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2020-22 Program Audit Report Due March 24, 2022

In all responses, provide the data (attach or provide links) used to determine the response.

PROGRAM QUALITY:


1. Discuss how the program determines that the courses, certificates, and degrees are still viable and relevant?

1. Industry/stakeholder feedback.
2. Graduate employment.
3. Success of graduates once employed.

2. Does the curriculum meet industry standards? How do you know? What needs to change?

1. Yes, very positive feedback from local employers regarding the capabilities of BBCC AGR program graduates. Several instances of summer internships developing into FT employment post-graduation.

3. Since the last audit (in the last three years), did your program invest in technology or equipment used to improve content delivery or student performance?

a. If so, please describe the purchase and the impact it has on content and/or student performance

i. New workforce building – AGR housed in one place on campus
ii. New soils lab – significantly better lab space
iii. New ag mechanics lab – state-of-the-art space for new AGM program
iv. Hydraulic trainer for AGM students – currently unused
v. New technology for soil/water sampling laboratory exercises – increased engagement from students

4. Select all methods that are used by your program to integrate the academic and technical skills of your students and ensure that they are taught with the same coherence and rigor as all other students, including transfer students.

Please provide short descriptions for each method selected.

☐Contextualized Instruction

Common practice in AGR 120 and agribusiness courses.

☐Team-Teaching

Common during AGR lab activities.

☐Math-First Initiatives

☐College-Level Core Curriculum

Yes.

☐College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes

Addressed during assessment activities each year.

☐STEM Initiatives

☐Industry Standardized Tests/Exams

☐Tutoring

Available

☐Flipped Classrooms

☐Industry-Standard Equipment/Facilities

Industry standard agriculture mechanics lab and equipment.

☐I-BEST CTE Programs

☐Other

5. Please provide examples of any innovative projects, initiatives, or state-of-the-art equipment undertaken since the last audit (in the last three years).

a. Please describe and include attachments of or links to any social media posts and/or press/media coverage, if applicable.

a. Creation of Agriculture Mechanics program including purchase of a hydraulic trainer and construction of a state-of-the-art AGM lab.
b. Purchase of new equipment for soil/water testing

6. What was the most successful or noteworthy development with respect to program quality and/or program improvement since the last audit (in the last three years)?

1. Greater consistency in faculty.
2. Additional FT faculty hired.
3. Best practices developed for distance learning model.
4. New soils lab.
5. New Ag Mechanics lab.
6. New agronomy equipment.

7. What were the most significant challenges (e.g., funding, enrollment, performance, staff retention or turnover, equity, etc.) encountered since the last audit (in the last three years)?

i. Enrollment & COVID.

a. What impact did the challenge have on the program?

i. Difficulty building enrollment for new Agronomy program during pandemic. Most AGR students are “hands on” and disinterested in distance learning models.

b. How could BBCC assist in addressing these challenges?

i. COVID is no longer a major concern. Enrollment issues are actively being addressed by faculty/staff.

 

FACULTY/STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

8. Please provide the dates and a brief description of any professional development in which you participated in since the last program audit (in the last three years).

1. Screening Committee Training - November 2019
2. Public Records, Ethics, and Liability Training - November 2019
3. Managing Bias in the Workplace – December 2019
4. FERPA Training – December 2019
5. Managing with Mind and Heart – December 2019, February 2020
6. Managing (Remotely) with Mind and Heart (Michael Nash) - April 2020, May 2020

9. Did the professional development activities support the required activities in your vocational certification plan? Please describe. (Be sure these are reported so they can be recorded.)

1. Yes

10. Did any of your program faculty or staff earn industry-recognized credentials or certification since the last program audit (in the last three years)? Please describe.

1. No

11. What was the most successful or noteworthy development with respect to faculty/staff retention and professional development since the last audit (in the last three years)?

1. Only faculty loss during this audit period was due to unwillingness to comply with COVID-related mandates as opposed to any negative experiences working at BBCC.

12. Select the methods employed to provide professional development opportunities for faculty/staff.

Provide a brief description of each method selected.

☐New Instructor/Faculty Conference

Available

☐Workforce Boot Camp

Available

☐Deans Academy

☐Return-to-Industry

☐Faculty Peer Mentoring

Available

☐Professional Development Days

Available

☐CTE Certification Workshops

Available

☐Distance Learning/Online Teaching Training

Available

☐Technology and E-Learning Tools

Available

☐Data and Assessment Workshops

Available

☐Industry Conferences

Available

☐Other

13. How did the professional development impact your program?

1. The same way that spinach impacts Popeye.

INDUSTRY/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

14. Describe how this program ensures involvement of stakeholders in the improvement, implementation, and assessment of the program and program development.

1. Advisory committee meetings.

2. Working with employers to hire current, or recently graduated, AGR students.

15. Since the last audit (in the last three years), has course/program content been updated to reflect industry needs/feedback from advisory committee?

a. If yes, please describe how.

i. Minor curriculum changes to courses.

ii. Addition of Agronomy certificate.
iii. Addition of Ag Mechanics program.

b. If no, please describe why not.

16. Since the last audit (in the last three years), what noteworthy activities did your program advisory committee undertake?

i. AGR Curriculum development.

ii. Agronomy curriculum development.

iii. Agriculture mechanics curriculum development.

iv. UAS curriculum development.

a. Should these activities be reported/used in outreach/marketing?

i. No

b. Were there any changes to your committee? Have these been reported to Julia?

i. Yes and yes

c. Have all minutes been submitted to Julia?

i. Yes

d. Has an advisory committee audit form been completed annually?

i. Yes

17. Provide information about how this program is involved in building and/or maintaining specific internal and external partnerships/relationships:

a. Internal: list and discuss each partner (examples: Career Services, WES, ASB, Business Office, Registration, etc.)

a. WES – I regularly refer students to WES for potential funding.
b. Career Services – CS reaches out with job possibilities which I relay to students.
c. BBCC Foundation – when necessary, I work with students and the Foundation to secure emergency funds.
d. UAS Faculty – UAS faculty have given guest lectures in AGR courses.

b. External: list and discuss each partner (examples: business/ industry, Job Corps, WorkSource, labor unions, accrediting agencies, etc.

a. Job Corps – working to articulate into AGR program.
b. Local High Schools – collaborate on articulation agreements and recruitment.
c. WWCC – articulation agreements.
d. Local Ag business owners – matching student employment needs with local employer openings. Some of these same businessmen/women give guest lectures.

K-12 ENGAGEMENT:

18. Does your program provide opportunity for CTE Dual Credit (Tech Prep) articulations with area high schools/skills centers Yes

a. If yes, could this be expanded? How?

i. Yes, we have yet to set up agreements with all SD high schools. These efforts are in progress.

b. If no, is this an area that can be developed? How? OR Why not?

19. Does your program faculty participate in any advisory committees or joint advisory committees at the high school level? If so, please describe.

1. Yes, I periodically attend HS Ag Teacher meetings.

20. Since the last audit (in the last three years), how did your program partner with high schools and districts to engage and recruit students and market your program?

1. Visiting high schools and speaking to Ag students.
2. Social media advertisements.

21. Since the last audit (in the last three years), what was the most successful or noteworthy development with respect to high school partnerships?

1. Significant articulation development with several schools for AGR and AGM programs.

22. Select all methods employed by your program to engage, recruit, and/or provide career and academic guidance to prospective students.

Please provide a brief description of each method selected.

☐High School Visits

Yes

☐CTE Open Houses

☐Try-a-Trade Events

☐Youth Re-Engagement Programs

☐Mailings featuring Programs of Study and/or Pathway Information

☐Community-Based Organization Visits

Yes

☐Faith-Based Organization Visits

☐TV or Web Video Ads

Yes

☐WorkSource Co-Location

☐Veteran Center Visits

☐Tribal or Cultural Center Visits

☐Corrections Center Visits or Re-Entry Programs

☐Labor Union Visits

☐Other

 

TECHNOLOGY:

23. Does your program have the technology available that is needed to prepare students for industry? Discuss. Yes

a. If YES,

1. Technology requests came from faculty still working in industry.
2. Successful graduate employment after BBCC training.

a. If NO,

24. Did your department invest in technology or equipment used to improve content delivery or student performance? If so, please describe the purchase and the impact it has had on content and/or student performance.

1. n/a

25. Provide a current equipment/technology inventory that indicates the following:

a. When replacement/update is/will be needed

i. No updates needed in the next 3 years.

b. Technology/equipment that is obsolete

i. No obsolete equipment.

c. Technology/equipment that requires repair, disposal, etc.

i. None.

 

2020-22 Program Audit Report Due June 20, 2022

LAB FEES:

1. Does your program maintain a lab fee account? Yes

a. If yes, please answer the remaining questions regarding lab fees.
b. If no, should your program consider developing a lab fee account?
c. If no, please skip the remaining questions regarding lab fees.

2. Is the lab account balance adequate to cover consumable expenses? Yes

a. If no, have fees been reviewed? Why/why not?

a. If yes, do fees need to be reduced? Discuss.

3. Is the lab account balance adequate for purchasing needed equipment/technology updates? Yes

a. If YES, what will be purchased and when?

b. If NO, do fees need to be increased to help support these?

SPECIAL POPULATIONS AND NON-TRADITIONAL FIELDS:

Special Populations: Individuals with disabilities; individuals from economically disadvantaged families; individuals preparing for non-traditional fields; single parents, including single pregnant women; out-ofworkforce individuals (formerly “displaced homemakers”); English learners; youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system; homeless individuals; and youth with active-duty military parents.

Non-Traditional Fields: Non-traditional fields means occupations or fields of work for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25% of those employed in such fields. (Examples: men in nursing, women in aviation, women in welding, etc.)

4. Using the data provided in the BBCC and Perkins dashboards

a. Where are the biggest gaps in performance indicators for this program?

b. How is the program addressing the performance gaps identified above?

5. Please provide a brief description of any example in the five areas below of initiatives, events, or strategies implemented in the past year pertaining to students in special populations or nontraditional fields.

a. Decreasing barriers to participation

b. Ensuring equitable access to programs

c. Increasing enrollment

d. Improving completion rates

e. Promoting and maintaining a discrimination-free environment

6. What was the most successful or noteworthy development with respect to support for special populations and students in non-traditional fields this year?

1. As a whole, special populations and students in non-traditional fields are finding success in BBCC’s AGR program.

WORK-BASED LEARNING:

7. How is work-based learning integrated into your program? Please describe and identify all types of work-based learning that is required in your programs.

1. All non-transfer (and some transfer) students are required to enroll in a WBL internship during the summer between year 1 and year 2 of their studies.

8. Select all methods employed that are used in your program to provide your students with experience in and an understanding of all aspects of industry.

Provide short descriptions of each method selected.

☐Industry Speakers
On average, each AGR course has at least 1 (or significantly more) industry expert(s) give a guest lecture(s).

☐Workplace Tours
AGR 101 offers between 6-8 field trips in a single quarter.

☐Job Shadows
AGR 295 & AGR 297 (Summer WBL experience).

☐Job & Career Fairs

☐Simulations
Market futures exercises in agribusiness courses.

☐Required Internship or Clinical Experience
AGR 295 & AGR 297 (Summer WBL experience). 

☐Optional Internship or Clinical Experience
AGR 295 & AGR 297 (Summer WBL experience).

☐Cooperative/Capstone Projects

☐Student Clubs
PAS (Professional Agriculture Student) Club.

☐Business/Industry Mentoring

☐Other

CAREER GUIDANCE:

9. How does your program provide career counseling with information on employment trends, wages, and opportunities to assist students plan their education?

1. Student job opportunities regularly posted in AGR Student “Online Space.”
2. AGR 101 is an exploration of possible Ag careers and industries.
3. Industry speakers commonly provide information/answer questions about market trends and job opportunities.
4. BBCC Career Fair participation encouraged.

10. Since the last audit (in the last three years), what was the most successful or noteworthy development with respect to program academic guidance and career counseling this year?

1. Methodology has been streamlined.
2. Easier/simpler to connect with all AGR advisees at one time.

11. Select all methods employed to provide students with comprehensive and labor marketinformed guidance, counseling, and coaching related to career discernment, academic transfer, and job search strategies.

Please provide a brief description of each method selected.

☐Online Job Search Engines
☐Career Exploration Workshops
☐Mock and On-Campus Interviews
Simulated interviews and other professional development covered in AGR 101.
☐WorkSource
☐Interactive/Online Pathway Tools
WSU transfer pathways outlined on BBCC website.
☐Hardcopy Career Pathway Tools (Posters, Brochures, Worksheets, etc.)
Rack cards, worksheets, posters distributed to enrolled/prospective students.
☐Resume Workshops
Covered in AGR 101 and PAS club activities & elsewhere on campus.
☐Credit-Bearing Career Readiness Courses
AGR 101
☐Credit-Bearing College Readiness Courses
☐College/Transfer Fairs
☐BA-S Program Presentations/Open Houses
☐Other

SCHEDULING:

12. Discuss how the scheduling for your courses is developed and how it is evaluated to determine access/availability for students.

1. Recently, the intention has been to have shorter lectures, more often throughout the week. As opposed to a singular, lengthy lecture happening once per week. Access is evaluated through feedback from students and instructors.

13. Has this program considered providing other options for offering the program content; such as, online, hybrid, nights, competency-based, weekends, etc? Yes

a. If yes, what is being considered and why?

i. Online and hybrid offerings, as well as recorded lectures – to meet pandemic mandates and student flexibility needs.

b. If no, is this something that should be considered and why/why not?

14. Using the schedule and MCOs provided, please

a. review schedule and MCOs for accuracy or required changes

i. Done

b. identify classes that should be retired

i. Done

c. identify changes to the quarters, time, and modality offered

i. Done

 

ASSESSMENT REVIEW:

15. Please review your assessment work over the last three years. Has the assessment work that your program reported resulted in improved student learning or student success or improved attainment of industry-recognized credentials? Please share an example.

1. Difficult to determine the efficacy of our assessment efforts when observing the average AGR student. The sense from faculty is that assessment is more of a “hoop to jump through” than something that actually augments student learning.

16. As you reviewed this work, are there elements of this assessment work that you need to revisit or follow up in order to learn more in these areas or to “close the loop”?

1. No

17. What future steps can you make in your assessment work so that it has greater meaning and value to you and your students?

1. Spend more time weaving assessment activities into curriculum in an organic “less forced” manner.

18. If your assessment work resulted in curriculum changes, equipment/technology purchases, professional development/training, please make sure those are reflected in the appropriate areas within the audit.

1. Done