The Teaching and Learning Innovations Grant (Title III) continues to enhance instructional innovation, institutional assessment, and expand opportunities for student services and technology. Although the requirements of this grant can at times seem challenging, the wide reaching intent to improve the educational opportunities at SOCC are beginning to be recognized as our campus becomes even more attractive to the technology driven students in our population.

Since so many different faculty and staff are currently involved in the activities outlined in the grant, sharing the objectives list for this year may be interesting to many newsletter readers. Through September 30, 2008, grant activities will be focused on meeting the following objectives as outlined in the original grant narrative:

• 30% of full-time faculty completes Teaching and Learning Center training, compared to a baseline of 15% in 2006-2007.
 
• Improve the average within-term student success (% receiving A, B, C, or Pass grade) in developmental math (Math 20, 55, 70, 80, 85, 94, & 95) courses by a rate of 9% per year to 43%.

• 15% of full-time faculty pilot new skills gained from Teaching and Learning Center training in a minimum of three classes.

• Improve student assessment of engagement with learning (as measured by the Active and Collaborative Learning benchmark category in the CCSSE), closing the gap between SOCC and the average of similar colleges by 25%  from the 2003-2004 benchmark score of 45.6 for SOCC (average of 50.8 for similar colleges).

• Improve student assessment of student services (as measured by the Support for Learners benchmark category in the CCSSE), closing the gap between SOCC and the average of similar colleges by 25% from the 2003-2004 Benchmark Score of 44.1 for SOCC (and average of 51.8 for similar colleges).

• Improve the first term to second term retention of first-time, full-time, degree and certificate-seeking students (participating in pilots) to 79% from the four-year average baseline (fall 2000-2004 cohorts) of 77.3%.

• Increase institutional planning and effectiveness to 33% as measured by the percent of the College’s departmental units that complete the expanded comprehensive institutional assessment cycle compared to 0% in 2005-2006.

• Increase the effectiveness of resource allocation to 25% as measured by the percent of instructional and administrative/student services units that justify budget requests with Continuous Improvement Action Plans compared to 0% in 2005-2006.

 If you would like more detailed information about what types of activities are being planned to meet each objective or how you can contribute, please contact Katie Paulson, Title III Activity Director, 888-7137.