PARALEGAL STUDIES PROGRAM REVIEW 2003-2004

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PARALEGAL STUDIESPROGRAM REVIEW2003-2004

• COASTLINE COLLEGEMay 10, 2004

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Overview

• Program history
• 1974 to 2004
• Relation to College Mission
• Current and Future Community Demands
• ABA Guidelines and the approval process (1985)

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Survey Results Overview

• Faculty - Students Employers
• Agree that communication, ability to prepare
  legal documents, critical thinking and problem
  solving, computer proficiency including
  electronic legal research are required for
  success as a paralegal.
• Challenges bachelors degree, elective courses,
  job preparation skills

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Skills

• Employers frequently require students to
• Have client contact interview skills
• Writing and document preparation skills
• Handle administrative and secretarial functions
• Comprehensive Computer skills

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What Do Graduates Tell Us?

• Certificates plus AA, Certificates only
• Student enrollment has increased
• Legal requirements - and paralegals
• Course revisions
• Program revisions
• New courses

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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT
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Student Learning Outcomes

• Identifying student learning outcomes
• Reviewing and revising course outlines
• Advisory committee roll in program evaluation
• Exploring assessment of learning outcomes
• Modifying instruction to improve learning
  outcomes and assessment

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Student Surveys

• Student satisfaction overall ratings
• Quality of instruction required courses 94.2,
  elective 68.8 with 28 n/a
• Overall Quality of program 96.4
• Variety of classes 80
• Scheduling of classes 93
• Relevant to employment 83
• Academic standard of instruction 94

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Partnerships

• Partnerships in the community
• OCPA, OC-ALA
• Costa Mesa Senior Center (12 years)
• CPS, Inc. Mediation
• HICAP, Oakview
• Fair Housing Council of Orange County
• Cooperative Work Experience
• Practicing attorneys and paralegal faculty

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Demographics

• Diversity Program and College family
• Male and Female
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic, Black, Vietnamese, Asian, White, Native
  American, Other

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Past Goals

• Diversity outreach
• Military program
• Computer access at Costa Mesa Center
• Online legal research
• Improve career planning
• Distance Learning
• Curriculum review

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New Goals

• Improve career planning with One Stop
• Work with ESL for transition
• Improve computer access
• Expand partnerships
• Increase use of technology in classroom
• Seek bilingual attorney for Oak View

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Required Resources

• Work with One Stop
• Develop training class for faculty
• Find adjunct to add elective courses
• Buy white boards
• Find for computer labs on Saturday

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Thank You

• A special thank you to the program review team
  Debbie Brown, Rose Moreno, David Fuller, Joe
  Yadrick, Lori Jenkins, Cheryl Stewart to Chet
  Platt for his support over the past many years
  and all good wishes in his retirement to the
  members of the advisory committee who have been
  faithful in attending and in participation,
  Margaret Lovig, Chair