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.
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.
