Region I (Northern California)
Editor: Kyra Mello, Associate Professor of English; Writing Language Development Center; Yuba College; ECCTYC, Region I Co-Director
Butte College
Contributor(s): No response

College of the Redwoods 
Contributor(s): No response

College of the Redwoods—Del Norte 
Contributor(s): No response

College of the Siskiyous 
Contributor(s): Steve Reynolds, Chair, Language Arts Department; Professor of English; Carly Furry, Part-time instructor and Writing Lab instructor

The faculty of the College of the Siskiyous reported they continue to implement projects and improvements for BSI and update course outlines of record to include well-written SLOs. In addition, the faculty continue to implement both appropriate methods of instruction and appropriate methods of assessment that are directly aligned to the SLOs.

They further report that very few curricular changes have occurred in Language Arts as a result of BSI funding though they have instituted several programs that impact Language Arts students. They have instituted a two-week Summer Bridge program prior to the start of the fall semester, which includes math and English refresher courses for under-prepared students (the primary target population has been athletes who arrive to college before the start of the semester). In addition, another BSI project that has affected Language Arts is a learning community that pairs one section of one-level below transfer composition with a college reading course. The other BSI Language Arts project has been to add an instructional assistant to the course which is two-levels below transfer composition. Data for these new programs is forthcoming.

Colleges of the Siskiyous also reported changes in the running of their Writing Lab including procedures for working with students and mechanisms for tracking students’ progress and achievement of learning outcomes. Budget cuts have significantly impacted Language Arts labs. They have experienced cuts to hours and layoffs in both the reading and writing labs. The faculty and staff have been told to expect additional cuts to programs. Contributors conveyed great concern about the future of supplemental instruction in writing at College of the SIskiyous.

Feather River College
Contributor(s): No Response
Lassen College

Lassen College made few changes to curriculum. The faculty reported the addition of a writing lab course to support basic skills writing courses. This semester (Fall 2009) is the first time it is being offered. BSI projects are in progress, but Lassen College reports that it's too early to look at outcomes.


Contributor(s): No Response

Shasta College

Shasta College reports that the loss of full-time faculty devoted to transfer-level courses and cutbacks in literature offerings has been challenging. The faculty also reported concern about Basic Skills faculty smoothly integrating with the English Department. Despite these challenges and budget shortfalls, Shasta College reports that the department's full-time faculty continues to operate at a high level of proficiency.

Shasta College’s Language Arts department has gone through significant division restructuring and expansion of distance learning. Organizing a coherent department with several branch campuses and multiple deans continues to pose challenges.

Woodland College
Contributor(s): Kevin Ferns, Professor of English; ECCTYC Region I Co-Director

The faculty of Woodland College report they are considering revamping their English placement exam. The faculty at Woodland College would like to know more about BSI funded projects and programs and writing-center development at other institutions. The writing center is a particularly important issue because Woodland College is experiencing potential cutbacks due to budget. The faculty would also like to know how other departments are grappling with loss of staff, faculty, and resources.

Yuba College
Contributor(s): Kyra Mello, Associate Professor of English; Coordinator, Writing Language Development Center; ECCTYC Region I Co-Director; Francesca Hulin, Professor of ESL/VESL; Kelly Fredricks, Associate Faculty of English

The most significant program update at Yuba College is the implementation of the Writing Language Development Center (WLDC). Using BSI funds, English, ESL, and reading faculty lobbied and won support for a large-scale tutoring center. Previously Yuba College’s English tutoring services were part of the College Success Center (CSC). While significant improvement had been made to the program over the last three years, the service had long outgrown its space in the CSC. BSI funds supplied the money needed to move the service into its own space. BSI money is also the only source of funding for tutor payroll and supplies. The college has yet to institutionalize the program. The program continues to grow despite a lack of resources.

Yuba College has also made strides to improve the developmental writing classes. Using BSI funds, a team of nine English, ESL and reading faculty, including adjuncts, created an integrated reading/writing curriculum in an attempt to meet the requirements of both developmental 110B (three levels below transfer) reading and writing courses. A curriculum was produced but due to the late marketing, the class did not make enrollment. However, as a result of that project, a collaboration between an English and ESL professor was made to take portions of that curriculum to pilot in a mutual ESL and English 110B writing courses. The outcome of the first semester pilot was students producing a higher caliber of writing than had been seen in the past. While adjustments to this curriculum still had to be made the following summer, the pilot continues and data will be tracked of students involved in these sections down the road. This semester an ESL and English professor continue to pilot the newest, revised version of the integrated 110B curriculum.

In addition, Yuba College has initiated a learning community program. The English department is currently the foundation of this program; English instructors are involved in all links. Learning communities have been formed between Sociology and English 51 (one level below transfer), as well as a community between Chicano History and English 105 (two levels below transfer). Since these communities are in their first trials this semester (Fall 2009), comments concerning their outcome are unknown at this time.

The budget crisis seems to have hit Yuba College harder than our neighbors with news, at the time of this writing, of summer school being cancelled, our satellite branch at Beale Air Force Base is facing possible closure, numerous sections of courses are being slashed from all departments in the Language and Arts division, and 35 adjuncts are being laid off district-wide. We are told another round of cuts is to be expected.

Despite the current economic woes at Yuba College, faculty report continued efforts to improve programs. Faculty would like to work to develop the future relationship between reading as a discipline and writing as a discipline and even more collaboration between the ESL and English faculty with the possibility of creating an ESL-track all the way to transfer.
Faculty in Region I have suggested the following topics and speakers for future ECCTYC presentations and conference themes:

• Creative Writing and the Composition Classroom: Crossovers and Infusions.
• Dr. Dana Ferris to present on Generation 1.5 and ESL writing issues including defining this population and strategies to address their distinct writing needs.
• Dr. Zadina to present on brain research and student learning.
• Molly Emmons (Butte College) to present on learning communities.
• Situated learning
• Faculty inquiry projects concerning writing assignment prompts and assessments.
• Teaching reading strategies to use with writing.

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