2008 Award Winners
College of the Canyons - Institute of Teaching and Learning
College of the Canyons implemented the Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL) in order to support faculty efforts to enrich their teaching abilities. The ITL is committed to helping all faculty improve their teaching skills, and even has an adjunct focused portion, The Associate Program. This program is extremely popular on campus, with an average of 33-35 applications a year for the 20 available seats. Once adjunct faculty complete the program, they are awarded the status of Associate Adjunct and receive a permanent 10% increase in pay. Additionally, the program reports, Participants usually find a very direct and immediate application for the concepts and techniques discussed and practiced in the workshop. Most graduates indicated that completing the Associate Program was extremely helpful in pursuing a full-time teaching position. The ITL encourages faculty to engage in reflective practice at every stage of the process, and supports this by promoting classroom research by granting stipends to faculty members who design and perform research projects based on ideas or principles learned in the ITL classes. Stipends can be awarded for projects that promote reflection and change in classroom practices. Since 2002, College of the Canyons has had 230 instructors take at least one ITL course, and102 of its 196 full-time faculty have participated in the program. It is for these reasons and many others that the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is proud to name The Institute of Teaching and Learning as one of the 2008 Exemplary Award winners. College of the Canyons Institute of Teaching and Learning's Website
Mt. San Antonio College - Developmental Education Faculty Certification Program
In 2002, Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) created Developmental Education Faculty Certification Program which focuses on professional development to educate and inform Mt. SAC faculty about the development education needs of students on campus. Since its inception, 74 full-time faculty members and six adjunct faculty members have taken part in the program. The program has tirelessly pursued its goal of providing participants with opportunities to understand the basic developmental education principles, current learning theory and active learning strategies that will support student success; it even goes beyond theory and address practical application strategies for both inside and outside of the classroom. The Developmental Education Faculty Certification Program is broken down into three modules to give faculty time to learn and process all of the new material. The modules are designed to promote cognitive, social, emotional, and professional growth to help make faculty aware of different learning aspects students may have and to promote lesson plans to fit those needs. One Mt. SAC faculty member who has been through the program said, I have found these classes to be invaluable. Although I have taught for many years, up 'til now, I have never had any background in education theory...I used to feel like students just weren't trying or making school a focus. Now, I am thinking about how my teaching actually influences their learning. In recognition of the work the Developmental Education Faculty Certification Program has done, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is proud to honor it as a 2008 Exemplary Award Winner.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Los Medanos College - Math Department Teaching Communities
The Los Medanos College (LMC) Math Department decided to try something new in the spring of 2003. Instead of sticking with their typical faculty interactions, the LMC Math Department decided to create Teaching Communities for its faculty, based on the student learning communities which have been encouraged in recent years. They started with an Intermediate Algebra Teaching Community and eventually added Algebra and Statistics Teaching Communities, comprised of both part time and full time faculty. These teaching communities have proven to be invaluable for the department since 50% of their course sections are taught by part-time faculty. Additionally, each Teaching Community has written collaborative curriculum and common finals. There has been a huge level of participation from LMC's Math Department faculty: 70-80% of faculty from both the main campus and the satellite campus participated in the Statistics Teaching Community; 60% of their part-time faculty have participated in Teaching Communities; and 100% of LMC's full time Math faculty have participated. Due to their commitment to improving student learning outcomes, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is proud to recognize Los Medanos College's Math Department Teaching Communities as a 2008 Exemplary Award Honorable Mention.
San Diego City College - Pedagogy of Love: Organic Praxis in Teaching and Learning
San Diego City College's Pedagogy of Love: Organic Praxis in Teaching and Learning program is a professional development program linked to Learning Communities and designed for faculty, by faculty. Since Spring 2006, the program has offered university extension courses, trainings and materials, integrated curriculum, and weekly cafes for both full and part-time faculty. These professional development opportunities allow faculty to reflect and dialogue about teaching, learning theory and research and discuss their Learning Community classroom experiences. The number of Learning Communities offered on campus has increased by 850% (increasing from two to 17 offerings in the span of a year) while increasing student retention and success in basic skills English reading and writing. This program serves as the core of San Diego City College's professional development program and serves as a model for professional development to other colleges. For these reasons, the Academic Senate has chosen the Pedagogy of Love: Organic Praxis in Teaching and Learning as a 2008 Exemplary Award Honorable Mention.
West Los Angeles College - Leadership Retreats
The Leadership Retreats program at West Los Angeles College is truly a home grown program. Created in response to accreditation recommendations, this program is coordinated locally by a diverse planning committee, which hosts an annual retreat to focus on various topics, including the college's mission, participatory governance practices, planning and accreditation, retention strategies and teaching practices all under the belief that all are leaders. The program integrates classroom instruction with student services, counseling and administration. The program has received dedicated support and funding from various campus constituencies, including the academic senate and college president. Currently, many of the new ventures on campus include ideas that found their genesis at a leadership retreat. Focusing on topics that directly address the core missions of the California community colleges and providing a sustainable model of stakeholder support, West Los Angeles College's Leadership Retreats program has been selected as a 2008 Exemplary Award Honorable Mention.
Santa Barbara City College - SLO Faculty Development Project
The SLO Faculty Development Project is a catalyst for institutional transformation at Santa Barbara City College. Beginning in June 2004, over 200 full-time faculty and 98 adjunct faculty have participated in this program. Through the project, members of the college community have been engaged in an intense, ongoing, self reflective dialogue about using SLOs to improve student learning. The college has also developed and institutionalized an SLO implementation cycle that includes course, program and institutional SLOs. The process is faculty driven and has garnered strong support and intensive participation from other faculty across campus. The project includes extensive trainings, collection of student performance data, and the development of student learning improvement plans. Products of this project have included the development of numerous resources, guides, handbooks and online tools to further faculty work on SLOs. College committees, councils, the academic senate, and intensive cohorts drive the work for this project. These cohorts consist of classroom faculty and student support programs and services that meet for an entire academic year as they move through the implementation cycle. The project speaks directly to the college's mission, focuses on student learning through increased faculty involvement and engagement, and provides fundamental principles and processes that can be adopted or adapted at other colleges throughout the state. Therefore, the Academic Senate has chosen the SLO Faculty Development Project as a 2008 Exemplary Award Honorable Mention.