Kaua‘i community college

University Center

The University Center has a web page on the KCC website. The Office of the University Center Educational Specialist is located in the Media Services area of the Learning Resource Center and is only accessible through the Library. University Center personnel are available five days a week during regular college business hours and one evening a week.

Computer Services

Computer Services is located in the Natural Science building and offers a help desk, by phone and in-person five days a week from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. for students, with extended hours at the beginning of each semester. They offer a Computer Help Line and a web based work order form on the KCC website for faculty

Self Evaluation

Library

The library extended its evening hours in 2003 to 7:00 p.m. (from 6:30 p.m.) in response to student requests on library surveys. Even with the extension of library hours over the past 3 years there are still students who are dissatisfied about the hours. The data from the KCC library surveys from 2003-2005 show that that the percentage of KCC students who were dissatisfied (combining the “slightly dissatisfied” and the “very dissatisfied” categories) ranged from 13 percent in 2002, to 19 percent in 2003, 14 percent in 2004 and 12 percent in 2005 (Library Program Review – Appendix 2 – Student Satisfaction with Library Services).

According to the results of the 2005 faculty survey, 84 percent of the respondents were very satisfied or satisfied with the library hours. Only 8 percent were dissatisfied and none were very dissatisfied. Some of the participants in the library focus group recommended the library should extend hours to allow students access to computers and to spaces for collaborative work. This could be done by closing off sections during early morning or evenings and reconfiguring the library so that it would be more cost effective to offer extended hours with fewer personnel.

Assessing the usage level of the library facility has become more difficult with the mechanical failure of the gate counter at the end of 2002. Replacement of this unit was determined to be not cost-effective since the replacement price outweighed its short life span. Data as of 2002 did show that the daily walk-in traffic through the library increased over the previous year. However, walk-in traffic does not accurately measure usage level of the library by students. Beginning in 2003 the library conducted random sampling of the number of students present in the library during evening and Saturday hours by way of a visual count. Counts of people in the library in the evening hours, however, show sparse usage after 6:00 p.m. (Library Program Review – Appendix 3 – Library Attendance Counts).
Library database use has increased during the past few years. One of the primary reasons is the offering of more full-text databases. The library currently subscribes to EbscoHost, a vendor that offers access to 18 different databases. Academic Search Premier, a multi-disciplinary database, is one of the larger full-text databases within EbscoHost and it contains full-text articles for over 4700 journal titles. Usage has almost tripled during the past 5 years (Trends in Ebsco Usage). All students in library research classes learn how to search the full-text subscription databases and the link to them is prominent on the Library web page.
In the most recent library surveys, over 95 percent of KCC and distance students gave the electronic resources and the KCC Library web pages “very satisfied” or “satisfied” ratings (Library Program Review – Appendix 2 – Satisfaction with Library).

The Learning Center

TLC also looks at student evaluations of its facility. In previous semesters students have requested longer hours during the evening. In response to this TLC started opening two nights a week until 6:00 p.m. Some students still wanted longer hours and TLC extended the hours to 7:00 p.m.

The Learning Center facility is small and inadequate for current services. When multiple activities are simultaneously taking place, the facility becomes overcrowded. With twenty or more students in the center, it becomes noisy, especially for those taking tests. There has been a steady increase in the number of people using TLC services and resources. If this trend continues, the problem of space will become a bigger issue.
While the library does not have an accurate way of tracking daily use of the facility, TLC utilizes a daily record of usage with students signing in. In Fall 2002 there was a daily average of 117 students, a weekly average of 551 students, and a total of 9,373 for the semester. A year later in Fall 2003, the numbers grew as follows: daily average of 146, weekly average of 718, and a total of 12,926 for the semester. Thus, statistics seem to verify the impact of TLC marketing strategies for their facility, resources and services on the growth of student clientele (Learning Center Program Review).
Instructional Technology
Instruction Technology does not currently have in place a method to survey the use of its tutorials or computer supported collaborative learning environment. But it does have statistics for the past two years in which the instruction technology coordinator has worked with 46 faculty members on various kinds of projects. They are as complex as developing a statewide online course in news writing to tasks as routine as entering student grades in Banner.

University Center

Signage for the University Center has been posted at the media entry door (Room 111), and on both walls at the corner fronting the University Center Educational Specialist’s Office to increase visibility of the office.

Computer Services

Computer Services conducts surveys of users who use their services through work orders. Results for the past two years show that approximately 82 percent-83 percent are “happy with the service”, 17 percent-18 percent responded, “service was okay,” and 0 percent responded, “service can be improved.” A tool to measure the effectiveness of the walk-up Help Desk services for students has not been developed, but is included in the action plan as a major goal (Computer Services APRU).

Planning Agenda

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  Student and faculty focus groups should be conducted on a regular schedule to determine satisfaction with access to academic support services (hours of operation, computer access, computer services help desk, signage, clarity and content of website information.)
  

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  Present and future announcement of hours for the library, TLC, and Instructional Technology should be accurately updated, if and when schedule changes are adopted.
  

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  In lieu of a gate counter to gauge traffic flow through the library, the library staff should conduct daytime and evening visual count of students one week during each semester. This will present a snapshot of usage of the facility for assessment purposes.
  

II.C.1.d. The institution provides effective maintenance and security for its library and other learning support services.
Descriptive Summary