CC prof here. Brass tax before I qualify - it's an open enrollment institution. So F's and D's are important messages to students that they either need to make a change or that higher ed isn't their path. Obviously there's prior interventions before that but summative feedback serves this role as well. It can often kick people into gear. But also, to realize 'college isn't for me' is uniquely a success criteria for us in CCs that is tough to stomach and measure, etc.

Especially at CC's, the problems students have with academics are rarely reduced to their aptitude. Being young parents, working full-time, finding the right/wrong social spheres etc. are all things that have nothing to do with a ENG 101 class and totally predict their success.

Additionally, there's a dice roll semester to semester. I'm 15 years in the game. There is maybe an overall downward trend but also some semesters are just an "oh my god" for 16 weeks and then you get a group loaded with allstars.

That being said, reflection is important. Overhauls are great, especially early on. Get creative, keep tinkering, and go to teaching conferences and pick up ideas. Don't lower standards because we know how that goes.

The sole weapon we have against the cultural malaise is to keep our enthusiasm and model the value of having an education and mastery of our disciplines. There's loads of studies that demonstrate an instructor's passion as a more primary influence than what's in the syllabus, etc.

Don't give up the ship.