providing specialized training in mechatronics.

RESOURCE PERSONS:

Dr. Susan S. Wood, VCCS, Vice Chancellor for Academic Services and Research,

[email protected], 804-819-4970

Dr. Van C. Wilson, VCCS, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Services,

[email protected], 804-819-4697

Dr. Dan Lewis, VCCS, Interim Director of Educational Programs, [email protected], 804-819- 4936.

Information Item III.A.3.e.1)

BACKGROUND:

Mountain Empire Community College and its Local College Board have approved the discontinuance of the Certificate in Word Processing. This program was designed to prepare students for employment as an information processing specialist in business and industrial firms. The program is being discontinued because of low enrollments and few program awards over the past five years.

The discontinuance of the certificate program will not have an adverse effect on students at the college. Students will be referred to the college’s Clerical Assistant Certificate.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an information item. No action is required. RESOURCE PERSONS:

Dr. Susan S. Wood, VCCS, Vice Chancellor for Academic Services and Research,

[email protected], 804-819-4970

Dr. Van C. Wilson, VCCS, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Services,

[email protected], 804-819-4697

Information Item III.A.3.e.2)

BACKGROUND:

Northern Virginia Community College and its Local College Board have approved the discontinuance of the Certificate in Real Estate Brokerage. This program was designed for present or future practitioners who wished to improve their knowledge of essential real estate subjects. The program is being discontinued because of low enrollments and few program awards over the past five years.

The discontinuance of the certificate program will not have an adverse effect on students at the college. Students will be referred to the college’s Associate of Applied Science in Business Management.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an information item. No action is required. RESOURCE PERSONS:

Dr. Susan S. Wood, VCCS, Vice Chancellor for Academic Services and Research,

[email protected], 804-819-4970

Dr. Van C. Wilson, VCCS, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Services,

[email protected], 804-819-4697

III.A.3.f)

BACKGROUND:

This item provides an update on a variety of developmental education redesign items.

Implementation of New Developmental English Courses: As the new English Fundamentals (ENF) courses are launched this semester, the Redesign Implementation Support for English (RISE)—the counterpart to last year’s Developmental Mathematics Implementation Support Team (DMIST)—will provide assistance for colleges in the midst of redesign, gather preliminary information about college implementation, and document questions and concerns so they can be addressed to strengthen the success of our implementation.

A three-pronged work plan has been developed that is tailored to the second year of our

implementation of the developmental education redesign: (1) Three “temperature gauge surveys” will be distributed to various stakeholders such as faculty teaching ENF courses and campus implementation leads to track the implementation as it unfolds over the course of the semester; (2) Site visits to some colleges will be conducted. Faculty, students, and administrators will be interviewed by members of RISE; (3) A series of targeted focus groups will be conducted with faculty and administrators at previously scheduled system-wide meetings, including meetings of the Council of Deans and Directors (CODD) and the Academic and Student Affairs Council (ASAC), and at the Chancellor’s Developmental Education Symposium and Institute and the New Horizons Conference.

Campus Implementation Leads for Developmental English Redesign recently completed checklists indicating their readiness for moving forward with the redesigned developmental English courses. The new courses will be offered beginning January 2013.

Professional Development: Faculty teaching developmental English or mathematics, as well as student service leaders are invited to attend the 3rd Annual Chancellor’s Developmental

Education Symposium to be held in Roanoke on April 2, 2013. Additionally, five drive-in regional workshops for full-time and adjunct faculty teaching developmental education courses will be held at colleges this spring.

Resources for Developmental Mathematics: Two practice tests for Calculus have been developed and integrated into the College Success testing platform where other practice tests for the Virginia Placement Tests (VPT) can be found. One test integrates trigonometry, while the other omits trigonometry. These tests will be announced to colleges in the next few weeks. ACTION RECOMMENDED:

Dr. Susan S. Wood, VCCS, Vice Chancellor for Academic Services and Research, [email protected], 804.819.4972

Information Item III.A.3.g) BACKGROUND:

At the November 2012 meeting of the State Board for Community Colleges, an initiative to serve Virginia’s veterans was announced. A request for proposals (RFP) was subsequently issued, by the VCCS through its role as the State Administrator of the Workforce Investment Act, in the interest of facilitating the transition of Virginia’s veterans into high-wage, high-growth

occupations. Eligible applicants included public, private non-profit, local workforce investment boards, education and training providers, and faith-based/community based organizations. The RFP underscored the importance of collaboration, leveraging other public and private resources, credential attainment, connections to existing wrap around mental health services for veterans, co-enrollment in WIA dislocated workers programs, credit for prior learning, and a career pathways design.

A press release announcing the successful proposals is attached. Of the participating entities, eight community colleges are collaborating in partnerships.

ACTION RECOMMENDED: