Kaua‘i community college

Standard II.A. Instructional Programs

The institution offers high-quality instructional programs in recognized and emerging fields of study that culminate in identified student outcomes leading to degrees, certificates, employment, or transfer to other higher education institutions or programs consistent with its mission. Instructional programs are systematically assessed in order to assure currency, improve teaching and learning strategies, and achieve stated student learning outcomes. The provisions of this standard are broadly applicable to all instructional activities offered in the name of the institution.
II.A.1. The institution demonstrates that all institutional programs, regardless of location or delivery, address and meet the mission of the institution and uphold its integrity.
The mission of Kaua‘i Community College is to be an “open-access, post-secondary institution that serves the community of Kaua‘i and beyond. We provide education/training in a caring, student-focused, and intellectually stimulating environment. This education/training contributes to the development of life-long learners who think critically, appreciate diversity, and lead successful, independent, socially responsible, and personally fulfilling lives,” (KCC Mission Statement).
An institutional commitment was made in the fall of 2002 to ensure that the institutional programs are regularly reviewed to ensure that they maintain the mission, goals and learning outcomes of the campus and uphold its integrity. “ This process is meant to be broadly inclusive and open in order to produce a program review and planning cycle which is comprehensive, integrated and above all useful in helping us to improve learning and to better answer our community’s need” (Exhibit II-1: Chancellor Memo 9/20/03).
Distance learning courses are regularly reviewed and approved by both the Distance Learning Committee and the Curriculum Committee as part of the regular course review process (Exhibit II-2: Distance Committee Minutes for 12/14/05 and Memo to the Curriculum Committee dated 1/10/06).
Campus and program-level missions, goals and learning outcomes were developed through a series of workshops and campus-wide meetings (Exhibit I-21: Convocation Handouts and Exhibit I-22: Workshops). A Program Review Calendar was established and all Instructional and Learning Programs, all Academic Support units, Student Services, the Administrative Services unit and the Office of Continuing Education and Training unit have completed full or mini-program reviews. By March 2008, all programs will have completed a full program review (KCCM 1-6).
In its institutional commitment to providing high-quality education, KCC developed 5 campus-level Student Learning Outcomes (Student Learning Outcomes):

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  Communication: Effectively use language and non-verbal communication
  consistent with and appropriate to the audience and purpose.
  

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  Cognition: Use critical thinking skills to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate ideas.
  
  
  
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  Information Competency: Conduct, present, and use research necessary to achieve educational, professional, and personal objectives.
  

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  Social Responsibility: Interact with others demonstrating respect toward their opinions, feelings, and values.
  

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  Personal Responsibility: Demonstrate self-management through practices
  that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
  

II.A.1a. The institution identifies and seeks to meet the varied educational needs of its students through programs consistent with their educational preparation and the diversity, demographics, and economy of its communities. The institution relies upon research and analysis to identify student learning needs and to assess progress toward achieving stated learning outcomes.
Descriptive Summary
The college used a variety of data and research to determine the educational needs of the community it serves. One of the most important resources was the recently completed Kaua‘i Economic Development Plan/Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Report that notes the following significant factors: 1) In line with the state, Kaua‘i is experiencing low unemployment and a tight labor market. 2) In common with rural economies, Kaua‘i is predominantly small-business, primarily in the retail and visitor-industry-related areas. 3) Most jobs do not pay a “living wage,” defined for Kaua‘i as $60,000 for a family of four. Sixty-five percent of Kaua‘i’s jobs pay less than $30,000 per year. The salaries of the ten largest occupations on Kaua‘i are below $26,000 per year. 4) While unemployment is low, underemployment is high, and there are “pockets” of unemployment in certain areas. 5) Worker shortages are anticipated in all sectors as a significant number of employees reach retirement age. 6) There are significant numbers of residents without even a high school education in an economy increasingly requiring solid basic skills along with technical and job-specific competencies. In planning for future economic development, the County has identified six target clusters as priority “investments” for Kaua‘i: 1) Food and Agriculture, 2) Health and Wellness, 3) Sports and Recreation, 4) Arts and Culture, 5) High Technology, and 6) Renewable Energy.
Workforce training needs in all these areas are taken into consideration in the college’s own strategic planning, curriculum development and resource allocation decisions. New programs that have been developed include Medical Office Receptionist (August 1999), Massage Therapist Program (January 2000), and Entrepreneurial Skills for Successful Careers in the Food Industry (June 2003). Other programs have been modified in response to a changing economic environment on Kaua‘i. These include Automotive Technology Program, Auto Body Repair, Culinary, Hotel Operations, Facilities Engineering, and Electronics (Program Reviews).
Kaua‘i Community College identifies and seeks to meet the varied educational needs of its students by offering programs that are consistent with the educational preparation, the diversity, the demographics, and the economy of its community. According to the 2000 Census, the county has a population of 58,463 with 26.4 percent 18 years of age or under, and a median age of 38.4 years. Of persons 25 and over, only 19.4 percent had a bachelor’s degree, as compared to a state average of 26.2 percent. There are sixteen public schools, three public charter schools with a focus on Native Hawaiian language and culture, and seven private schools. The county also has the highest proportion, 11.1 percent, of persons aged 25 and older who do not have a high school education.
The college serves a highly diverse island population. The Fall 2005 enrollment is consistent with trends seen over the past five years. The three largest ethnic groups are Caucasian (24 percent), Filipino (21 percent), and Native Hawaiian or Part-Hawaiian (20 percent). Approximately 12 percent of students are mixed race (two or more) and 10 percent are Japanese. The students’ average age is 26.6 years. Females continue to outnumber males by a considerable percentage, with 63 percent female and 37 percent male students (from the University of Hawai‘i Operational Data Store, ODS Database, Fall 2005).
Programs and units within the college rely upon research and analysis to identify students’ learning needs and to assess the progress of programs toward achieving stated learning outcomes. Kaua‘i Community College uses COMPASS scores for placement in reading, writing and math. COMPASS placement scores have been aligned with the entire University of Hawai‘i System. The placement score required for placement into English 100, our transfer level English class, is 74-100 on the writing test. The mean writing score of students from the three public high schools for the years 1997-2003 ranged from 44.1 to 46.7. This mean score placed most students into our English 22, which serves as the expected English course for our non-transfer-level career and technical programs. Students who tested directly into the college courses were generally more successful in passing the courses than those who first took the basic skills courses. Overall completion rates, regardless of how the student entered the course, are generally good (See Self Study Introduction).
The college has established five campus-level Student Learning Outcomes, and each program is reviewing how to better assess their Student Learning Outcomes in order to improve courses and programs (Program SLOs and Exhibit I-17: Course SLOs).