2018-19 Learning Support Centers Program Review
First name
Ronald
Last name
Andrade
Email
andrader@smccd.edu
Program Name
Please select your program
CSM Learning Center


Division
Please select your division
Academic Support and Learning Technologies


Submission Date
Oct-25-2018


1a. Provide a brief description of the program and how it supports the college’s Mission and Values Statements, its Diversity Statement, CSM’s and SMCCCD’s Strategic Plans, and the College's Educational Master Plan. You may also discuss any factors that have impacted programming and usage. Include changes in student populations, statewide initiatives, transfer requirements, advisory committee recommendations, legal mandates, workforce development and employment opportunities, and community needs, as applicable.
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The CSM Learning Center was established to address gaps in learning support services and academic barriers to student success. The Learning Center integrates instruction and support services to facilitate equitable student academic achievement through the delivery of student-centered services and resources which include the following:
• Tutoring (in person, online)
• Supplemental instruction
• Embedded tutoring
• Textbook reserve
• Educational technology
The CSM Learning Center supports the College’s Mission and Values Statements, its Diversity Statement, CSM’s and SMCCCD’s Strategic Plans, and the college’s Educational Master Plan by creating a learning environment committed to the holistic development of each student and which values the experiences and perspectives of all. In this environment, equity-mindedness matters and is included in our planning processes, service/programs, and staff development. The Learning Center staff is committed to hiring and retaining team members who are dedicated to the deliberate inclusion of multicultural competencies in all areas of their work. The Learning Center’s program staff reflects differences in racial and ethnic background, national origin, sexual identity, religion and spirituality, age, and gender. The Learning Center staff is trained to provide sensitive and high quality services to groups who historically have been marginalized in higher education.
The Learning Center is continuously evolving its programs and services based upon data and changes in priorities. An example of this is the impact of AB 705 on the use of Supplemental Instruction (SI) leaders in support of Math. A change in Math curriculum resulted in the decision to move away from having SI leaders support Intermediate Algebra (MATH 120) and instead we collaborated to pilot an embedded tutor program that coincides with the expanded MATH 120/820 co-requisite courses. This academic support approach is new for Fall 2018 and will be assessed over the course


2a. Describe the results of your previous Program Review’s action plan.
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Previous Program Review had the following Plans and Actions to Improve Student Success:
1. CSM Online Tutoring – In meeting the goal of providing access to services, regardless of location, the Learning Center experimented with having our own tutors use an online platform to provide tutoring support to CSM students during specified hours. Since then we have shifted to having a third party contract for providing online tutoring support, NetTutor. The hours and subjects available through NetTutor are more robust than what we could provide with our own tutors and the platform integrates with Canvas so our online students can access tutor help through their course shells.
2. Peer tutoring – Peer tutoring has continued to expand and adapt as new requests are made for support in different subjects. As an example, ESL now has peer tutors who work in the ESL Center. Additionally, with the awarding of the HSI STEM grant, the Learning Center has partnered to provide more peer tutors in different labs and centers with a particular focus on STEM subjects. This has allowed for the addition of several peer tutors in the Integrated Science Center and EOPS.
3. Supplemental Instruction – Our assessment of SI in supporting student success has suggested that it is highly effective. Students who attend at least three SI sessions pass their supported subjects at significantly higher rates than those who do not attend. SI continues to be an important element in scaffolding academic support for students in subjects with high rates of D, F and W.
4. Pathway to College – This was organized as a summer bridge program. With the development of Year One: Promise, the Pathway to College program was folded into that program as one of several options that students have to support their transition to college. Pathway to College is no longer housed within the Learning Center and is no longer part of our assessment process.


2b. Student success and equity: Discuss what your program has done to address equity gaps between student populations.
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Equity mindedness is a cornerstone of Learning Center approaches. The Learning Center supports the College’s equity goals through intentional support directed at student populations who have been historically underserved and marginalized. For example, many of our most underserved students are also participating in college athletics. In a collaboration with coaching faculty, the Learning Center started offering Power Hour, a dedicated period of directed learning activities for football players. During that time each day faculty, tutors, and other support services are delivered in the Learning Center under the belief that the impacted schedules of courses, practice and related team activities makes it difficult for student-athletes to seek out the support they need. Therefore, the support, services and information the students need to be successful is being brought to them at a time and place when they are available and accessible. Some of the partner organizations in this effort include Year One: Promise, Financial Aid and Career Services. Because these are new efforts, only begun in the last year, assessment of outcomes has not yet been completed but once done, the results will guide future efforts.
Learning Center staff have been very active in utilizing professional development to interrogate current practices. Two Learning Center staff attended a 3 day institute on culturally sustaining educational practices, highlighting the experiences of our Pacific Islander student population. The Learning Center Program Coordinator attended a four-day training on Supplemental Instruction. Between May 2018 and May 2019, two of the current Learning Center staff will have successfully completed doctoral degrees (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership and Equity. Learning Center staff have also been actively engaged with presenting Flex Day trainings specifically related to equity and serving the needs of our students.


2c. Provide an update on any long-term plans that are still in progress (if applicable).
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Academic support is a constantly evolving need based upon the needs of our students and the institution. The Learning Center has a long term plan to continue to assess the results of our programs and services and adapt as needed based upon outcomes and research into effective best practices.


3a. Discuss what your center has done this Program Review cycle to address usage gaps between student populations, describing your successes, works in progress, and/or ongoing challenges. Refer to SARS, PRIE data, and other data sources as appropriate.
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User data from Spring 2018 shows the following demographic profile of Learning Center users:
Ethnicity % of LC Users % of College
Asian 27.7 21.6
African American 3.8 3
Filipino 6.4 6.8
Hispanic 17.5 18.3
Native American NA 0.1
Pacific Islander 4.1 2.1
White 20.1 27.4
Multi-Races 19 19.1
Unrecorded 1.5 1.6

In general the Learning Center seems to be providing a space where students from historically marginalized populations engage with academic support services. There is a usage gap with our Latin@ students, but that could be a result of the concentrated efforts through Met@s and MESA to draw students to support services offered by those programs, which are housed in the Math/Science division (i.e. Integrated Science Center).
Without additional research it would be difficult to identify reasons for differences in usage among different student populations. However, the expansion of peer-assisted learning support that occurs in the classroom (i.e. Supplemental Instruction or embedded tutors) may be one reason as students are drawn to those programs.


3b. Discuss what your center has done this Program Review cycle to address access gaps between modes of delivery (online, hybrid, and face-to-face), describing your successes, works in progress, and/or ongoing challenges.
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Use of the online tutor support platform continues to grow and more resources are likely to be needed to support its growth. The Learning Center has advocated for instituting a district wide contract agreement with the NetTutor vendor in order to simplify and make access transparent as our students often enroll at multiple campuses within the district.


3c. Center Efficiency Indicators: Is the center efficient in meeting student needs? Discuss center efficiency, including staffing, hours of operation, tutorial and other services, space utilization, equipment, technology, or website, as appropriate.
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The Learning Center appears to be meeting student needs efficiently. The initiative to expand Learning Center hours beyond the current closing time of 8:30 PM have been discontinued; however, data showed limited usage after 9:00 PM by a small number of students.
User surveys indicate 90%+ say the Learning Center is available when they need it. Surveys also indicate that 80%+ of users found resources they needed to complete classroom assignments were readily available. When asked if using the Learning Center helped their academic performance, 45% responded “a great deal”.


3d. Reflect on recent assessment results for the center, including SLOs, best practices, and surveys. Identify trends and discuss areas in need of improvement. Specify how assessment informs center development and changes to the center.
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The Learning Center uses assessment to identify and prioritize services and resources which may need to be improved or changed in order to meet student needs. The Learning Center utilizes regular user surveys and best practices, agreed upon by all labs/centers on campus, to evaluate programs and services. Recent survey results show 80 to 90 percent of respondents find the Learning Center and the resources we provide accessible; however, that means that 10 to 20% find accessing the Learning Center something of a challenge. The area that seems to be most in need of improvement is the availability course “resources” (e.g. course materials, books). As the Learning Center and Library have begun evolving into the Learning Commons, we took the step of adding the Learning Center’s reserve of textbooks to the existing Library database of reserve books so that students would have a single place they can search for available course materials. We anticipate that having a searchable list that identifies where reserve materials are available will help students find the materials they need.
Recent assessment of support services demonstrates the effectiveness of the support offered through the Learning Center. As an example, in Fall 2017 there were 323 students who registered in LCTR 698 and received peer tutoring in the Learning Center. The overall course success rate for those who received tutoring was 80.5% compared to 72.7% college wide.
The introduction of Power Hour is an example of how the assessment of other areas can prompt change in how the Learning Center operates or delivers services. Coaching faculty approached the Learning Center for additional support for student athletes. We collaborated with schedules and organized services so that tutors in highly enrolled subjects were available during the time when student-athletes were scheduled to be in the Learning Center. Additionally, we reached out to faculty and invited them to hold one of their office hours in the Learn


4a. Provide a brief description, including actions, measurable outcomes, and timelines  
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Power Hour – Dedicated time in the Learning Center for student-athletes to access deliberate support services. Collaborate with coaches, faculty and support services to deliver needed supports to students in the Learning Center. Track grades and participation to assess whether this model is effective in supporting equitable academic success and retention.
Peer Assisted Learning – Student academic support model utilizing student to student interactions (drop in tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, embedded tutoring) to support academic success. With the implementation of AB 705 the model and mix of peer assisted learning services will need to be evaluated and adjusted based upon faculty feedback and outcomes (course success rates, grades).


4b. What will your center do to increase student success and promote student equity in the next two years? What kind of professional development and institutional support will be engaged and enacted to meet these goals?  
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We are likely to continue what we have been doing in creating a space which is accessible and welcoming to all students but which is focused on how to support campus wide equitable outcomes through programs, services and collaborations. Where and when they are available and budgets will allow, Learning Center staff will continue to attend and present at professional conferences.


4c. Describe other professional development activities and institutional support and collaborations that would most effectively ensure that the center achieves its goals and plans.  
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Continuing to collaborate with the English and Math departments on support as they implement changes necessitate by AB 705 will be important for evaluating the mix of peer assisted learning coordinate through the Learning Center.
Professional associations which are focused on learning assistance like CRLA and ACTLA hold annual conferences which Learning Center staff should attend where and when budgets allow.


Activities, Support and Collaboration
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