SLO UPDATE

Here are some of the things I learned so far that seem to contribute to what I perceive as a successful SLO implementation process for Chemistry Programs based on information from 4 colleges.  I define successful as the SLO process being sustainable and providing meaningful data valid for planning.

1)  There is usually a leader - soimeone who takes responsibility for ensuring that the process is ongoing, SLO's are being assesed, data being collected, analyzed, and discussed, and plans are developed.  In 3 out of the 4 colleges, SLO reports (usually there specific forms to turn in) are submitted to a department chair and then to Deans and/or VP.  In one college, the DC directs what SLO's are to be assessed and assigns them to certain instructors.  In another college, all the part-timers participate in the assessment, ananlysis, and discussion.  In one college, a group of instructors (the number of which depends on the total class size for the course) takes responsibility or coordinates the SLO process from start to finish every semester.

How might we implement this for the LPC Chemistry program:

Since we do not have a department chair, the program has to agree upon who would take the coordinating role or lead in ensuring that the full cycle of SLO impelementation is completed every year.  One possibility is for one instructor to take responsibility for ALL courses or each full-time faculty take responsibility for a cluster of courses (12A/B, 1A/B, 30A/B and 31).  Each of these faculty should then ensure that:

i) the SLO is assessed

ii) the SLO data are entered into elumen

iii) the SLO data is analyzed

iv) the SLO data and analysis are disseminated and discussed

v) consensus is reached in terms of next action plan

Action plans may include:

a) consistent satisfactory results have been achieved --> new SLO needs to be assessed

b) no consistency in the data --> SLO needs to be reworded or continue to assess SLO for more data

c) unsatisfactory results or declining scores --> continue to assess, come up with possible reasons for decline, come up with possible plan for improvement, assess in a different way, 

2) Specific timeline for completion of specific steps

There seems to a be solid timeline as to how the SLO process is conducted.  At least in two colleges, SLO results are analyzed and discussed at the end of the year if not at the end of the semester.

Possible timeline and process for LPC Chemistry Program:

SLO faculty coordinators meet at the beginning of the fall semester:

-Analyze data from the previous academic year, discuss, and come up with an action plan.  The analysis and action plan can be disseminated in the form of a report.  Each faculty can be surveyed as to whether or not they agree with the analysis and can add their own comments.  Same with the action plan.  This can be done in e-lumen or in a separate form.

-Arrive at a plan for ensuring that each course SLO is assessed either by a full-time faculty or by providing as much help to a part-time faculty to assess a course, enter and analyze data, incorporating any findings from the previous year's analysis and discussion (either to assess the same SLO, add another SLO to assess, change the assessment method, add a new SLO to assess, etc.)

Toward the end of each semester, each coordinator should:

-follow-up to ensure that at least one instructor has assessed or will be assessing the course SLO.

-if part-time faculty, ensure that he or she has all the hep they need

3) What needs to be reported is very specific

All 4 colleges have a very specific form to complete and submit for reporting purposes.  Two of them are very simple asking 4- 5 important questions:

a) List the SLO

b) Describe assessment method and criteria for success

c) Summarize asssessment results and conlcusions

d) Describe projected changes, improvements, etc. based on results

e) Describe plans for follow-up assessments