Self-Study Issues
PAGE 2 OF 10
Standard Two
Committee Membership:
Alisa Sparkia Moore, Esq., Co-Chair, Public Information Officer
Jerry Mortensen, Co-Chair, Assistant Dean of Criminal Justice, Public Safety
and Music
Joan Beem, Professor; Coordinator, Nursing
Barbara Harvey, College Graphic Artist; Adjunct Instructor, Art
Standard Two: Institutional Integrity
The institution subscribes to, advocates, and demonstrates honesty and truthfulness in representations to its constituencies and the public; in pursuit of truth and the dissemination of knowledge; in its treatment of and respect for administration, faculty, staff and students; in the management of its affairs and in relationships with its accreditation association and other external agencies.
The Standard Two committee chose to respond in two parts. Part 1 contains the Self-Identified Issues relevant to the Standard, and Part 2 is an update of the institution’s progress since 1996.
Part 1: Self-Identified Issues
A. From the 1996 Self-Study Report:
Discussion Summary:
The 1996 Self-Study Report was based on the Eight Standards that were then in place. At this time, there are Ten Standards. The 1996 Standard One: Institutional Integrity, Purposes, Planning and Effectiveness 1A.1 – 1A.11 is now almost completely subsumed in Standard Two: Institutional Integrity. The rest of what was Standard One has been moved to other Standards, or new Standards were created.None of the recommendations from the 1996 Commission’s report that was based on the 1996 Ventura College Accreditation Self-Study Report and the ten-member team visit refer to any issues raised under the then Standard One or the current Standard Two.
A number of the relevant self-identified issues from the 1996 VC report have been resolved or have been moved from the old Standard One portion of the report to other or new Standards, or included in Recommendations that no longer fall under the current Standard Two.
For example:
Issue: “Specific efforts have been made to establish Ventura College as a place where diversity is recognized and appreciated” was raised as a self-identified issue in 1996, and appears only as Recommendation 8.1 in that team’s set of Recommendations: “Recognizing the far-reaching educational, social, and political impact of diversity, the District and College should find ways to enhance their commitment to the processes and goals of Affirmative Action, (Standard 8B)”
Diversity is an on-going concern, one that we feel that the College has addressed in the past (please see our analysis of Standard 2.6 in Part Two that follows), and continues to address, but is not a negative situation at all. The College has taken steps to make sure that diversity concerns are addressed for staff, faculty and students in every aspect of their time in the Ventura College community – whether in instruction, enrollment procedures, student activities or services for students; and employment practices, academic freedom and a diverse teaching population for faculty and staff. Survey statistics bear out the success of the College’s commitment to diversity. There is a concerted, organized effort to make sure that everyone’s needs are met to the best level possible, given limited resources. The College has done what it said in the 1996 report that it wanted to do, “…stay proactive in its relationship to its diverse students and community.”
Other Issues: The items in the 1996 Plan under Standard One have been, to the great part, completed, or are being addressed elsewhere in this report.
- Standard 1A: Staff Development Committee diverse learning styles issues are addressed separately, please see Response to Recommendation Five (referencing Standard 5.7).
- Issues regarding the Student Activities Director are addressed under Standard Five: Student Support and Development.
- The Home Page has been created and been expanded far in excess of the Plan originally envisioned (please see www.venturacollege.edu).
- Standard 1B: the revised Mission, Vision, and Goals Statement was disseminated and included in the College Catalog. This issue has been thoroughly reviewed in our Part Two 2003 Progress Report, under Standard 2.1A.
- Standard 1C: The priorities were developed, and were used by the planning units for a 5-year plan. That information is currently on the Web site, under Faculty and Staff Resources, within the Council for Institutional Development pages. The Council for Institutional Development, which is charged with a similar mission and has been performing that role since 1997, has replaced the Planning Council. Concerns regarding the tying of the planning process to the budget development process still exist, although those issues have been addressed in Standard Nine: Financial Resources.
- Standard 1D: Institutional Effectiveness is no longer part of the Integrity standard. The new Standard Three encompasses those issues, and has been addressed in that portion of this Report
B. From the 1998 Mid-Term Report:
No specific self-identified issues relating to Institutional Integrity were raised.
C. From the 2002 Progress Report:
Issues have arisen as a result of the 2002 Progress Report, but not ones that were raised in the Report, but rather were caused by the process of generating the report. Those concerns resulted in:
Recommendation 10: “The College take immediate steps to reestablish a relationship of integrity with the Commission by ensuring that it is accurate in all communications with the Commission and that it follows the process outlined for development of college reports. (1996 Standards 2.8, Guide to Institutional Self-Study and Reports to the Commission, page 3, Participation of the Self Study, and page 38, Midterm Report)
Discussion Summary:
We suggest, as a campus and as a committee, that the process that has been utilized in the preparation of the 2003 Progress Report will lay those issues and the resultant Recommendation Ten to rest. The 2003 Progress Report is the result of a variety of participating committees – whose sign-in sheets reflect a wide diversity of staff, faculty and management participation, and whose minutes reflect a depth of issues discussed and questions debated which was not present in the preparation of the 2002 Report. The draft report that resulted from the committees’ work was then widely disseminated, discussed, reviewed, corrected and then re-issued. Copies of the draft were made available in hard copy to all of the full-time and part-time faculty, to the members of all shared governance committees and planning committees, by e-mail distribution to the entire campus community (including classified staff) and on the College Web site for the entire district and the community to review and contribute to. Copies of all comments and committee membership lists are available for review. All of this was accomplished on a far-shorter time-line than the traditional accreditation report preparation calls for.In addition, the clear and consistent written communications between the Commission and the College helped alleviate some of the confusion that arose last time. The change in personnel in the Executive Vice President’s office has resulted in a renewed commitment to accuracy, consistency, thoroughness and respect for the process as required by the Commission.
D. New Self-Identified Issues
Standard 2.1
Issue: There is one major concern that has arisen as a result of the study conducted for the 2003 Progress Report, namely that the advent of the web-based technology has resulted in the need to maintain vigilant oversight of the college’s Web site. In essence the Web site is a huge document, more than 600 pages, created by a variety of faculty and staff. The printed catalog and schedules of classes, which are created annually by a variety of staff and faculty as well, now have one staff person overseeing the production of those documents. The Web site at this time has one staff person overseeing the campus-wide portions of the site, with the technical assistance of a staff member provided by the District Service Center. It is simply a huge job and there is need for more commitment of resources to this task.
Issue: Another, more minor issue to be addressed is the manner of scheduling a regular review of all portions of the Web site to ensure accuracy, timeliness and completeness of the materials on the site.
Discussion Summary:
PLAN:
The District, the College and the State of California are in a financial crisis as this is being prepared. It is not likely that additional resources will be made available for assistance with maintenance of the Web site at this time. However, it is possible that a grant or other form of funding might be found. The College should attempt to locate additional funding to assist with Web site maintenance.The College, through the Administrative Council, should designate a committee to review a reasonable schedule for Web site review, similar to Program Review.
Standards 2.2 and 2.3
Issue: The Full-Time Faculty Handbook needs to be updated.
Discussion Summary:
PLAN:
Administrative Council will be asked to form a committee to update the Faculty Handbook over the next year, which is the normal cycle for such an update.Standards 2.4 – 2.8
No new self-identified issues have been raised.Standard 2.9
Issue: There is no systematic plan to evaluate and revise all campus policies and procedures on an ongoing basis. Most evaluation and revisions are a result of feedback regarding existing problems with a particular policy or procedure.
Discussion Summary:
This issue should be discussed at CID, Administrative Council and the President’s Cabinet, to review the issue, gain consensus on the level of severity of the problem and the development of a strategy for creating a regular system of policy review for the campus. This issue may also be under review as a result of the Educational Master Plan currently in the design process.Part I Summary:
The committee feels that the College has taken strong steps to ensure compliance with this Standard. Concerns experienced as a result of the 2002 Report to the Commission have been taken very seriously and addressed campus-wide, as shown in the preparation of the 2003 Progress Report. The newly raised self-identified issues are within the capabilities of the campus to address reasonably.
Part 2 : The Institution’s Progress
Standard 2.1
The institution represents itself clearly, accurately, and consistently
to its constituencies, the public, and prospective students through
its catalogues, publications, and statements, including those presented
in electronic formats. Precise, accurate, and current information is
provided in the catalog concerning (a) educational purposes; (b) degrees,
curricular offerings, educational resources, and course offerings;
(c) student fees and other financial obligations, student financial
aid, and fee refund policies; (d) requirements for admission and for
achievement of degrees, including the academic calendar and information
regarding program length; and (e) the names of administrators, faculty,
and the governing board.
Ventura College produces an annual Catalog, three Schedules of Classes per year and numerous individual publications from various departments and divisions, programs and services (S 2.1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d, S 2.2, S 2.3). In addition, the President of the College prepares a monthly President’s Report for the Board of Trustees’ meetings, which is then disseminated to all county and some state and federal elected officials; all faculty (full and part-time); staff and students. We are in the process of creating a web link for the publication as well (S 2.4). All publications are to be reviewed by the Public Relations Office prior to production to ensure accuracy and consistency of the College’s message.
In addition, the College Web site was redesigned during the spring and summer 2002, resulting in more than 600 pages of information available to any interested party, and accessible at http://www.venturacollege.edu.
Design and maintenance of the Web site was previously done by an independent contractor, and is now done by the college staff, in conjunction with the assistance of technical support provided by the district office. During the time between the independent contractor and the redesign, the site was fallow for a period of months, resulting in some outdated materials remaining posted. However, the campus-wide information has been undergoing a thorough review, under the auspices of the public relations office, site-by-site, page-by-page, in an attempt to get all of the past-dated materials updated.
A review of the Catalogs and Schedules printed since the 1998 Mid-Term Report substantiates that the materials required by Standard 2.1 contain the required information.
Standard 2.1(a) educational purposes
The mission, vision and goals of the College (College Philosophy) are published
in the Catalog annually (S 2.5). In addition, the College Philosophy is located
in two sites on the College Web site (S 2.6, S 2.7).
Standard 2.1(b) degrees, curricular offerings, educational resources,
and course offerings Information regarding our degrees, curricular
offerings, educational resources and course offerings are available in
the Ventura College Catalog
(complete); the Schedule of Classes (partial) and on the Web site (partial).
The Ventura College Catalogs provide comprehensive lists of all degrees,
courses, resources and programs (S 2.8). The Schedules of Classes provide
relevant information regarding what degrees are available, what resources
are available and what courses are offered for a specific semester (S
2.9). The addition of the curricular list of degrees, certificates and
programs offered at Ventura College is fairly recent – the page
was added to the Schedule of Classes within the past academic year, and
to the Web site in Summer 2002.
The College Web site lists the classes available for each semester through a specific link to that semester’s Schedule of Classes. The College Web site also provides a direct link to the current College Catalog, and therefore to a comprehensive list of the courses offered at Ventura College, http://students.vcccd.net/cats/vc_cat.htm (S 2.10).
The current layout of our catalog separates the programs and degrees offered from the courses offered. The specific catalog information on the programs, resources and degrees is just being added to the College Web site, under http://www.venturacollege.edu/degreereq/ and it is being added to the Catalog web link on the District Web site. A team comprised of the Executive Vice President, the Articulation Officer, the Public Relations Officer and the District Assistant Vice Chancellor of Information Technology (IT) are reviewing the issues related to redesigning that portion of the Web site.
In addition, the College Web site contains specific, current program information in a different locale, under Academic Programs, which replicates the “List of Degrees, Courses and Certificates offered at Ventura College” that is printed in the semester Schedule of Classes, but with links to the various programs (S 2.11). The College Web site also has pages for each educational resource, such as the Transfer Center, the Counseling Center, the Career Center, the Educational Assistance Center (formerly DSPS), Admissions and Records, the Library, etc. (S 2.12).
Standard 2.1(c) student fees and other financial obligations,
student financial aid, and fee refund policies
The Ventura College Catalog contains complete information on all fees, financial
aid, and fee refund policies. Current district policies are included in the
Catalog (S 2.13). In addition, much of that information is repeated (and updated
if changes occur during the year) in the Schedules of Classes that are printed
three times a year. Both payment and refund forms are printed in the Schedules
(S 2.14). Finally, the College Web site is very complete:
- Current fee information and policies are available on the College
Web site at
http://www.venturacollege.edu/admissions/fees.htm (S 2.15) - Financial aid information is available at http://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student_services/financial_aid/index.shtml (S 2.16) and
- Scholarship information is available through the Foundation Web site at http://www.venturacollege.edu/foundation/scholarships_form.htm (S 2.17).
Standard 2.1(d) requirements for admission and for achievement of degrees,
including the academic calendar and information regarding program length
All requirements for admission, achievement of degrees, and program length
are published annually in the College Catalogs (S 2.18). Admissions and registration
information has always been included in the Schedules of Classes and on the
Ventura College Web site (S 2.19, S 2.20).
The academic calendar has not been published in the Catalog in the past because it is the result of negotiations between the district office and the faculty union, and therefore has not been available at the time our catalog went to print. It is made available in every administrative office; the faculty is provided multiple copies; and students may request copies (S 2.21). Each semester’s calendar has been printed in the Schedule of Classes (S 2.22). However, as a result of the review generated by this committee, a request has been made of the District to also post the academic calendar on our Web site, in several locations, which should be completed prior to the printing of this report. A version of it is already available on Student Central, a site that is maintained by the District Information Technology department, and which is readily available to anyone who accesses the College Web site, at http://students.vcccd.edu/calendar.htm (S 2.23).
Standard 2.1(e) the names of administrators, faculty, and the governing
board.
Each Catalog always provides the names of current administrators, full-time
faculty and their qualifications, and the names of the Governing Board (S2.24).
In addition, the back cover of each Schedule of Classes lists the governing
board, and there is a “Welcome from the President” of the College
identifying him as such in at least two out of three Schedules per year. Some
Summer Schedules have deleted the “Welcome” in a space-saving,
cost-cutting move. Every Schedule lists the full-time faculty, their office
location and telephone extension (S 2.25). The College Web site provides:
· faculty information at http://academic.venturacollege.edu/ (S
2.26)
· Contact information such as faculty e-mail lists at http://www.venturacollege.edu/directory/faculty_ftpt_email.htm (S
2.27)
· Faculty and staff telephone lists at http://www.venturacollege.edu/directory/index.htm (S
2.28)
· Finally, the district Web site provides information on the Governing
Board (http://www.vcccd.net/bot/bot1.htm)
(S 2.29) and the Chancellor at http://www.vcccd.net/td/td1.htm (S
2.30)
Standard 2.2
The institution has a readily available governing board-adopted
policy protecting academic freedom and responsibility that states the
institutional commitment to the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge
and fosters the integrity of the teaching-learning process.
The academic freedom policy currently adopted by the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Board of Trustees is under policy C.12, Educational Activities and Operational Policies. It is available on page 5 of that section, on the VCCCD Web site at http://www.vcccd.net/bot/gbpm_c.pdf (S 2.31). This portion of the Educational Activities policy concerns Academic Freedom, Teaching Controversial Subjects, Guest Speakers, etc.
The Ventura College Academic Senate has recently created a web site, as part of the Ventura College web site, and has included that same policy under its site, http://www.venturacollege.edu/academicsenate/ (S 2.32).
The Ventura College Faculty Handbook contains the Academic Freedom policy (page 6), along with several other relevant policies (S 2.33, S 2.34). The Handbook, provided to full-time faculty, was updated in 1989 and 1996, and is due to be updated and redistributed in 2003.
The Ventura College Part-Time Faculty Handbook is updated annually,
and also contains the Academic Freedom policy on page 4 (S 2.35).
Standard 2.3
Faculty and other college staff distinguish between personal conviction
and proven conclusions and present relevant data fairly and objectively
to students and others.
The Ventura County Community College District’s Board of Trustee’s Policy on Academic Freedom provides the guidance from which the campus policies regarding “personal conviction and proven conclusions” and “presenting relevant data fairly and objectively” are derived (S2.31)
The College includes those concerns in the statements of the College’s Mission, Vision, and Values, which are reprinted annually in the College Catalog (S 2.5). The relevant portion of “Our Values” states:
We believe that Ventura College is a community of caring people who foster positive human values in their classrooms and in their work. We value a community that communicates honestly, ethically, openly and with integrity.
The Values statements are also on the Web sites, as noted in the Academic Freedom section above.
Ventura College has directly addressed this concern in several different publications. The Ventura College Faculty Handbooks speak to this issue in the section “Academic Policies, Practices and Procedures”, under the headings on page 6, Academic Freedom and Teaching a Controversial Subjects (S 2.36, S 2.37).
Part-time faculty members are provided with a different handbook, which is updated annually (S 2.35). The policy is implied generally in Ventura College's Mission Statement as well as Values (especially 1 & 8) and Practices (2), which are included in the Handbook. It is spelled out in more detail, almost word for word from the Faculty Handbook, in the Statement of Academic Freedom on page 4, items 2 & 3 (S 2.35).
In addition, there are other controlling documents that are provided to both full-time and part-time instructors that refer to “personal conviction vs. objective data,” included in “The Agreement Between VCCCD and VC Federation of College Teachers-AFT Local 1828, 2001-2004” (S 2.38). These are evaluation forms for different purposes. All of them ask questions that are relevant to this portion of the Standard.
- Faculty Self-Appraisal Report, Appendix D, Form A1, which allows the faculty member to include comments from student evaluations.
- Faculty Work Site Visit Report, Appendix D, Form A2, which allows the observing manager to evaluate the currency of the information provided by the faculty member.
- Non-Classroom Teaching Faculty Site Visit Report, Appendix D, Form B2, which asks the evaluator to consider: C-“...clarity and organization of presentation of information or direction to student” and E- “Service Content: current, adequate, outdated” “...consistent with programs and objectives.”
- VCCCD Student Reaction to Teaching Effectiveness (available both in English and Spanish). Questions #1, 2, 6, 15, 19, and 20 address the issue generally, but there is no specific question regarding the issues of “objectivity versus personal views”.
The President of Ventura College, Dr. Larry Calderón, is a board member of the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA). The ACCCA Statement of Ethics defines ethics as “consistency in the exercise of integrity to sustain credibility and is expected in an administrator” (S 2.39). The ACCCA Statement of Ethics also explains the importance of ethics. Dr. Calderón considers the ACCCA Statement of Ethics binding on him as an administrator. It is his duty under the ACCCA Statement, with reference to his dealings with colleagues and staff, “to encourage, support, and abide by written policies and procedures and to communicate clearly to all staff members the conditions of employment, work expectations and evaluation procedures.”
Our new Distance Learning Plan, which is still in its proposal format, addresses this issue on page 10 under the heading “Visional Direction, Curriculum” (S 2.40). The Plan makes it very clear that distance education classes and instruction will be held to the same standards and evaluated by the same measures as more traditional classroom instruction.
While most of the publications that address the issue of objectivity
in teaching are directed to faculty and administrators, the only document
that is available to students who could evaluate the issue, does not
include a specific question on that topic for students to answer. However,
the form is a negotiated item, and not one that can simply be redrafted
(S 2.38).
Standard 2.4
Institutions which strive to instill specific beliefs or worldviews
or to require codes of conduct of faculty, administration and support
staff, or students give clear prior notice of such policies.
Ventura College strives to instill democracy, shared governance, and
equal opportunity for a diverse population in its programs, services
and policies, and is strongly committed to diversity in staff (See Standard
2.6 supra). In addition, honesty and ethics are behaviors that must be
demonstrated by faculty, administrative and support staff, and students
(See Standard 2.2; Standard 2.3, ibid). These beliefs are reflected in
the college values and practices that have been identified by the Council
for Institutional Development (CID) (S 2.41). As noted in Standards 2.1,
2.2, and 2.3, these values and goals are reflected in the Ventura College
Catalog, Student Handbooks and the Ventura College Strategic Decision
Process, as created in CID (S 2.42, S 2.43, S 2.44). They are reflected
in the hiring processes of the college and district, such as the attention
paid to diversity representation in both the hiring pool and the evaluation
process (S 2.45).
Standard 2.5
The institution provides faculty and students with clear expectations
concerning the principles of academic honesty and the sanctions for
violation.
The Ventura County Board of Trustees, the Ventura County Community College District, and Ventura College have throughout the years developed and established college policies relating to codes of conduct, academic college policies and college honesty issues. Through various forms of printed and electronic media, Ventura College provides its faculty, students and student/athletes with clear and concise expectations regarding these matters. The Academic Honesty policy of the Board of Trustees is located at http://www.vcccd.net/bot/gbpm_f.pdf, under Student Rights and Responsibilities, Classroom 6B(2); and Student Code of Conduct, A(3), dishonesty, cheating, abetting cheating (S 2.46).
The relevant portions of the Ventura College Catalogs from 1999-2003 regarding plagiarism, academic honesty and sanctions are contained in S 2.47. The Student Code of Conduct Violation Form is S 2.48.
As a member of the Association of California Community College Administration (ACCCA) and the Western State Conference (WSC) Ventura College is bound by the code of ethics and decorum policies embraced by these organizations. In addition to those publications cited above, these guidelines are found in the WSC Code of Ethics and the CCC Decorum Policy and the ACCCA Code of Conduct (S 2.49; S 2.50; S 2.39). In addition, the Ventura College Faculty Handbooks, page 8 (cheating/plagiarism), page 18 (code of conduct), and the Ventura College Part-Time Faculty Handbook, for example, the “Writing a Syllabus” Appendix, all contain documentation of the unacceptability of such conduct (S 2.33; S 2.34; S 2.35). Many of the Ventura College instructors provide syllabi to their students during the first week of the semester outlining personal and college expectations with respect to attendance, classroom participation, and academic honesty among other matters (S 2.51).
The Ventura College Student Handbook for 2001-2002 sets forth the student rights and responsibilities, including standards for dishonesty and cheating. (S 2.43)
Ventura College students and student/athletes can also receive information on Ventura College’s integrity programs through the Student Right to Know Reporting Project available in printed format and on the Ventura County Community College District Web site (S 2.52, S 2.53).
Based on the above, the Ventura College faculty, student and student/athlete population have all the guidance, publications and tools necessary for a clear understanding of Ventura Community College academic integrity policies as well as any sanctions associated with the violation of these policies.
Standard 2.6
The institution demonstrates through policies and practices an appropriate
understanding of and concern for issues of equity and diversity.
Ventura College has a long-standing history of commitment and sensitivity to issues regarding equity and diversity in their faculty, staff, and student body.
· Policies
The College’s non-discrimination policies are clearly articulated and
available in a variety of formats. Whether in instruction, employment, or providing
equal opportunities for students of every conceivable background in an environment
that is supportive and non-accepting of inappropriate and illegal actions,
Ventura College’s policies are documented and substantive.
The College’s Vision, as published in our Catalogs and on our Web site, states:
Ventura College will be recognized as an educational leader providing
a positive and accessible student learning environment characterized
by innovative programs, support services and technology.
This learning community will:
- Be responsible to the needs of diverse students
- Promote success
- Develop our students’ full potential
- Create lifelong learners
- Foster positive human values for successful living and
responsible community membership in a global environment
These will be accompanied by a dedicated, caring and diverse team of professionals responsive to the community and committed to meeting and exceeding student expectations (S 2.5, S 2.6).
One of the College’s nine specified goals, as stated on the web and in the catalog is:
Ventura College will increase overall student accessibility to, and enrollment in, the college and its programs. The college will generate a powerful, positive image. (S 2.5, S 2.6)
The Catalog contains statements of College policy regarding Equal Opportunities, Title IX, the Harassment/Discrimination policy, the complete procedure for filing a complaint under that policy and the Campus policy and procedures regarding Sexual Assault (S 2.54).
In addition, those policies are set forth in the Schedules of Classes published three times a year (S 2.55). Further, the Sexual Harassment Policy has been reprinted by the District Human Resources Office, and copies of the brochure are distributed all over campus for students, faculty and staff. Three individuals, a faculty member, classified staff member and manager, are Sexual Harassment Facilitators, identified as such and available for students, faculty or staff who have questions, concerns or complaints. Each member has been trained by the District Service Center (DSC) to handle these issues appropriately (S 2.56).
There is also a campus manager assigned the responsibility for compliance issues regarding Title IX, Dr. Karen Gorback, and her name, phone number and responsibilities are published in the Schedule of Classes and in the Catalog. Similarly, Dr. Glenn Hisayasu is responsible for issues involving complaints of disability discrimination or failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
A major area of concern regarding diversity and equity issues is employment. Ventura College, as part of a three-college district, is subject to hiring procedures primarily designed and implemented through the DSC, which handles most human resources and employment matters. See Response to Recommendation Four for further details.
The DSC and Ventura College are subject to the VCCCD Board of Trustees Personnel Philosophies and Policies as published on the Board Manual Web site http://www.vcccd.net/bot/gbpm_e.pdf, which states:
The Ventura County Community College District Governing Board subscribes to and promotes the principles of good personnel management, equal employment opportunities, equal pay, and fair employment practices.(S 2.57)
The policy further sets out the VCCCD commitment to specific equal employment practices and other employment issues.
Both the Faculty Handbook and the Part-Time Faculty Handbook restate the College’s commitment to equal opportunities in employment. (S 2.33, S 2.35)
The DSC has proposed a revision of their current hiring procedures. Virtually every step of the processes described includes references to ensuring the diversity of the applicant pool by recruiting or placing the announcement in a variety of minority-based media, the oral and paper screening committees, and the entire hiring process (S 2.45 proposed Hiring Procedures). In addition, the document specifies that all faculty announcements will include a paragraph stating that “VCCCD seeks candidates exhibiting a sensitivity and understanding of the diverse academic, social, economic, cultural, disability and ethnic backgrounds of community college students” (S 2.45, 4a).
To further protect the rights of individuals in the hiring process at Ventura College, the College has a “Staff Diversity Officer” or “Diversity Facilitator”. The officer is to:
serve as a consultant on District and state guidelines, and is responsible
for monitoring the District’s affirmative action procedures, including
but not limited to a review of the job descriptions and announcements,
composition and procedures of selection committees, and the adequacy
of the pool of applications, pursuant to AB1725, Section 4.t.6-7 (S 2.58).
· Practices
Ventura College is proud to be a campus that has successfully implemented its
various policies regarding employment, enrollment and instruction, the result
being a diverse faculty and staff, and a diverse student body, whose needs
are considered and attended to. The creation of appropriate student centers
and the awarding of specific grants have allowed Ventura College to create
an environment that is sensitive and responsive to a growing diversity among
its students and personnel.
For instance:
Ventura College has been designated a Hispanic Serving
Institution (H.S.I.) by the U.S. Department of Education. To be so designated,
the institution
must be at least 25% Hispanic. Ventura College is now more than 34% Hispanic
(Fall 2002), up from 29% in Spring 2000. That designation entitled the
College to apply for, and they were awarded, two separate grants through
the Title V program that will provide additional services to Hispanic
students, such as Spanish language web pages and bilingual student services
at our East Campus, while also benefiting our entire student population
with additional online services and classes and increased attention to
gateway courses – those courses that stand between students and
their ultimate academic success, typically entry-level language arts
and math classes (S 2.59).
In addition to services and programs provided through the monies gained from the Title V and numerous other grants, such as our ENLACE grant, Ventura College provides many services to support students of minority or ethnic backgrounds, sometimes using categorical funds and sometimes from the general fund, such as:
- The Extended Opportunities, Programs and Services (EOPS) Office
- Major portions of the Spring 2003 Schedule of Classes were provided in Spanish for the first time
- Telephone answering services are offered in Spanish
- The Multi-Cultural Center staffed part-time by a bilingual staff person
- Our Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program provides career, academic and counseling support for students from underprivileged backgrounds who are majoring in those areas
- Bilingual services are available at both the main campus and the East Campus in the Admissions and Records Office, Counseling, Matriculation; Transfer Center, EOPS, Financial Aid, and other services and programs.
- Personal counseling services are available at both the Counseling Center and through the Student Health Center.
- A variety of student organizations support diversity, including
- Movimiento Estudiante Chicano de Aztlan (MeCHA)
- Extended Opportunities, Programs and Services Student Association (EOPSSA)
- African American Student Union
- Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
- Native American Club
- Asian-Pacific Student Union
These student groups have undertaken a wide range of activities related to diversity concerns, which have generated press coverage (S 2.60).
Ventura College is very attentive to issues involving students with disabilities. The Educational Assistance Center (EAC) services more than 1,000 students with disabilities annually, and is considered cutting-edge in its use of technology, its technology assistance center and involvement in related issues statewide. The associated student-group, EAC Challengers, is very active, both socially and with fund-raising for the Assistive Technology Center. The new Alternate Media Specialist at the EAC is responsible for ensuring campus and Web site compliance with ADA issues. He has also been heavily involved in the design of our new Distance Learning Plan, ensuring accessibility for all students who attempt distance education through Ventura College (S 2.40).
In addition to ensuring support for diversity and accessibility for the students and the staff, such groups as the Women’s Concerns Council, the Re-entry and Women’s Center (which hosts support group meetings for re-entry students, gay and lesbian members of the VC community, and breast cancer survivors), the International Students’ Office, and CalWORKs all provide guidance and counseling. As noted earlier, virtually all of these offices have web pages or information available through the Student Activities Office (S 2.12).
For more than the past four years, Hispanic Outlook Magazine has selected Ventura College as one of the “Top 50” community colleges in the nation for Hispanic students. In addition, VC was rated as 29th in the nation in 2001 for associate’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students. Our Hispanic student population is not large enough to qualify us for the “Hispanic Outlook Magazine Top 50” list of community colleges with the largest percentage of Hispanic students, which leads to the conclusion that Hispanic students do very well at Ventura College, receiving a disproportionate share of the associate’s degrees awarded (S 2.61).
The Survey of Student Perceptions performed Spring 2000 involved 1,631
students and was conducted by the Office of Institutional Research at
the DSC. Participants were asked whether they had observed racism, sexism,
or other discrimination at VC and whether they had personally experienced
racism, sexism or other discrimination at VC. 86.5% responded, “No,
they had not observed racism, sexism or other discrimination at VC”,
and 92.8% recorded “No, they had not personally experienced racism,
sexism or other discrimination at VC”. More than 92% of the students
surveyed agreed somewhat or strongly with the statement “I feel
comfortable at this college” (S 2.62).
· Equity Issues
Recognizing that equity issues are separate from those concerns raised regarding
diversity, the committee would like to draw attention to the fact that impacted
programs have dealt with the issues of admission and retention in the fairest
ways they have been able to create. Such programs as the nursing program
and emergency medical technician program have high demand for admission and
limited enrollments. These programs have had to design a means for ensuring
equity in their admissions procedures. For instance, the nursing program
has designed a random draw procedure that is set forth in the College Catalog
(S 2.63).
· Faculty
As noted earlier, diversity in hiring helps ensure that students are treated
fairly, that representative views being taught and that the campus sustains
a feeling of being well-rounded. The attention to diversity in hiring and
promotion at VC has resulted in a very broad faculty, staff and management
team. Ventura College has a Hispanic president, one Hispanic, one Asian,
and three female deans out of eight total, three Hispanic and four female
department chairs and two Hispanic and four female coordinators out of a
total of six. We have a female Executive Vice President, a male Vice President,
and one female Director out of three.
In March 2002, when the last count was done, Ventura College had 147 full-time classified staff. Of that number, 49 are Hispanic, and there are several African-American, Middle Eastern and Asian staffers as well. More than 90 are female. We have about 150 full-time faculty, of whom 37 are Hispanic and more than 70 are female. Of the 437 part-time faculty, more than 50 are of Hispanic heritage.
· Achievement to Goal
The College noted earlier its articulated goal to increase access to the College.
We have succeeded, beyond expectations. Headcount is up 8.6%, and unit enrollment
growth is up 12.8% from Fall 1998 to Fall 2002 (S 2.64). Even from Fall 2001
to Fall 2002, enrollment increased for females and Hispanics, while maintaining
consistency for Asian student enrollment and Native American student enrollment.
During that same period, our enrollment by the various age groups did not
vary significantly, other than an increase in age 50-64, probably attributable
to the creation and promotion of our Emeritus Institute (S 2.65).
Standard 2.7
The institution demonstrates honesty and integrity in its athletic programs.
As a member of the Association of California Community College Administration (ACCCA), the California Community College League and the Western State Conference (WSC), Ventura College is bound by the code of ethics and decorum policies embraced by these organizations (S 2.39, S 2.49). As noted above in Standard 2.5, with numerous attachments that are also applicable here, Ventura College provides its faculty, students and student/athletes with clear and concise expectations regarding these matters through various forms of printed and electronic media.
More specifically with respect to the Ventura College athletic program, Ventura College coaches and student/athletes alike are furnished with the WSC Code of Ethics, Decorum Policy and VC Team Manuals containing ethics and philosophy statements (S 2.49, S 2.50, S 2.66). These guidelines provide a contract establishing responsibilities, codes of conduct, ethics, and expectations between Ventura College and its student/athletes. In some of the most difficult athletic areas such as Title IX, Ventura College has attempted to foster college integrity and honesty in its own programs by such actions as the addition of female soccer and volleyball programs, and the adding of additional female instructors and assistants (S 2.67).
Standard 2.8
The institution demonstrates honesty and integrity in its
relationships with the Commission and agrees to comply with Commission
standards, policies,
guidelines, public disclosure, and self-study requirements.
As a result of the Ventura College report filed with the Commission in February 2002 and the team’s April 2002 visit, an additional Recommendation Ten, related to this sub-portion of Standard Two, was added to the Commission’s June 2002 findings and report.
Recommendation Ten stated:
The College take immediate steps to reestablish
a relationship of integrity with the Commission by ensuring that it is
accurate in all communication
with the Commission and that it follows the process outlined for development
of college reports. (1996 Standards 2.8, Guide to Institutional Self-Study
and Reports to the Commission, page 3, Participation of the Self Study,
and page 38, Midterm Report)
Given the serious, substantive concerns raised by the Commission’s addition of this recommendation to the findings in its report from the 2002 abbreviated visit, a separate campus committee was established to review these issues and address the issues. By reference hereto, the report of that committee is incorporated into this section of the VC Accreditation Progress report (S 2.68).
In order to prepare for the Accreditation work and to document the attention the College has given to the concerns raised by the Commission:
- Each committee has kept records of the attendance at each committee meeting and minutes of the discussions that occurred during those meetings (S 2.69, S 2.70).
- Each committee was provided with copies of the guidelines specified in Recommendation Ten.
- Each committee was provided with copies of the relevant portions of the 1996 report, the 1998 mid-term report and the 2002 report and supplemental report.
- In order to confirm the importance of broad, campus-wide participation in the creation of their reports, the committee co-chairs met regularly with the Executive Vice President and often with the Academic Senate President (S 2.71).
The Standard Two Committee, the Recommendation Ten Committee, and the entire team involved in the preparation of the 2003 Progress Report have taken the recommendation of the Commission to heart and has strived to meet the expectations of the Commission to the very best of the ability of Ventura College as a whole. We would request that the visiting team and the Commission note that we have worked on a very short time-line, having had less than three months to prepare this report for the team, get it published and approved by the Board of Trustees and to the team in time for their visit. We know of no other way to re-establish trust with the Commission than to verify the wide-spread participation of faculty, staff and managers, as well as student participation, in the preparation of the report, and to attempt to substantiate the depth of analysis undertaken in every aspect of the report, most especially the Self-Study Issues.
Standard 2.9
The institution regularly evaluates and revises institutional
policies, practices, and publications to ensure integrity in all representations
about its mission, programs, and services.
The President’s Council for Institutional Development (CID) has established a value of continuous improvement of our programs and services and has determined that the following should reflect our institutional values and practices: institutional policies and statements, student success policies, curriculum review and development, instructional innovation, information technology, faculty and staff selection and development, institutional effectiveness, well maintained facilities and positive learning environment (S 2.41).
The ongoing charge of CID is to coordinate and synthesize planning into a single process that is aligned with work units’ plans and goals. The college-planning model maintains a close collaboration between institutional priorities, the decision-making process and work unit plans and activities. Evaluation and revision of policies, practices and publications may be part of the program review process or completed more frequently by some departments and programs. For example, the School of Nursing reviews and revises all policies and procedures annually with student input and publishes them in the ADN Student Handbook (S 2.72, S 2.73).
The Student Success Team explores and revises policies on an ongoing basis. Recent examples include enrollment fee enforcement, payment of student health fees by high school and off-campus students, underage student special admission policy and academic policies such as course repetition, revision of course outlines and the new curriculum approval process.
The Student Services division has also examined and revised procedures and practices as they relate to student support systems.
The Academic Senate is responsible for reviewing all academic matters
related to course content, program development and faculty hiring. Recent
procedure and policy review and revisions have included the campus smoking
policy and the ethnic/gender studies course requirements for the associate
degree. As a subcommittee of the Academic Senate, the curriculum committee
meets regularly to review all curriculum revisions, and in the recent
past has worked on fees, course repetitions, development of a more detailed
course outline, and initiation of a smoother, more efficient process
for initiating and revising course outlines. The Staff Development Committee
has recently completed a Comprehensive Staff Development Plan that prioritizes
funding of staff development projects that are based on unit plans. In
addition, the staff development committee has evaluated flex activities
to ensure appropriate diversity and technology content.
Summary
In conclusion, the committee feels that Ventura College consistently and conscientiously attempts to communicate with each of its shareholder groups (faculty, staff, students, potential students, the Commission, and the public) fairly, accurately and completely. There are specific items that could use additional attention or regular oversight and which were addressed in Part 1: Self-Identified Issues portion of the report, as they relate to Standard Two. However, those issues are ones that can all be addressed in a reasonable time frame
Standard Two List of Documents
| S 2.1a | Ventura College Catalog 1999-2000 |
| S 2.1b | Ventura College Catalog 2000-2001 |
| S 2.1c | Ventura College Catalog 2001-2002 |
| S 2.1d | Ventura College Catalog 2002-2003 |
| S 2.2 | Schedules of Classes Binder |
| S 2.3 | Publications Binder |
| S 2.4 | President's Reports Binder |
| S 2.5 | Educational Purposes Pages from Catalogs |
| S 2.6 | About the College Philosophy Web Pages |
| S 2.7 | Council for Institutional Development Mission, Vision, Goals Web Pages |
| S 2.8 | Degrees, Resources Catalog Pages |
| S 2.9 | Degrees, Resources Schedule Pages |
| S 2.10 | Catalog Course Offerings, Web Pages |
| S 2.11 | Programs & Degrees List, Web Pages |
| S 2.12 | Resources List, Web Pages |
| S 2.13 | Fees Pages from Catalogs |
| S 2.14 | Fees Pages from Schedules |
| S 2.15 | Fee Information, Web Pages |
| S 2.16 | Financial Aid Information, Web Pages |
| S 2.17 | Scholarship Information, Web Pages |
| S 2.18 | Admissions Pages, Catalogs |
| S 2.19 | Admissions & Registration Pages, Schedules of Classes |
| S 2.20 | Admissions & Registration, Web Pages |
| S 2.21 | Academic Calendars |
| S 2.22 | Calendars, Schedules of Classes |
| S 2.23 | Calendars, Web Pages |
| S 2.24 | Administrators, Catalog Pages |
| S 2.25 | Administrators, Schedules of Classes |
| S 2.26 | Faculty Information, Web Pages |
| S 2.27 | Faculty e-mail lists, Web Pages |
| S 2.28 | Faculty and staff telephone lists, Web Pages |
| S 2.29 | Board of Trustees Web Pages |
| S 2.30 | About the District Web Pages |
| S 2.31 | Academic Freedom Policy, Web Pages |
| S 2.32 | Academic Senate Web Page on Academic Freedom |
| S 2.33 | Ventura College Faculty Handbook, 1996 |
| S 2.34 | Ventura College Faculty Handbook, 1989 |
| S 2.35 | Ventura College Part-Time Faculty Handbook |
| S 2.36 | Academic Freedom, 1996 Faculty Handbook |
| S 2.37 | Academic Freedom, 1989 Faculty Handbook |
| S 2.38 | AFT/VCCCD Agreement |
| S 2.39 | ACCCA Statement of Ethics |
| S 2.40 | VC Distance Learning Plan |
| S 2.41 | CID College Plan |
| S 2.42 | VC Student Handbook 2002-2004 |
| S 2.43 | VC Student Handbook 2001-2002 |
| S 2.44 | CID Strategic Decision Process |
| S 2.45 | Proposed DSC Hiring Process |
| S 2.46 | Board Policies on Academic Honesty |
| S 2.47 | Catalog Pages, Academic Honesty |
| S 2.48 | Student Conduct Code Violation Form |
| S 2.49 | WSC Code of Ethics |
| S 2.50 | CCC Decorum Policy |
| S 2.51 | Syllabi Samples |
| S 2.52 | Catalog, Right to Know Pages |
| S 2.53 | Web Pages, Right to Know |
| S 2.54 | Diversity Policies, Catalog Pages |
| S 2.55 | Diversity Policies, Schedule of Classes Pages |
| S 2.56 | Sexual Harassment Policy Brochure |
| S 2.57 | Board of Trustee Employment Diversity Policies, Web Pages |
| S 2.58 | Diversity Facilitator job description |
| S 2.59 | List of Grants, 1999-2003 |
| S 2.60 | Diversity Activities - News Clippings |
| S 2.61 | Hispanic Outlook Magazine Clippings |
| S 2.62 | Survey of Student Perceptions 2000 |
| S 2.63 | Admissions procedures, Nursing, Catalogs |
| S 2.64 | Enrollment growth |
| S 2.65 | Enrollment figures |
| S 2.66 | Team Manuals Containing Philosophy |
| S 2.67 | Title IX info for VC |
| S 2.68 | Response to Recommendation Ten |
| S 2.69 | Attendance Records of Committees |
| S 2.70 | Minutes of Committees |
| S 2.71 | Minutes of Co-Chairs Meetings |
| S 2.72 | A.D.N. Student Handbook |
| S 2.73 | C.N.A. Student Handbook |
Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 654-6400