EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS
General Requirements
2.A.2
Mission and Mission Components.
The educational programs of Great Basin College
are guided by the mission of “providing superior, student centered, post-secondary
education in central and northeastern Nevada.” Within this mission (university
transfer courses, occupational and technical studies, developmental courses,
community education, selected baccalaureate programs, and business-education
partnership), the College has begun to emphasize both a strong general education
component and the development of baccalaureate degrees.
All departments have created
new courses, hired new faculty, and striven to meet the needs and demands of
the service area. Clearly, one of the college’s chief goals has become
to provide affordable baccalaureate programs for the residents, and the process
of creating these programs has been of primary importance. However, a concomitant
aspect of such four-year growth has been an improvement of developmental courses
in order to give educational opportunity to under-prepared students. In the
face of such growth, the College has not neglected its commitment to the community
college mission of lifelong learning to all members of the community.
The College continues to
meet the occupational/technical and economic development components of its mission.
New programs and renewed programs demonstrate this commitment. GBC’s workforce
training programs also have a primary purpose of working directly with Nevada
companies to speed the flow of new technology, information, and workforce development
through both direct and referral services to client companies. The Nursing Program
continues its important work in supplying well-trained nurses to the region.
The Health Sciences Department is working hard in its planning for a Bachelor
of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, which is dependent upon state funding and
meeting accreditation standards.
Community Services provides
short-term customized contract training to meet the needs of employers in business,
industry, and government. Such work is closely tied to the department/content
areas, and new courses are reviewed by the Curriculum and Articulation committee,
as with any new course. New programs include those in collaboration with the
Area Health Education Council (AHEC) in expanding existing allied health and
emergency areas. Students at GBC can benefit from critical skills training in
the allied health fields. Furthermore, continuing education is reaching out
to the seasonal and volunteer firefighters of this region, especially through
a current federal grant.
2.A.7 Departmental
Structure.
A key change in organization has occurred with this growing faculty, resulting
in the organization of academic affairs into departments, away from divisions.
A clear department structure has emerged:
• Fine Arts
• ABE/ESL
• Business
• Continuing and Community Education
• Education: Elementry Education, Early Childhood Education
• English
• Humanities: Theatre Arts, Foreign Languages, Music
• Health Sciences
• Mathematics
• Recreation and Physical Education
• Sciences
• Social Sciences
• Technical Arts: Diesel Technology, Electrical/Instrumentation, Industrial
Plant, Welding
2.A.8 Use of Library.
Unsurprisingly, departments report varied utilization of the library resources.
For the English Department students, library research involves the use of books,
reference works, government documents, periodicals (whether in hard copy or
through the various electronic databases), and other online resources required
in writing and literature classes. The library resources
are generally adequate for work in introductory classes. Some faculty feel that
the library has limitations for research in upper-division classes required
for the college’s four-year degrees, but the library has directed resources
toward addressing those concerns.
GBC librarians recently began spending time one-on-one with students in Composition
II classes in Elko to train them how to conduct library research. The English
instructors of these students consider this to be very successful. One instructor
pointed out that the student research in that class was some of the best he
had ever seen in a Composition II class. The department would like the librarians
to continue this individualized assistance.
The library is being utilized more by science students than in the past. There
are more research papers being written (especially in the upper-division courses)
and more articles and books being read. Students are writing more and being
evaluated on the quality of the writing.
At the beginning of each semester, each early childhood education instructor
presents information regarding library resources. The students are given a tour
of the GBC Library. The librarians demonstrate the use of the computers for
research purposes.
The library and information resources are an integral part of the nursing curriculum.
With the help of the library staff, the Nursing Department has access to a variety
of health related web-sites. Students are able to access the sites from the
campus library, computers in the Nursing Department, off-site campuses and their
own home computers. The library staff and nursing faculty schedule an orientation
during the first week of the Nursing Program. The directors of the library and
the Nursing Department meet at least annually to review the periodical subscriptions
and web-based documents to evaluate their usage. The library resources support
the curriculum and program very effectively.
Computer Office Technology students are encouraged to use Great Basin College
Library resources when conducting research for class-related projects.
Diesel students use the library to research assignments given to them in classes.
The library has the periodicals needed for students and instructors to stay
current.
The Bachelor of Applied Science Department has utilized the $50,000 book budget,
provided through the BAS program, to purchase material for lower- and upper-division
courses. Books, periodicals, and electronic media are purchased from lists supplied
by the instructors. The department feels that the library and information resources
are adequate in the BAS area.
On the other hand, the Welding Department keeps library resources on site, such
as videos, textbook, and Internet access.
Electrical/Instrumentation students utilize videos and text material which the
library provides on long-term arrangements for use off-campus. Computers are
available in a lab, providing Web access for student research and study.
Educational Program and Its EffectivenessThe branch campuses in Winnemucca,
Ely, and Battle Mountain are provided with outreach service by both the GBC
Library and the Career Center. Staff from both departments provide training
at the Winnemucca Branch Campus each semester. Students needing library resources
can take advantage of many online databases for research and make use of interlibrary
loan programs to receive information needed for coursework. One drawback to
this process has been a struggle to provide students with access to library
resources from home. The INT 100 course, GBC Orientation, includes training
on library databases and outlines interlibrary loan procedures. This is reinforced
in English courses, which depend heavily on effective research.
Social Science Department. The department consults about library resources and
makes recommendations for materials to the library staff.
2.A.9 Scheduling.
Courses are provided during the day, evening, via interactive television, as
telecourses, and online to make them accessible throughout the service area.
GBC’s faculty and administration constantly evaluate the schedule of course
offerings to determine if the offerings are providing optimal access to students.
However, the 2002 Student Satisfaction Inventory gave low rankings to two items:
Classes are scheduled at times that are convenient for me and There is a good
variety of courses provided on this campus. Not only is the gap between Importance
and Performance quite large, but both items for GBC show that the degree of
Satisfaction is statistically below the national norm. In part, these results
may follow from the limits of a small college and the reduction in elective
offerings that came with the revision of the College’s general education
requirements. But they are a cause for concern.
2.A.10 Credit for
Experiential Learning.
The GBC General Catalog 2002-2003 (p. 18) outlines the procedure for obtaining
credit for knowledge and experience. Up to 15 credits can be granted and applied
to AAS or AGS degrees or the Certificate of Achievement. In the calendar year
2000, six students were granted a total of 41 credits, ranging from one credit
to 15, and in 2001 six students received 24 credits, again ranging from one
credit to 15.
2.A.11
and
2.12 Additions and Deletions of Courses or Programs.
The addition and deletion of courses and programs follows a prescribed sequence
including Faculty Senate and GBC administrative approval. Recommendations for
new programs and degrees go through a review process with the Chancellor’s
Office, the UCCSN academic officers, and, for approval, the Board of Regents.
The establishment of new degree programs is discussed in more detail in a subsequent
section of Standard 2.
Three fairly new programs were deactivated in June 2000: AAS, Construction Management
Technology; AAS, Industrial Management Technology; and AAS, Occupational Health
and Safety. Insufficient enrollment and economic downturn in the region was
the major reason for the deactivations. The Board of Regents was informed and
approved the deactivation.
Educational Program and Its EffectivenessThe Industrial Management was never
promoted, and there were no students. Letters were sent to students in constructional
management and occupational health and safety (Exhibit 2.4) notifying them of
the decision and offering advising assistance. A few students completed the
occupational safety program through independent study, course substitutions,
and special arrangements in offering four safety courses taught by adjunct faculty.
Some students switched majors.
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