The Center for Teaching Excellence inspires excellence and innovation in teaching.

We create and provide programming, resources and opportunities that foster innovative and effective pedagogical practices among all who teach at USC.

advocate
Elevate

They found the four factors that correlate most directly with student success are:

1.      Focus relentlessly on students’ end goals.

2.      Always design and decide with the student in mind.

3.      Pair high expectations with high support.

4.      Foster the use of data, inquiry, and evidence.

5.      Take ownership of goals and performance.

6.      Enable action and thoughtful innovation.

7.      Lead the work of partnering across systems.

The Basic Skills Master Plan was created through the efforts of FLIT (Faculty Led Inquiry Team) with support from the Basic Skills Initiative Steering Committee (BSISC) and the Student Access and Success Committee (SASC).  The mission of FLIT was to 1) facilitate discussions with students, faculty, and staff about the obstacles preventing student success and the best ways to support students; 2) research best practices and how other community colleges are helping students to succeed when encountering similar obstacles; and 3) create recommendations based on the internal and external research to expedite the learning of the Basic Skills Master Plan that would then inform the College’s Strategic Plan, Educational Master Plan, and Student Equity Plan. 

Professional Learning Recommendations 

Encourage Faculty, Staff, and Administrative Excellence  

·       develop new-hire training and professional learning programs 

·       require intensive training for new hires: faculty, staff, and administration 

·       emphasize creating positive student interactions 

·       inform hires of student population: their needs and barriers 

·       discuss best practices for teaching and working with students in community colleges 

·       implement committee mentors and create committee guidelines 

·       institutionalize a college hour 

·       hire a college hour coordinator to organize weekly activities and events

·       schedule a 1.5-hour weekly block without classes 

Cultivate an Inclusive Campus  

·       provide professional learning for faculty, staff, and administrators to facilitate the learning of strategies that will create an inclusive campus and comfortable learning environment 

·       evaluate assessment tests and testing environments for triggers of stereotype threat and test anxiety 

Create the Educational Support Program

·       offer faculty release time for professional learning

·       provide stipends for the professional learning of Educational Support Professionals 

Expand and Specialize Counseling  

·       With the counseling department chair, determine which counselors should have specialized areas and how to designate time for training and learning 

Implement Multiple Measures for Placement 

·       provide professional learning around multiple measures 

Innovate the Math Sequence and Offerings  

·       implement a faculty orientation and professional learning focused on working with basic skills students and departmental standards 

·       connect the Math Peer Tutoring programs in the math department and in the Learning Center to enhance collaboration and coordination of services. 

·       decide on selection criteria, training, and policies for peer tutors collectively through discussions between both the math Department and the Learning Center 

·       create a norming committee comprised of both full-time and part-time math faculty to norm the exit skills for each math course and align exit skills with the New Common Assessment 

·       create a professional learning plan for current and future faculty to ensure quality and adherence to standard exit skills 

·       develop and implement a new-hire orientation

·       research professional learning opportunities, such as conferences and other math programs that are of interest to the Math Department 

·       work with the Professional Learning Faculty Facilitator to schedule professional learning opportunities on and off campus 

Innovate the English Sequence and Offerings  

·       Implement a faculty orientation and professional learning focused on working with basic skills students and departmental standards 

·       Develop and implement new hire orientations for each level of the sequence 

·       Research professional learning opportunities 

·       Work with the Professional Learning Faculty Facilitator to schedule professional learning opportunities on and off campus