CBC’s quality enhancement plan focuses on student success

During the July 18 regular board meeting, the Coastal Bend College Board of Trustees learned about the CBC Smart Start Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that kicks off this summer with Cougar Days orientation.

“The QEP was developed after conducting student surveys and extensively reviewing student data. Our QEP is designed to raise the bar and raise expectations of CBC students and staff. It’s about packaging services to make the freshman experience at CBC better than ever. All of these things led us to developing the CBC Smart Start experience,” said Velma Elizalde, Vice President of Student and Administrative Services at CBC.

CBC Smart Start was designed to ensure all students at CBC have the tools, support, and knowledge they need in order to be successful. There are 4 main components to the CBC Smart Start QEP: a mandatory student orientation, a faculty advisor, a student success course, and direct communication/contact from CBC staff:

· All students will be required to attend an orientation session to learn about services and programs available at CBC. In addition to offering Cougar Days orientations during the summer, students will also have the opportunity to attend an orientation session during the first 2 weeks of courses at all CBC sites. An online orientation session is also available to students at www.coastalbend.edu/newstudentorientation. For more information about upcoming student orientation sessions, please contact the Student Development Office at the CBC location nearest you.

· Students will be assigned to a faculty advisor based on their declared major. The faculty advisors are members of the CBC faculty who will help students with everything from registering for courses to referring them for tutoring services, if needed. A faculty advisor will meet with their advisees at least 3 times per semester. Furthermore, CBC faculty are going to be providing quarterly grades to all their students via the Campus Connect student portal so students can always know their grades/progress in a course.

· A student success course, My Cougar Course (EDUC 1300), will launch in spring 2014 in an entirely new format. The course will feature several modules designed to teach students about degree and career planning, study skills, money management, and other life skills that will help them in and out of the classroom. My Cougar Course/EDUC 1300 transfers as an academic/core elective to most Texas colleges and universities.

· The last QEP component involves for all CBC faculty and staff to be ready to help students at all times. Customer service training, in addition to cross training various departments, will create a friendlier, more helpful environment where students know that every single CBC employee cares about their success and is available to help them.

CBC Smart Start builds on the college’s student success agenda by utilizing data to turn initiatives into practice. All 4 components together will work hand-in-hand to help increase student success, learning outcomes, retention, and completion rates at all CBC sites. For more information about the CBC Smart Start QEP, please visit www.coastalbend.edu/qep or contact Dr. Patti Candia at (361) 354-2276.

The CBC Radiology program was recently evaluated by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology Training (JRCERT). The program was found to be compliant in all areas, and will now go to the committee for formal reaffirmation of continued accreditation. Since its inception, the CBC Radiology program has graduated 57 students.

“Graduates from the radiology program can essentially work anywhere in the nation since JRCERT is a national accreditation. Some of them do work here in the Coastal Bend area at hospitals and doctor’s offices. Radiology can take you anywhere,” said Radiology Program Director Timothy Skaife.

Applications for admission into the radiology program are taken during the spring, but various pre-requisites are required before a student is eligible to apply. For more information, please visit www.coastalbend.edu/radiology or contact Timothy Skaife at (361) 354-2302.

Combined Fee Revenue bonds to purchase a CBC Kingsville site and to refinance the CBC Pleasanton site bond were approved by the Board. These bonds can only be paid utilizing college revenue (tuition and fees), and cannot be paid for with taxpayers’ funds. The Board also approved a maintenance tax note for the CBC Beeville campus to utilize on deferred maintenance repairs and renovations to Joe Hunter Baseball Field. This bond will directly benefit the Bee County, and therefore is paid for with college tax revenue. Renovation plans for Joe Hunter Baseball Field will be developed later this fall in preparation for the new CBC National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) men’s division III baseball team. The bond and tax note are scheduled to be paid off in 10 years or less, and the payments are factored into the CBC annual budget.

Project OASIS received Board approval to purchase laboratory furnishings and equipment that will help enhance instructional delivery and student learning. The new furnishings and equipment will be part of the new Learning Commons area at the CBC Beeville campus inside the Fred C. Latcham, Jr. Academic-Science Building. Project OASIS is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) grant focusing on increasing the number of Hispanics and low income students obtaining degrees in STEM fields.

Rose Skaife, the CBC Faculty Senate President for the 2013-2014 year, provided an update to the Board about the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate serves as the united, professional voice of the faculty in an organized and transparent way. There is faculty representation from all CBC sites, as well as representation from the workforce and academic divisions. The Faculty Senate meets at least 4 times a year, and their meetings are open to the public. For a list of Faculty Senate members, to learn about upcoming meetings, or to review minutes from previous meetings, please contact Rose Skaife at rskaife@coastalbend.edu.

At Coastal Bend College your future begins here—and now. Let us help you advance your career and education. With so many programs, there’s bound to be something perfect for you. Let us tell you how by contacting us for more information about the programs and courses offered at Coastal Bend College by calling 1-866-722-2838 ext. 2266. Or you can visit us on the web at www.coastalbend.edu, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/coastalbendcollege, or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBCFuture.