Action Projects—2009-2013

Moraine Valley used feedback from the first round of Action Projects (2005-2009) and from the Systems Appraisal Feedback Report to define the second round of Action Projects. Teams have been charged with working on the following three Action Projects through 2013.

1. Counseling and Advising Project Team Charge: To investigate cooperative student learning, development and success models that address early intrusive interventions that embrace and utilize developmental, psychological, sociological and systematic theories to influence student learning experiences and achievements. Using the investigation results, develop a holistic and cooperative college-wide student success model with intentional, effective, and early intrusive intervention learning experiences and services that take place in-class and out-of-class for at-risk students.
    
2. Developmental Education Project Team Charge: To develop a plan that identifies the needs and barriers to success for our growing developmental education student population. The goal for years one and two will be to develop a plan of intentional/intrusive strategies to increase the success and retention of developmental education students. The third-year goal will be to implement and pilot the strategies with developmental education students and to expand the strategies to serve the needs of all underprepared students.
    
3. General Education Assessment Project Team Charge: Consider all relevant questions, purposes and challenges surrounding the implementation of a permanent system of General Education assessment at the college. Recommend an assessment plan and a timeline for its implementation.

Action Project Annual Updates
Each September, the college submits a progress report on each of our Action Projects to the Higher Learning Commission. These reports include:

• progress made based on timelines, goals and measures
• problems and challenges encountered
• outstanding successes and discoveries made

September 2010 Updates

• Counseling and Advising Action Project Annual Update
• Developmental Education Action Project Annual Update
• General Education Assessment Action Project Annual Update

Browse the Higher Learning Commission's AQIP Action Project directory to search for Moraine Valley's Action Projects.

AQIP Action Project Team Charge
College-wide Student Success Model Focused On Early Intrusive Interventions
Counseling and Advising

Project Team Charge: To investigate cooperative student learning, development and success models that address early intrusive interventions that embrace and utilize developmental, psychological, sociological and systematic theories to influence student learning experiences and achievements. Using the investigation results, develop a holistic and cooperative college-wide student success model with intentional, effective, and early intrusive intervention learning experiences and services that take place in-class and out-of-class for at-risk students.

Goals:

1. To identify academic preparedness, developmental, psychological and sociological needs of all student groups.
2. To determine students most at-risk through identifiable risk factors as indicated through student inventories, assessment tools, college system reports, and self reporting.
3. To identify best practices that focus on what matters in student achievement, student learning and student success through the exploration of developmental, psychological, sociological and systematic models focused on academic and positive life achievements.
4. To utilize the Student Milestone Goals and the DRIVE models to review current intervention and intrusive practices, programs, partnerships, and services provided by Academic Affairs and the Student Development divisions that focus on student learning and student success.
5. To establish a college-wide student success model with implementation steps and timelines. Identify strategies for measuring student success (i.e. academic achievement, persistence, and degree completion).
6. To define budget implications related to staffing, training, and technology to ensure college wide engagement and effectiveness in the implementation of the program model.

Action Steps:

1. Meet with Institutional Research Office and relevant departments to identify at-risk factors for MVCC students to determine the most at-risk student group:

1. low college placement results in more than one subject area/enrolled in more than one developmental course
2. self-assessment on readiness for college (College Student Inventory)
3. financially under prepared
4. early warning alert in more than one subject during the semester
5. identified on standards of academic progress (academic caution, probation, suspension appealed, and returned from dismissal)
6. undecided, part-time, adult, and/or traditional student identified learning challenges/disabilities
7. identified learning challenges/disabilities
8. self identified challenges (personal, social, life, medical, relationship management, behavioral issues and/or threat to self or others)

2. Examine board policies, college practices, programs, partnership, and services mandated and offered by the college through the Academic Affairs and Student Development divisions.
3. Explore best practices research and practical application models on At-Risk Student Early Intervention Programs and Intrusive Services that embrace in-class and out-of-class learning experiences that support students’ success and personal development.
4. Develop a comprehensive college-wide collaborative model for early, intrusive counseling/advising interventions to support at-risk students’ in-class and out-of-class learning and personal growth experiences. (These students include, but are not limited to, those at risk academically, developmentally, psychologically, and sociologically.)
5. Establish a budget that addresses staffing, training and technology needs to support the collaborative intervention model.
6. Establish the implementation plan and timeline, including the following components:
   1. Collaborative strategies that address in-class and out-of-class early intrusive and intervention methodologies that meet student achievement needs, goals, and critical learning experiences.
   2. Develop campus-wide training to institutionalize the collaborative methodology in early intrusive intervention practices and processes.
   3. Identify strategies to measure student success (e.g., academic achievements, persistence, and degree completion).

Timeline:

• Select team members and co-chairs: October 2009
• Host initial meeting of team to explain AQIP charge, process, DRIVE tool, reporting deadlines: November 2009
• Complete action steps 1-3: May 2010
• Complete action steps 4-6: November 2010
• Review recommended model with internal stakeholder groups: December 2010/January 2011
• Present recommended model to ELT: February 2011
• Present recommended model to Board of Trustees, PAC, and college community: March 2011
• The approved implementation plan is submitted as a FY12 CIOR with the AQIP Action Project Implementation team’s charge and a request for any funds needed to support implementation.

Plan Implementation Target Date: Fall 2011

Student Success in Developmental Education
AQIP Action Project Team Charge
November 2009

Project Team Charge: To develop a plan that identifies the needs and barriers to success for our growing developmental education student population. The goal for years one and two will be to develop a plan of intentional/intrusive strategies to increase the success and retention of developmental education students. The third-year goal will be to implement and pilot the strategies with developmental education students and to expand the strategies to serve the needs of all underprepared students.

Goals:

1. Identify the needs of the growing developmental education population both academically and socially.
2. Identify the barriers to success for developmental education students.
3. Identify best practices in programs and services for developmental education students that focus on intrusive/intentional services.
4. Align our plan with the Illinois Achieving the Dream project, if possible.
5. Build relationships between faculty in student development and academic affairs to develop a partnership in programs and services to meet the needs of students inside and outside the classroom.
6. Develop a model/plan of programs and services to meet the needs of developmental education students to enhance success and retention. Identify strategies for measuring success in developmental education (e.g. success rates, student performance rates, transition to college level coursework). Utilize the Student Milestone Goals to support the development of the model.

Action Steps:

1. Inventory the programs and services currently offered to increase the success/retention of developmental education students.
2. Inventory and discuss the delivery of programs and services from an historical perspective (e.g., modularized curriculum MTH-060/070/080, services in the Electrician’s programs, learning communities).
3. Identify the needs of developmental education students.
4. Identify the barriers to success for developmental education students.
5. Research and monitor the Illinois Achieving the Dream project.
6. a. Research academic best practices in developmental education/underprepared students including:
   • use of learning communities within developmental education and linking developmental education to transfer-level coursework
   • use of smaller cohorts of learners
   • use of accelerated developmental education coursework
   • use of short-term refresher courses
   • strengthening the tie between tutoring and classroom presentations

   b. Research advising/counseling best practices in serving the needs of developmental education/underprepared students including:

   • use of intrusive/intensive advising
   • use of affective assessment tools (e.g., Lassi) for developmental education students
   • use of career assessments/inventories and ties to Career Pathways
   • use of workshops and tutoring
      
7. Develop a model/plan of intrusive/intensive programs and services for developmental education/underprepared students to enhance success and retention. Identify strategies for measuring success in developmental education (e.g., success rates, student performance rates, transition to college-level coursework).
8. Develop a timeline and plan for implementation.
   
   Timeline:

• Identify team and co-chairs and invite to participate: October 2009
• Meet with team to review team charge, process, and organization: November 2009
• Complete Action Steps 1-4: May 2010
• Complete Action Steps 5-8: November 2010
• Review recommended model with internal stakeholder groups: December 2010/January 2011
• Present recommended model to ELT: February 2011
• Present recommended model to Board of Trustees, PAC, and college community: March 2011
• The approved implementation plan is submitted as a FY12 CIOR including the AQIP Action Project Implementation team’s charge and a request for any funds needed to support implementation.

Plan Implementation Target Date: Fall 2011

AQIP Action Project Team Charge
General Education Assessment

Project Team Charge: Consider all relevant questions, purposes and challenges surrounding the implementation of a permanent system of General Education assessment at the college. Recommend an assessment plan and a timeline for its implementation.

Goals:

1. Establish the need and purposes for General Education assessment at the college.
2. Define the roles and responsibilities for administration and faculty.
3. Identify and assign long-term ownership of the general education assessment processes.
4. Research, select and recommend the most appropriate General Education assessment method(s).
5. Create a plan and timeline for implementation of the assessment method(s).

Action Steps:
The appointed team will use the DRIVE process improvement model to:

1. Familiarize all team members with the college’s established purpose of general education at Moraine Valley, including the 11 general education outcomes and general education requirements, graduation requirements, and the role and relevance of the Illinois Articulation Initiative to this project.
2. Consider and answer the questions:
   1. What are the needs and purposes of General Education assessment for our college?
   2. How will General Education assessment data and results be used to concretely improve student learning?
   3. How will this kind of institutional assessment be connected with faculty practices at the course and classroom levels?
   4. What is the role of the college administration in reviewing the General Education assessment data and results, and making institutional-level policy decisions that will affect the curriculum and faculty instructional practices?
3. Identify the long-term “owners” of General Education assessment at the college and their responsibilities for imbedding it into college processes.
4. Identify and demonstrate how the results of General Education assessment will be used to improve student learning over the long term.
5. Research and identify best practices at similar colleges.
6. Choose the most appropriate method for General Education assessment at Moraine Valley.
7. Write a recommendation, plan and timeline for implementation of the selected method.
8. Make all necessary preparations for the implementation of the plan to be completed by the next AQIP Action Project Team in Fall 2011 – with assessment data generated by December 2011.

Timeline:

• Identify team and co-chairs and invite to participate: October 2009
• Meet with team to review team charge, process, and organization: November 2009
• Complete Action Steps 1-3: May 2010
• Complete Action Steps 4-5: November 2010
• Review recommended model with internal stakeholder groups: December 2010/January 2011
• Present recommended model to ELT: February 2011
• Present recommended model to Board of Trustees, PAC, and college community: March 2011
• The approved implementation plan is submitted as a FY12 CIOR including the AQIP Action Project Implementation team’s charge and a request for any funds needed to support implementation.

Plan Implementation target Date: Fall 2011

 

Moraine Valley Community College, 9000 W. College Pkwy., Palos Hills, IL 60465-0937 
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