Roles and Purposes Dimension Report
Pellissippi State Technical Community College

Foundations Institutions promote student understanding of the various roles and purposes of higher education and those unique to two-year institutions, both for the individual and society.  These roles and purposes include learning for personal growth, career enhancement, workplace preparation and retraining, transfer for additional education, engaged citizenship, and serving the public good. Institutions encourage new students to examine their motivation and goals with regard to higher education in general and to their own college. Students are exposed to the value of both a general education and focused study in an academic or career field.

Committee Leader:
Elaine Oswald, Associate Professor of English

Committee Members:
Cindy Alexander, Associate Professor- Business and Computer Technology
Cynthia Arnold, Associate Professor
Ashley Boone, Assistant Professor - Mathematics
Charles Cardwell, Assistant Professor - Liberal Arts
Carolyn Carson, Director of Placement
Karen Cornell, Librarian
Luanne Dagley, Associate Professor
William Farrell, Instructor - Engineering and Media Technologies
H. L. (Harriet-Lynn) Ford, Associate Professor - English
Les Fout, Director of Major Gift Development
David Gilbert, Associate Professor - Engineering and Media Technologies
Terry Hansen, Associate Professor - Liberal Arts
Mike Hudson, Director of Business & Professional Programs
Maggie Jenkins, Associate Professor - English
Cheryl Leach, Coordinator of Curriculum
Garry Pennycuff, Instructor - Natural and Behavioral Sciences
Karen Quammen, Student Leader
Carolyn Renier, Associate Professor - Mathematics
Pat Riddle, Assistant Professor - Engineering and Media Technologies
Yolanda Sankey, Assistant Professor - Natural and Behavioral Sciences
Jane Schumann, Associate Professor - Natural and Behavioral Sciences
Linda Smith-Staton, Associate Professor - Natural and Behavioral Sciences
Ken Swayne, Assistant Professor - Engineering and Media Technologies
Rosalyn Tillman, Assistant Dean of Magnolia Avenue Programs
Greg Walters, Associate Professor - Business and Computer Technology
Berta Ward, Dean of Academic Advising, Articulation and Curriculum

Current Situation:

8.1 Purposes

Knowledge acquisition for personal growth
The words "personal growth" occur precisely once in the College's current catalog (on page 180, in the Business and Community Services section). This occurrence is in reference to non-credit Personal Enrichment courses. A search of the PSTCC web site for the phrase "personal growth" yields 55 hits. Of these, eight are current master syllabi for art courses (which reference "personal growth" in the "Instructional Processes" section, one is for a master syllabus for Humanities 2100, one is the catalog page mentioned above, one is a welcome page for African American students, two are lists of book titles, and the remainder are outdated materials including syllabi and a statement of goals for the no-longer-existing Humanities Department). There is no reference to personal growth in the College's General Education Goals. In short, although individual instructors may include elements promoting personal growth in course-specific presentations, there is no evidence that the institution has a vision in this matter.

Learning to prepare for future employment
Career/technical faculty report extensive efforts to communicate with prospective students regarding opportunities available to them to prepare for employment through the College's technical programs. Faculty, primarily from the Engineering & Media Technologies and Business & Computer Technology departments, regularly participate in events and activities where they are able to discuss their programs with prospective students, parents and significant others. Such activities include the College's Open House events, various community events, career days at high schools in the technical service area, and tours provided for various groups visiting the campuses. In addition, faculty report that entry-level courses in the career/technical areas emphasize career options and the skills required for employment in those options. Advising is an important component of this effort for the College's career/technical programs.

Though not nearly as pervasive, university parallel faculty report significant efforts to communicate the value of learning to prepare for future employment both inside and outside of the classroom. Examples include: --Instructors in English Composition I frequently point to the necessity of being able to write clearly. They emphasize the importance of audience and how one varies style and vocabulary depending on audience and situation. Some faculty quote employers on the importance of writing ability in prospective employees. --A special orientation for incoming freshmen who want to major in nursing is held each year. Students are apprised of nursing school options, area nursing school requirements and career opportunities in nursing. --Elementary education majors are encouraged to enroll in a course requiring a field experience as early as possible to help them understand the profession and evaluate their choice to become a teacher. --In the College's Spanish I course, students watch and discuss video interviews of American business people who use Spanish in their work.

Learning for engaged citizenship and serving the public good
The College Catalog & Handbook deals with these areas in several places, most notably in the mission statement (page 6), Student Life (page 57), and Student Ambassadors (page 59). All campuses offer a variety of programs and activities that encourage engaged citizenship through public service including guest speakers, voter education and registration, blood drives and various volunteer opportunities.

Some of the College's courses involve working in the community. Faculty members do more than "tell" students that they should be concerned citizens; they "show" students ways to participate as concerned citizens. This role modeling is perhaps the most effective vehicle for communicating valuable civic messages to students. Examples include a faculty and student trip to New Orleans over spring break to aid in the clean up effort; student and staff organization sponsored food, toy, care package and clothing drives at various points in the year; and faculty and student participation in environmental clean up of the Little River.

The College's goals for general education emphasize these areas particularly in the Social/Behavioral Sciences and Humanities/Fine Arts areas. Academic departments report a variety of efforts to communicate the importance of public service and engaged citizenship through the curriculum:

English - In English Composition courses, students are encouraged to read periodical articles by or about political candidates and their issues so that they will become more informed voters and citizens. History - Faculty members schedule a yearly film and/or lecture series to which all students are invited. This year's series focused on the African in America. Films and lectures are followed by group discussions and student reports. Math - Instructors teach a unit on probability and statistics that can be applied to lottery winning prospects, gambling ventures and other community concerns.

8.2 Motivation
The College offers personal and academic counseling services to all students who wish to explore any of a broad range of concerns... including (but not limited to) issues of personal motivation. These services are available to all students; they are not directed specifically towards new students, but it is the clear intent of the institution that new students have full access to them. In addition, new students are encouraged to meet with an advisor and such meetings offer students an opportunity to address personal motivation.

8.3 Rationale
Required courses
The rationale for required courses is communicated in several ways to new students. Page 81 of the 2004-2006 Pellissippi State Technical Community College (PSTCC) Catalog & Handbook lists the goals for student learning. For every required general education category, the Catalog & Handbook lists how the requirement contributes to the student's personal and professional success, reinforcing Pellissippi State's commitment to a broad general education. For career/technical programs, the rationale for major-specific required courses and competencies is communicated via their program goals, listed at the beginning of each program description in the Career/Technical Programs section of the Catalog & Handbook (pages 108-153). The rationale is also communicated through the master syllabi under the following sections: entry level standards, course objectives, instructional processes, and expectations for student performance. Master syllabi for all PSTCC courses are available online.

Required competencies
Required competencies are communicated in a variety of ways. The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), PSTCC's governing body, requires placement testing for all degree-seeking students which evaluates students' competencies in key areas: reading, writing, and mathematics. For students whose competency levels in these areas are not considered college-level based on placement test scores, they are appropriately placed in developmental studies program (DSP) courses. The purpose and goals of the DSP program are communicated in New Student Orientation (NSO) for those students who choose to attend. However, according to the 2004 First Time Freshman Survey, only 52.8% of students attended NSO. The information is also provided in written form in the Catalog & Handbook on pages 86-88.

Students have another opportunity to familiarize themselves with the DSP program as it is included in the new student advising materials packet. The packet includes the DSP program's mission, course offerings, placement appeal process, and score interpretation guide. For students who schedule an advising appointment prior to final registration, time is available to thoroughly review the new student advising materials with an advisor.

On the other hand, students who delay registration until the final few days are not likely to receive the same time and attention due to long lines and limited staff; the testing process (as well as the results) may not be fully detailed since the purpose of final registration is restricted mostly to scheduling assistance. Other competency requirements (such as computer skills) are provided in the entry level standards section of the master syllabi. The importance of library skills is emphasized in every ENGL 1010 class where students are required to attend a library orientation session to familiarize themselves with research techniques and available library services.

Requirements for entry into programs/majors
Although PSTCC is an open enrollment institution and does not restrict entry into its programs/majors, the College does reflect the entrance requirements of its receiving institutions for university parallel programs. Articulation agreements with area colleges and universities include program-specific entrance requirements (such as minimum GPA for admission) along with course requirements.

Areas of Concern:

8.1 Purposes

Knowledge acquisition for personal growth
If personal growth is to be taken as an important element of the first-year experience and if the institution is expected to communicate this element effectively to its students, the institution must develop a vision. Only after so doing, can it take steps to communicate this vision through its Web site, catalog, and other media.

Learning to prepare for future employment
The primary area of concern with respect to communicating the value of learning to prepare for employment in the career/technical areas relates to advising. New career/technical students are not always advised by advisors in their chosen career fields. This is particularly true during final registration periods.

The broader concern is that while some university parallel faculty in some program areas emphasize the connections between what is learned in college to the skills and abilities required for future employment, the efforts are sporadic and many students may not be exposed to this important information.

Learning for engaged citizenship and serving the public good
While significant activity is carried out in this realm, information regarding these opportunities is not readily accessible to new students. Consistent information about the related activities of student clubs and organizations should be provided during new student orientation. In addition, providing a centralized source of information for students regarding opportunities to learn about public service and participate in college and community sponsored events should be made available on the College's website.

8.2 Motivation
The fact that the College intentionally provides opportunities does not entail that the students take advantage of said opportunities. To what degree should students be encouraged to do so?

If a large fraction of new students actually sought assistance in examining their personal motivations for pursuing higher education, counseling services (and academic advisors) would be overwhelmed. If this happened, the services would no longer, as a practical matter, be available.

Students who meet with faculty advisors may not realize that the meeting does provide an opportunity for them to examine motivations. Should faculty be "trained" to point out this opportunity to students?

8.3 Rationale
Although the information regarding the rationale for required courses, competencies and entrance requirements available in a number of places, new students are not always familiar with how to find it. For example, responses to the Spring 2005 Alumni Survey showed that only 39% of students rated quality of information provided by their advisor as excellent, 43% rated clarity of degree requirements in the major as excellent, and 42% rated clarity of objectives for courses in the major as excellent. Furthermore, responses to the 2005 CCFSSE Student and Faculty Survey showed 73% of faculty believed it is very important for students to participate in DSP reading courses while only 21% of students rated it as very important. For DSP writing courses, 73% of faculty saw it as very important while only 26% of students did.

For DSP math courses, 69% of faculty saw it as very important compared to 38% of students. Based on such disparate responses, Pellissippi State needs to do a better job of communicating its values regarding competencies and requirements to its students. The information must be compiled in a more student-friendly, readily accessible way.

Summary of Evidence:
The Roles and Purposes Committee based its conclusions on a thorough review of the College's Catalog & Handbook; course syllabi; general education goals; responses by faculty and department heads regarding course content, instructional methods, and faculty service activities; FOE survey results; information provided by site campus directors; and the College's website.

Recommended Grade: C-

Recommended Action Items:

• Vision of knowledge acquisition for personal growth (High priority)

An institutional vision of knowledge acquisition for personal growth should be developed and communicated via the website, catalog and other media

• Develop formal statement regarding general education skills for future employment (High priority)

The importance of developing critical thinking, communication and reasoning skills for success and flexibility in future employment needs to be emphasized in all courses and in a formal institutional statement.

• Increase opportunities for students to learn about practice good citizenship (High priority)

Involve student organizations in new student orientations so they can present the opportunities they have to offer for becoming engaged citizens and for serving the public good.

Implement a college plan that allows students to go to one central place on each campus and on the college website to learn how to become involved, engaged and active both on campus and in our community. A direct link to a web page that discusses opportunities for developing citizenship skills and community involvement is needed.

The importance of college-educated citizens in working for the public good should be stressed in all classes and activities.

• Require NSO and revise materials provided to new students (High priority)

The New Student Handbook (packet of materials) provided at New Student Orientation needs to be revised to include this information. Only the most pertinent information for new students should be included in this packet to avoid information overload. New Student Orientation should become a required component for new students to insure they get started on the right foot and have the needed materials to succeed. Should the budget allow, more advisors/counselors are needed so that more students can be seen before final registration. When we run out of appointments before final registration, particularly for fall semester, students are instructed to go to final registration where scheduling assistance is provided but not much advisement.

• Modify approach to academic advising (High priority)

Require first year students to examine their motivations. Academic advisors should be assigned immediately in order to advise students about appropriate courses and their future career plans. First year students should be taught how to plan their schedules and register for classes themselves. A distinction should be made between counseling, academic advising and scheduling.