Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Fast Facts

My COUGAR Course  

Coastal Bend College Student Success Course:  

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) requirements are central to the Student Success Course:   

1. Research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition, and motivation; 2) factors that impact learning; and 3) application of learning strategies.  

The QEP Team developed a Pilot Student Success Course for the fall of 2013, My COUGAR Course, which was grounded in CBC instructional data, CCSE results, focus group reports, and Best Practices research. They also identified the requirements for the course and the nine learning outcomes. My COUGAR Course will be:  

• A three-hour course.  

• Full – time students who transfer in with 12 hours or more who have not met TSI requirements regardless of the hours transferred in.  

• Full-time students working on an Associate’s Degree.  

• Full-time students who transfer in with less than 12 hours working.  

• An Academic course using EDUC1300.  

• Instructors to be prescribed by CBC who must complete a 16 hour Instructor Certification Workshop.  

• First term for all students.  

• Pilot in fall 2013 face to face on all sites: Alice, Beeville, Kingsville, Pleasanton with a goal of 30 students in each pilot class.   

• Dual credit, high school students are exempt while in high school.  

• Hybrid delivery.  

• Transfer course.  

EDUC 1300 essential requirements for becoming “college ready”:  

1. Increase self-awareness.  

2. Take charge of your life.  

3. Identify and interact within your community.  

4. Manage your money.  

5. Communicate effectively using a variety of formats.  

6. Demonstrate information literacy skills.  

7. Demonstrate effective study skills.  

8. Demonstrate creative and critical thinking skills.  

9. Develop an integral college and career pathway.  

Research indicates that students who complete a student success course, also referred to as a First Year Seminar (FYS), are more likely to complete other courses, earn better grades, and have higher overall GPA’s, and obtain degrees. – Center for Community College Student Engagement (2012)  

Course Design  

My COUGAR Course is designed to create a sense of community between the students, the personnel, and their environment. The strategies and insights gained from the course should insure each student will:  

• Be an active participant in the college community while meeting its expectations and requirements;  

• Maximize their personal strengths to succeed in future courses;  

• Be proactive in beginning and completing assignments and projects;  

• Apply specific techniques to ensure success in classes (i.e. note taking, study skills, peer study groups, research skills, etc.);  

• Assume responsibility for personal development as a learner; and   

• Connect with the appropriate personnel for additional assistance.  

      Implementation of My COUGAR Course requires collaboration across campuses:  

• Faculty from all disciplines will be invited to participate as Student Success instructors, bringing unique discipline knowledge to the career project;  

• Advisers will work hand-in-hand with instructors and students on creating an integrated educational and career pathway;  

• Financial aid staff will assist students in becoming financially literate;  

• Students will receive assistance with job shadows and internships;  

• Tutoring services will engage students who need additional assistance;  

• More roles will develop as needed.  

“Incredible learning can result when faculty work together with student support staff to create a total focus on learning, knowing, and doing with an institution” (Mellow & Hellan, 2008).   

I need to add CBC statistics.   

Why a Student Success Course?  

College Readiness was identified as a major challenge facing CBC students by a consensus of the students and faculty who participated in a survey in May 2012. It was confirmed as the quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) topic. The QEP Team has continued to develop a data-driven, research-based plan of action to implement a Student Success course to improve the college readiness of Coastal Bend College students.   

Foundational researcher David Conley defines college readiness as a multifaceted concept which crosses four interacting, overlapping dimensions of knowledge and skills; key cognitive strategies; key content knowledge; academic behaviors; and contextual skills. Students who demonstrate competence across four areas are more likely to complete educational goals.   

CBC’s Student Success Course curriculum will align with Conley’s definition and is specifically designed to assist each student to : identify personal learning styles and strategies to become more efficient, lifelong learners; develop short and long term goals; evaluate personal behaviors/ethics and congruence with communities; develop and practice research and technology skills; prioritize responsibilities; align educational and career goals with personal interests; and more.   

Center for Community College Student Engagement (2012). A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student success (A First Look). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program.   

Conley, D. T. (2007). Redefining College readiness, Volume 5. Eugene, OR: Educational Policy Improvement Center.  

Mellow, G.O. & Hellan, C. (2008). Minding the dream: The process and practice of the American community college. Lanham, M. D.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.