[FYE-CSS] Requiring College Success courses: for whom? AA-degree seekers? AS? prof tech?

[Swyt, Wendy]

Thanks everyone for all the amazing responses for my question on how to scale up from pilot to full implementation of required college success courses. Really interesting and comforting to learn about ideas and contexts.

This is a summary of the responses:

  *   Pierce started with requiring it for students who placed into precollege courses and then moved to full requirement after that.
  *   Spokane Falls is where we are and planning the jump from piloted to required next fall.
  *   Cascadia and Edmonds moved from pilot to required from one year to the next, and though it seems to be the big jump that I fear, it worked (whew!).
  *   Edmonds course is 3 credits, Cascadia 5 credits, and Pierce offers both 3 and 5 credit versions for different student needs/credit loads (we are gravitating towards this one).
  *   Cascadia makes it a prerequ for English 102, which pushes students to take it in fall and winter. (cool idea!)
  *   Edmonds started with a college success course that was more general liberal studies but then other versions were developed that fit better into specific pathways (STEM and business) emerged.
  *   Most report this: you need someone in charge of these courses and leading the charge, courses revisions, etc; regular meetings (CoPs) are almost a necessity for folks teaching it.

In terms of WHO not HOW, my sense is that everyone who is requiring is requiring for students seeking the AA degree.   I've heard the mention that "we hope that the prof tech programs will do it - maybe someday it will be required for their degrees but they have very little room)."   This approach seems to widespread.

Two questions:

  1.  Anyone requiring it at their school for AAS (prof tech degree) students?  If so, did you move right away to this or stage the AA requirement first?

  2.  More importantly (for us right now), how about AS degree (transfer degree) students?- we are getting a lot of blow back on a college success requirement from STEM faculty and programs.  Like the prof tech programs, they have packed program maps and a lot of state required courses, even down to electives.  Some are considering a STEM success type course but are extremely nervous about a looming requirement - they don't want to add even more to their required courses.

Thanks for these shared insights!

Wendy
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