COMPREHENSIVE STANDARD CS P9:

The institution provides appropriate academic support services.

Consistent with the Collin County Community College District (CCCCD) mission statement and philosophy, each campus provides services and learning resources designed to assist individuals in achieving both their educational and career goals (Reference 1).

The areas described below are staffed for the purpose of providing an array of academic support services to those in need. These offices report through the Student Development Division:

1. Academic Advising assists students throughout their educational careers. Advisors provide a wide range of services ranging from determining a field of study, providing course details, outlining academic program requirements, assisting with the admissions and registration process, and providing transfer information (References 2, 3). Advisors throughout the department have specializations to offer more detailed assistance with specific courses of study. In-depth guidelines can be found in the Academic Advising Handbook (Reference 4).

The International Students Office operates as a part of Academic Advising, assisting international students with immigration advising, academic advising, and helping them to comply with U.S. government regulations (References 3, 5).

2. ACCESS (Accommodations at Collin County for Equal Support Services) is a comprehensive accommodation program for CCCCD students. The ACCESS office follows the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 guidelines by providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Tutoring services are also available for all students within the College through the ACCESS Office. Students may choose between online, private, or group tutoring options (References 3, 6).

3. The Admissions and Records Office (ARO) offers a variety of services including admitting and registering students, online grading through OASIS, and completing student transcripts. (Reference 3).

4. Through the Testing Centers, students are provided instructional testing, proctoring, credit by exam testing, assessments for course placement, and official testing for the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), ACT (American College Testing Program), CLEP (College-Level Examination Program), and the THEA (Texas Higher Education Assessment) (Reference 3).

Academic support services are also provided through a host of programs:

Academic and Personal Enhancement (ACPE) courses are designed to assist students in developing the study skills needed to be successful in college (e.g. time management, note taking, test taking, reading, problem solving) and to assist students in successfully achieving career and educational goals (e.g. identifying values, developing resumes, goal setting) (Reference 7).

The Center for Scholarly and Civic Engagement involves faculty, students, and community members in academic initiatives that center on community service. The focus of the Center for Scholarly and Civic Engagement is scholarship, leadership, and community involvement (Reference 3).

The Cooperative Work Experience Program (Co-op) is designed to give students in both the two-year technical fields and transfer students hands-on work experience. Participants must meet program requirements (Reference 8).

The Distance Learning Center offers support to both students and faculty involved in distance learning activities (Reference 3).

Experiential Learning Labs (Reference 9) and Academic Learning Labs:

The American Sign Language (ASL) Laboratory is designed to replicate Deaf Culture settings through the use of ASL-employed models (Reference 3).

Computer Writing Classrooms are computer labs equipped with word processing, the Internet, and HTML editors, in which various class sections are taught (Reference 3).

Math Labs assist students in various levels of math and math-based sciences who need supplementary assistance and practice (References 3, 10, 11).

Writing Centers offer assistance with various forms of writing by providing the tools needed to successfully complete writing tasks (References 3, 12, 13).

Learning Resource Centers (LRC) provide access to books, periodicals, videos, computers, electronic databases, and the World Wide Web. Staff is available to assist both students and members of the community. The Alternative Learning Centers (ALC) are housed within the LRC and assist students with the utilization of various technologies (References 3, 14).

Media Technology Services supports the mission of instruction by providing audio/visual hardware and software District-wide, in order to enrich the classroom learning experience (References 3, 15).

The Students on Academic Action Program (SOAAP) is housed within Academic Advising. SOAAP is designed to help students (those that have completed 12 credit hours without maintaining a grade point average of 2.0) establish a successful academic plan to meet the academic standards set by CCCCD (References 3, 16).

Support Services for Student Athletes (SSSA) is a program to ensure the success and transferability of athletes. The program requires mandatory study halls, completion of a study skills class, and progress reports from instructors throughout the semester (Reference 17).

Transfer Labs are informational centers which provide resources to assist students in the smooth transition to a college or university setting. An event held each spring which assists with this process is Transfer Express. During Transfer Express representatives from colleges and universities are on site to answer general questions, share information on transferability of courses, student life, campus housing, and financial aid (Reference 18).

In February of 2000, the Student Development Division was rated Exemplary by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The division continues its efforts to expand and evaluate services, and to offer innovative programming that meets the needs of the diverse student population.

Each individual department within the Division of Student Development undergoes a rigorous service assessment process which examines student programs and services (Reference 19). Service assessments highlight the strengths and identify any weaknesses within the specific service area. Departments then identify ways in which to improve after assessment completion.

According to the 2002-2003 Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, CCCCD students are more satisfied with the Academic Services areas than are students in the national comparison group. These areas include library support, computer access, tutoring services, and overall academic support services. This sentiment is reciprocated in the overall experience received at CCCCD, according to the students surveyed (Reference 20).

Based on feedback received from service assessments, departmental surveys, student satisfaction surveys, and strategic planning sessions, Student Development staff continue to improve programs and services.

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