College Name: Ozarka College and Rich Mountain Community College
1. Describe the Local Recipient
Institution/Consortium Name
Mountain Consortium
President/Chancellor Name
Dusty Johnston
Email of Fiscal Agent Institution
djohnston@ozarka.edu
Chief Financial Officer Name
Tina Wheelis
Email of Fiscal Agent Institution
twheelis@ozarka.edu
Perkins Coordinator Name
Joan Stirling
Perkins Coordinator Email
jstirling@ozarka.edu
Phone of Fiscal Agent Institution
870-368-7371
2. Describe the Consortium
Institution Name:
Ozarka College (fiscal agent)
President/Chancellor Name:
Dusty Johnston
President/Chancellor Email:
djohnston@ozarka.edu
Chief Financial Officer Name:
Tina Wheelis
Chief Financial Officer Email:
twheelis@ozarka.edu
Perkins Coordinator Name:
Joan Stirling
Perkins Coordinator Email:
jstirling@ozarka.edu
Perkins Coordinator Phone:
870-368-2007
3. Describe the process used to develop the local transition plan.
The RMCC Perkins team is composed of the Vice President for Academic and Instructional Affairs (Perkins Coordinator), the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Director of Institutional Research. The Ozarka team is composed of the President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President of Student Services, the Vice President of Finance, the Director of Information Systems and the Ozarka Perkins Coordinator. The Perkins coordinators from each institution have met in person, via email and by telephone to coordinate between the two institutions.
4. Describe how career and technical education programs will be carried out using activities designated as required and permissive use of funds.
Required Use of Funds
Consortium members have a minimum of six general education hours for all technical certificates and associate degrees in technical programs.
RMCC serves as a Secondary Career Center for service area high schools. Four programs are offered which include Medical Professions Education, Machine Tool Technology, Computer Maintenance Technology, and Radio/TV. The high schools involved include Mena, Acorn, Van-Cove, Wickes, and Oden.
RMCC also houses two important TRIO programs which provide linkages between secondary and postsecondary programs. Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search works with at-risk students between the ninth and twelfth grades. The programs prepare the students to enter postsecondary education.
Ozarka College will institute a new pathway during 2007-2008 where high school students can take two health care courses that will result in the students being able to test for licensure for Certified Nurses Assistant, Personal Health Care Assistant and Phlebotomists. A third course, Medical Terminology I, will not only give students an excellent background for all health care fields but is part of the Medical Transcription program. All three courses are also offered at the college for non-high school students. If students complete one course at the high school level, they can complete the subsequent courses by enrolling at Ozarka. The completion of the three courses at the high school level provide a stop-out point where graduates who pass licensure can stop-out to work or continue to college. When entering college, students may begin the pre-requisites for the LPN program or enter the Medical Transcription program.
All RMCC medical related fields have clinical requirements which put students into area hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. Students majoring in computer science technology must complete an internship as a part of the graduation requirement. Students in the Introduction to Education course (an AAT requirement) must complete 15 hours of field observation in a classroom.
All aspects of an industry are included in Ozarka technical programs including work-based experiences such as:
a. Associate of Arts in Teaching: students are required to do classroom observations
b. Automotive Service Technology: daily extensive laboratory time including time spent working on vehicles for hands-on experience
c. Emergency Medical Technician: must complete a clinical component in their course work
d. Business Technology: practice sets comparable to workforce; simulations and completing business plans
e. Culinary Arts: do “Gourmet Nights” and community and college functions
f. Early Childhood Development: there are no clinical components but the instructor is the director of the day care center on the college campus
g. Health Information Technology: students utilize real-life medical claims billing software and visit 2-3 hospitals and physician’s offices in the area to observe and perform the duties they have for them
h. Licensed Practical Nurse: students are required to complete clinical hours
i. Registered Nurse: must have an active nursing license
Both consortium members have online portals for communication, record keeping and interaction. All classrooms in the colleges are equipped with technology teaching stations to enhance instruction or have access to portable stations. Faculty and students receive needed training in the use of these technologies. Other activities include an online training course for online teaching for faculty and yearly hands-on training for interactive video teaching.
Both consortium member institutions are committed to the professional development of its instructors and staff. Within the college budget dollars are set aside for professional development for all faculty members and administrative staff. In addition, there are special professional development funds that can be used for travel or guest speakers.
Both Consortium members follow the guidelines mandated by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. In addition, both institutions are approved by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. Also, programs subject to external approval by outside agencies such as nursing and automotive service technology are in compliance.
Both institutions have budgeted for any necessary updates for the transition year and will not be using Perkins funds for updates. In recent years through Title III and Perkins grants, renovations have taken place on the consortium campuses.
The Perkins funded positions of Director of Student Success on the RMCC campus and Student Success Specialist on the Ozarka Campus will be addressing all technical programs and hence the Perkins activities on both campuses will be of sufficient size, scope and quality.
Both institutions will have a Career Pathways program in place for the 2007-2008 academic year and have TRiO programs. Director of Student Success on the RMCC campus and Student Success Specialist on the Ozarka Campus will monitor special populations and make recommendations where appropriate.
Permissive Use of Funds
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will provide career guidance and resources for students within technical programs. In addition, student support services and academic affairs will provide additional career guidance and counseling.
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will identify students in special populations and those students at risk. In addition, they will monitor the academic success of the identified students and intervene when beneficial. Also, Career Pathways and TRiO programs will work with various students. The two Perkins success coordinators will interact with directors of these programs to coordinate efforts.
The director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will provide support services to students in technical programs who are identified to be high risk academically. These two positions will monitor students through an early warning system and intervene when necessary to help student persist and succeed. These positions will provide leadership, research, development and implementation of retention efforts; action-planning; and policy and protocol development. Data collection and management will include comparisons to institution, state and national norms. These positions will assist with various other duties to aid students including advising, degree audits, transcript evaluation, and grants for students depending on needs on each campus.
The Associate of Arts in Teaching falls into the technical programs offered at the consortium institutions. The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will assist in monitoring the progress and success of students in the teacher preparation program.
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will aid in persistence, thereby assisting in the transition to bachelor degree programs. In addition, Ozarka will include recruitment (high school transition) and job placement duties in the Student Success Specialist job description.
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will evaluate and recommend retention measures which may include learning communities.
The Student Success Specialist will monitor and assist in job placement and make recommendations for improvement.
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will identify nontraditional students in technical programs. The success coordinators will monitor the progress and success of the students and intervene if necessary.
5. Describe how CTE activities will be carried out in order to meet state and local levels of performance. (See Appendix B for description of accountability measures.)
a) 1P1-Technical Skill Attainment (pending state decision on measurement) The success coordinators at the consortium institutions will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement.
b) 2P1-Credential Attainment (Certificates and Degrees)
The success coordinators at the consortium institutions will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement.
c) 3P1-Student Retention and Transfer
The success coordinators at the consortium institutions will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement.
d) 4P1-Student Placement
The success coordinators at the consortium institutions will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement.
e) 5P1-Nontraditional Participation
The success coordinators at the consortium institutions will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement.
f) 5P2-Nontraditional Credential Attainment
The success coordinators at the consortium institutions will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement.
6. Describe how the institution will offer the appropriate courses of not less than one of the CTE programs of study. Identify and describe any existing secondary to postsecondary linkages and how Perkins funds will be used to improve or expand such programs.
RMCC serves as a Secondary Career Center for service area high schools. Four programs are offered which include Medical Professions Education, Machine Tool Technology, Computer Maintenance Technology, and Radio/TV. The high schools involved include Mena, Acorn, Van-Cove, Wickes, and Oden.
Ozarka College will institute a new pathway during 2007-2008 where high school students can take two health care courses that will result in the students being able to test for licensure for Certified Nurses Assistant, Personal Health Care Assistant and Phlebotomist. A third course, Medical Terminology I, will not only give students an excellent background for all health care fields but is part of the Medical Transcription program. All three courses are also offered at the college for non-high school students. If students complete one course at the high school level, they can complete the subsequent courses by enrolling at Ozarka. The completion of the three courses at the high school level provide a stop-out point where graduates who pass licensure can stop-out to work or continue to college. When entering college, students may begin the pre-requisites for the LPN program or enter the Medical Transcription program.
7. Describe how the academic and technical skills of students participating in CTE programs will be improved and how CTE students will be taught to the same standards as are all other students.
Consortium members have a minimum of six general education hours for all technical certificates and associate degrees in technical programs. The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will monitor, review and evaluate course offerings with regards to student retention and success.
8. Describe how activities will provide students with strong experience in and an understanding of all aspects of an industry.
All RMCC medical related fields have clinical requirements which put students into area hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. Students majoring in computer science technology must complete an internship as a part of the graduation requirement. Students in the Introduction to Education course (an AAT requirement) must complete 15 hours of field observation in a classroom.
All aspects of an industry are included in Ozarka technical programs including work-based experiences such as:
j. Associate of Arts in Teaching: students are required to do classroom observations
k. Automotive Service Technology: daily extensive laboratory time including time spent working on vehicles for hands-on experience
l. Emergency Medical Technician: must complete a clinical component in their course work
m. Business Technology: practice sets comparable to workforce; simulations and completing business plans
n. Culinary Arts: do “Gourmet Nights” and community and college functions
o. Early Childhood Development: there are no clinical components but the teacher currently is the director of the day care center on the college campus
p. Health Information Technology: students utilize real-life medical claims billing software and visit 2-3 hospitals and physician’s offices in the area to observe and perform the duties they have for them
q. Licensed Practical Nurse: students are required to complete clinical hours
r. Registered Nurse: must have an active nursing license
Faculty stay in touch with all aspects of an industry through professional development covered by the institutional funds.
9. Describe how comprehensive professional development for CTE, academic, guidance and administrative personnel will be provided.
RMCC and Ozarka College funds will be used for professional development.
10. Describe how a wide variety of stakeholders are involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of CTE programs, and how such individuals and entities are informed about, and assisted in understanding the requirements of Perkins, including CTE programs of study.
All RMCC and Ozarka College technical programs have advisory boards. The participants of the advisory boards are involved in area business and industry. Advisory boards review curriculum and give input based on current business trends and employment needs.
11. Provide assurances that the recipient will provide CTE programs that are of such size, scope and quality as to bring about improvement in the quality of CTE programs.
The consortium will target all technical students via the activities of the success coordinators.
12. Describe the process that will be used to evaluate and continuously improve performance of CTE programs.
Both consortium institutions maintain assessment programs and evaluate faculty effectiveness for continuous improvement of student learning in all college programs.
13. Describe how the institution will address the needs of special populations enrolled in CTE programs.
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will identify special populations in technical programs. The success coordinators will monitor the progress and success of the students and intervene if necessary.
14. Describe how funds will be used to promote preparation for nontraditional fields. (See Appendix D for nontraditional fields.)
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will identify nontraditional students in technical programs. The success coordinators will monitor the progress and success of the students and intervene if necessary.
15. Describe how career guidance and academic counseling will be provided to CTE students, including linkages to baccalaureate and above education or other training opportunities.
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement. The coordinators will assist students when indicated as well as student receiving assistance from the other college personnel within student services and academic affairs. Faculty in technical programs work closely with students within their programs.
16. Describe efforts to improve the recruitment and retention of CTE teachers, faculty, and guidance and academic counselors, including under-represented groups, and the transition to teaching from business and industry.
The Director of Student Success and Student Success Specialist will monitor student success and make recommendations for improvement. The coordinators will assist students when indicated as well as student receiving assistance from the other college personnel within student services and academic affairs. Faculty in technical programs work closely with students within their programs.
17. Describe how funds will be distributed among consortium members, if appropriate.
The total funding received by both institutions will be joined. Five percent will be removed for consortium management. The remainder will be distributed based on need between the two institutions.
18. Describe how the local recipient will report data that is complete, accurate, and reliable.
During the transition year, Perkins coordinators at each institution will work with their data person to ensure that the collection of data is complete, valid and reliable. Careful attention will be placed on identifying information needed for special populations so that incoming data beginning in January 2008 will include the necessary data input unless refused by student. Conversations will take place between Perkins coordinators at the two institutions for problem identification and problem solving in data collection. In addition, the Administrative Council at Ozarka College will be reviewing data collection during the coming year.
