Commendations

Recommendations

Year 2009-2010  (Departmental)    Recommendation Continue to pursue the development of new courses and certificate programs to meet student needs Response (1) Business - The business program is in the process of developing a new 12-unit certificate program in Sustainable Green Business Practices. Four new courses have been submitted to the Curriculum Committee: Green Marketing Strategies, Sustainable Business Practices, Global Business, and E-Commerce. An additional new course will be submitted before the end of November--Emerging Green Technologies. (2) CAOT - CAOT submitted a new course to Curriculum last spring which was offered for the first time in the 2010 fall semester: CAOT 78 QuickBooks. It will again be offered in the 2011 spring semester. CAOT is also continuing to pursue offering a medical certificate. Four new courses are planned: Medical Transcription, Medical Record Keeping, Medical Office Procedures, Introduction to Medical Billing; students would also take Medical Terminology through the Life Sciences Department to complete their certificate. (3) Law - We will continue to develop the curriculum for our 3 new certificates. In 2009-2010 we developed the substantive law for each certificate. In 2011-2012 we will develop the "nuts and bolts" practical class for each new certificate. Upon completing these 3 new practical classes, we will then be able to pursue curriculum approval of the three new certificates. (4) Administration of Justice - We are in the process of creating a certificate and degree program in forensic science. We have submitted to LOWDL our proposal for both certificate and degree programs and have submitted and had approved through curriculum committee most of the courses required for both. Response Update   Status InProgress  Objectives 1 Objectives for LAW.   Objective Period Priority Status Term   Develop new curriculum for 3 new certificates 11/1/2011 - 1/1/2013 Medium InProgress 2011 View/Edit     0 Resources.

Year 2009-2010  (Departmental)    Recommendation Continue efforts to attain full time faculty to replace retirees Response (1) Business - Currently, the business discipline has only one full-time faculty member. The business discipline has lost three full-time faculty members in the last three years. One faculty member (accounting) is being replaced; however, at least one more business faculty member is needed to grow the program and to assist the present students in attaining their degrees. (2) Law - We have not had any openings in Law. When we reach 1000 student enrollments per semester (we are currently at 900 per semester), the paralegal program will apply for one additional full time faculty. Response Update   Status InProgress  Objectives 0 Objectives for LAW.

Year 2008-2009  (Departmental)    Recommendation Closely monitor disciplines with low enrollment and pursue strategies for strengthening. Response Over the last two years, the disciplines with the lowest enrollment, CAOT and Business, have pursued successful strategies to increase enrollment. Three new adjunct faculty with real-world experience have been hired in the CAOT discipline and one new adjunct in the business discipline who has had outstanding enrollment and retention success. In addition, a two-year plan has been developed to assist students with planning their schedules; classes are offered both during the day and evening and on weekends to accommodate students' needs. A CAOT student database has been developed and e-mails and postcards are sent to CAOT students to encourage them to enroll, especially in low enrollment classes. The CAOT and Business disciplines are both updating their discipline brochures. In May of 2010 a joint advisory board meeting was held to obtain feedback from local businesses on the present and proposed curricula. New courses have been developed as a result, for example, QuickBooks, CAOT 78, and courses are in the process of being developed for a Sustainable Green Business Practices certificate and for a Medical Office Assistant certificate. All courses in the Business and Law Department have been updated, certificates and degrees in the Business Discipline have been updated and will be revised again this year. CAOT is in the process of revising its certificates and degree program. Law and AJ continue to have high enrollments. Response Update   Status InProgress  Objectives 0 Objectives for LAW.

Respondent(s): Prof David Jordan, Director of Paralegal Studies Program 

Describe the status of the SLO Assessment in this discipline.

Response: During Fall 2011 we assessed the following PLO - "Students will demonstrate application of ethics to legal matters". An ethics rubric has been developed and added to the rubric gallery. see ethics rubric at 
https://mymission.lamission.edu/faculty/learningoutcomes/ViewRubric.aspx?rubricid=643

The case study we used for the assessment is located at http://abogado.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/46122244/ethics-case.pdf

The five ethical theories in which we educated our law students across our law discipline are located at 
http://abogado.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/46122454/five-ethical-theories.pdf

We had a number of students from all of our 12 law classes post their work to the case study and then our law faculty assessed the student submissions. 

Here are the results and our analysis of the Ethics PLO

http://abogado.pbworks.com/w/page/49995342/SLO-ETHICS

Analysis:
 
The students were given a case study, along with supporting materials (ethical theories, powerpoint, and grading rubric) which required the appropriate application of ethics which is one of our law Program Learning Outcomes. ??The case study required students to learn five theories of ethics, and then to apply the theories to an ethical dilemma as set forth in a case study.??Results/Analysis:??All 12 classes in our law program were assessed during the  Spring 2012 semester. The students did fairly well with the case study (see above % for each class, and overall average (79%).   Both briefing of law cases and this ethics case study require students to perform 4 steps as follows:??1. Clearly define the legal or ethical principle (articulation of the substantive law or ethical principle is essential).??2. Spot the legal issue of ethical dilemma (similar to a doctor diagnosing the correct illness given many symptoms)??3. Fully discuss each relevant fact and demonstrate how it impacts the case law or ethics case study.??4. Arrive at a conclusion - demonstrate a full understanding and application of the legal or ethical principle, be able to understand the public policies involved, the legal rationale for the decision, and in the ethics case, propose alternative solutions which help to resolve the dilemma while balancing the competing interests of the parties. ??Assessment of the ethics case study reveals that students seem to handle steps 2 and 4 fairly well (spot the issue, arrive at a conclusion), but a common mistake amongst all of our students is to gloss over, overlook, or fail to handle steps 1 and 3 (clearly define terms, and fully discuss the relevant facts in a law case or ethics case study). ?? Suggested resolutions:??During the Spring 2012 semester the law faculty will discuss some of the below possible solutions to improve our students' failure to clearly define terms and discuss relevant facts.
 
• infuse more ethics case studies, definitions, theories, and practice identifying and resolving ethics dilemmas throughout our discipline and program?
• draft a different case study with a model answer for every semester which can then be used as extra credit for students at the end of the semester, and continue to assess the ethics case study approach?
• better craft "instructions for class assignments, projects, case law briefings, etc. and stress the importance of following instructions carefully in each class?
• create a youtube video (possibly humorous) showing how not following instructions ends in bad results?
• instruct students to remove the use of personal opinions and supplant them with supported and substantiated legal arguments?
• develop strategies, best practices and new pedagogy to assist instructing students on how to better balance the competing interests and policies between disputing parties?
• increase possible internship/job shadowing "hands on" experience for students to gain "real life experience" in the resolution of disputes and ethical dilemmas?
• look for good academic pedagogy, perhaps in the sciences, to infuse a more "objective" fact based analysis?
• work on developing best practices in teaching analysis which apply equally to case law briefing, and ethics case studies?
• explore alternative types of assignments which engage students more fully. one might be group projects with use of interesting, dynamic case studies which require more innovative thinking and analysis?
• possibly develop a separate law class in ethics and add it to our paralegal curriculum?
• create a Spring Ethics Composuim or Forum between several disciplines - i.e." Interdisciplinary Ethics Forum"  (Administration of Justice, History, Psychology, Sociology, other Social Sciences, Humanities and Liberal Arts instructors, courses, and disciplines, etc.) and to argue pro and con a "hot issue of the day"?
• develop more assignments and projects which are "problem solving" and which require more "open ended" thinking and analysis, such as finding cases given a "sparse set of facts", "searching to find solutions" type of assignment  ?
• find a simple "formula" we can follow to develop more student engagement, and develop more "search and problem solving" oriented assignments.?? 

We will meet with our law faculty during the Winter 2013 break, and determine which strategies to adopt and implement to improve student success in our program. 


In Fall 2008 we developed and assessed all of our online law classes with the SLO "Students will be able to brief a law case" - - see http://slo-law.pbworks.com/analysis-strategy 

We analyzed the results and decided that we would implement two new changes.

1. An early alert system. Faculty would grade the first few assignments early in the first few weeks of each semester and then notify specific students of their needs for online tutoring and the areas in which they need tutoring>

2. We would employ online tutors to assist in helping students to improve their writing skills, specifically on case briefs.

We have seen marked improvement across the law discipline in student case briefs as reported by our law faculty. 

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