Search

Project Horizontes is a culturally grounded English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) retention project developed for Latino students enrolled at the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. The theoretical assumption underlying the design of the project is that bilingualism should be treated as an expansion of expressive capabilities rather than a barrier. If strengths in both languages and cultures are respected and further developed, functioning should significantly improve as reflected in grades and language tests, retention should be markedly improved within and across quarters, and positive assimilation will be expedited. The initial project design featured two concurrent courses, a standard intermediate ESL grammar course taught in English, with some limited reinforcement in Spanish, and a team taught ESL course featuring Latino cultural awareness taught in Spanish, English writing with reinforcing concepts in Spanish, and a college survival skills component in English. In addition, the program included support groups; faculty mentorship; and supplemental social activities, lectures, and luncheon forums. After implementation in fall 1992 and winter 1993, an overall quarter completion rate of 89% was achieved and persistence was high compared to anecdotal accounts of prior cohorts. In addition, 80.7% of students had a 90% or better attendance rate, English language test scores showed a 33% increase, and participant attitudes remained positive throughout the program. (Contains 19 references and a winter 1993 syllabus.) (Author/KP)

Cuyahoga Community College's (CCC) Unified Technologies Center (UTC) collaborated with three Cleveland area manufacturing companies in a workplace literacy project. The project provided job-related mathematics and communications programs for 302 employees who needed basic skills upgrading to improve their job performance. The project implementation process involved the following: establishment of an operations/advisory committee; information meetings; instructor selection; basic skills job/task analysis; employee assessment; advising sessions; curriculum design/development; train-the-trainer/instructor orientation; establishment of a multimedia learning center; training; and evaluation activities. Four courses were designed and developed for each company: Mathematics on the Job I and II and Communications on the Job I and II. The objectives for each course differed from company to company, based on the job task analysis and the mathematics and communications requirements of each job. (The 18-page report is accompanied by extensive attachments, including the following: copies of the job task analysis for each of the three partner companies; examples of test results given to each company; samples of the Individual Learning Plan; a course description and general outline for each course; samples of criterion-referenced assessments; reports compiled from student evaluation forms completed at the end of each course; and a final evaluation report.) (YLB)

To develop an effective method for experienced, full-time faculty to mentor new, part-time faculty, Cuyahoga Community College (CCC), in Ohio, initiated the 3-year Educator's Peer Instructional Consulting (EPIC) project in September 1987. EPIC was designed to allow new faculty to quickly learn essential information about the college, their division, students, and available resources, and full-time faculty to benefit from the non-teaching experiences of new teachers. At the beginning of each new term, volunteer full-time faculty were sought to work with no more than three new teachers. Mentor pairs were provided with handbooks on mentoring and faculty responsibilities and met formally at least three times during the term, keeping journals describing their activities and reactions during the mentoring. In the first 3 years of implementation, 379 new part-time faculty (almost 90% of the new part-time hires during the period) were mentored by about 100 full-time faculty. Most faculty reported an increase in the quality of course syllabi, better understanding of college policies and procedures, and an increase in the use of teaching materials. Division heads also reported improvements in the areas of faculty understanding of college policies and reduction of student complaints. Based on project outcomes, CCC began full funding for the EPIC project in September 1991. (MAB)

Cuyahoga Community College collects student ethnic information as part of its regular Fall Quarter registration process by distributing a computer card to in-person registrants. The student is asked to indicate his or her ethnic group from among those groups listed on the card (American Indian, Black, Caucasian, Cuban-American, Puerto Rican, Mexican-American, Oriental-American, Other Spanish-Surnamed American, or Other). Each fall, a number of students report themselves in the "Other" category. In completing the card, the student is asked to specify the other ethnic group in which membership is claimed. Occasionally a student will make two responses to the ethnic question, indicating membership in one of the listed ethnic groups and also in the "Other" category. As a by-product of the fall 1974 registration process, 337 student ethnic cards with single and double responses to the "Other" category were forwarded to the Office of Institutional Research and Evaluation; of these, 294 (83.7 percent) were single responses and 43 (12.8 percent) were double responses. Analyses reveal that only 13.6 percent of those students responding to the "Other" category truly belong in that category. From 1972 to 1974, the number of single responses has increased, while the number of double responses has sharply declined. Tables of pertinent data are included. (Author/DC)

In order to elicit data on faculty compensation, Cuyahoga Community College sent questionnaires to 34 community college districts representing 117 colleges. The sample represented all geographic regions of the country and all ages of institutions, but institutions selected were primarily urban colleges with large or medium-sized enrollments. Thirty institutions responded, an 81 percent response. Compensation data for 1973, 1974, and 1975 were available for 19 institutions. Average compensation increased by 8.9 percent in 1974 and by 8.2 percent in 1975. The unweighted averages were $16,649, $18,131, and $19,620 for the three years 1973, 1974, and 1975. The average difference between rank positions was $581 in 1973, $570 in 1974, and $529 in 1975. There proved to be a positive correlation between the age of an institution and the average compensation awarded to faculty in that institution. Also reported are: the relation of salary schedules to the Consumer Price Index, the length of the term of the last salary agreement, whether the faculty is unionized, and full-time instructional load policies. Data are organized into tables, and the survey instrument is appended. (NHM)

During 1975-76 Cuyahoga Community College surveyed 37 institutions in different parts of the country to obtain information on faculty compensation. Thirty institutions responded, of which 19 submitted separate information on part-time faculty remuneration, the focus of this report. Part-time remuneration data for 1975-76 are compared to data for 1973-74, the last time such a survey was taken. In 1975-76, St. Louis ranked first in the field of 20, with $203 per quarter hour of instruction; Denver ranked last with $110. The average part-time rate per quarter hour of instruction in 1975-76 was $157. For the 13 institutions included in both the 1973-74 and 1975-76 studies, the 1973 average rate was $146, and the 1975 rate was $158, an 8.2 percent increase. Remuneration rates for part-time faculty are correlated to three possible influences: (1) average compensation for full-time faculty at a given institution; (2) whether faculty are unionized; (3) enrollment size of the institution. None of these factors, however, proved to be a significant influence on part-time faculty remuneration rates. Although data as provided by the institutions are appended, the document converts these data to a standardized unit of measurement (rate per quarter hour of instruction) and organizes them into table form. (NHM)

Instructional workload policies in community colleges around the country were investigated in order to determine whether changes have been occurring over the past few years and to compare the policy of Cuyahoga Community College with those of similar institutions. Mailed questionnaires resulted in 27 out of 37 possible responses. Load policies were requested in terms of minimum, maximum, and "most frequent" or normal loads expressed in academic credit and/or contact (class) hours per week, as well as in average aggregate student contact hours per week per full-time equivalent faculty member. Institutions reporting a "most frequent" weekly average per faculty member cited 14.8 for credit hours and 15.0 for contact hours. The average of the seven institutions that provided information about aggregate weekly student contact hours per FTE faculty was 457 hours. The figures for Cuyahoga Community College were slightly lower for academic credit hours and contact hours and considerably lower for contact hours per FTE faculty. Of the 16 institutions that provided comparative data for both 1973 and 1975, only one reported a decrease in workload policy during that time and none reported an increase. No significant differences were found between the policies of the union and nonunion groups of institutions. Survey responses are presented in tables by institution, and the questionnaire is included. (MJB)

This report traces the evolution of Cuyahoga Community College's (CCC) present general education degree requirements, and discusses some educational issues involved in establishing the requirements and some current pressures for change, the major thrust being to reduce the total credits required for associate degree specialization. Current CCC degree requirements were established in 1965: satisfactory completion of no fewer than 93 quarter hours, completion of no fewer than 30 of those 93 hours while attending CCC, and maintenance of an overall "C" average. In July 1975, the Ohio Board of Regents established credit requirements for all degrees offered by public institutions within the state at a minimum of 90 and maximum of 96 credits for associate in arts and in applied business degrees, and at 103 minimum and 110 maximum for the applied science degree. The CCC Degree Requirement Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee, in October 1977, proposed changes in CCC requirements to bring them in accordance with the state: upgrade the level of some associate degree coursework and reduce the general education credits required for applied business and science degrees. Appendices compare degree requirements for all students and for each associate degree throughout the college's history, and present the CCC philosophy and educational objectives. (TR)

Cuyahoga Community College has proposed to create a Manpower Training Program, within its Lifelong Learning Institute, that will offer academic and practical courses in all aspects of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) planning, administration, and operations for CETA program staff. The program is to be organized around a set of core modules which provide a basic introduction to CETA and manpower programming. After completing the core, each participant may select a specific area from the following tracks: planning and evaluation, administration, or operations. In addition to these modules and optional courses in accounting, composition, or other related areas (all of which carry Continuing Education Units), all participants are required to complete an in-service internship with a prime sponsor. The faculty of the program consist of general college and special Institute instructors and part-time, manpower professionals. The admissions procedure will differ depending on the participant's background, and participants will be assigned to a counselor who will work out a training program consistent with their interests and experience. Appendices to this proposal contain the module roster and description; schedules of modules leading to Certificates in Manpower Planning, Manpower Administration, and Manpower Operations; and a diagrammatic representation of the program. (AYC)

This five-part report discusses the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA), explains how it operates locally through the Cleveland Area Western Reserve Manpower Consortium (CAWRMC), and specifies ways in which Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) can play a greater role in the CETA system. Part I describes existing federal manpower legislation, including each of the eight CETA titles, the Work Incentive Program, the Economic Stimulus Bill of 1977, the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Bill, and the Better Jobs and Income Program. Part II lists the manpower, employment development, supportive, and miscellaneous services which CETA provides. Part III: (1) outlines the administrative structure of CAWRMC; (2) discusses the problem of identifying the universe of need within CCC's service area, and those priority groups within this universe who are to receive CETA benefits; (3) presents the formula allocation for CETA funding at national and local levels; (4) lists the CAWRMC sub-contracting agents; (5) discusses the CETA client intake process; and (6) explains the process by which sub-contractors procure CETA funds. Part IV analyzes the strengths and weakness of CETA and CAWRMC, and Part V lists specific ways in which CCC can have a greater role in the CETA system. (JP)

The findings and recommendations found in this report are the result of a cooperative planning process undertaken by Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) to determine the best way of meeting the training and educational needs of the employed adults in its service district. Background information is presented first, describing the composition and activities of a Steering Committee and Apprenticeship, Banking, Health, Insurance and Investment Organizations, Non-Profit Agencies, Pre-Retirement, Public Relations and Communications, Skills Training in Industry, and Small Business Task Forces. The report then summarizes the major findings of the task forces, detailing the need for increased educational coordination, expanded adult educational opportunities, increased commitment to providing small businesses with technical and training assistance, and nontraditional delivery systems to meet the special needs of adult students. Next, the task forces' findings are synthesized in the recommendations that CCC: (1) take a leadership role in the development of a comprehensive employment and training system for the county; (2) expand its adult vocational education program; (3) experiment with new delivery systems and attack the educational barriers of funding; course scheduling; fear of failure; and lack of incentive, information, and needed programs; and (4) maintain cooperative relationships with the business community. The nine task force reports are appended. (JP)

In the course of developing a master plan for the arts at its Metropolitan Campus, Cuyahoga Community College conducted a nation-wide survey of 40 urban community colleges to assess the status of arts instruction and curricula. A 25-item questionnaire solicited information on: (1) the college environment (urban or suburban); (2) total enrollment; (3) degree and certificate programs offered in the arts; (4) the art subjects offered; (5) the stability of the arts curricula over the past seven years; (6) the number, academic background, and effectiveness of arts faculty; (7) the percentage of arts students in transfer and vocational programs; (8) the preparation of students for arts courses; (9) whether the colleges had master plans for the arts; (10) the use of performance objectives in arts courses; (11) the percentage of arts students transferring to four-year institutions and the proportion of credits accepted for transfer at state universities; (12) the availability of developmental arts programs for non-traditional students; (13) the participation of arts faculty at professional conferences; (14) faculty complaints about students; and (15) opinions concerning the most important problems facing the arts at community colleges. The study report presents findings based on responses from 30 campuses on an item-by-item basis and discusses the implications of these findings for Cuyahoga. The questionnaire is appended. (JP)

A survey of 38 community college districts, including all community colleges in Ohio as well as a representative nationwide sample, was conducted by Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) in December 1979 to solicit information on faculty compensation during 1979 and to determine CCC's relative position among similar institutions with regard to full-time faculty remuneration. Selected survey results, based upon the responses of 26 districts, indicate that the unweighted average compensation for all institutions was $24,066, of which $20,893 was salary. While this represents a 7.6% increase over 1978, the average increase registered by the National Consumer Price Index was 12.8%. Average compensation at CCC ($27,040) was 12.2% higher than the national norm, and the average salary ($22,301) was 6.7% higher. The range of contract days reported was from 157 to 195, and the average unweighted compensation amount per full-time contract day was $140, as compared to $150 at CCC. The survey report contains several data tables illustrating 1979-80 full-time faculty compensation at respondent institutions, a comparison of 1978 figures with 1979 data, changes in average compensation from 1977 to 1979, a comparison of 1979 average compensation at CCC with other institutions, and a comparison of CCC compensation with changes in the Consumer Price Index since 1971. (JP)

Plans for the implementation of programs and services at Cuyahoga Community College's Center for Urban-Metropolitan Development are presented for fiscal year (FY) 1980. After introductory material outlining the history of the Center's development since its inception in 1978, the report enumerates the data sources and quantitative and subjective measures of student outcomes to be used in evaluating the Center's programs and personnel performance during the following year. Next, a description is presented of the three-part organizational structure of the Center, by which it provides programs in neighborhood educational development, job skills and small business development, and special urban issues and projects. An outline of priorities for FY 1980 follows, including the implementation of the Urban Neighborhood Extension Agent concept, expansion of the involvement of full-time faculty in special projects, and the further development of support and procedures for the ongoing operation of the Center's programs. The report concludes with a series of charts illustrating the goals, objectives, and implementation schedules for each activity planned by the Center for FY 1980. (JP)

In order to illustrate the role community colleges can play as contractors supplying research and administrative expertise under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA), this report examines the cooperative relationship between Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) and the Cleveland Area Western Reserve Manpower Consortium (CAWRMC), a CETA prime sponsor which was organized in 1974 to centralize and improve manpower services in the Cleveland area. The report first outlines the history of CAWRMC and examines its role in creating a linkage with the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services and in improving client assessment and placement strategies. The involvement of CCC in CETA activities through a manpower project funded jointly by Cuyahoga County (a CAWRMC member) and the college is then discussed in terms of the college's role in developing a pilot staff development program for county supervisory employees, extending cooperative education programs into units of the county government, and establishing a clearinghouse for information on area employment problems. The report then presents recommendations for successful college-CETA cooperation and discusses the improvement in the cost-effectiveness of community training programs when offered at the community college. A chart illustrating the flow and prioritization of participants through the CETA process within CAWRMC is provided. (JP)

A rationale is presented for the establishment of a comprehensive skills center designed to provide low-cost, vocational training that would enable the unskilled and unemployed population of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to fill area manpower needs. The report first compares the present composition of the county work force with the manpower needs of local businesses and industry, demonstrating that despite a healthy demand for skilled labor, a large segment of the population is unemployed due to a lack of education, skills, and good work habits. The report then discusses the need for a coordinated delivery system of manpower services which can assure an unsubsidized job in the private sector for each trainee. The role of a skills center in this delivery system is then explored, and three principles for its operation are enumerated: (1) the training of the educationally and economically disadvantaged should not be limited to work skills; (2) training should lead to jobs with a future; and (3) cooperative relationships must be maintained with the community, local government, and business and industry. The report concludes with a description of a proposed skills center, that includes a statement of mission and goals, an indication of faculty and staff requirements, and a proposed budget for the center's first year. (JP)

A telephone survey was conducted to determine the number of lecture hours per week assigned by public two-year colleges as a normal full-time faculty workload. Telephone calls were made to the Academic Collective Bargaining Information Service, to the state administrators for two-year colleges, and to the chief academic offices of individual colleges. More than 70 officers cooperated in this study, providing information on 767 institutions. Workload information was gathered for all but four exceptional instructional situations: writing classes or other courses in which faculty were allowed exceptional amounts of time to devote to the evaluation of students' work; large classes for which special workload arrangements were made; classes in which unusual instructional strategies (e.g., computer-assisted instruction) required special workload allowances; and courses in which special workload arrangements were made because of team-teaching assignments. The survey revealed that of the 767 colleges, 702 assigned 15 lecture hours per week as the normal workload. Only 19 institutions assigned less than 15 hours, and only 39 colleges assigned normal workloads of more than 15 hours. The survey report discusses the rationale for choosing lecture hours, as opposed to other measurements, for use as a frame of reference in quantifying faculty productivity. (JP)

The focus of this report is on student service programs of colleges and universities with a student population between twenty and thirty-five thousand. Using 39 senior colleges and 16 junior colleges, administrators of academic affairs and student services areas were asked to categorize evaluation approaches they had participated in. Respondents were asked to indicate the purpose of evaluation, the "advance organizers" or types of variables used to determine information requirements, the source of questions addressed in evaluations, the actual questions answered by evaluation, and the instruments used. Results have it that to effectively study student services at this target level, internal committees and external consultants may evaluate different aspects of the program. Just as in a traditional academic evaluation, policies, procedures and lines of authority must be established as well as a rigid chronological step-by-step procedure must be outlined. (CE)

A survey was conducted to ascertain the views of present and past students and staff and administrators of Cuyahoga Community College's three ACCESS programs: Veterans Upward Bound, Project Search, and Special Services for Disadvantaged Students. Questionnaires sent to current program participants focused on the nature and value of program activities designed as preparation for postsecondary education; satisfaction with various aspects of the programs; and student background and characteristics. Questionnaires administered to former students requested additional information on activities since program participation and assessment of the programs' influence. Administrators and staff were questioned about their understanding of the programs' purpose and asked to appraise program aspects including tutor and counselor activities. They were also requested to recommend changes. Study findings, based on a low response rate of 21%, with especially low responses from current (19%) and former (13%) students, were restricted to Project Search participants and to administrators and staff. These include the following: (1) 95% of the Project Search past participants were helped to enroll in school; however, 46% of these dropped out and did not return; (2) financial assistance services and the staff were rated highly by participants, who also expressed general satisfaction with services; and (3) among the modifications suggested was a change in emphasis from quantity of students to quality of services. The survey instruments are appended. (HB)

An evaluation is given of an urban summer recreational program which was sponsored by a community college and designed to provide recreation, instruction, competition, and personal development for youth from 8 to 17 years. The program also offered inservice education to staff of community agencies working with youth. Activities included swimming, gymnastics, softball, baseball, track and field, basketball, judo, tennis, and soccer. Approximately 1,250 youth participated. This report presents descriptions of program goals and objectives, staffing, and participants. Results of a survey of the faculty and the students in the recreational leadership course and interviews with the staff and administrators measured the attitudes toward the program and its effectiveness. Demographics of the participants and program costs were also considered. Attitudes toward the inservice component were measured through a questionnaire. Findings indicate an overall satisfaction with the recreational program and the leadership inservice training. Problems that arose are briefly discussed and recommendations are made for future programs. Appended are the program plan, registration form, budget, staff questionnaires, summary of responses, recreation program attendance data, course description, leadership training course evaluation form, and staff evaluation form and responses. (JD)

A survey of marketing and market research activities in large, urban, two- and four-year colleges was conducted to identify the nature of marketing problems faced by institutions; current and preferred emphasis placed on market research activities; modes of assessing the needs of target groups and developing appropriate programs; the location of marketing functions within the administrative structure of the institution; evidence of articulated marketing plans; and faculty and administrator attitudes toward marketing. Responses from 38 (54%) of the two-year institutions and 20 (38%) of the four-year institutions surveyed indicated that: (1) the key factors affecting enrollment were increased competition (at both two- and four-year colleges); tighter economic conditions (at two-year colleges); and the public's impression that the campus was unsafe (at four-year institutions); (2) market research emphasized employer needs and the needs of special groups at two-year institutions and emphasized area demographics and information on current students at four-year colleges; (3) greater emphasis was placed on needs assessment and program development at two-year institutions; (4) institutional responsibility for marketing was likely to be with the Office of Public Relations at two-year colleges and with the Admissions Officer at four-year colleges; and (5) two-year institutions were more likely to have an articulate marketing plan. The report includes tables and the survey instrument. (HB)

The Step-Up to College Program was initiated in the summer of 1980 to provide basic skills instruction in English and mathematics for incoming freshmen, re-entry adult students, and high school students and adults considering college. Program participants who were enrolled in both the English and math courses (N=125) were asked to take part in a program evaluation which focused on students' characteristics, reasons for enrolling in the program, and perceptions of the program, as well as on marketing strategies and participant follow-up. Data were gathered from Cuyahoga's Student Information System, student questionnaires, reading and mathematics achievement tests, and interviews with program staff. The evaluation revealed that: (1) participants tended to be female, black students ranging in age from 12 to 34 years; (2) 22% were not enrolled full-time in high school or college in 1979-80; (3) students were most interested in earning college credits applicable to future attendance and in improving reading and writing skills; (4) students were least interested in career guidance and tutor assistance; (5) students enrolled in the Step-Up English and math classes earned higher grades than students enrolled in comparable summer quarter classes. Based on the evaluation, it was recommended that future programs last longer that 17 days, include student assessment, use descriptive grading, and include an orientation day. (KL)

Between 1980 and 1982, Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) undertook a project designed to develop and implement cost-effective practices that would improve student success rates and student retention between quarters by 5%. Numerous activities were involved, including the development of a student advising system; the review and revision of course outlines; the establishment of a Student Assessment Center; the development of individualized instructional strategies, student credit-hour standards, and course offering plans; and the monitoring of project activities by a Student Retention Committee. The target population included students enrolled in 35 entry-level courses spanning the business, health, engineering, and general education curricula. Outcomes of the project included the following: (1) the number of credit hours of students enrolled in key courses per full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty increased by 13.7%; (2) the total number of student credit hours on campus per FTE faculty increased by 12.5%; (3) the number of students successful in key courses increased by 3.5%; (4) the number of credit hours for students enrolled in key courses per dollar spent decreased by 6%; and (5) the average student retention between quarters increased by 8.5%. It was concluded that, given firm organizational commitment, productivity (as measured by faculty/student ratio) could be improved along with student retention and success. Data tables are appended. (HB)