The Curriculum and Student Services Committee of the Board of Trustees ultimately reviews all programs for approval, as requests are brought before the board by senior College administration officials (3). Minutes from meetings of the C&I Committee (4) and, subsequently, from those of the Board of Trustees typically reveal the standard sequencing for this process (5).

Learning outcomes have been developed for all curriculum programs at the College and are evaluated annually as part of the annual planning/outcomes process. Evaluation takes three forms: at the beginning of each planning cycle, faculty program coordinators review their outcomes from the prior year to determine if those outcomes are still valid or the most appropriate outcome for the particular program. Program coordinators have the option at the beginning of each planning cycle to retain outcomes from the prior year, to modify outcomes from the prior year, or to establish new outcomes. This process is designed to provide program coordinators with the necessary flexibility to ensure that each outcome is the most relevant and useful measure for determining program effectiveness. Secondly, outcomes are reviewed at the mid-year point of the academic year to assess progress in meeting outcome criteria and to determine if any changes are needed in the outcomes themselves. The third form of evaluation comes at the end of the planning cycle, when the success in meeting the criteria for each outcome is evaluated. Section V of the college’s Institutional Effectiveness & Strategic Plan includes the planning/outcomes documents for all areas of the College, including Individual curriculum programs for the past year (6).

Closely linked with the development of the planning/outcomes document for each program is the program review process (7). A program review is conducted annually for all curriculum programs. This review assists in determining and documenting the strengths and weaknesses of each curriculum program and to determine the overall effectiveness of each program. Key components of the program review include a survey of all program graduates, a survey of all employers approximately six months following graduation, and a review of licensure exam pass rates (for those programs in which graduates must pass a licensure exam by an external agency in order to work in the profession). In the case of the Associate in Arts – College Transfer program, a review of the success rate of graduates who enter a four-year institution is also included as a component of the program review process. It should be noted that the graduate and employer surveys are tailored to meet the assessment needs of each curriculum program. A core group of questions is required for all curriculum programs on the graduate survey. However, programs can, and do, add other questions for their own needs. An example of a graduate survey form (8) and an employer survey form (9) are included for documentation.

It should also be noted that licensure exam pass rates (10) are one of twelve components of the Performance Measures and Standards established by the North Carolina Community College System. This measure is one of three performance measures specific to the individual curriculum program level, the other two being the success rate of transfer students at four-year universities and the three-year average program enrollment measure.

Advisory committees serve as another important source of input on curriculum program outcomes. The membership of each advisory committee is primarily comprised of employers and others knowledgeable in the field of study. These individuals are a valuable source of information, particularly on the skills and knowledge required by employers in their respective field. All curriculum program faculty meet annually with their advisory committees to consider program changes. The minutes for the Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting on March 15, 2005 are included as a representative example of an advisory committee meeting (11).