| Critical Information, Notes, Justification, Rationale | In 2005, the College obtained a $248,000 grant from the US Dept of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education to help meet continuing enrollment increases for ESL at Newburgh Extension Center and Middletown Campus by adding a bilingual coordinator for program planning and student counseling as well as adding software and other equipment for the program.
The program would increase English proficiency among non-English speaking residents to prepare them for college-level work and help them achieve better opportunities in the workplace.
The grant will be ending in 2008, but the College is requesting a no-cost extension whereby the Coordinator will be able to continue until funds are exhausted.
Currently, Debra Horowitz is the Coordinator of ESL for Continuing and Professional Education department (CAPE). She has expanded the program with significant increases in enrollment and revenue as well as greatly expanded the ESL offerings.
- More than tripled enrollment since before March 2006 (pre-hire).
- Greatly expanded class offerings – new FTE approved courses offered last year:
- Everyday Conversation and Expressions I and II
- ESL Intermediate Reading and Writing
- ESL Advanced Reading and Writing
- ESL in the Workplace
- New FTE approved courses this academic year:
- Pronunciation for Beginners
- Basic Computer Skills for ESL Learners
- ESL Fundamentals of Reading and Writing
- ESL for Academic Purposes – this course helps prepare the high-level ESL student for academic success in college by using authentic materials in a content-based approach to learn the skills necessary in a college context. Reading, study skills, note-taking, discussion skills and writing are taught within a discipline, such as psychology or sociology.
- Streamlined testing and registration procedures for students by offering computerized testing with instant results and immediate placement.
- Adopted in-class pre-registration to help student retention and to offer convenience to enrolled students.
- Adopted phone registration for students already tested.
- Expanded presence of the ESL program coordinator to both Middletown and Newburgh.
- Newly revised curriculum focusing on all four language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing.
- Expanded basic ESL course length from seven to eleven weeks to offer more intensive language instruction.
- Every new student is seen personally by the coordinator to assess the student needs and the needs of the ESL population in general.
- Developed a community-based program which includes a sequence of courses which provides a base for personal enrichment in learning English or to better prepare students for study in a college setting.
- Outreach and advertising efforts have enhanced visibility of ESL program.
- Bilingual skills of coordinator have greatly enhanced interaction with the ESL population.
Additional Accomplishments
- Secured $56,250 in grant funding for SUNY Orange in participation with a consortium of other community colleges for 12N English in the Workplace to deliver English classes in five workplaces in Orange County starting Spring 2008.
- Appointed to Non-Credit Remedial Course Review Committee by SUNY Central Associate Vice Chancellor to review all courses submitted for FTE funding.
Future Proposal
- There is a need to bridge the ESL non-credit program to the credit program. The non-credit ESL program has strengthened students’ skills by offering more literacy and pre-college courses. A stronger link between programs needs to be discussed. The goal is to equip second language learners who want to pursue higher education with a more seamless transition into the college credit program. I would look forward to working with the English Department and Advising and Counseling to achieve this goal.
Revenue and Registration Increases
Prior to Debbie Horowitz being hired, revenue for 2005 was $40,541. Revenue for 2006 after Debbie was hired was $112,153, an increase of almost 177%. All revenue includes tuition collected as well as state aid remedial reimbursement.
In addition, enrollment is up over 50% from 2006 to 2007 with the largest increase coming from Newburgh. In 2006, registrations were 394, and in 2007, registrations were 599. Revenue has more than doubled between 2006 and 2007 from $112,153 to $175,787 from
tuition collected as well as state aid remedial reimbursement. |
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| Consequences of this initiative not being funded | If this initiative is not funded, the College will fail to meet the needs of an important segment of this increasing population in Orange County whose primary language is not English. The College's role must be in tune with the changes in demographics and the population it serves. Without CAPE's Coordinator of ESL, the College would not be able to fully serve this population. In addition, this has implications for educational advancement and workplace opportunities for this segment of County.
A significant portion of this population have children attending public schools and as a result of the improvement of English langauge skills they will be better able to help their shildren succeed in school.
Regarding student registration and revenue, the College would lose out on one of the fastest growing programs. In addition, the College would be losing significant revenue derived from FTE state aideable reimbursement for non-credit remedial courses.
Please note that a budget request was submitted for '08-'09 whereby the total budget would be approximately $148,000 (personnel, benefits, instructional expenses). Compare this to $176,000 revenue earned for 2007 from the ESL program, this shows the program would be at least financially self-sufficient. |
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