2020-21 Unit Plan
First Year Experience

Mission Statement

The mission of the First Year Experience Department is to work cooperatively and creatively with academic and support services to offer students a comprehensive first-year experience that empowers them as engaged learners, integrates them into the college community as meaningful participants in campus life, and facilitates their successful transition into future transfer and career pathways.

Program Description

The FYE Department provides centralized collaboration for first year courses and efforts at Butte. The many excellent student and transfer success programs across the campus have a contact point as they seek to coordinate efforts around the first year experience of our students.

The FYE department houses the following courses and programs:

�	Life Management (LM40)

�	College and Life Success (CSL20)

�	Career & Life Planning (CLP30)

�	Other Counseling classes as offered.


The FYE "student success courses" (with common SLOs and ongoing faculty collaboration) include:

�	College and Life Success (CSL20)

�	Career & Life Planning (CLP30)

�	Health and Wellness (HLTH2)

�	Life Management (LM40).

The FYE department collaborates with the following courses, programs, departments, and committees:

�	Health and Wellness (HLTH2) 

�	New Student Orientation

�	Reg2Go

�	Recruitment, Outreach & Student Life

�	Center for Academic Success

�	Student Success Committee

�      Counseling (provides group academic advising to FYE classes each semester)

�     Assessment

�     Numerous other departments across the campus.

The FYE Department ensures consistency across the FYE student success courses as they address mutually agreed-upon common core curricula (see SLOs).

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

Move all FYE sections to OER books by fall 2020.

Use Super Strong Assessment to replace assessments that have cost for students.

Continue to use Canvas for more assignments and to assist students with online learning.


Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

Students that take FYE classes are 32% more likely to achieve transfer readiness.

FYE students are 23% more likely to complete an AA degree.


Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

LM 40 and CSL 20 classes will become UC transferable in the fall of 2020 assisting more students trying to reach goals of transferring to UC schools.

FYE through the use of OER books is lowering the cost to attend Butte College.


Strategic Direction

FYE has welcomed guided pathways and continues to work with GP to be a major part of all pathways as they develop at Butte College.


Program Review

The Validation Team recommended that the FYE department hire a full-time faculty member to teach and serve in a future leadership role. The department hired a full-time faculty member in Spring 2016. The program is still down one full-time faculty member that is needed to grow the program.

The Validation Team recommended that the FYE program target groups that they can effectively serve with existing program offerings. For example, to facilitate their success, readmitted, disqualified students might be allowed to register as continuiing students for FYE and Basic Skills courses for their first semester post-readmission. This recommendation is still being addressed during Guided Pathways discussions.

The Validation Team recommended that the FYE program ensure that they are offering the most appropriate and effective course offerings, based on students' needs. The team suggested possibly offering a three-week FYE class in August for students new to Butte College. The FYE department looks forward to working with Summer Bridge, Student Equity, and othe Student Success Initiatives to meet Butte College Students' needs. FYE has added a summer and winter class and more online classes to serve the college and a wider range of students.

More classes still need to be added and more instuctors hired to staff these sections including more late start and summer sections.


Department Goals

FYE will be completing program review in spring 2020.

LM 40 classes will be converted to CSL 20 to make the classes more visiable and available for students.

The FYE department adjust student caps to 35 for all sections of FYE courses.


Future Development Strategies

Strategy 1 - Collaborate Strategically with Departments, Groups, and Individuals

The FYE department will make strategic, broad-based collaboration with groups, departments and individuals across campus as part of its ongoing focus.


Initiatives
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
  • Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
  • Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

 

The FYE department has come up with the following ideas for collaboration;

     1.      Possible Cohorts or Linked Classes: FYE class with a Math, English, or Reading class

       

        ENGL 3/ LM 40, CSL 20, CLP 30

        MATH 116/LM 40, CSL 20, CLP 30

       Math 11/LM 40, CSL 20, CLP 30

 

  1. Counseling/Reg2Go: Counselors could encourage students to focus on FYE along with English, Math.

 

  1. Marketing: The department could promote FYE to campus groups via various methods, including continueing to play slides on TV screens around campus

 

  1. Program Development: Include additional classes, possibly BUS 62 and PSY 20

The FYE department has made some progress by creating flyers and power points to inform student and staff of the beefits of FYE classes. These flyers were also made into mailers and sent to incoming students and their families.


Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Strategy 2 - Support Use of Online Environment to Enhance Learning

The FYE department will continue to work with colleagues to explore ways to ensure that first year students receive appropriate training in digital literacy,as needed. The department encourages the use of Canvas in all courses and has all FYE instructors using Canvas including gradebooks and some using the attendance option on Canvas.


Initiatives
  • Modeling Sustainability
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
  • Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
  • Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

Numerous conversations and meetings over the past several years have reinforced the need for students to be prepared to succeed in an increasingly digitized and technological world. As Canvas is used in virtually every class at Butte College, and as faculty broaden requirements for students' use of technology in instructional settings, new students need to be equipped with at least basic digital competency skills. FYE is currently working to use attendance on Canvas and have all instructors use the grading options in Canvas.


Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Strategy 3 - Increase Student Access and Success

The FYE department will seek to ensure that all students, especially disproportionately impacted students, have access to FYE Student Success Classes, including CLP 30, CSL 20, HLTH 2, LM 40.

 


Initiatives
  • Enhancing a Culture of Completion and Goal Achievement
  • Supporting Student, Faculty and Staff Success
  • Using Data-Informed Processes for Continuous Improvement
  • Maximizing Resources to Support Student Learning
  • Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness

Supporting Rationale

If, as is consistently seen in excellent FYE programs across the country, Butte College hopes to make FYE Student Success classes a pivotal “jumping off” place for our new students, we obviously must offer enough sections to accommodate student need. When First Year students are successful, the entire campus is more successful. According to Butte College data, students who complete a FYE class are approximately 20% more likely to achieve their academic goals.

The department created an online versions and hybrid version of CLP30 and will continue to look to expand both formats.

The FYE department plans to participate actively in campus-wide discussions about the possiblity of developing Guided Pathways at Butte College. Ideally, each Guided Pathway will include at least one FYE class option.

 


Supporting Rationale Alignment
Supports the College's Strategic Direction and Priorities: No
Supports Program Review Recommendations: Yes
Supports Course level SLOs: Yes
Supports PLOs: No
Supports ILO - Think Critically: No
Supports ILO - Communicate Competently: No
Supports ILO - Engage Collaboratively: No
Supports ILO - Work Effectively: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Credentials: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Transfer: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Time to Degree: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Employment in field of Study: No
Supports Meeting Vision for Success Goal - Reducing Equity Gaps: No

Requested Non-Financial Resources

The FYE department would benefit from dedicated classroom space.

Current Financial Resources

The FYE department has a Life Management Foundation Account (from LM40 workbook fees, for LM program development use only).  As of 11/25/2019, the Foundation account balance is $6,653.83

Augmentation Requests

Original Priority Program, Unit, Area Resource Type Account Number Object Code One Time Augment Ongoing Augment
Description Supporting Rationale Potential Alternative Funding Sources Prioritization Criteria
1 Operating Expenses $2,500.00 $0.00
Travel budget of $2,500 To stay current in FYE and to bring new ideas to our campus to assist students and staff with growth and change at Butte College. Assist FYE as we become a Hispanic serving institution.
  • Student Equity and Achievement Program
  • Meeting Vision for Success Goals
  • Closing Equity Gaps
  • Fostering a Culture of Inclusiveness
  • Strengthening Professional Development
8/2/23