Wednesday, November 21, 2012

How do Consortium Agreements work? Indiana University Consortium Agreements & New Jersey Virtual Community College Consortium

http://njvccc.cc.nj.us/

The New Jersey Virtual Community College Consortium (NJVCCC) is a partnership of the state’s 19 community colleges. ...provides value and support through cooperative purchasing, collaborative professional development opportunities, online course quality assurance, inter-institutional communication and other initiatives.

Atlantic Cape Community College5100 Black Horse PikeMays Landing, NJ 08330-2699
Phone: (609) 343-
4900
Click here for courses offered at Atlantic Cape.
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2 Bergen Community CollegeBergen Community College400 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652-1595
Phone: (201) 447-7100

Click here for courses offered at Bergen.
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3 Brookdale Community CollegeBrookdale Community College765 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, NJ 07738

Phone: (732) 224-2345Click here for courses offered at Brookdale.
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4 Burlington County CollegeBurlington County CollegeRoute 530
Pemberton, NJ 08068
Phone: (609) 894-9311
Click here for courses offered at Burlington.
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5 Camden County CollegeCamden County CollegePO Box 200
Blackwood, NJ 08012-0200
Phone: (856) 227-7200
Click here for courses offered at Camden.
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6 Cumberland County CollegeCumberland County CollegePO Box 1500
3322 College Drive
Vineland, NJ 08362-1500
Phone: (856) 691-8600
Click here for courses offered at Cumberland.
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Essex County CollegeEssex County College303 University Avenue
Newark, NJ 07102-1798
Phone: (973) 877-3000
Click here for courses offered at Essex.
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8 Gloucester County CollegeGloucester County College1400 Tanyard Road
Sewell, NJ 08080
Phone: (856) 468-5000
Click here for courses offered at Gloucester.
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9 Hudson County Community CollegeHudson County Community College25 Journal Square
Jersey City, NJ 07306-4301
Phone: (201) 656-2020
Click here for courses offered at Hudson.
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10 Mercer County Community CollegeMercer County Community College1200 Old Trenton Road
Trenton, NJ 08690-1099
Phone: (609) 586-4800
Click here for courses offered at Mercer.
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11 Middlesex County CollegeMiddlesex County College2600 Woodbridge Ave
PO Box 3050
Edison, NJ 08818-3050
Phone: (732) 548-6000
Click here for courses offered at Middlesex.
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12 County College of MorrisCounty College of Morris214 Center Grove Road
Randolph, NJ 07869-2086
Phone: (973) 328-5000Click here for courses offered at Morris.
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Ocean County CollegeOcean County CollegeCollege Drive
Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone: (732) 255-0400
Click here for courses offered at Ocean.
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14 Passaic County Community CollegePassaic County Community CollegeCollege Boulvard
Paterson, NJ 07509-1179
Phone: (973) 684-6800
Click here for courses offered at Passaic.
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15 Raritan Valley Community CollegeRaritan Valley Community CollegePO Box 3300
Somerville, NJ 08876-1265
Phone: (908) 526-1200

Click here for courses offered at Raritan Valley.
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16 Salem Community CollegeSalem Community College460 Hollywood Avenue
Carneys Point, NJ 08069-2799
Phone: (856) 299-2100

Click here for courses offered at Salem.
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17 Sussex County Community CollegeSussex County Community CollegeCollege Hill
Newton, NJ 07860-1146
Phone: (973) 300-2100

Click here for courses offered at Sussex.
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18 Union County CollegeUnion County College1033 Springfield Ave
Cranford, NJ 07016-1598
Phone: (908) 709-7000
Click here for courses offered at Union.
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19 Warren County Community CollegeWarren County Community College 475 Route 57 West
Washington, NJ 07882
Phone: (908) 835-WCCC (853-9222)
Click here for courses offered at Warren.

College Prepares Move to Cloud-Based Learning Management System

Thomas Edison State College is preparing to launch a new learning management system that provides better navigation for students in their course spaces and greater flexibility and efficiency for the development, design and delivery of new courses. The new system, based on the Moodle platform, utilizes cloud-based technology and better positions the College to leverage the latest technology to provide a richer educational experience for our students.
Watch a video tour and orientation of the new system and course space.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

On-Demand Tutoring: Using an advanced queuing system providing little or no wait time, students are connected on-demand with an expert educator. Students work one-on-one, in real-time with a tutor, communicating using a virtual whiteboard technology.  Scientific and mathematical notation, symbols, geometric figures, graphing and freehand drawing can be rendered quickly and easily. Visit Hours of Service for our on-demand tutoring schedule.


Smarthinking Reaches 4 Million Tutoring Sessions


By using Smarthinking’s online homework help service, libraries can help communities provide equal access to information and technology. Accessible on any Internet- connected computer, whether in the library or at home, Smarthinking is available to students up to 24/7 for help with their homework. Our tutors are professional teachers and experts in their field, and undergo thorough screening and training. Smarthinking is the only online tutoring service that has won the prestigious CODiE Award. When you choose Smarthinking for your library, you are joining over 500 educational institutions in the USA and abroad that also choose Smarthinking for


Thursday, November 1, 2012

SOCIAL CAPITAL NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND THE WORKFORCE

 
social capital necessary for success in college and the workforce

http://media.collegeboard.com/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-School-Counselors-Strategic-Planning-Tool.pdf

 
Every student should graduate from high school with the educational preparation and social capital necessary for success in college and the workforce.
School counselors are well positioned as the school professionals best able to guide all students toward college and career readiness. To be effective leaders in establishing a college-going culture, counselors must be strong advocates for their students and their profession and possess the skills to drive positive change in the school.
Strategic planning is an essential tool for school counselors to use to drive positive change in schools. Strategic planning helps school counselors use data to set clear goals and develop strategies with measurable outcomes for student achievement and success. Using this process helps school counselors to align college and career counseling with school improvement plans. It makes the case that college counseling is an effective way to meet the goals set by principals and district leaders. This allows counselors to become school leaders and advocates for all students. A clear plan enables them to build college and career readiness programs at each level of K–12 education.

STEP 1: Collect, analyze and interpret data to identify gaps in student outcomes.
Examine data elements that describe student outcomes, disaggregated by race/ ethnicity, gender, family income and other relevant measures, in order to identify student, school and community needs. Analyze data to identify inequities. STEP 2: Develop and prioritize measurable, data-driven goals aligned with school, district, state and national goals. Goals should be specific, quantifiable, time-sensitive statements of what is going to be achieved and when it will be achieved. STEP 3: Develop strategies and interventions to meet goals. Develop solutions and interventions that can be successfully implemented within the context of the school and community and will gain support from stakeholders. STEP 4: Develop and implement the plans for each goal, including benchmarks to monitor progress. Develop multilevel action plans for each goal. Identify action items, the specific individuals responsible for implementation and key milestones, and timelines that correspond to each goal. STEP 5: Collect and report outcome data to all stakeholders, and adjust strategies and interventions as needed based on results. Collect results data to determine whether the goals were reached and if strategies or implementations need to be adjusted. Present results to administrators and other stakeholders. STEP 6: Institutionalize policies, practices and procedures to sustain gains in equity. Identify the strategies and interventions that result in positive student outcomes and equity gains to make them standard operating procedure within the context of the school. The College Board National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) The College Board’s National Office for School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA) promotes the value of school counselors as leaders in advancing school reform and student achievement. It seeks to endorse and institutionalize school counseling practice that advocates for equitable educational access and rigorous academic preparation necessary for college readiness for all students. For more information, please visit www.collegeboard.com/nosca. Equity • Leadership • Transformation

Blackboard

CHEA AND EVALUATIONS FROM THE MILITARY GUIDES EXCERPT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_specialist


Are certification and college accreditation the same thing?

No. College accreditation pertains to the school. Certification means that you have passed an exam or met other requirements that certify you to practice a trade or profession. Certification is often overseen by state or regional agencies. Example: To become a licensed massage therapist in Missouri, you have to meet the requirements of the Missouri State Board of Therapeutic Massage.

Do colleges ever lose their accreditation?

Yes, they do. If that happens to your school, it can spell bad news for your work and career. That’s why it pays to check with all applicable accrediting agencies to verify the status of any school you are considering.

(http://www.straighterline.com/online-education-resources/how-to-make-sure-your-credits-and-your-degree-count)

http://chea.org/pdf/The%20Future%20of%20Accreditation_Planning_HE_JE.pdf

The Future of Accreditation
CHEA President Judith Eaton Addresses:



  • Podcast: CHEA President Judith Eaton Addresses Issues Related to Accreditation and Federal Policy, Including National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) Report on Accreditation and Evolving Federal Role in Quality Assurance (July 2012)

  • Council for Higher Education Accreditation
    One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 510 • Washington, DC 20036
    (tel) 202-955-6126 • (fax) 202-955-6129 • chea@chea.org
    © 2012 CHEA. All rights reserved.


    What’s the difference between regional vs. national accreditation?

    This gets a bit complicated. The U.S. Department of Education says: “The U.S. Department of Education does not have the authority to accredit private or public elementary or secondary schools, and the Department does not recognize accrediting bodies for the accreditation of private or public elementary and secondary schools. However, the U.S. Department of Education does recognize accrediting bodies for the accreditation of institutions of higher (postsecondary) education.”
    Translation: The U.S. Department of Education doesn’t accredit schools directly. It does, however, recognize organizations that provide accreditation to individual schools. And it gets even more complicated, because there are lots of different USDE-approved accrediting agencies. Some are regional, while others accredit specific types of schools. Here’s a partial list.

    Accreditation bodies with nationwide reach . . .

    • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools – Web address: www.abhes.org
    • Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges - Web address: www.accsc.org
    • Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training - Web address: www.accet.org
    • Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training – Web address: www.acics.org
    • Council on Occupational Education –Web address: www.council.org
    • Distance Education and Training Council - Web address: www.detc.org

    Regional college accrediting bodies (partial list) . . .

    • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (DE, DC, MD, NJ, NY, PA, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) - Web address: www.msche.org
    • New England Association of Schools and Colleges (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) - Web address: www.neasc.org
    • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, (AZ, MI, MN, MO, NE, NM, ND, OH, OK, SD, WV, WI, WY) - Web address: www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org
    • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (AL, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA) – Web address: www.nwccu.org
    • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA) - Web address: www.sacscoc.org
    http://www.newleadershipalliance.org/what_we_do/committing_to_quality/
    ...
    In order to be certified, an institution will have to demonstrate that it has explicit and ambitious learning outcomes for the institution as a whole and for all of its undergraduate academic and cocurricular programs. It will also have to demonstrate that program-level learning outcomes are consistent with institutional learning outcomes and that all its learning outcomes are consistent with widely acknowledged goals for higher education. It will be able to document that it routinely and systematically gathers evidence of the achievement of these outcomes using sound methodologies that allow judgments of effectiveness using external as well as internal criteria. The institution will also have to show that its leadership (including academic, student affairs, executive, and governing bodies), faculty, and administrators analyze and use the resulting evidence to improve programs and services continuously, and that learning has improved as a result of the evidence-informed changes. The institution will also have to publish on its website meaningful evidence about student learning at the institution, as well as other indicators of institutional performance....




    Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards...CHEA's standards for recognition function to ensure that the institutions or programs they accredit have met generally accepted minimum standards for accreditation."



    Accredited Institutions

    Accreditation speaks primarily to the first of these considerations, serving as the basic indicator that an institution meets certain minimum standards.
    Users of accreditation are urged to give careful attention to the accreditation conferred by accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

    CHEA has a formal process of recognition which requires that all accrediting bodies so recognized must meet the same standards. Under these standards, CHEA has recognized a number of accrediting bodies, including:
    • regional accrediting commissions (which historically accredited the more traditional colleges and universities but which now accredit proprietary, vocational-technical, distance learning providers, and single-purpose institutions as well);
    • national accrediting bodies that accredit various kinds of specialized institutions, including distance learning providers and freestanding professional schools; and
    • professional organizations that accredit programs within multipurpose institutions.
    Although accrediting agencies vary in the ways they are organized and in their statements of scope and mission, all accrediting bodies that meet

    CHEA's standards for recognition function to ensure that the institutions or programs they accredit have met generally accepted minimum standards for accreditation.
    Accreditation thus affords reason for confidence in an institution's or a program's purposes, in the appropriateness of its resources and plans for carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these things can be judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability, but does not guarantee, that students have met acceptable standards of educational accomplishment.

    Comparability and Applicability

    Comparability of the nature, content, and level of transfer credit and the appropriateness and applicability of the credit earned to programs offered by the receiving institution are as important in the evaluation process as the accreditation status of the institution at which the transfer credit was awarded. Since accreditation does not address these questions, this information must be obtained from catalogues and other materials and from direct contact between knowledgeable and experienced faculty and staff at both the receiving and sending institutions. When such considerations as comparability and appropriateness of credit are satisfied, however, the receiving institution should have reasonable confidence that students from accredited institutions are qualified to undertake the receiving institution's educational program. In its articulation and transfer policies, the institution should judge courses, programs and other learning experiences on their learning outcomes, and the existence of valid evaluation measures, including third-party expert review, and not on modes of delivery.