Student Life Assessment Plan
MISSION STATEMENT:
Student Life will enrich the educational experience of diverse COCC students by fostering respect, promoting responsible citizenship, and developing an active, enjoyable and inclusive campus community.
| GOALS | LEARNING OUTCOMES | MEASUREMENT TOOLS & TIMELINES |
| Goal 1. Provide students leaders with programs and services that intentionally promote student leadership opportunities. | 1.1 Students leaders will be able to effectively demonstrate and apply professionalism, communication skills and leadership ideals in the small group and greater campus community. |
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| Goal 2. Provide student leaders with learning opportunities that intentionally promote multiculturalism. | 2.1 Student leaders will demonstrate the skills needed to develop programs and services that emphasize multiculturalism and respect for others. |
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| Goal 3. Inform students of the COCC's Code of Conduct and Right's and Responsibilities. | 3.1 Students will be able to describe the COCC Code of Conduct and understand their Right's and Responsibilities. |
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| Goal 4. Provide students with opportunities which promote a physically and mentally healthy and active lifestyle. | 4.1 Students will participate in activities and programs that promote a healthy and active lifestyle. |
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| Goal 5. Provide students with services and learning opportunities that ensure all members of the campus community feel supported and respected. | 5.1 Students will design and organize programs and activities that seek to involve all members of the campus community. |
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| Goal 6. Coordinate a comprehensive set of programs that promote professional and personal growth and academic success. | 6.1 Students will access and utilize COCC services that promote academic success. |
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| 6.2 Student clubs and organizations will coordinate and implement student led organizations that foster professional and personal growth of those within the organization. |
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Summary of Assessment Findings
In support of outcome 1.1, Student Life staff conducted a focus group at the end of the 2010-11 academic year
with those students who participated in COCC's formal Student Leadership Program (e.g.,
student government, residence hall assistants, student newspaper staff, student ambassadors,
Diversity and Inclusion student leaders, etc.). While smaller, topic-specific issues
arose, the overall feedback was that the program lacked a consistent theme and direction.
Outcomes 2.1 and 5.1 focus on student leaders' ability to design programs and services for other students,
with outcome 2.1 specifically focused programs or services with a multicultural emphasis.
During the 2010-11 academic year, the Office of Student Life and Diversity and Inclusion
Office, in partnership with ASCOCC, Native American Program and the Latino Student
Program, sponsored and coordinated more than 80 activities supporting 8,000+ participants.
The activities/events were comprehensive in nature in that they were focused on diversity
(Asian New Year Festival, Salmon Bake, Dia de Los Muertos Celebration, speakers and
trainers), educational (alcohol awareness week, career fairs, sexual assault awareness)
and entertainment-focused (bands, free food, finals week stress relievers). Additionally,
beginning with the 2012-13 academic year, ASCOCC appointed one councilmember as the
"Branch Campus Coordinator", hired part-time student leaders to coordinate student
government activities at each campus and provide a wide range of programs and services
in Redmond, Madras in Prineville.
Many of these programs were coordinated solely by student groups, while others included
involvement from program advisors or supporting campus departments.
Results from surveys provide mixed results regarding these activities, noting that
the questions are somewhat vague in nature and may need to be adjusted to meet assessment
needs:
- Graduate Survey indicates satisfaction with student organizations and clubs, as well as with cultural programs and activities (questions 6u and 6v). However, when asked via CCSSE whether or not COCC provides the support needed to thrive socially, COCC ranked lower compared to peer institutions and the 2011 cohort (question 9e).
- CCSSE indicates that COCC students participate in college-sponsored at rates higher than peer institutions, as well as higher than the 2011 cohort (question 10c).
Outcome 4.1: 2010-11 saw a high level of student participation in club and intramural sports,
the primary resource supporting outcome four, positive physical and mental health:
Activity # Participants
Intramural Leagues 709
Single Day Events 958
Off-Campus Activities 353
Club Sports 351
Recognizing that headcount in and of itself does not demonstrate achievement of or
progress towards this outcome, COCC also utilizes data from COCC's Graduate Survey
and Community College Survey of Student Engagement. This data paints a conflicting
picture of student involvement and satisfaction with these activities:
- Graduate Survey data indicates a decrease in student satisfaction with club sports and intramural activities, with a marked decline in 2008-09 (question 6p); it is important to note that the Graduate Survey does not provide students an opportunity to respond with "not applicable" and the decline in satisfaction moved from those traditionally responding with "very satisfied" or "satisfied" to the "neutral" category. This decline in data coincides with COCC's enrollment growth and students may not have had the same level of access as they experienced in prior years.
- However, 93.4% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that COCC "provided activities and events that promoted a healthy and active lifestyle" (question 10h). Additional analysis is needed to better understand the drop in satisfaction rates.
Outcome 6.1 focuses on student participation in activities which support personal and professional growth and academic success. The qualitative review of activities associated with outcomes 2.1 and 5.1 indicates that the predominant number of events had a multicultural or entertainment focus and as such, the Office of Student Life could strengthen activities focused on personal and professional growth. Given newness of staff, as well as recent staff development, it is anticipated that such programs will grow in the 2012-13 academic year. That being said, the Office of Student Life will need to carefully plan such activities so that they don't overlap with existing activities already supported by students:
- Course-related work opportunities (Graduate Survey, question 6g)
- Transfer preparation (Graduate Survey, question 6h and CCSSE, question 13j
- Career Counseling (Graduate Survey, question 6s).
Summary of Actions Taken
As a result of feedback from the 2010-11 student leader focus group, Student Life
staff used "strengths-based leadership" as the basis for the 2011-12 leadership program.
Additionally, staff implemented a certification program in which student leaders can
earn bronze, silver or gold status, or be fully certified as a student leader. Levels
of certification are dependent upon involvement in leadership training, event planning
participation and volunteer efforts both on and off campus (outcome 1.1).
As a result of increased enrollment, Mazama Gym cardio and weight rooms are increasingly
used for class purposes and as such, drop-in exercise space is limited. To expand
access for general use by students, COCC remodeled one room that is available for
drop-in use at all times the gym is open, increased building hours to include additional
evening and Saturday times and added or upgraded equipment throughout the building.
Additionally, COCC added a .5 FTE Club Sports Coordinator to expand Club offerings
(3 new clubs and expanded intramural leagues) (outcome 4.1).
At the encouragement and support of the College, ASCOCC appointed one council members
whose primary responsibilities include providing activities and events at COCC's Redmond,
Madras and Prineville Campuses beginning with the 2011-12 academic year. The expansion
of services includes hiring part-time student government members to serve as campus
liaisons/coordinators, ability to provide student ID cards at the Redmond campus,
addition of student clubs in all areas, speaker and movie series in Madras and support
for Jump Start activities in each branch campus. (outcomes 2.1 and 5.1).
In response to student requests and college research, COCC designated a space in the
Coats Campus Center as a Veterans lounge. The lounge was dedicated spring 2011. Its
purpose is to provide a safe space for our Veteran students to connect with each other
in support and as a resource center for Veterans educational and community benefits.
The center is staffed by COCC work study Veteran students. (outcome 5.1)
Assessment Work in Development
The Student Services Division is currently reviewing the best methods to solicit feedback
on division-wide needs, albeit through the SENSE Survey (scheduled to be administered
at COCC for the first time in fall 2012), a Student Services-specific survey or Student
Services-specific focus group. This will allow the Division to holistically evaluate
progress towards individual department outcomes, without inundating students with
multiple surveys or requests for information. For Student Life, this will specifically
help with outcome 3.1 (student rights and responsibilities).
In the last two years, COCC has expanded the programs and services available through
the Diversity and Inclusion Office, as well as various student and academic support
services in other areas of the campus. As such, goal 6 and outcome 2.1 may may need
to be adjusted in consideration of new/changed campus organizational structures or
refined to better focus on Student Life priorities.