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TRANSCRIPT
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SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Accounting PROGRAM REVIEW
March6,2019
BYEDPHIPPEN
PHIPPENCONSULTING,LLC
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND PRIORITY SUGGESTIONS 3
PROGRAM REVIEW FINDINGS 4
INTRODUCTION 6
METHODOLOGY 7
CURRICULUM 8
ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING 8
EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES 12
STUDENT DATA TRENDS 13
FACULTY 19
RESOURCES 20
PARTNERSHIPS 20
PROGRAM SERVICES 21
COMPETITION 21
LABOR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES 23
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND PRIORITY SUGGESTIONS
Overall Observations
TheAccountingProgram(ACCT)offersoneassociatedegree(AST),oneCertificateofProficiency(Accounting),andfourShortTermcertificates(AccountingClerk,AccountsReceivable/PayableClerk,PayrollClerk,andTaxPreparer).TheShortTermcertificatesarefullyintegratedintotheAASandautomaticallyconferred.SomecoursesintheACCTprogramarerequiredbyotherprogramsorarepopularelectives.Asaresult,slightlyfewerthan9percentofstudentsintheprogramarepursuinganaccountingdegreeorcertificate(asdeterminedbyEPCor“Intentcodes”).Unlessotherwisespecified,thisreviewfocusesonthosestudentswhoarepursuinganACCTdegreeorcertificate.
TheACCTprogramisamature,stableprogramatShoreline.ItwasoneofthefirstprogramsinWashingtonStatetoofferafullyonlineACCTdegreeoption.NowmostACCTprogramsinWashingtonofferafullyonlineoption.Accountingprogramsarerelativelystandardizedanddifferentiationisdifficult.Indeed,moststudentsreportchoosingShorelinebecauseofitslocation.
Oneofthemostdifficultadvisingchallengeistohelpstudentschoosebetweenthetransferortheprofessional-technicaldegree,thelatterofwhichisnottransferrabletoafour-yearsetting.In2015,theprogramunderwentacurriculumchangesothatthefirstthreecoursesastudenttakesarethesameforboththetransferandprofessional-technicalpathways.Thisgavestudentstimetolearnabouttheprofession,theirabilities,andthechallengesoftheprogrambeforehavingtochooseapathway.Thewebsitewasrecentlyupdatedtomoreclearlyshowstudentsthecareeroptionsanddifferencesbetweentheprograms.
Facultypridethemselvesontheirstudentfocusandresponsivenessandtheresultswereapparentinthestudentsurveys,wherestudentsfrequentlymentionedfacultyresponsivenessasaprogramstrength.Oneexampleofthisistheirrecentmovetoconductmostadvisingonline.Thefacultyhavedevelopedtoolsandstrategiestoensurethisworkswellforstudents.Oneofthemostimportantstrategiesthatmakethisworkisacommitmenttoprovideupdatedinformationwithinthesameday–andusuallyittakesonlyafewhours.
Overall,theACCTprogramiswellrun,producesexcellentresults,andhassomeareasforimprovement.
Priority Suggestion 1: Address employer demand for better interpersonal communication skills.
Asisfairlycommoninprofessional-technicalprograms,employersnoteatrendthatyoungerhireslackinterpersonalcommunicationskills.AdvisorycommitteemembersnotedarecenttrendofusingaccountantsinIndiatohandlesomeofthemorebasicaccountingtasks.Firstyearaccountantsfindthemselvesinthepositionofmanagingtheseemployees.Theyalsonotedthatsomenewhireslacktheabilitytoproductivelyparticipateinchallengingconversationsrelatedtofeedbackorparticipatingonteams.
Providinginterpersonalskillstrainingcanbechallengingforanonlineprogram.Indeed,withoutspecificstrategies,onlinetrainingcouldexacerbatetheverylackoftheseskills.
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Suggestions
1.1 Seekwaystoimproveinterpersonalskillstrainingthroughtheonlineformat,possiblybyworkingwiththeAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnology.(pp.8-9)
1.2 ShorelineAdministrationshouldconsiderpartneringwithinstructorsofthebusinesswritingandpublicspeakingcoursestohelpaddressthisneed.(p.9)
1.3 DiscussopportunitiestoengagetheAdvisoryCommitteeinroleplayingthetypesofconversationsthatneedtohappenwithexistingstudents.(p.9)
Priority Suggestion 2: Consider new strategies to meet the needs of students requesting more in-person classes
Similartootheronlineprofessional-technicalprograms,studentandalumnisurveysrevealedasub-setofstudentsrequestingmorein-personlearningopportunitieswithinstructors.Unfortunately,thesurveysarenotstructuredtoprovidedescriptivedataabouttheseindividuals,ortoaccuratelygaugethenumberofstudentsthisimpacts.Nonetheless,therewereconsistentresponsesrequestingthistypeofhelp.
Suggestions
2.1ConsideralsodiscussingwaystoimproveengagementandmorebroadlymeetstudentneedswiththeAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnology.(p.9)
2.2Iftheyhavenotalreadydoneso,theCollegemayconsiderstrategiestoaddressthiscampus-wide.(p.9)
Priority Suggestion 3: Align Master Course Outcomes with Program Level Outcomes
FacultyhaveworkedhardtodevelopspecificMasterCourseOutcomes(MCO).TheyhavenotmappedtheMCOstotheirProgramLevelOutcomes(PLO).CompletingthistaskwillhelpensurethatcoursesaresufficientlycoveringeachPLOandthatnonearemissedorover-taught.
Suggestions
3.1WorkwithStudentLearningandSuccesstogettheirhelpconductingamappingexercise.(p.9)
Program Review Findings
Program Level Findings
1. StudentsuccessratesarelowerthantheaverageforallProfessionalTechnicalprograms.ThiscouldbebecauseofthesmallprogramsizeorareflectionoftheintensityoftheACCTprogram.(p.10)
2. Programenrollmentincreasedbymorethan12percentbetweenAY2013and2017.(pp.13-14)
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3. Comparedtoneighboringschools,ShorelinehasamongstthesmallestofACCTprograms.However,enrollmentatShorelinehasbeensteadywhilemostotherschools’enrollmenthasbeendeclining.(pp.14-15)
4. ACCTcompletionratesaresignificantlyhigherthanShorelineProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaverage,likelyduetoarelativelyhighnumberofcertificatesembeddedintheprogramandautomaticallyconferred.(pp.18-19)
Employment Findings
1. Ahighpercentageofalumniandformerstudentsurveyrespondentsindicatedtheywereworkinginanoccupationrelatedtotheaccountingfield(25outof43respondents).(p.12)
2. Until2015,programcompletersgainedemploymentatamuchhigherratethanleavers.Thechangesoccurringin2015andlatermayberelatedtothetighteninglabormarket.(pp.12-13)
Student/Course Level Findings
1. ConsiderengagingwithBusinessTechnologytoallowstudentstotestoutoftypingand10-keyrequirements.(p.8)
2. Removethethree-creditQuickBooksandCertifiedBookkeepercoursesduetolackofstudentdemand.(pp.8)
3. TheprogramparticipantsaremorediverseinmostcategoriescomparedtoindustryandtheoverallaveragesofShorelineProfessional-Technicalprograms.(pp.15-18)
4. AbouthalfofACCTcurrentstudentsworkatleast20hoursperweek.TheACCTprogramoffersseveralstrategiestohelpmeettheirneeds.(p.18)
Faculty Findings
1. Thetwofull-timefacultyfullyparticipatedinthisprogramreviewandwereengaged,thoughtful,andhadagoodunderstandingoftheneedsofstudentsandemployers.(p.19)
2. StudenttofacultyratiosdemonstratedagreatdealofefficiencyintheprogramcomparedtoBUSADMandallofProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaverage.(pp.19-20)
3. Facultyuseprofessionaldevelopmentresourcestostayuptodatewithemergingtrendsinthefield.(p.20)
4. Duringtheprogramreview,facultydemonstratedexpert-levelabilitieswithonlinelearningtoolsusedatShoreline.(p.19)
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Resource Findings
1. ACCTistaughtfullyonlineandfacultyarepleasedwithonlinetoolsavailabletothem.(p.20)
Partnerships
1. TheACCTprogramadvisorycommitteewasrecentlyreconstituted,andworkisneededtogrowitinsizeanddiversityofmembers,andtoorientmemberstotheACCTprogram.(p.20)
2. Whileonlycomposedofthethreemembers,theserepresentagoodstart.Theywereengagedanddidagoodjobofrepresentingtheirsegmentsoftheindustry.(p.20-21)
3. Facultywereawareoftheneedtogrowtheadvisorycommitteeandhavegoodideasabouthowtodothis.(p.21)
Program Services
1. Respondentstothestudentsurveyindicatedaslightlylowersatisfactionwithprogramservicesrelativetootherprogramreviews.However,becauseofthelowresponseratetothissurveythisfindingshouldbeconsideredqualitatively.(p.21)
2. OnethemeoftheprogramserviceswasadesireformoreACCTtutors.FacultyshouldconnectwithTutoringServicesDepartmenttoensurethattherearesufficienttutorsavailableforACCTstudents.(p.21)
Competition
1. AcomparativeanalysisrevealsthatdifferentiationisdifficultincommunitycollegeACCTprograms.(p.22)
2. Shoreline’sonlineprogramandresponsivenessoffacultywerenotedbystudentsandalumnitobeimportantprogramcomponents.(p.22)
Labor Market Opportunities
1. Theadvisorycommitteedidnothavestrongopinionsaboutthelabormarketdatabutsharedthattheirorganizationsdidnothavedifficultieshiringandtheydidnotknowofgraduateswhohaddifficultiesfindingemploymentinthefield.(p.23)
INTRODUCTION
Inanefforttomaintainthehighestqualitypost-secondaryeducationandmeetregulatoryrequirements,ShorelineCommunityCollegehiredPhippenConsulting,LLCinwinterof2019toconductaprogramreviewofitsAccounting(ACCT)Program.
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METHODOLOGY
Meetings
• Oneone-and-a-half-hourmeetingwithDivisionDean,programchair,andInstitutionalReviewstafftoidentifymajorissuesoffocus.
• Threetwo-hourmeetingswithstaffandfacultytodiscussallaspectsoftheirprogram.
• Oneone-hourmeetingwiththeACCTProgramAdvisoryCommitteetodiscusstherelevanceofthisprogram.
Documents Reviewed
• Onesurveyofcurrentstudents(n=61,14percentresponserate)
• Onesurveyofalumniandformerstudents(n=56,5percentresponserate)
• Studentdemographicdata
• Classcancellationandwaitlists
• Studentcompletiondata
• StudentcompletionratiosforACCT,Shoreline,andthestate
• Studentgradedistributions
• Comparativedataonstudent-facultyratios
• Comparativedataonfull-timetopart-timefacultyratios
• Programandcourselevelfillrates
• Labormarketdata
• JobopeningsdatafromEMSI
• Programlevellearningoutcomes
• Collegeandprogramwebsiteandplanningguides
• AnnualizedFTEs,headcount,andpercentofenrollmentbyprogramandbycertificate/degree
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Surveys
Theprograminstitutedanalumniandcurrentstudentsurveylastyear(seetheseparatedocument,“AccountingSurveys”foracopyofthesurveyresults).SurveysweredistributedbyShoreline’sMarketingandCommunicationsDepartmentusingMailChimpandSurveyMonkey.Oneemailandonefollow-upemailweresenttobothcurrentandformerstudentsresultinginaresponserateof14percentforcurrentstudentsand5percentforformerstudents.
Becausebothresponserateswererelativelylow,useofquantitativedatafromthesurveysislimited.
CURRICULUM
Curriculum Review
Thecurriculumwaslastrevisedin2015,atwhichtimetheyalignedtheprogramsothattransferandprofessional-technicalstudentstookthesamesetofintroductorycourses.Thiswasanimportantstructuralchange.Previoustothischange,studentseitherchosethetransferorprofessional-technicaltrackatthebeginningoftheprogram.Priorto2015thecourseswerenon-transferrablebetweenthetracks.Thiscreatedproblemsforstudentswhowantedtomovebetweentracks.Mostoftenthiswasastudentinthetransfertrackthathadsomethingpersonalintervenethatmadethecommitmenttocontinuewithschoolingchallenging.
Duringthe2015revisiontheprogramalsorespondedtoinputfromtheadvisorycommitteetomakeExcel,typing,and10-keyrequiredcourses.Somerespondentstothesurveysrequestedthatstudentsbeallowedtotestoutoftypingand10-keyrequirements.
Recently,theyrespondedtostudentrequeststhatathree-creditcoursebeaddedtotheprogram.Manystudentsneededone-threecreditcoursetograduateandatthetimetherewerenoneinaccounting.Tomeetthisneed,thedepartmentcreatedathree-creditQuickBookscourseandathree-creditCertifiedBookkeepercourse.However,atthesametimethesecourseswerelaunched,anotherdepartmentlaunchedathree-creditsocialjusticecoursewhichbecamequitepopular.TheQuickBooksandCertifiedBookkeepercourseshavenotbeenpopularsinceandneedtoberemovedfromtheschedule.
Interpersonal Communication Skills
Asisfairlycommoninprofessional-technicalprograms,employersnoteatrendthatyoungerhireslackinterpersonalcommunicationskills.RecenttrendsincludeoneexamplefromtheAdvisorycommitteeregardingatrendofusingaccountantsinIndiatohandlesomeofthemorebasicaccountingtasks.Firstyearaccountantsfindthemselvesinthepositionofmanagingtheseemployees.Theyalsonotedthatsomenewhireslacktheabilitytoproductivelyparticipateinchallengingconversationsrelatedtofeedbackorparticipatingonteams.Theyindicatedthatyoungeremployeesraisedinthedigitalagesometimeslacktheskillstoeffectivelygiveandreceiveperformance-relatedfeedback.Theyalsoindicatedthatworkinginteamscanbeachallengefortheseyoungeremployees.
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Providinginterpersonalskillstrainingcanbechallengingforanonlineprogram.Indeed,withoutspecificstrategies,onlinetrainingcouldexacerbatetheverylackoftheseskills.FacultyshouldseekhelpfromtheAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnologytoimproveinterpersonalskillstrainingthroughtheonlineformat.TheycouldalsoengagetheAdvisoryCommitteeinadiscussionaboutwaystheycouldhelpcurrentstudentsthroughroleplayactivities.
BecausethisisanissuethatwillaffectallProfessionalTechnicalonlineprograms,ShorelineadministrationshouldconsiderreviewingcurriculumintheBusinessWritingandPublicSpeakingcoursestohelpaddressthisneed.
Better Meet Student Needs through Online Education
Studentandalumnisurveysrevealedasub-setofstudentsrequestingmorein-personlearningopportunitieswithinstructors.Therequestsincludedin-personclassesand/orin-personofficehours.Unfortunately,thesurveyswerenotstructuredtoprovidedescriptivedataabouttheseindividuals,ortoaccuratelygaugethenumberofstudentsthisimpacts.Whiletherewereconsistentresponsesrequestingthistypeofhelp,facultybelievedthattheywereininsufficientnumberstosupportopeningseparatein-personand/orhybridcourses.
ThistrendisnotuniquetotheACCTprogram,butisincreasinglyfoundwithotheronlineprograms.Moredatamayberequiredtobetterunderstandthesestudentsandtheirneeds.Regardless,facultycouldconsiderdiscussingwaystoimproveengagementandmorebroadlymeetstudentneedswiththeAssociateDeanofTeaching,Learning,andAssessmentandherstaffand/ortheExecutiveDirectorofVirtualCampus,eLearning,andInstructionalTechnology.
Iftheyhavenotalreadydoneso,theCollegemayconsiderstrategiestoaddressthiscampus-wide.
ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING
Program Outcomes
Itisimportantforprogramstoperiodicallyensuretheirstudentsareachievingprogramoutcomes.Onemethodfordoingthisistoaskalumnitoratetheextenttowhichtheyachievedprogramoutcomes,thoughthishasitslimitationsprimarilybasedonpopulationsampling.WithregardtotheACCTprogram,thealumnisurveysamplewastoosmalltogenerateusableresults.
Anotherwaytoensurestudentsareachievingprogramoutcomesistomapcoursestotheoutcomes.Facultynotedthattheyhaveworkedhardtoensureconcrete,specificMasterCourseOutcomes.ButtheyhavenotgonethroughaprocesstomaptheMasterCourseOutcomeswiththeProgramLevelOutcomes.Doingthiswillhelpfacultyunderstandwherelearningandassessmentoccursthroughouttheprogram,identifyinggapsthatcouldimproveuptakeofprogramlearningoutcomes.ACCTfacultyshouldworkwithInstitutionalReviewDepartmenttoundergothisprocessinthenearfuture.
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Grades
AnexaminationofACCTcoursesuccessandgradesrevealsthatACCTpassratesandgradesareslightlylowerthanallShorelineProfessional-Technicalprogramsduringthesametimeperiod.Thiscouldbeoccurringbecauseofthesmallernumberofstudentsintheprogram,relativetoallProfessional-Technicalprograms.Facultyalsoindicatethattheprogramisintensiveandrequiresasignificantamountofdedicatedtimetobesuccessful.Theytypicallyadviseworkingstudentsthatiftheyareworkingandgoingtoschool,theywillneedtwofulldayseachweektodedicatetotheiraccountingwork.
ACCT(Intent)CourseSuccessbyAcademicYear
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Professional-TechnicalProgramCourseSuccessbyAcademicYear
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Gradedistributionsinthefollowingtablerevealfairlyconsistentandobjectivegradingpracticesfromyear-to-year.Year-to-yearvariabilityisattributedtotherelativelysmallnumbersofstudentswithACCTintentcodes(approximately110-130studentsdependingontheyear).
ACCT (Intent) Prof-Tech
EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES
Tounderstandemploymentoutcomes,twodatasourcesaretypicallyused.First,ACCTalumnisurveyresponsesregardingtheiremploymentstatusisconsidered.Rememberingthatthealumniresponseratewasquitelow(fivepercent),theresultsreportedwerenotusable.
Whenrespondingtoanopen-endedquestionabouttheircurrentjobsandresponsibilities,25outof43respondentsindicatedtheywereworkinginaoccupationrelatedtotheACCTprogram.Thisisahighcorrelationandpointstotherelevancyoftheprogramandthetightaccountinglabormarket.
TheseconddatasourceistheDataLinkingforOutcomesAssessmentdatabasecompiledbytheWashingtonStateBoardforCommunityandTechnicalCollegeslinkingprogramoutcomesandemploymentdata.Thisdatashowstheemploymentoutcomesforalumnithatcompletedtheirdegreeorcertificate.Thedatadoesnotshowwhatjobstheseindividualshave.
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Academic Year Estimated Employment
Rate for Completers
Estimated Employment
Rate for Leavers
2012-2013 79% 65%
2013-2014 81% 70%
2014-2015 81% 54%
2015-2016 76% 80%
2016-2017 94% 84%
Until2015,completersgainedemploymentatamuchhigherratethanleavers.In2015,leaversalsobegangainingemploymentatahighrate.Theadvisorycommitteeandfacultyindicatethatthisislikelybecauseofthetighteninglabormarket.
Completers–AverageWages(2012-2016)
CompletionYear Completers Leavers
2012-2013 $22.07 $17.38
2013-2014 $19.01 $15.80
2014-2015 $17.17 $15.08
2015-2016 $20.92 $17.96
2016-2017 $18.01 $21.48
Reportedwagesforthisprogramwerestrongforbothcompletersandleavers.Leaverswagestrengthmaybeattributedtotheminimumwageincreasesaswellasthetighteninglabormarket.
STUDENT DATA TRENDS
Enrollment
Asthefollowingtableshows,ACCTFTEenrollmentincreasedbyover12percentbetweenAY2013and2017.Thisincreasecanbeattributedtoastrategiceffortonthepartoffacultytokeepenrollmenthigh,inlightofdecliningenrollmentselsewhereacrossShorelineCollege.Theyaccomplishedthisbymethodicallyreviewingcourseenrollmentsandensuringallcourseswereasfullaspossible.Incomparison,Shoreline’sBusinessAdministrationprogramenrollmentincreasedby30percentoverthesametimeperiod(afterrecoveringfromsignificantlowenrollmentinAY2014).Shoreline’sprofessional-technicalprogramsonaveragedecreasedby4percentduringthesametimeperiod.
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FTEbyAcademicYear
ACCT BUSADM Prof-Tech
ThefollowingtablecomparesShorelineACCT’sFTEwithotherlocalcolleges.Shoreline’sprogramisthesmallestoflocalcolleges.ThisislikelyattributabletoShoreline’ssmallservicearea,thewidespreadusofonlineinstructioninthisfield,andtheuniformnatureofAccountingprogramsacrossthestate,whichmakesdifferentiationdifficult.ItisimportanttonotethatShoreline’sprogramgrewby12percentduringthistimeperiod,mostlyattributedtoasignificantlysmallerenrollmentin2015-15.Mostotherprogramsdeclinedduringthesametimeperiod,rangingbetween8to26percentdeclines.Theoneexception,Bellevue,showedsteadygrowthandincreasedalittlemorethan7percentduringthisperiod.
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FTEComparisonbyYear
ShorelineCommunityCollege
BellevueCollege
NorthSeattleCollege
EdmondsCommunityCollege
GreenRiverCollege
HighlineCollege
SeattleCentralCollege
2014-15 113.00 314.63 271.91 229.70 199.44 170.33 139.78
2015-16 125.69 321.33 234.23 226.77 189.67 156.00 128.33
2016-17 126.11 329.53 232.68 211.65 190.11 145.44 130.33
2017-18 125.78 339.03 200.26 210.73 183.45 147.33 134.56
Student Demographics
ACCTrangesbetween69to76percentfemaledependingontheyear,comparedtoindustry,whichwas88percentfemalein2016.1Shoreline’soverallProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaveragearebetween52and56percentfemale.Itdoesoffergreatereconomicdiversity(asmeasuredbyPellEligibility)thanShorelineasawhole.ThisprogramhasagreaterpercentageofolderstudentsthanoverallProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaverage.AtleasthalfofACCTstudentsareovertheageof31,comparedtoslightlylessthan40percentofProfessional-Technicalstudents.Themedianageofbookkeepersandaccountantsis48yearsofage.
RacialdiversityinACCTissimilartothatofShoreline’soverallProfessional-Technicalprograms.However,racialdiversityismuchbetterinACCTthanintheindustryoverall.Over80percentofbookkeepersandaccountantsarewhiteinindustry,whilebetween46to58percentofACCTstudentsarewhite.
ACCTAge
1 Industry comparisons in this section are from https://datausa.io/profile/soc/433031/ downloaded January 2019.
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Prof-TechAge
ACCTSex
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Prof-TechSex
ACCTRace/Ethnicity
Prof-TechRace/Ethnicity
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ACCTPellEligibility Prof-TechPellEligibility
Abouthalfoftherespondentstothecurrentstudentsurveyreportedtheywereworkingwhileattendingschool.Fourteenof31respondentsindicatedtheywereworkingmorethan20hoursperweek.Thisispossiblebecauseoftheonlinenatureoftheprogram,andmanystudentsandalumniindicatedthatthisflexibilityallowedthemtopursuetheireducationwhileworking.Otherprogramstructuresthataccommodateworkingstudentsincludesallowingstudentstheoptionofturninginallworkattheendofthequarterandmakingresponsivenesstostudentrequestsapriority.Thesestructureswereallconfirmedbyresponsestothestudentandalumnisurveys.
Completion Data
ThefollowingtablecomparestheACCTprogram’sratioofstudentsperworkforcecertificatesanddegreesearnedtoShorelineProfessional-Technicalstudentsandthestateasawhole.ACCTstudentscompletecertificatesanddegreesatahighratecomparedtoShorelineProfessional-Technicalstudentsandstatewideaverages.
AllWorkforceCertificatesandDegrees
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
State Ratio 21%. 20% 20% 22% 20% 20%
Shoreline
Completions 1.317 1,229 1,273 1,164 1,300 1,204.Headcount 5,203 4,681 4,205 4,132 4,862 5,089Ratio 26% 26% 30% 28% 27% 24%.
ACCT
Completions 49 57 67 63 66 54Headcount 91 86 88 80 85 77Ratio 53% 61% 75% 78% 77% 67%
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ThehighcompletionrateintheACCTprogramcanlargelybeattributedtothehighnumberofcertificatesthatareautomaticallyconferredasstudentsworktheirwaythroughtheprogram,asdemonstratedinthefollowingtable.
2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018
Accounting – AAAS 11 13 8 12 12 8 Practical Accounting – CP 5 0 0 2 2 3 Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable Clerk – CC
8 8 16 11 13 11
Payroll Clerk - CC 7 9 14 12 13 11 Accounting Clerk – CC 12 11 17 11 15 12 Tax Preparer – CC 6 16 12 15 11 9
Fill Rates
Fillratesaredeterminedbycomparingthenumberofstudentsenrolledinacourseduringanacademicyear,withthatcourse’scapacityfortheyear.Twocourseshadrelativelylowfillrates:ACCT206(QuickBooks)andACCT208(NonprofitandGovernmentAccounting).Facultywereawareofthelowratesfortheseclasses.Eachisofferedonlyonceperyear.ACCT208isintendedtoattractstudentswhoneedadditionalcreditstoqualifyfortheCPAexam.
FACULTY
ACCT’schairanditsadditionalfull-timeinstructorfullyparticipatedintheprogramreview.Theywereengaged,thoughtful,andhadagoodunderstandingoftheneedsofstudentsandemployers.ACCThastwofull-timetwoassociatefaculty.
Studentandalumniwerecomplementaryofmostinstructorsinthisprogram,mentioningseveralbyname.Respondentstypicallynotedboththequalityofinstructionprovidedaswellastheresponsivenessoftheinstructorstoquestionsposedbystudents.
Duringtheprogramreview,facultydemonstratedexpert-levelabilitieswithonlinelearningtoolsusedatShoreline.Forexample,onefacultymemberdescribedhowhemonitorsstudenttimespentonindividualconceptsandusesthisdatatoquicklyprovidecustomizedhelpwhenneeded.
Faculty Workload
ACCTstudent-to-facultyratiodemonstratesagreatdealofefficiencyintheprogram.
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Year ACCT BUSADM PROFTECH
AY 2013 1:31 1:22 1:13
AY 2014 1:34 1:19 1:13
AY 2015 1:29 1:19 1:12
AY 2016 1:28 1:20 1:13
AY 2017 1:28 1:24 1:13
Professional Development
Facultyuseprofessionaldevelopmenttokeepuptodatewithemergingtrendsintheaccountingfieldandmeetstudentneeds.Forexample,whentheprogramfirstwentonlinetherewerefewsuitablee-booksavailableonthemarket.Toaddressthis,DanKingusedprofessionaldevelopmentfundstodevelopane-book.
RESOURCES
Theprogramistaughtonline.Facultyarequitepleasedwiththeonlinetoolsavailabletothemandfeltcompetentintheiruse.
Thestudentandalumnisurveyresponsesincludedfewcommentsaboutprogramresources.AveryfewrespondentssharedfrustrationswiththeMcGraw-Hilltextbook,notingeitherthatitwas“glitchy”orthatitdidnotincludepracticeproblems.Facultynotedthatthetextbookdoesnotalwaysworkwellwiththeonlinesystem.Forexample,ifastudentpurchasesacopyofthetextbook,thepagenumberscanbeoutofsynchwithwhat’sprovidedonline.
PARTNERSHIPS
Active Partners
TheACCTadvisorycommitteehasbeenreconstituted;theirfirstmeetingwastodiscusstheprogramreview.Thenewcommitteecurrentlyhasthreemembersrepresentingalargeaccountingfirmandacollegefinancialservicesoffice.Beingtheirfirstmeeting,theywereunfamiliarwiththedepartmentandneedanorientation.Forexample,feltthatExcelskillsarerequiredintheworkplacebutdidnotknowthatExcelisarequiredcourseintheACCTprogram.Theinclusionofpublicandprivateaccountingfirmsisanicestarttothenewcommittee.Itwillbeimportanttogrowthecommitteetoincludeabroadarrayofdiversemembers:temporaryaccountingfirms,smallaccountingpractices,andmore.TheACCTdepartmentshouldworktoensureadiversityofexperienceswithinthegroupaswell–currentmembersareontheyoungersideandbringanimportantvoicetothecommittee.Itwillbeimportanttoattractmoresenioraccountantsaswell.
Atameetingtodiscussthisprogramreview,theadvisorycommitteememberspresentwereengagedintheindustry.Theyseemedwillingtomakeactive
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contributionstothedepartment.Theyfullyparticipatedinthemeetingandmadethoughtfulcontributionstothereview.
Whenaskedaboutpartnershipstheywouldliketogrow,facultykeyedinongrowingthenewadvisorycommitteeandalreadyhadseveralideasonhowtoaccomplishthis.
PROGRAM SERVICES
CurrentstudentsweresurveyedregardingtheiropinionsofACCTprogramservices.Theywereaskedtorateeachcomponentonascaleof1(poor)to5(excellent).Theratingswere:
Element RatingHelpfulprograminformationoncollegewebsiteandprintedmaterials
3.94
Effectivecurriculumstructure:(Didthesequenceofcoursesmakesense?Didtheskillsyoulearnedinoneclasstransfertothenextclass?)
4.13
Supportofindividuallearningneeds 3.84Adequatepreparationforemployment(knowledgeandskillsforthefield)
4.0
Adequateguidanceforcareerplanning 3.79Adequateprogramresources(informationtechnology,equipment,space,supplies)
4.06
Classschedulesmeetstudentneeds 4.18Academicadvisingmeetsstudentneeds 4.05Effectivenessofothersupportservices(tutoring,financialaid,counselingetc.)
3.98
TheratingsforACCTprogramelementswerelowerthanwithotherprogramsatShoreline.Becauseofthelowresponserateofthestudentsurveyitisdifficulttodrawconclusionsabouttheselowerratings.Openresponsestotheratingsidentified:
• Adesireforaccountingtutorsand/orMathLearningCentertutorswhocouldhelpwithaccounting-relatedmathproblems;
• Excellentfaculty(asdescribedabove);• Technologydifficultiesrelatedtoincompatibilitieswithstandard
operatingsystemsandarelatedlackoftechnical-relatedguidance;• Aprettyevensplitbetweenstudentswhoenjoyedtheonlineformat
andthosewhodesiredmorein-personclasses;and• Studentswhodesiredlongerclasses.
Withregardtotutoring,facultybelievedthatthereweresufficienttutorsavailableandthatthesecomplaintswererelatedtostudentswaitingtolongtoaccesstutoringservices.Toconfirmthis,facultyshouldconnectwiththeTutoringServicesDepartment.
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COMPETITION
BothcurrentandformerstudentsrespondingtothesurveysindicatedthattheyselectedShorelinebecauseofthelocationoftheschool(asopposedtootherfactorssuchasquality,reputation,cost,orarecommendation).SurveyrespondentsalsonotedthatShoreline’sonlineofferingswereadeterminingfactoraswell.
Becausefacultysharedanintentiontoberesponsivetostudentinquiriesabouttheprogram,itisworthnotingthefollowingcommentfromthesurvey,notingthatonefacultymemberwas“…veryefficientandrepliedtomyquestionsregardingthe[AccountingandBusiness]programatShorelinequickly.[He]alsoassistedwithsettingupmyschedulefortheyear.OverallcommunicationwithanyoneatShorelinehasbeenveryefficient.Ididn’thavethesameexperiencewiththeotherschools.”
Acomparativeanalysisofotherschoolwebsiteswasconductedasacomponentofthisprogramreview.Thisreviewernotedthataccountingprogramsarequitesimilaracrossthestateandmostschoolsofferfullyonlinedegreesandcertificates.Forthisreason,itisdifficultforShorelinetodifferentiateitsprogram.Afewschoolsofferedthefollowingcomponentsthatmayhelpthemdifferentiate:
• CPAPreparation;• In-personandonlineoptions;• AnAccountingLearningCenter;• Certifiedbookkeeperexampreparation;• Articulationwithafour-yearschool(althoughthisarticulationwaslikely
fortransferstudentsasProfessional-Technicalprogramsdonotarticulatewell);and
• VolunteerIncomeTaxAssistanceprogram(inpartnershipwiththeUnitedWay).
CurrentstudentswereaskedwhatotherprogramstheyconsideredbeforeselectingShorelineandtheirresponsesindicatedthatShorelinecompeteswithmanydifferentuniversityandcollegeprogramsinWashingtonandacrossthecountryincluding:
• NorthSeattleCollege;• EdmondsCommunityCollege;• EverettCommunityCollege;• UniversityofWashington;• BellevueCollege;• WesternWashingtonUniversity;• WashingtonStateUniversity;• SeattleCentralCollege;and• SeattleUniversity.
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LABOR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
Thefollowingchartportraysthelabormarketforthisprogram,basedondataavailablefromtheStateofWashington.
OCCUPATION DEMAND STATUS JOB GROWTH
(King & Snohomish Counties Combined)
SOC SOCTITLE King County Snohomish County 2018 2020 2022
13-2082 Tax Preparers NOT IN DEMAND na 558 578 595
43-3031 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks DEMAND na 15,806 16,333 16,695
43-3051 Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks BALANCED NOT IN DEMAND 1,655 1,708 1,744
43-4011 Brokerage Clerks NOT IN DEMAND na 466 471 476 43-9111 Statistical Assistants NOT IN DEMAND na 134 140 145
TheAdvisoryCommitteedidnothavestrongopinionsaboutthelabormarketdata.Theyindicatedthattheirorganizationswereabletohireentry-levelaccountingstaffwhenneeded.Twomembersoftheadvisorycommitteegraduatedfromassociatedegreeandbaccalaureateprogramswithinthelastfiveyears.Theybothindicatedthatalloftheirpeersfromtheseprogramshadgoodpayingjobsandnonewerestrugglingtofindwork.