Institutional Self Evaluation Report

Standard III: Resources

The institution effectively uses its human, physical, technology and financial resources to achieve its broad educational purposes, including stated student learning outcomes, and to improve institutional effectiveness. Accredited colleges in multi-college systems may be organized such that responsibility for resources, allocation for resources and planning rests with the system. In such cases, the system is responsible for meeting standards on behalf of the accredited colleges.

Standard IIIA: Human Resources

The institution employs qualified personnel to support student learning programs and services wherever offered and by whatever means, delivered, and to improve institutional effectiveness. Personnel are treated equitably, are evaluated regularly and systematically, and are provided opportunities for professional development. Consistent with its mission, the institution demonstrates its commitment to the significant educational role played by persons of diverse backgrounds by making positive efforts to encourage such diversity. Human resource planning is integrated with institutional planning.

West Valley College assures that as an institution it employs qualified personnel to support student learning programs and services to facilitate and improve institutional effectiveness. In partnership with the West Valley Mission Community College District (WVMCCD), the college has procedures that assure employees to be treated equitably regarding regular and systematic evaluation. There are also systems in place to provide for opportunities for professional development. West Valley College is committed to enhancing the significant role played by persons of diverse background. West Valley College encourages diversity. This human resource planning is integrated with institutional planning as developed through the process of participatory governance.

Standard IIIA.1

The institution assures the integrity and quality of its programs and services by employing personnel who are qualified by appropriate education, training, and experience to provide and support these programs and services. Criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selection of personnel are clearly and publicly stated. Job descriptions are directly related to institutional mission and goals and accurately reflect position duties, responsibilities, and authority.

Descriptive Summary

West Valley College assures the integrity and quality of its programs and services by employing personnel who are qualified by appropriate education, training, and experience to provide support for the college’s programs and services. The college adheres to the Faculty Minimum Qualifications as established by the Board of Governors of California Community Colleges as well as minimum qualifications established by the Academic Senate and WVMCCD Board of Trustees. (3A.1.1)

All applicants for academic, classified, and management positions are screened by the Human Resources (HR) department to ensure all personnel are qualified for their respective positions. HR supervises all phases of the recruitment process. All hiring committees follow the procedures for selection and recruitment that have been developed by the Academic Senate for faculty positions. (3A.1.2) Procedures developed by Human Resources are followed for management and classified positions. (3A.1.3) HR reviews applicants for minimum qualifications. If an applicant does not meet minimum qualifications and requests equivalency, these are forwarded to the faculty equivalency committee for evaluation.

Existing positions help the college operate effectively and smoothly in order to assure the integrity and quality of its programs and services, which are derived from the Institutional Mission as well as goals and objectives. The college develops new positions or makes augmentations to existing positions when the institutional goals and objectives require changes in organizational structure. Existing, new, and/or revised position descriptions are directly related to institutional mission and goals and accurately reflect position duties, responsibilities, and authority.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets this standard.

Actionable Improvement Plans

None.

Evidence

3A.1.1	WVMCCD Minimum Faculty Qualifications	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/bp_ap_7120_recruitment_hiring.pdf
3A.1.2	HR and Academic Senate Faculty Selection and Hiring Procedures	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/Faculty_Hiring_Procedure.pdf
3A.1.3	Management and Classified Selection and Hiring Procedures	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/manangement_classified_selection_process.pdf

Standard IIIA.1.a

Criteria for selection of faculty include knowledge of the subject matter or service to be performed (as determined by individuals with discipline expertise), effective teaching, scholarly activities, and potential to contribute to the mission of the institution. Institutional faculty play a significant role in selection of new faculty. Degrees held by faculty and administrators are from institutions accredited by recognized U.S. accrediting agencies. Degrees from non-U.S. institutions are recognized only if equivalence has been established.

Descriptive Summary

West Valley-Mission Community College District has developed policies for ensuring that all personnel are qualified by appropriate education, training and experience to provide and support all programs and services. The policies are publicly available and identify criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selection of all personnel. The practices adhere to Education Code Section 70901.2, 70902(b)(7) & (d), and 87100 et seq.; and Title 5 Sections 53000 et seq., and 51023.5; as stated in WVMCCD Board Policy 7120 (3A.1.a.1) and are outlined in the Faculty Recruitment and Selection Procedures Manual (3A.1.a.2) and the Classified and Administrators Recruitment and Selection Procedures Manual (3A.1.a.3); they are posted on the Human Resources’ website. (3A.1.a.4)
These policies include, but are not limited to, providing full, objective and equal access for all applicants; actively seeking applicants who demonstrate the required technical expertise, competency, and sensitivity that will enable them to work effectively in a multicultural educational environment; complying with all federal, state, and local laws; ensuring participation by faculty, classified staff, administration, and students in their respective roles throughout procedures so that fair and equitable treatment of all individuals can be assured; ensuring diversity on all screening committees; and maintaining confidentiality throughout the process.
Participatory governance plays a pivotal role in the creation of hiring criteria, policies, and procedures. Board Policy 7120 states the Academic Senate and Classified Senate participate in the development, revision, and approval of these policies and procedures jointly with administration. (3A.1.a.5)
All positions within the district have detailed job descriptions. In accordance with the district’s recruitment and selection process, each hiring committee reviews the job description and develops appropriate position announcements prior to posting and conducting recruitment and hiring activities. This assures the relativity to the institutional mission and goals, along with the accurate reflection of position duties, responsibilities and authority. (3A.1.a.6) Job descriptions are available for viewing on the Human Resources website. (3A.1.a.7)

The state of California establishes minimum qualifications for every faculty discipline area. Applications must possess these minimum qualifications in order to be considered for a position. Every faculty job description emphasizes the importance of instructors being grounded in their subject, knowledgeable of the best pedagogies in their field, committed to student learning and success, and sensitive to the differences among students in a richly diverse campus environment. Faculty must meet minimum qualifications, or the equivalent, as established by the Statewide Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. These minimum qualifications serve as a statewide benchmark for promoting professionalism and rigor within the academic disciplines and as a guide to determine suitability for employment.

The importance of effective teaching is clearly indicated in job announcements. The candidates must demonstrate success in effective teaching by including a special, separate statement in their cover letter or resume. In many cases, there are additional supplemental questions that the candidates are required to answer that demonstrate their ability to meet the needs of a diverse student population.

District procedures ensure that faculty play a significant role in the selection of new faculty. Roles and responsibilities of faculty participating in the hiring committee process are clearly stated in the Faculty Recruitment and Selection Procedures Manual. (3A.1.a.8) Based on these procedures, faculty are involved in every step of the hiring process: from the formation of the hiring committee with discipline expertise, to the preparation of the job description, recruitment advertising, development of paper screening criteria and rating form, equivalency review, interviews, reference checks, and hiring recommendations. The faculty screening committee includes five members, a majority of whom are subject matter faculty. The screening committee may also include classified, management, and students.

The committee’s initial responsibility is to review the application. The screening committee develops paper screening, interview and reference questions, which address the knowledge, skills, and abilities of each applicant, as they pertain to the duties and responsibilities of the position. Many faculty screening committees include a teaching demonstration as part of the screening process. Many classified positions include a skills demonstration as part of the screening process. All screening committee questions are approved by the appropriate vice presidents for content and HR for employment-related information. HR reviews all applications to assure that they are complete, meet minimum qualifications and/or have requested equivalency.

For faculty positions, an equivalency process has been established for applicants who do not directly meet minimum qualifications in order to determine equivalence, based on degree equivalence, academic background equivalence, or professional equivalence. The same process is followed for applicants holding degrees from non-U.S. institutions. This process includes a review of transcripts and course descriptions.

Per Administrative Procedure 7211, “the Board of Trustees relies primarily upon the advice and judgment of the Academic Senate to determine that each individual employed under the authority granted by the regulations possesses qualifications that are at least equivalent to the applicable minimum qualifications.” (3A.1.a.9)

The faculty equivalency process includes review by an Equivalency Committee consisting of:

1. 
   ^{Vice President of Instruction, or designee, from each college}
   
2. 
   ^{Four Academic Senate representatives, two from each college, each serving a two-year term. Terms shall be staggered. A minimum of two faculty members must be present to validate the committee’s decision regarding equivalency}
   
3. 
   ^{Up to two (2) ad-hoc full-time faculty members, one from each college in the discipline from which the equivalency has been requested. A full-time faculty member from a related discipline at the college requesting the equivalency may be recommended as the faculty discipline representative.}
   

The job applicant is responsible for submitting the required forms and supporting documents to assert and equivalency. (3A.1.a.10)

The process for hiring of associate faculty members is currently under review by both colleges. This is an effort to streamline as well as install a more flexible and efficient hiring process at the college; it is led by Division and Department Chairs supported by appropriate Deans. (3A.1.a.11)

The hiring procedures of full-time employees are rigorous and thorough. All positions follow the same process of initial screening of written applications, interviews with the hiring committee, reference checking, final interview and selection.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets this standard. The college’s hiring process for full-time employees in all categories is thorough and consistent.

Actionable Improvement Plans

• 
  ^{Continue to review associate faculty hiring process and implement new process by fall 2014.}
  

Evidence

3A.1.a.1	WVMCCD Board Policy 7120	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/bp_7120.pdf
3A.1.a.2	Faculty Recruitment and Selection Procedures Manual	http://westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/faculty_hiring_procd.pdf
3A.1.a.3	Classified and Administrators Recruitment and Selection Procedures Manual	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/Classified_Admin_Selection_Procedure.pdf
3A.1.a.4	Human Resources Forms webpage	http://wvm.edu/documents.aspx?fid=26400&doc=26706&year=0&category=1&excludeyear=1
3A.1.a.5	BP 7120 – Recruitment and Hiring	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/ap_7120.pdf
3A.1.a.6	Faculty Job Announcement	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/faculty.job.announcement.example.pdf
3A.1.a.7	Faculty Job Description	http://wvm.edu/documents.aspx?fid=26400&doc=26718&year=0&category=39608&excludeyear=1
3A.1.a.8	WVMCCD Associate Faculty Part-Time Pool Recruitment Process Overview	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/part_time_faculty_pool_recruitment_process_11_12_13.pdf
3A.1.a.9	AP 7211 – Minimum Qualifications	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/AP_7211.pdf
3A.1.a.10	Faculty Job Announcement	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/Faculty Job Announcement with Equivalency Requirement.pdf
3A.1.a.11	Associate Faculty Hiring Process	http://www.westvalley.edu/committees/Accreditation/2013/evidence/3a/Part Time Associate Faculty Pool Recruitment Process_Rev 11.12.13.pdf