3. Describe the process used to develop the local transition plan.
The responsibility of developing the transition plan for Perkins funds lies ultimately with the Perkins coordinator. The coordinator works with the deans of colleges containing career and technical education (CTE) programs, the provost, enrollment management, student services, and the systems programming and database services department to shape the institution’s Perkins activities. During 2006-2007, the coordinator met with the provost and deans to identify their priorities and needs as well as to inform them about the priorities of Perkins IV. The coordinator also met with enrollment management which includes student services and financial aid. Resulting from these meetings was the decision to apply Perkins funds at the institutional level providing support for all at-risk CTE students positively effecting technical skill attainment, credential attainment, retention, and non-traditional completion performance measures. The coordinator in charge of this project would target special populations thus meeting the required use of funds for evaluations of how their needs are being met and providing activities to prepare these students for employment in high skill, high wage, high demand occupations. Another result was the creation of a position for a non-traditional career specialist whose duties would include promoting non-traditional careers to a variety of groups in a variety of ways. The position of Perkins coordinator is included in the institutional effectiveness office providing the coordinator with access to and familiarity with the data management system of the University (Banner). The Perkins coordinator has met with the systems programming and database services department about the data reporting requirements of Perkins and will work with the department during the transition year to ensure that data collected for Perkins IV is complete, valid, reliable and consistent from year to year. Currently, each piece of data required from the institution to comply with the Perkins data collection – credential attainment, retention data, students with disabilities, students from economically disadvantaged families, single parents, and students with limited English proficiency – is in place in Banner with the exception of data on displaced homemakers. The main work, then, on data collection during the transition year will be to develop a means of identification for displaced homemakers.
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
Initially, students majoring in any associate of applied science degree program (AAS) or technical certificate program (TC) must score at the required level on the ACT or COMPASS placement exam before being exempt from remedial education in writing, reading, and math. Once enrolled in their programs, students must complete 12 to 15 required hours of general education core courses such as math, English, and social sciences for an AAS degree, and three to six required hours of general education core courses such as math and English for a TC. Applied academic courses are also offered to CTE students such as Technical Composition, Technical Mathematics, and Chemistry for Health Occupations. In addition, the University’s Committee on Assessment Learning Outcomes (CALO) requires each CTE program to identify and assess academic competencies in their technical courses as part of their annual assessment reporting.
UA Fort Smith established the Western Arkansas Technical Center (WATC) on its campus in 1998. WATC provides juniors and seniors from 26 area high schools with the opportunity to earn credits in CTE programs-of-study from the University concurrently with earning credits toward high school graduation. University credits earned can be applied to meaningful postsecondary exits points at the certificate, associate, and baccalaureate degree levels. CTE programs-of-study offered to students through WATC are those CTE programs-of-study not available to them on their high school campuses. College and high school credit can be earned in the following CTE programs-of-study: Automotive Technology, CADD, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Electronics Technology, Graphic Design, Information Technology, Advanced Health Training, and Welding Technology. With the exception of Early Childhood Education and Advanced Health Training, WATC students earning certificates and associate degrees in these programs have an option to continue on to a baccalaureate-level degree. WATC students enrolled in the College of Applied Science and Technology CTE programs can continue to a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree. Students earning associate of applied science degrees in Criminal Justice, Graphic Design, and Information Technology can also continue to bachelor degrees in these fields.
Other activities sponsored by the University that provide linkages to area high schools include the following:
• High school students can earn college credit based on obtaining a specified minimum score on nationally standardized general or subject area examinations (CLEP) or based on examinations administered by the college department in which credit is to be awarded (challenge exams).
• UA Fort Smith participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Entrance Examination Board and authorizes credit in specified college courses for those students with qualifying scores.
• High school students can earn college credit while still attending high school (concurrent credit).
• High school principals and counselors are brought onto campus each year for an inservice on changes in the WATC program or changes at the University that would affect WATC students. Financial aid workshops are held at high schools during the year.
• An Upward Bound program is on campus to encourage and support low-income, first-generation high school students to enroll in postsecondary education.
• Boosting Engineering Science and Technology (BEST), Inc. partners with the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith as a venue for the BEST Robotics Competition for teams of junior and senior high school students. The competition’s purpose is to inspire student interest in engineering, science and technology.
• Each spring the math faculty coordinates and hosts the Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Math Contest for junior high school students. This regional math contest allows students to visit a campus of higher learning and to go on to compete at a state level.
• The University sponsors numerous other on- and off-campus opportunities for junior and senior high students. These events emphasize the importance of preparation and education in general and introduce the participants to UA Fort Smith – its campus and programs. High school juniors, their families, and counselors are invited to campus for Junior Den Day which previews what UA Fort Smith has to offer. Classroom visits, career days, Lion Pride Day, SkillsUSA, music camps, and athletic camps (volleyball, baseball and basketball) provide frequent and varied opportunities for secondary students to visit the campus and connect with the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith.
Opportunities to experience all aspects of an industry are provided by the work-based learning courses, special topics courses, and the special project courses included in every College of Applied Science and Technology CTE program. Work-based learning provides paid internships to CTE students who have the consent of their instructors. CTE faculty and local employers work together with students to ensure the relationship between classroom instruction and work experience. Although work-based learning provides students with relevant work experience connected to students’ major fields of study, students must also meet instructional goals developed by his instructor-of-record. Progress towards those goals and other work-related goals is monitored by both the instructors-of-record and the employers. Special topics courses are designed to give special instruction for new and emerging topics in the field that are not otherwise covered by the curriculum. Topics are offered periodically based on the recognized needs of the field. Special projects courses are designed for the advanced student; a learning contract must be prepared and agreed upon by the student, faculty advisor, and the dean. Practicums or clinicals are required in every College of Health Sciences CTE program. Students work under close supervision with experts and faculty throughout their degree program in local hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. Students learn to treat patients and to acquire necessary skills and experience needed in the actual practice of their disciplines.
Training of career and technical education teachers, faculty, and administrators to use technology, which may include distance learning: In the fall of 2003, the Technical Support for Instructors Committee (TSI) was created and was tasked by the provost to provide input and guidance on improving and increasing the use of technology in learning. That same year, the TSI committee reviewed the institution’s technical support. The resulting report recommended among other actions that a job position of director of instructional support be filled and that faculty and staff be surveyed to determine what technical training is needed. The director of instructional support is responsible for assisting faculty in designing, developing, and revising distance learning courses; conducting workshops for on-line teaching and learning; chairing the TSI Committee; and working with the provost and deans to increase high-quality on-line educational programs.
Currently, faculty use the WebCT course management system for their on-line courses. All faculty are certified in distance learning before courses are allowed to be offered over the Web. Training previous to the hiring of the director of instructional support had been conducted by members of the TSI Committee who have had years of experience with WebCT and providing courses via distance learning. Training includes an overview of Best Practices, instruction on building a course for the Web, problem-solving, a hands-on application of course building, and an evaluation of the course structure.
At UA Fort Smith, professional development takes place at the university level and the college level as well as the individual level. Many of the workshops, classes and downlinks made available on campus are used to inform and train faculty on innovative ways to use technology for teaching their classes or for administration of their classes.
The University’s Information Technology Plan also supports the use of technology in CTE courses by including a goal in the 2005-2009 plan to “provide users with the training, support, tools, and information needed to foster innovative and effective uses of technology.” The plan calls for the adoption of steps to “encourage faculty to integrate technology (particularly the use of well-designed courseware and on-line information) into their course plans, to implement assessment plans to improve learning strategies involving the use of technology, and to increase on-line offerings and on-line access to information for all courses.”
Providing career and technical education students with the academic and career and technical skills (including the mathematics and science knowledge that provides a strong basis for such skills) that lead to entry into the technology fields: UA Fort Smith utilizes involvement from the community as one method to identify areas where improvement, expansion, or modernization is needed in CTE programs. The use of this method provides constant evaluation on program equipment as measured by industry standard. Every college has a dean’s advisory group (advisory board, focus groups, local organizations, community leaders) that provides feedback and helps in planning for the college. Advisory boards and constituents impact curriculum content, development and review. There is a great dependency on utilizing external constituencies to assess the effectiveness of a program/degree and make changes according to their recommendations.
In addition, each CTE program is administered by its own team consisting of program instructors and staff and has established its own advisory committee consisting of program graduates, program faculty, program students, and area employers working in the field who are well aware of the requirements – and job potential – in today’s market. Each committee provides recommendations regarding curriculum, certification standards, equipment purchases, employment probability, and other issues affecting program quality and relevance.
Each CTE program also undergoes a program review. The purpose of such reviews is improvement of programs as measured by student learning, reputation of the program, placement and accomplishment of graduates, the curriculum, faculty qualifications, and resources invested compared with results achieved.
Encouraging schools to collaborate with technology industries to offer voluntary internships and mentoring programs, including programs that improve the mathematics and science knowledge of students: The University’s Career Services Office serves as a link between students and employers in an effort to provide applicable work experience by way of cooperative education and internship opportunities prior to degree completion. All CTE programs on campus have internships or practicums as part of their core curricula that connect students with external constituencies. The creation of appropriate applied learning experiences in each program is a goal for every college and the institution as a whole.
As a matter of first priority, the institution allocates approximately one and one-half percent of its unrestricted operating budget to professional development. Priority for these funds is to link workplace learning with the University’s strategic goals as well as with departmental objectives. In addition, faculty members are required to write professional development plans that identify areas of emphasis for the year. The University also supports returns-to-industry for its instructors as another approach to maintaining awareness of industry needs and standards. Instructors who can develop goals for the internship and clearly show that those goals support the institutional and college purpose and mission, receive release time for that activity. Deans and faculty work together to develop a plan of priorities annually based on allocated budget for professional development. UA Fort Smith also invests time and money in professional and skills development of staff and administration out of the belief that the best in learning requires the best in support services. The budget process for staff and administration includes a listing of professional development priorities in each department area to ensure that learning continues.
• Effective integration of academics and CTE: Faculty at UA Fort Smith have identified university learning outcomes that define the measurable expectations of student learning at the institution. Faculty development time and resources were spent to familiarize faculty with the learning outcomes and to involve them in determining the expected behaviors and outcomes for each competency. Since that time, the Committee for Assessment of Learning Outcomes has worked with faculty to develop assessment of these competencies that reach across disciplines to a variety of freshman- and sophomore-level classes. Presently, each degree program including CTE programs must assess one or two university learning outcomes found in their courses. This activity has been established as a permanent component of the assessment process. Curricula and degree programs will be revised as needed based on these assessment outcomes. The University’s professional development monies are available as needed for training to effectively integrate learning outcomes into CTE programs. Perkins will continue to fund a project that can identify gaps in academic and technical skill attainment of CTE students. Professional development in this project can lead to activities that would integrate academic competencies into CTE coursework.
• Effective teaching skills based on research: Each dean of CTE programs receives funds related to professional development annually for the purpose of sending faculty to national professional conferences in their fields that feature workshops on research-based teaching skills.
• Effective practices to improve parental and community involvement: Staff and administrators from admissions, advisement, financial aid, and career planning attend national, regional, and state professional conferences each year to receive training on how to better serve students, parents, and the community.
• Effective use of scientifically based research and data to improve instruction: Each dean of CTE programs receives funds related to professional development annually for the purpose of sending faculty to national professional conferences in their fields that feature workshops on research-based teaching skills and the effective use of data to improve instruction.
Professional development should also ensure that:
Teachers and personnel stay current with all aspects of the industry: Priority for the University’s set aside professional development funds is to link workplace learning with the institution’s strategic goals as well as with departmental objectives. In addition, faculty members are required to write professional development plans that identify areas of emphasis for the year. The University also supports returns-to-industry for its instructors as another approach to maintaining awareness of industry needs and standards. Instructors who can develop goals for the internship and clearly show that those goals support the institutional and college purpose and mission, receive release time for that activity.
Involve internship programs that provide relevant business experience: The University supports returns-to-industry for its instructors as another approach to maintaining awareness of industry needs, standards, and practices. Instructors who can develop goals for the internship and clearly show that those goals support the institutional and college purpose and mission, receive release time for that activity.
Train teachers specifically in the effective use and application of technology to improve instruction: In the fall of 2003, the Technical Support for Instructors Committee (TSI) was created and was tasked by the provost to provide input and guidance on improving and increasing the use of technology in learning. That same year, the TSI committee reviewed the institution’s technical support. The resulting report recommended among other actions that a job position of director of instructional support be filled and that faculty and staff be surveyed to determine what technical training is needed. The director of instructional support is responsible for assisting faculty in designing, developing, and revising distance learning courses; conducting workshops for on-line teaching and learning; chairing the TSI Committee; and working with the provost and deans to increase high-quality on-line educational programs.
In addition, whenever new technology or an upgrade in technology is purchased for the classroom, training on its use is provided to enable its integration into the curriculum. If available, the University will bring trainers from the company where the technology was purchased to campus and provide a users’ conference for faculty. Faculty are also sent to training conferences for specific technology, and on-line support is provided when available.
Perkins funds are supporting training for CTE faculty and those academic faculty teaching general education core courses required by CTE programs as they convert their assessment process to an electronic database. With the database, the institution will have the ability to drill down to the program level and course level to identify where performance gaps are and which students are having the most trouble with specific competencies – whether technical skills or academic skills. Professional development in the project consists of training instructors to be able to use this data when analyzing achievement gaps by sending them to workshops on the software and providing technical assistance on campus. Consultants are also being brought in to provide professional development in areas that improve the effectiveness of the database such as writing measurable outcomes, identifying program goals, etc., and result in effective curriculum development to address identified gaps.
The University has developed and implemented several methods of evaluating CTE programs. Community involvement, student learning assessment, and program reviews provide measurements on the competency of the graduate and the effectiveness of the program. The program’s employment rate of its graduates and the productivity of a program combine with the previous methods to provide an extensive evaluation of CTE programs.
Every college has a dean’s advisory group (advisory board, focus groups, local organizations, community leaders) that provides feedback and helps in planning for the college. In addition, each CTE program has its individual advisory committee consisting of area employers, program graduates, program students, and program faculty. Area employers are men and women working in the field and are well aware of the requirements – and job potential – in today’s market. Each committee provides recommendations regarding curriculum, certification standards, equipment purchases, employment probability, and other issues affecting program quality and relevance. There is a great dependency on utilizing external constituencies to assess the effectiveness of a program/degree and make changes according to their recommendations.
Every CTE program utilizes a student learning assessment plan and an annual report as the basis for completing a program review. Such review includes an analysis of past performance that is used to inform present and future directions and decision-making. The University also reviews a CTE program’s employment rate to determine if the program is still viable and the region still has need for that type of graduate. Conversely, the institution reviews a CTE program’s productivity report to ensure that the program is producing sufficient graduates. The review process is integrated with strategic planning and budgeting processes, with regional and specialized accreditation processes, and with student learning outcomes assessment. The program review process integrates the annual assessment reports from the Committee for Assessment of Learning Outcomes (CALO) into the annual reporting process for the colleges. The CALO plans are based upon a five-year planning cycle which corresponds to the same planning cycle for the program review. While CALO plans and reports are monitored and reviewed by the CALO committee, the provost manages the program review process. In summary, the purpose of program reviews at UA Fort Smith is improvement of programs as measured by student learning, reputation of the program, placement and accomplishment of graduates, the curriculum, faculty qualifications, and resources invested compared with results achieved.
While the University has extensive institutional- and program-level activities in place to evaluate and ensure the quality of its CTE programs, Perkins will fund a retention/completion specialist for the next three years to address the needs of at-risk students individually and as a cohort including activities that target special populations. One of the tasks for the specialist will be to assess how the needs of special populations are being met. Perkins will also fund a non-traditional careers specialist; a portion of this specialist’s job tasks will be to work closely with the retention/completion specialist to see that the needs of students preparing for careers in non-traditional fields are met.
UA Fort Smith utilizes involvement from the community as one method to identify areas where improvement, expansion, or modernization is needed in CTE programs. The use of this method provides constant evaluation on program equipment as measured by industry standard. Every college has a dean’s advisory group (advisory board, focus groups, local organizations, community leaders) that provides feedback and helps in planning for the college. Advisory boards and constituents impact curriculum content, development and review. There is a great dependency on utilizing external constituencies to assess the effectiveness of a program/degree and make changes according to their recommendations.
In addition, each CTE program is administered by its own team consisting of program instructors and staff and has established its own advisory committee consisting of program graduates, program faculty, program students, and area employers working in the field who are well aware of the requirements – and job potential – in today’s market. Each committee provides recommendations regarding curriculum, certification standards, equipment purchases, employment probability, and other issues affecting program quality and relevance.
Each CTE program also undergoes a program review. The purpose of such reviews is improvement of programs as measured by student learning, reputation of the program, placement and accomplishment of graduates, the curriculum, faculty qualifications, and resources invested compared with results achieved.
UA Fort Smith will follow state guidelines on what constitutes services and activities of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective when developing projects for Perkins funding. Planning for Perkins services and activities will begin on the institutional level thus targeting large numbers of CTE students to positively effect performance indicators, and project funds will reach the state-defined threshold of project cost for an effective project. For the transition year of 2007-2008, Perkins funds will be used by the University to support three projects on the institutional level affecting the majority of an estimated 2,100 CTE students and cutting across all CTE programs.
The University has extensive activities in place to assist special populations. An Americans with Disabilities compliance office is on campus, and faculty and staff have received training on how to utilize this office to address the needs of these students. Accommodations will first be worked out between the student and instructor and coordinated by the ADA compliance officer. Examples of accommodations include the provision of tables to accommodate students with wheelchairs, tape recorders, untimed testing, note takers for the individuals with hearing losses, and readers for individuals who are blind. If accommodations cannot be worked out, an appeals process is in place that goes through the Dean of College Preparatory Studies under the office of the provost.
All students are provided financial aid services (including assistance with forms). UA Fort Smith financial aid staff provide individual counseling to students and their parents to determine the grants, scholarships, and loans for which they qualify. The staff also conduct financial aid workshops throughout the region at high schools and community centers. All students receiving aid are monitored to verify their continued academic success. UA Fort Smith participates in most federal and state financial aid programs. The Scholarship and Financial Aid booklet (available in the financial aid office and on the website) addresses selection criteria and contains specific financial aid listings. In addition, many CTE programs award their own scholarships.
The University also has in place an office of adult and returning students (OARS). The student population served by OARS includes many CTE single parents and displaced homemakers. OARS provides a support system for these students to meet the challenges of work, school, and family life. In addition, Perkins will fund a retention/completion specialist for the next three years to supplement and expand the services of this office. The position will not only serve adult CTE students but also those CTE students entering postsecondary education straight from high school. The position will individually address the needs of at-risk students including activities that target special populations. One of the tasks for the specialist will be to assess how the needs of special populations are being met and to provide support for those needs not being met – especially the needs of students with limited English proficiency. Perkins will also fund a non-traditional career specialist; a portion of this specialist’s job tasks will be to work closely with the retention/completion specialist to see that the needs of postsecondary students preparing for careers in non-traditional fields are met.
Permissive Use of Funds
A project converting the data obtained by the University’s assessment process into an electronic database will be continued. With the database, the institution will have the ability to drill down to the program level and course level to identify where performance gaps are and which students are having the most trouble with specific competencies – whether technical skills or academic skills. Professional development in the project consists of training instructors to be able to use this data when analyzing achievement gaps by sending them to workshops on the software and providing technical assistance on campus. Consultants are also being brought in to provide professional development in areas that improve the effectiveness of the database such as writing measurable outcomes, writing test items, identifying program goals, etc., and effective curriculum development to address identified gaps.
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.)
1P1-Technical Skill Attainment (pending state decision on measurement): In the meantime, a project converting the data obtained by the University’s assessment process into an electronic database will be continued. With the database, the institution will have the ability to drill down to the program level and course level to identify where performance gaps are and which students are having the most trouble with specific competencies – whether technical skills or academic skills. Professional development in the project consists of training instructors to be able to use this data when analyzing achievement gaps by sending them to workshops on the software and providing technical assistance on campus. Consultants are also being brought in to provide professional development in areas that improve the effectiveness of the database such as writing measurable outcomes, writing test items, identifying program goals, etc., and effective curriculum development to address identified gaps.
2P1: Credential Attainment: A Retention/Completion specialist will be hired to ensure that barriers to credential attainment are removed for at-risk students.
3P1: Student Retention and Transfer: A Retention/Completion specialist will be hired to ensure that barriers to retention are removed and transfer to a four-year degree is encouraged.
4P1: Student Placement: The University’s Career Services Office provides employment services to CTE students including resume building and interview skills assistance, job listings, job-market information, and job/career fairs. In addition, the office’s website allows students to access job listings, post resumes, and send resumes to prospective employers. Many students are offered jobs after their degree completion as a result of internships or practicums; prospective employers frequently contact CTE instructors for names of students to fill openings.
5P1: Non-traditional Participation: A Non-Traditional Career specialist will be hired to provide information about and promotion of non-traditional careers to various groups.
5P2: Non-traditional Credential Attainment: A retention/completion specialist will be hired to ensure that barriers to credential attainment are removed for at-risk students. The specialist will work with the Non-Traditional Career specialist to assist with credential attainment for students in non-traditional career programs.
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.
UA Fort Smith established the Western Arkansas Technical Center (WATC) on its campus in 1998. WATC provides juniors and seniors from 26 area high schools with the opportunity to earn credits in CTE programs-of-study from the University concurrently with earning credits toward high school graduation. University credits earned can be applied to meaningful postsecondary exits points at the certificate, associate, and baccalaureate degree levels. CTE programs-of-study offered to students through WATC are those CTE programs-of study not available to them on their high school campuses. College and high school credit can be earned in the following CTE programs-of-study: Automotive Technology, CADD, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Electronics Technology, Graphic Design, Information Technology, Advanced Health Training, and Welding Technology. With the exception of Early Childhood Education and Advanced Health Training, WATC students earning certificates and associate degrees in these programs have an option to continue on to a baccalaureate-level degree. WATC students enrolled in the College of Applied Science and Technology CTE programs can continue to a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree. Students earning associate of applied science degrees in Criminal Justice, Graphic Design, and Information Technology can also continue to bachelor degrees in these fields.
Other activities sponsored by the University that provide linkages to area high schools include the following:
• High school students can earn college credit based on obtaining a specified minimum score on nationally standardized general or subject area examinations (CLEP) or based on examinations administered by the college department in which credit is to be awarded (challenge exams).
• UA Fort Smith participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Entrance Examination Board and authorizes credit in specified college courses for those students with qualifying scores.
• High school students can earn college credit while still attending high school (concurrent credit).
• High school principals and counselors are brought onto campus each year for an inservice on changes in the WATC program or changes at the University that would affect WATC students. Financial aid workshops are held at high schools during the year.
• An Upward Bound program is on campus to encourage and support low-income, first-generation high school students to enroll in postsecondary education.
• Boosting Engineering Science and Technology (BEST), Inc. partnered with the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith as a venue for the BEST Robotics Competition for teams of junior and senior high school students. The competition’s purpose is to inspire student interest in engineering, science and technology.
• Each spring the Math faculty coordinates and hosts the Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Math Contest for junior high school students. This regional math contest allows students to visit a campus of higher learning and to go on to compete at a state level.
• The University sponsors numerous other on- and off-campus opportunities for junior and senior high students. These events emphasize the importance of preparation and education in general and introduce the participants to UA Fort Smith – its campus and programs. High school juniors, their families, and counselors are invited to campus for Junior Den Day which previews what UA Fort Smith has to offer. Classroom visits, career days, Lion Pride Day, SkillsUSA, music camps, and athletic camps (volleyball, baseball and basketball) provide frequent and varied opportunities for students to visit the campus and connect with the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith.
Perkins funds will support linkages of secondary students to postsecondary non-traditional career areas. By hiring a non-traditional career specialist, the University will be able to develop activities and programs specially designed to encourage high school students to enroll in non-traditional career fields. Examples of activities would include providing access to career guidance materials and practices, non-traditional role models, and early exposure to non-traditional careers as well as involving their peers and parents in gaining insight into these career opportunities.
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.
Initially, students majoring in any associate of applied science degree program (AAS) or technical certificate program (TC) must score at the required level on the ACT or COMPASS placement exam before being exempt from remedial education in writing, reading, and math. Once enrolled in their programs, students must complete 12 to 15 required hours of general education core courses such as math, English, and social sciences for an AAS degree, and three to six required hours of general education core courses such as math and English for a TC. Applied academic courses are also offered to CTE students such as Technical Composition, Technical Mathematics, and Chemistry for Health Occupations. In addition, the University has implemented a policy that requires each CTE program to identify and assess academic competencies in their technical courses as part of their annual assessment reporting.
All CTE associate degree and technical certificate programs must be approved by the state before offered to students. Approval includes compliance with the state definition of an associate degree or technical certificate. These definitions are consistent with Perkins requirements for CTE coursework. Curriculum content and design involves faculty teams who work collaboratively to design programs in keeping with specialized professional association standards, university expectations concerning learning outcomes, and state standards where relevant. Curriculum for these programs is also reviewed and approved by the University’s curriculum committee before being sent to the state for review and approval. In addition, technical coursework is subject to review of advisory committees which provide insight into workforce needs. Academic coursework included in CTE programs consists of academic courses that are developed for and offered to the general student population at the University. CTE students enrolled in these academic courses are taught by the same academic faculty that teach the general student population and are subjected to the same grading system as other students. The first goal of the vision for student learning at UA Fort Smith applies to all students: “Graduates who possess and can demonstrate the general education competencies (university learning outcomes) and the learning outcomes for their academic programs.”
8. Describe how activities will provide students with strong experience in and an understanding of all aspects of an industry.
Opportunities to experience all aspects of an industry are provided by the work-based learning courses, special topics courses, and the special project courses included in every College of Applied Science and Technology CTE program. Work-based learning provides paid internships to occupational students who have the consent of their instructors. CTE faculty and local employers work together with students to ensure the relationship between classroom instruction and work experience. Although work-based learning provides students with relevant work experience connected to students’ major fields of study, students must also meet instructional goals developed by his instructor-of-record. Progress towards those goals and other work-related goals is monitored by both the instructors-of-record and the employers. Special topics courses are designed to give special instruction for new and emerging topics in the field that are not otherwise covered by the curriculum. Topics are offered periodically based on the recognized needs of the field. Special projects courses are designed for the advanced student; a learning contract must be prepared and agreed upon by the student, faculty advisor, and the dean. Practicums or clinicals are required in every College of Health Sciences CTE program. Students work under close supervision with experts and faculty throughout their degree programs in local hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. Students learn to treat patients and to acquire necessary skills and experience needed in the actual practice of their disciplines.
9. Describe how comprehensive professional development for CTE, academic, guidance and administrative personnel will be provided.
UA Fort Smith is committed to professional development as a means by which its faculty remains knowledgeable of all aspects of the industry that their programs encompass. The University encourages and supports faculty efforts to remain current on promising technology that can positively affect student learning and the delivery of instruction through professional development and on-campus training opportunities. The faculty evaluation system recognizes that it is impossible to be an effective teacher, one who advances student learning, without being competent in both subject-matter knowledge and pedagogical ability.
As a matter of first priority, the institution allocates approximately one and one-half percent of its unrestricted operating budget to professional development. Priority for these funds is to link workplace learning with the University’s strategic goals as well as with departmental objectives. In addition, faculty members are required to write professional development plans that identify areas of emphasis for the year. The University also supports returns-to-industry for its instructors as another approach to maintaining awareness of industry needs and standards. Instructors who can develop goals for the internship and clearly show that those goals support the institutional and college purpose and mission, receive release time for that activity. UA Fort Smith also invests time and money in professional and skills development of staff and administration out of the belief that the best in learning requires the best in support services. The budget process each year includes a listing of professional development activities scheduled for staff in each department area to ensure that staff and administrators continue to learn.
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.
CTE programs are developed with input from the business and industry community; curricula are approved first by the University’s curriculum committee made up of both academic and CTE faculty and then by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Currency of program technical competencies is assured by the CTE program’s community advisory committee and by the program review cycle. The Committee for Assessing Learning Outcomes (CALO) directs the assessment of learning outcomes in both academic and CTE programs. The committee consists of a faculty member from each program on campus, each dean, the provost, and the director of institutional effectiveness. High school counselors are continually updated on CTE offerings on campus; professional academic advisors are in place to assist students with career exploration and selection of majors. Students, including those in special populations, have the opportunity to sit on their programs’ advisory committees; they also have the opportunity each semester to evaluate their instructors and give comments on their programs.
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.
UA Fort Smith will follow state guidelines on what constitutes services and activities of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective when developing projects for Perkins funding. Planning for Perkins services and activities will begin on the institutional level thus targeting large numbers of CTE students to positively effect performance indicators, and project funds will reach the state-defined threshold of project cost for an effective project. For the transition year of 2007-2008, Perkins funds will be used by the University to support three projects on the institutional level affecting the majority of an estimated 2,100 CTE students and cutting across all CTE programs.
12. Describe the process that will be used to evaluate and continuously improve performance of CTE programs.
The University has developed and implemented several methods of evaluating CTE programs to ensure continually improvement. Community involvement, student learning assessment, and program reviews provide measurements on the competency of the graduate and the effectiveness of the program. The program’s employment rate of its graduates and the productivity of a program combine with the previous methods to provide an extensive evaluation of CTE programs.
Every college has a dean’s advisory group (advisory board, focus groups, local organizations, community leaders) that provides feedback and helps in planning for the college. Advisory boards and constituents impact curriculum content, development and review. There is a great dependency on utilizing external constituencies to assess the effectiveness of a program/degree and make changes according to their recommendations.
Every CTE program utilizes a student learning assessment plan and an annual report as the basis for completing a program review. Such review includes an analysis of past performance that is used to inform present and future directions and decision-making. The University also reviews a CTE program’s employment rate to determine if the program is still viable and the region still has need for that type of graduate. Conversely, the institution reviews a CTE program’s productivity report to ensure that the program is producing sufficient graduates. The review process is integrated with strategic planning and budgeting processes, with regional and specialized accreditation processes, and with student learning outcomes assessment. The program review process integrates the annual assessment reports from the Committee for Assessment of Learning Outcomes (CALO) into the annual reporting process for the colleges. The CALO plans are based upon a five-year planning cycle which corresponds to the same planning cycle for the program review. While CALO plans and reports are monitored and reviewed by the CALO committee, the provost manages the program review process. In summary, the purpose of program reviews at UA Fort Smith is improvement of programs as measured by student learning, reputation of the program, placement and accomplishment of graduates, the curriculum, faculty qualifications, and resources invested compared with results achieved.
13. Describe how the institution will address the needs of special populations enrolled in CTE programs.
The University has extensive activities in place to assist special populations. An Americans with Disabilities compliance office is on campus, and faculty and staff have received training on how to utilize this office to address the needs of these students. Accommodations will first be worked out between the student and instructor and coordinated by the ADA compliance officer. Examples of accommodations include the provision of tables to accommodate students with wheelchairs, tape recorders, untimed testing, note takers for the individuals with hearing losses, and readers for individuals who are blind. If accommodations cannot be worked out, an appeals process is in place that goes through the Dean of College Preparatory Studies under the office of the provost.
All students are provided financial aid services (including assistance with forms). UA Fort Smith financial aid staff provide individual counseling to students and their parents to determine the grants, scholarships, and loans for which they qualify. The staff also conduct financial aid workshops throughout the region at high schools and community centers. All students receiving aid are monitored to verify their continued academic success. UA Fort Smith participates in most federal and state financial aid programs. The Scholarship and Financial Aid booklet (available in the financial aid office and on the website) addresses selection criteria and contains specific financial aid listings. In addition, many CTE programs award their own scholarships.
The University also has in place an office of adult and returning students (OARS). The student population served by OARS includes many CTE single parents and displaced homemakers. OARS provides a support system for these students to meet the challenges of work, school, and family life. Perkins will fund a retention/completion specialist for the next three years to supplement and expand the services of this office. The position will not only serve adult CTE students but also those CTE students entering postsecondary education straight from high school. The position will individually address the needs of at-risk students including activities that target special populations. One of the tasks for the specialist will be to assess how the needs of special populations are being met and to provide support for those needs not being met. The job description for this position includes the following tasks:
• Review CTE programs, identify and adopt strategies to overcome barriers that result in lower access or success for special populations.
• Provide programs that enable special populations to meet local performance levels.
• Provide activities to prepare special populations, including single parents and displaced homemakers, for high-skill or high-wage, or high-demand occupations that will lead to self sufficiency.
• Ensure that individuals who are members of special populations will not be discriminated against on the basis of their status as members of special populations.
Perkins will also fund a non-traditional career specialist; a portion of this specialist’s job tasks will be to work closely with the retention/completion specialist to see that the needs of postsecondary students preparing for careers in non-traditional fields are met.
14. Describe how funds will be used to promote preparation for nontraditional fields. (See Appendix D for nontraditional fields.)
Perkins will fund a non-traditional career specialist. With this position, the University will be able to develop activities and programs specially designed to encourage high school students and others to enroll in non-traditional career fields. Examples of activities would include providing access to career guidance materials and practices, non-traditional role models, and early exposure to non-traditional careers as well as involving peers and parents in gaining insight into these career opportunities. The specialist will have a supply budget which will be used for resources necessary to increase the pipeline for students into non-traditional career programs at the postsecondary level. The specialist use the guidelines and resources provided by Mimi Lufkin in her webinar “Breaking Barriers: Increasing the Participation of Students in Nontraditional Career and Technical Education” to build the program. And, programs such as Girls Are IT and Girls of Promise and similar programs for males will be reviewed to determine if their use would be effective. The specialist will have part-time help and a sufficient budget to develop and implement non-traditional career summer camps to further inform students about non-traditional career options for both genders.
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.
Professional academic advisors are available to assist students with goal setting, career exploration, selection of a major, and course requirements. The purpose of academic advisement at UA Fort Smith is to assist students in the exploration and development of meaningful, self-directed educational goals. Advisors assist students in designing programs of study, which, in addition to the required course work for a degree, will help students capitalize on their strengths and interests. Program admission requirements, prerequisites, and course requirements are set by the faculty, and advisors work closely with faculty to ensure students are clearly and appropriately advised and informed. Advisors are available to work with students by appointment, walk-in visits, or e-mail. UA Fort Smith provides a two-tiered advising system. All lower division students having completed or enrolled in a certain number of credit hours, depending on the program, are advised in the Student Advisement and Career Planning Center. Students with declared majors who have earned or enrolled in over that amount of credit hours are advised by faculty in their major departments. One exception can be found in the College of Health Sciences, which, in addition to faculty advisement, employs a full-time advisor for admissions and advisement.
The Career Planning Center provides UA Fort Smith students with a full range of career services and works closely with the Student Advisement Center to ensure that a student’s career goals and academic course selections are coordinated. Advisors encourage career exploration by assisting students in the use of the Center’s services which include: personal assessments, a resource library, and the career exploration computer program, E-Discover.
While the Student Advisement and Career Planning Center provides academic advisement and career exploration to the institution’s two-year CTE students, the Career Services Office provides information to graduate schools. The office sponsors a Career Fair / Graduate School Expo on campus each fall where graduate schools set up booths to talk to interested students and promote their programs. Personnel in the Career Services Office are available to help students interested in graduate education including graduate program listings and locations, graduate school catalogs, and application assistance. The specialist funded by Perkins for retention and completion activities will be tasked with implementing linkages to fill the gap between services already existing on campus. The specialist will work with the director of student advisement and career planning to identify an activity that will encourage two-year students on campus to continue their education onto the baccalaureate level.
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.
Several strategies at the University address the effective use of human resources:
• Attract and retain a highly qualified faculty by promoting a collegial campus community, providing competitive compensation, and offering attractive professional development opportunities.
• Recognize and reward excellence in teaching.
• Promote the scholarly and creative achievements of faculty, students, and staff.
Most faculty and administrative staff positions are advertised at the national, regional, and local level via different media sources to include the University’s website, newspapers, professional journals, professional organization Internet sites, trade publications, etc. This process aids in promoting diversity. Diversity is also advanced by communications maintained with 25 different sources/organizations whose primary focus is working with minority applicants.
Recognizing the high cost of turnover, UA Fort Smith strives to hire and retain effective employees through both tangible and intangible means. The institution focuses on areas that will assist in the retention our employees:
Salary. Within guidelines set by the state and by budget constraints, UA Fort Smith provides a competitive compensation package. In addition, the University strives to pay new hires what is required to get the person who is right for the job and to ensure the future viability of the institution; to increase salaries of current employees as generously as financially feasible to keep people motivated, team oriented, and improving their performances; and recognize that there may be differences in pay expectations from one area, discipline, or position to another because of individual performance, market realities, and available funding.
Benefits Package. The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith offers a comprehensive benefits package that is competitive with regional employers and other educational institutions.
Orientation. Orientation is an important retention tool and is a formalized process on the UA Fort Smith campus. Orientation is required of all new employees, full- and part-time faculty and staff.
Professional Development. Supporting faculty and staff through professional development opportunities is a significant part of the retention process at UA Fort Smith. Annually, UA Fort Smith dedicates nearly one and one-half percent of its unrestricted operating budget to professional development.
Recognition and Reward. This is an integral component to retention and a formal program of recognition and reward for faculty and staff including excellence in teaching awards and professional performance rewards is in place.
In addition to the above activities, the University holds orientation for adjunct faculty every fall semester to provide faculty from the business and industry community with tools to be effective instructors. At orientation, new and returning adjunct faculty meet with instruction, human resources, and enrollment management staff for inservice on the University’s procedures such as ADA compliance, grading, academic alert, FERPA, and other policies and procedures necessary to teaching on campus. Adjunct faculty also meet with their college deans for information specific to their areas of instruction and to be assigned liaisons/mentors between them and the University.
17. Describe how funds will be distributed among consortium members, if appropriate.
UA Fort Smith is not part of a consortium.
18. Describe how the local recipient will report data that is complete, accurate, and reliable.
Reporting data to external entities is the responsibility of the systems programming and database services department. Personnel from this department work closely with the institutional effectiveness (IE) office. The IE director and the data people regularly attend Arkansas’ Institutional Research Organization meetings where guidelines for data gathering in the state are distributed. A manual is produced each year with the student files’ record layout outlined. The Perkins data and definitions are included in this manual. The Perkins coordinator is part of the IE office and coordinates with the institution’s data people to define and collect the Perkins data. All data for Perkins are drawn from official student records already entered into the institution’s information management database system (Banner), and programmers are made available to the Perkins coordinator to extract data according to Perkins’ needs. Procedures are in place to ensure the accuracy of data entered into Banner: 1) security for data entry for individuals is approved by his superior and then goes up the chain to a cabinet-level member, 2) training by the MIS and individual departments is required before data entry is allowed, 3) data entry standards have been established, and 4) all data are subjected to audit reports.
The process of identifying what data to use to fulfill the Perkins IV requirements has already begun. Shortly after they were authorized by Congress, the Perkins coordinator provided the director of systems programming and database services department with a copy of Perkins IV performance measures and definitions. Currently, each piece of data required from the institution to comply with the Perkins data collection – credential attainment, retention data, students with disabilities, students from economically disadvantaged families, single parents, and students with limited English proficiency – is in place in Banner with the exception of data on displaced homemakers. The coordinator will work with the necessary University personnel to develop a means of collecting displaced homemaker data during the transition year. Initial thought on identification of this group include an optional self-reporting type question on the University’s application and registration forms. The question could be dropped from the registration form after a complete year of semesters, but remain on the application forms to capture new students enrolled at the institution. The degree audit program in Banner will be used to identify the new component of Perkins data – the Perkins’ concentrator. Also, as soon as the state defines the measurement for technical skill attainment, the coordinator will notify the systems programming and database services department and begin work on developing the collection procedure for that data. The process for compiling and reporting the Perkins data collection is typically begun in the summer to ensure that the reporting deadline to the state is met.
