The educational programs of Hillsborough Community College are approved by the  College faculty and the administration through the Academic Affairs Process (Academic Affairs Handbook), which is described in section A below.  In addition, program and learning outcomes are identified for all educational programs and evaluated through internal and external measures (AA Program Outcomes Document; AS Program Outcomes Document).  Distance learning coursework follows the guidelines of all HCC coursework in that the course objectives are relative to overall program outcomes.

Hillsborough Community College employs multiple mechanisms, described in detail in section B below, to assess student learning outcomes and continues to explore additional measures.  Evidence of student learning outcomes exists in all areas and at all levels:  institutionally, through HCC's mission and goals (Mission and Goals); programmatically, through the Outcomes Documents (Associate in Arts (AA) Program Outcomes Document; Associate in Science (AS) Program Outcomes Document); and at the course level, through common course objectives, outcomes, and curricular relationships to the program outcomes (Sample Course Objectives; HCC Curriculum Map).  Uses of results have led to improvements to HCC's curriculum and to College operations, examples of which are provided in section B. 

A) The Approval Process for Educational Programs

Hillsborough Community College develops and revises educational programs through the academic affairs process, which is described in the HCC Academic Affairs Handbook.   HCC's Academic Affairs Committee’s (AAC) primary responsibility is to review and make recommendations to the College administration and the HCC District Board of Trustees relating to its educational programs and in accordance with HCC's mission to ensure a high-quality education and learning environment for all who desire to gain knowledge and enrich their lives. The Committee reviews educational programs and submits recommendations concerning the appropriate actions needed for the following academic matters:

• New programs;
• New courses;
• Elimination of program(s) or placement of program(s) on moratorium;
• Deletion of courses;
• Modification of courses;
• Modification of programs;
• Award of College credit;
• Curriculum review;
• Policies on grading and attendance; and
• Other substantive educational changes.

Responsibilities of the AAC also include, but are not limited to the list below:

• Recommending registration procedures that affect performance in the classroom;
• Recommending registration procedures that allow students to register for the next level of a class;
• Examining and making recommendations regarding the withdrawal policy and date, transfers into other sections, the audit policy, and Credit-by-Exam;
• Reviewing and revising the charge of the AAC on a regular biennial schedule;
• Reviewing the relationship of and receiving reports from HCC's major committees such as the General Education Committee, the Gordon Rule Committee, the Calendar Committee, and the Academic Standards Committee;
• Addressing and implementing State-mandated changes and regulations that affect HCC curriculum and programs;
• Reviewing and acknowledging articulation agreements;
• Helping to improve the information flow from the College Administration to the Faculty Curriculum Clusters;
• Recommending changes to current policies on academic standards, cheating, and plagiarism; and
• Providing clarification on the role of the Cluster Representative to the AAC (i.e. whether the Representative follows the Cluster opinion or his or her own opinion).

A flowchart of the process appears below.  The expanded version appears on page 11 of the Academic Affairs Handbook.

Initiator → Faculty Curriculum Cluster Review → Technical Review →

Academic Affairs Committee  → Vice President of Education and Student Development/Cabinet  →

President  → Board of Trustees

A description of the flowchart follows:

• The initiator submits a recommendation to one of the 14 Faculty Curriculum Clusters. 
• The Cluster reviews the proposal and votes for or against it.  Proposals approved by the cluster are moved forward to the AAC.  If the Cluster votes against the proposal, the initiator may still submit it to the AAC.
• Prior to being reviewed by the AAC, the HCC Technical Review Committee (TRC), which is comprised of faculty, staff, and administrators, reviews the proposal for accuracy and alignment with State and College policy.  The TRC votes for or against moving the proposal forward to the AAC.  Proposals that are not approved by the TRC are sent back to the Faculty Curriculum Cluster for review and revision.
• The AAC, which includes Representatives from each Faculty Curriculum Cluster, reviews proposals for appropriateness to our students and our College.  The review focuses on a variety of elements such as curriculum alignment, student learning outcomes, program outcomes, College policy, State policy, student needs, and community needs.
• The AAC makes recommendations on the proposal to the Vice President of Education and Student Development, who makes recommendations in concert with the President's Cabinet, to the President.  If approved, the President makes the final recommendation to the Board of Trustees.  If disapproved, the recommendations are returned to AAC.
• Minutes of the AAC meetings provide a record of faculty approvals of programs (Sample AAC Meeting Minutes) and Board of Trustee meeting minutes provide a record of final approvals of programs (Sample Board Meeting Minutes).

Hillsborough Community College relies on the faculty to develop up-to-date and appropriate curriculum for its students, while the College relies on the administration to ensure that the curriculum is aligned with its mission and with State and Federal standards.  Additionally, the College Administration ensures that appropriate resources are available to support the curriculum.

B) Program and Learning Outcomes Establishment and Evaluation Process

Program and Learning Outcomes are established through the HCC Academic Affairs Process and evaluated through multiple measures (AA Program Outcomes Document; AS Program Outcomes Document).  Outcomes must be included with each program and course proposal made to the AAC.  Additionally, outcomes are reviewed through the Program Review Process, Advisory Committee evaluations, and the program-specific accreditation process.  Evaluation results are shared in various ways for faculty review and action (e.g. Faculty Curriculum Cluster meetings, in-service programs, and campus-wide forums).  

B.1.  Joint Measures

Several measures are utilized to assess the program and learning outcomes of HCC's educational programs:

• State Accountability Measures
• Program Review
• Internal Course Assessment Data
• Program Outcome Matrices

B.1.a. State Accountability Measures

Hillsborough Community College uses State accountability measures that provide data on the retention and success of HCC students in AA and Occupational/ Technical programs.  HCC student performance is reviewed against comparable Florida community colleges and against the Florida community college system (State Accountability/Summary of HCC Performance 2004- M1P1 and P2 and M4P1 and P2).  HCC student performance is shared with the President’s Cabinet and with other committees charged with student success, such as the Student Success, Retention, and Placement Committee.  Data is also posted on the HCC Office of Institutional Research website for review by the College community.  A report on state accountability measures is made to the Board of Trustees on an annual basis. Trends in HCC student retention and success performance are used to support initiatives to improve student success in various courses. 

B.1.b. Program Review

On a five-year, staggered schedule, all HCC academic programs undergo review.   In this review, internal and external stakeholders have the opportunity to evaluate the adequacy of the curriculum, support services, and resources related to the program undergoing review; data is provided on student performance in courses specific to the programs undergoing review.  As a result of the recent AA Program Review, courses have been proposed to include more Hispanic humanities options in the General Education Humanities curriculum.

In addition to internal program review, the State of Florida conducts program reviews of HCC's discipline clusters.  Student performance data is collected, reports are made on HCC's performance, and action is taken as needed.  For example, as a result of the State's recent rview of HCC student performance in the College Preparatory curriculum, HCC implemented substantial changes to the curriculum (Preparatory Program Review- Approved Recommendations.)

Finally, the AA program and all AS programs participate as units in HCC's Strategic Planning system.  As such, for each program, biennial goals are developed during even numbered years, and goal attainment is assessed in each of the following two years.  The AA unit plan is provided as an example.

B.1.c. Internal Course Assessment Data

• Grade Point Average (GPA) data - A recent review by HCC faculty committees and administrators of a listing of HCC courses for which the average grade was 2.4 or less resulted in a request for additional information on awards of FX (failure due to excessive absences) and the percentage of students earning D’s and F’s.  This information was also used to identify courses for which additional strategies for student success were needed, as outlined in B.1.a. above.  This GPA data has supported a Lumina grant at HCC, focusing on improving student outcomes through the use of Early Alert and supplemental instruction in three courses: BSC 1085 Anatomy and Physiology I, ENC 1101 Freshman English I, and MAT 1033 Intermediate Algebra.  In the past, course GPA data was used to select CHM 1045 College Chemistry I and MAC 1105 College Algebra as courses in which to utilize Supplemental Instruction (SI) as a strategy to improve student performance. Please also see section B.2.a below.

• State/HCC Preparatory Exit Examination – HCC students enrolled in remedial courses must pass mandated State-approved exit examinations.  Students passing these course-specific exit examinations demonstrate mastery of course objectives based on the quantitative benchmarks established by the State of Florida and reflected in faculty course syllabi.  HCC student performance on the exit examinations, as well as performance on retakes, is tracked on the Preparatory Exit Exam Performance Table.  Based on this data, faculty members have initiated actions to improve student success, including retake study sessions. The Table is also shared and reviewed in Faculty Curriculum Cluster meetings.  Additionally, proposed changes are implemented after a three-year period.    

B.2.  Associate in Arts Program

Student Learning Outcomes, as identified in performance in the General Education curriculum, is a key measure of the effectiveness of the AA Program.  AA Program Outcomes and Student Learning Outcomes are identified through the General Education Outcomes and the related discipline Cluster Outcomes.   Assessment of AA Program and Learning Outcomes through the General Education curriculum takes place using the following factors:

• Course- level outcomes
• Student performance in the HCC course IDS Connections
• National tests of general education
• Student transfer performance
• Student performance on the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST)
• Articulation meetings
• Student performance on the Computer proficiency exam

As discussed in Comprehensive Standard 3.5.1 Attainment/ General Education Competencies, HCC’s General Education Program recently underwent a major review.  As part of the revision process, new General Education Outcomes and discipline Cluster Outcomes in the AA program were identified, as well as new methods for assessing them.  Due to this revised process, HCC was able to begin collecting assessment data for the new outcomes beginning in 2004, once a cohort of students had progressed through the curriculum; the data has yet to be completed and assessed.  The HCC General Education Operations Manual, along with the General Education Handbook, provides information about the General Education Committee, General Education Outcomes, and General Education Assessment Process at HCC.

B.2.a Course level Outcomes

College-level objectives/competencies are included in the HCC course syllabi, including General Education coursework.  HCC’s Curriculum Map has correlates General Education Outcomes and discipline Cluster Outcomes to specific course competencies in the AA Program curriculum.  Students who successfully complete these courses are considered to have met those competencies through the course-level assessments that are administered (e.g., exams, presentations, papers, and projects).  Course completion with a C or better is evidence that students have attained the required competencies (General Education Course Performance Tables). This data is posted on the HCC Office of Institutional Research website and is periodically discussed with HCC faculty members through professional in-service forums. 

Recent assessment of the course data by HCC faculty committees and the administration targeted three courses as instrumental in the curriculum in that too few students were successfully completing them with a grade of C or higher: BSC 1085 Anatomy and Physiology I, ENC 1101 Freshman English I, and MAT 1033 Intermediate Algebra.  Of  these three, MAT 1033 is not part of the General Education curriculum, but the remaining two are part; moreover, MAT 1033 does constitute a significant gateway to the mathematics portion of the General Education curriculum.

This assessment resulted in the following action plan, developed by HCC faculty as part of a Lumina grant:  student success will improve by 2% in each of the courses above over a two-year period, through the implementation of the following strategies:

• Through multiple measures, evaluate causes to determine why the courses are difficult for students to pass successfully;
• Use Supplemental Instruction (SI) in selected courses on each HCC Campus;
• Provide student success workshops in selected courses on each campus – the workshops will include study and time management skills, test-taking skills, and other strategies related to student performance areas; and
• Increase faculty development sessions centering on strategies for teaching the under-prepared student (one such session offered on September 29, 2005, was Mr. Don Fraser’s workshop titled “Best Practices in Student Motivation”).

Comparison of course completion with a grade of C or better to HCC’s Curriculum Map portrays the relationship between the average GPA over a three-year period and the courses in which the General Education Outcome statements are introduced, emphasized, and/or reviewed (General Education Curriculum Course Level Assessment Table).  GPA provides an important, indirect measure of Student Learning Outcomes, and HCC faculty members are able to use the information on the Table as a foundation for further assessments that relate more directly to the General Education Outcomes.  For example, many HCC courses indicate an emphasis on General Education Outcome 1 regarding critical thinking skills.  If the percentage of students who attain a grade of A, B, or C is below 60%, faculty may need to investigate further into factors affecting student performance.

Course performance data is reviewed by the Student Success, Retention, and Placement Committee; the President’s Cabinet; and the college community on an annual basis to continue to identify courses in which students succeed or in which they are challenged.

B.2.b. Student performance in IDS 2110 Connections

Hillsborough Community College's IDS 2110, Connections, is an interdisciplinary course that allows students to synthesize key components of their general education experience.  This course is a program requirement for AA students, who take the course after earning 45 hours in the program. HCC's General Education Assessment Committee utilizes aggregated student performance data to assess Program and Learning Outcomes.  Aggregated student performance data is recorded on a General Education Rubric, which serves as a measure of Student Learning Outcomes in HCC's AA program.  The process by which the Rubric data is compiled and returned to the College's Faculty Curriculum Clusters for analysis and action is outlined in the HCC General Education Operations Manual, pp. 3-4.  

Results of the Spring 2005 and Summer 2005 aggregated rubric data are displayed in the HCC Spring/Summer Connections Rubric Results, and results from the Fall 2005 aggregated rubric data are displayed in the HCC Fall Connections Rubric Results.  The results from these terms assess the following General Education Student Learning Outcomes: 1) critical thinking; 2) clear expression in written and oral communication; 4) understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures; 6) understanding of global, political, social, economic, and historical perspectives; and 7) proficiency in technology.  Though recommendations from faculty do indicate a need to improve student communication and technology skills, a majority of the students were assessed as having average to excellent skills in the areas listed. 

One area identified as needing improvement is student performance in oral and written communication.  This competency is part of ENC 1101 Freshman English I, which is being targeted over the next two years to identify strategies to improve student performance.  The previous section outlines these strategies in full.

Future terms will include a larger sample size and will provide more meaningful results. Results from the Rubric will be incorporated into HCC's General Education annual report.  Based on the results, the College's General Education Assessment Committee and the Faculty Curriculum Clusters will identify areas needing improvement.

B.2.c. ETS Test of General Education

The ETS Test of General Education is a pilot test of General Education in which HCC participated in May 2005; results will be available in March 2006.  It will assist HCC as one of the measures used to evaluate Student Learning Outcomes of the General Education curriculum.  Based on the results of this test, HCC's General Education Assessment Committee and Faculty Curriculum Clusters will identify areas needing improvement. The results will also be incorporated into HCC's General Education annual report.   

B.2.d. Student Transfer Performance

Hillsborough Community College faculty committees and the administration use statewide accountability data to assess transfer performance of HCC students (2004 State Accountability/Summary of HCC Performance – M2).  Results from 2002, 2003, and 2004 indicate that the average transfer GPA for the graduates of HCC's AA program is increasing in the State University System: 

AA Transfer GPA > 2.4

                            2002      2003      2004

%> 2.4                  68.3       69.4       73.2

GPA                       2.80       2.80       2.89

This particular measure indicates achievement of the College's goal of achieving 70% or more HCC students with greater than 2.4 GPA at their transfer institutions.  This data is shared with the HCC Student Success, Retention, and Placement Committee; the President’s Cabinet; and the College community on an annual basis.  

Transfer performance is also available on a statewide basis through the program review level I data displays.  This data allows a comparison by state-defined disciplines of HCC student performance to that of state university native students.  Data include mean cumulative GPA, and GPA by 3.0 and above, GPA by 2.0 and below, suspensions, and graduations.  Again, this data are shared broadly and assists in identifying HCC's areas of success or those needing improvement.

Since HCC sends a majority of its graduates who transfer to the University of South Florida (USF), great emphasis is placed on the performance of HCC students compared to USF natives.  The most recent Level I Data Displays (2002-2003) indicate the following:

• HCC graduates exceed the mean cumulative GPA of USF natives in the discipline groupings of architecture, computer-information science, criminal justice, education, environmental science, foreign languages, letters, public affairs, and visual/performing arts.
• HCC graduates fall below the mean cumulative GPA of USF natives in the discipline groupings of business-management, communication, engineering, health sciences, interdisciplinary studies, liberal studies/philosophy/religion, life sciences, mathematics, physical science, psychology, social sciences, and unclassified/area studies.
• HCC falls 10% or more below the USF Native mean cumulative GPA in the discipline groupings of business-management, communication, engineering, interdisciplinary sciences, life sciences, mathematics, physical science, psychology, and unclassified/area studies, (Level I Data Display, Summary Table). 

This data is shared with all HCC faculty members.  For the discipline groupings in which HCC performance falls 10% or more below USF natives, action is taken in the form of requests for additional articulation meetings, requests for syllabi, and curriculum review.

B.2.e. Student Performance on the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST)

The CLAST is a statewide accountability outcome measure that assesses student performance in the areas of computation, reading, and writing ( State Accountability/Summary of HCC Performance 2004, M5).  HCC student performance is shared with the Student Success, Retention, and Placement Committee; the President’s Cabinet; and the College community on an annual basis, and action is taken as needed.

HCC student performance on the CLAST is considered satisfactory, as more than 93 percent of those who attempt the CLAST pass it.  HCC's results are at the same level as our benchmark schools and exceed the State Community College System average.

B.2.f. Articulation Meetings

Hillsborough Community College holds articulation meetings with the University of South Florida (HCC's primary transfer senior institution) and other universities to review the alignment of the curriculum and course objectives with the senior institution (Fall 2004 Articulation Meeting Agenda).  Data on HCC student performance at the senior level also may also be reviewed.  The articulation meetings take place with USF as the primary transfer senior institution.  The discussions from the fall 2004 meetings were positive and supported the need for future articulation meetings.  Specific recommendations include the continued need to align course objectives, to explore offering a more standardized approach to assessing students in speech courses, the need to improve understanding of music requirements and prerequisites, and the need to find more effective and convenient means for faculty members of both meeting institutions to collaborate (Level II Report).

B.3.  Occupational/Technical Programs

Occupational/ Technical program outcomes are identified at the State level at the Workforce Education website (Career and Technical Frameworks and Student Performance Standards).  Hillsborough Community College adopts these outcomes in developing or revising any of its Occupational/ Technical programs.  HCC’s Occupational/ Technical programs are listed in the College Catalog.

Occupational/ Technical Program Outcomes are evaluated through the following methods:

• Licensure Passing Rates
• Community/Business Advisory Committees
• Placement and Follow-Up Data
• Program Outcome Review Process

B.3.a Licensure Passing Rates

Licensure passing rates are reviewed for performance of HCC students on licensure exams.   Program Managers review the data and make recommendations for curriculum changes based on the results.  For example, upon review of student licensure rates, HCC's Nursing Program has implemented a pre-test/ post-test strategy to help target student deficiencies and develop strategies to address those deficiencies. 

B.3.b. Community/Business Advisory Committees

Community/ Business advisory committees exist for each of HCC's Occupational/ Technical programs.  These committees work with program faculty to review the curriculum and program objectives to ensure that they are properly aligned with business and industry standards (Sample minutes).  For example, the Hospitality Advisory Committee recommended that HFT 1000 Lodging Management include a co-requisite of CPR certification.  The requirement was placed into the Fall 2005 course requirements (Academic Affairs form).  Also, following Curriculum Framework review, the Computer Advisory Committee recommended the inclusion of capstone courses for electronics, engineering technology, and biomedical equipment engineering technology.

B.3.c Placement and Follow-up Data

Placement and follow-up data are provided by the State for each of HCC's Occupational/ Technical programs.  Program managers share this data in Student Orientation and with Advisory Committee members.  In addition, this data is documented in the HCC Catalog.

B.3.d Program Outcome Review Process

At HCC, each Occupational/ Technical Program must develop Student Program Outcomes based on the State Career and Technical Frameworks. These Program Outcomes are accompanied by program outcome assessment measures and a statement outlining how the assessment measures will be used to improve Program Outcomes (AS Program Outcomes Document). Through this process, Faculty Program Representatives develop Program Outcomes, identify measurement instruments for those Outcomes, and develop improvement strategies for the Programs based on the results. The Program Outcomes, measurement, and Improvement Strategy for each Occupational/ Technical Program must be approved by the appropriate Faculty Curriculum Cluster and submitted to the Director of Technical Programs for review. Beginning in academic year 2006-2007, each Faculty Program Representative will submit an annual report to the appropriate cluster summarizing results and actions taken .

B.4.  Distance Learning Program

For Distance Learning and all alternative delivery methods, HCC requires that all individual Course and Program Outcomes must be the same as those for the correspnding on-campus courses and programs.  Prior to any HCC course being offered in a Distance Learning mode, the Faculty Curriculum Clusters review course proposals to ensure that the competencies may be achieved through the distance learning delivery mode (Distance Learning – sample course approval). 

As described above, each educational program for which academic credit is awarded undergoes approval by the faculty and the administration.  Program and Learning Outcomes have been established and assessment takes place on a regular basis.  Additional assessment measures are being explored with the understanding that multiple measures present the most effective program evaluation and contribute to overall student success.