NEW PROGRAM PROPOSAL: AAS IN HEALTH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY. Agenda Item J-5b ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE June 9, 2017

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1 NEW PROGRAM PROPOSAL: ACTION AAS IN HEALTH SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY Agenda Item J-5b ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE June 9, 2017 Recommendation That the Board of Regents approve an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Health Science Technology for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) to be implemented in fall Rationale The proposed AAS degree is consistent with the missions of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) and ECTC and supports the statewide postsecondary education strategic agenda and the statewide strategic implementation plan. The HST pathway will lead students to the completion of an AAS degree to augment certificates earned in Allied Health-related curricula. Course selection must result in the completion of required general education courses, technical core classes, and a minimum of three approved certificates. ECTC s Elizabethtown Campus will offer all of the courses needed for degree completion, and some of the certificates can be earned completely online. The HST program will provide students with an alternative to waiting for program admission and will provide an increase in the number of high-quality degrees and credentials that support gainful employment. The construction of this degree, as well as its planned distribution should assist traditionally underserved populations in attaining the degree. Additionally, dual credit partnerships will be further developed with area technology centers and high schools to facilitate seamless transition between high school and college health science pathways. The only major potential added expense is for the salary of a program coordinator. Increases in enrollment could increase the amount of consumable supplies needed in the certificate programs as well as necessitate additional adjunct faculty. However, those costs would be more than offset by the tuition generated under the increase in enrollment. Since there is significant employer and student demand for the HST degree, which can be offered with a minimal investment of funds, HST is an optimal choice as an addition to ECTC s list of degrees. Background According to the Kentucky Public Postsecondary Education Diversity Policy and Framework for Institution Diversity Plan Development, ECTC has automatic eligibility. An executive summary of the proposal is attached. A copy of the full proposal has been forwarded to each member of the Board s Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee. 127

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Associate in Applied Science in Health Science Technology Elizabethtown Community and Technical College A Proposal for Initiation of a New Degree Program A. Centrality to the Institution s Mission and Consistency with State s Goals The nature and objectives of the Health Science Technology (HST) degree align with multiple components of the ECTC mission statement, ECTC values statement, and the ECTC Strategic Plan. Further, the HST degree aligns with the agenda, objectives, and strategies of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE). The implementation of the HST degree will raise the level of educational attainment in the Commonwealth by positioning ECTC as the accessible, affordable, and relevant post-secondary education choice for Kentuckians residing in the College service region (ECTC Strategic Goal 1). Offering the HST degree at ECTC is borne out of the need and desire to align programs and curricula with needs of employers within the service region. The implementation of this degree will meet the specific priority of identifying and implementing new transfer, technical, workforce education programs that align with business and industry needs (ECTC Strategic Goal 5). This alignment enhances the employability, job placement, and career development of ECTC HST graduates and promotes health and well-being across the Commonwealth (CPE Stronger by Degrees Objectives 7, 9, and 11). The HST degree will increase access and success for ECTC students, particularly among traditionally under-served populations (ECTC Strategic Goal 2 and CPE Stronger by Degrees Objectives 1, 3, and 6). Traditionally, underserved populations of students often struggle to balance educational demands with their personal finances and family obligations. Because the certificates in the HST degree are stackable and portable, once a student earns the Nurse Aide credential, he or she can attain employment at a health care provider or agency, while completing his or her education. Further, as the student attains additional certificates, he or she will have access to expanded employment opportunities, offering a higher wage. The reduction of financial burdens while attending college will make degree completion more likely for students in this program. The HST degree addresses the Commonwealth s postsecondary education strategic agenda for in terms of student success and research, economic, and community development. This degree initiation will increase health care degree production and help close achievement gaps. The salary and job stability will enhance the lives of graduates, their families, and the commonwealth of Kentucky (CPE Stronger by Degrees Objectives 7 and 9). This degree will benefit the community by providing needed healthcare workers, as well as by increasing the educational attainment in Kentucky communities (CPE Stronger by Degrees Objective 11). 128

3 B. Program Quality and Student Success The HST degree is multi-disciplinary and will be supported by the Biological and Health Sciences Division as well as the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division at ECTC. Administrative units such as the Office of the Provost, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Assessment Center, Records Office, Counseling Center, Financial Aid Office, Library, Learning Recourses Center, Student Support Services, Title III Office, the TRIO Office, and the Business Office, will also support the degree. An established curriculum is in place, and the KCTCS Curriculum Review Committees, local faculty, and Advisory Committees will facilitate any modifications. All courses within the curriculum will have a Web-enhanced component, which will facilitate technology-based academic support. The HST pathway will lead students to the completion of an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree to augment certificates earned in Allied Health-related curricula. Course selection must result in the completion of required general education courses, technical core classes, and a minimum of three approved certificates. ECTC s Elizabethtown Campus will offer all of the courses needed for degree completion, and some of the certificates can be earned completely online. All of the satellite campus sites will offer the necessary general education courses, and some of the certificate programs. The construction of this degree, as well as its planned distribution should assist traditionally underserved populations in attaining the degree. Additionally, dual credit partnerships will be further developed with area technology centers and high schools to facilitate seamless transition between high school and college health science pathways. C. Program Demand/Unnecessary Duplication Application and acceptance rates in current ECTC selective admissions Allied Health programs indicates that there is significant student demand for entry into these professions. Acceptance rates to the selective admissions programs at ECTC typically range from percent. Program attrition rates can vary from 0-30 percent, leading to students who want to work in healthcare, but are not appropriately suited for careers stemming from selective admissions healthcare programs. The HST program will fill the educational needs of many of these students. There is a significant backlog of students seeking entry into the health care disciplines. This backlog often results in students waiting a year or more for program admission, changing their major, or discontinuing their pursuit of an education due to financial hardship exacerbated by the admission delay. The HST program will provide students with an alternative to waiting for program admission and will provide an increase in the number of high-quality degrees and credentials that support gainful employment. There is demand and significant institutional need for an alternative degree within healthcare programming. ECTC serves twelve rural counties in central Kentucky, and the College is the primary provider for healthcare workers in the region. It is essential to have the proper education and training, credentials, and cultural competency skills to produce the skilled 129

4 professionals needed by regional healthcare providers. It is equally important to optimize how health professionals are used within the service area. Healthcare employees that can work as interdisciplinary team members, such as those produced in the HST program, are critical for rural health care settings like those in the ECTC service region. The Kentucky Occupational Outlook projects (from the present to 2022) that Kentucky jobs are promising for the health care field as one-third of new jobs created will be in three occupational groups: Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, Office and Administrative Support Occupations, and Sales and Related Occupations. The HST degree has certificates that are essential in all three of these occupational groups. D. Cost and Funding of the Proposed Program ECTC currently has most of the resources needed to launch and sustain this degree pathway. Qualified faculty are in place to provide the necessary advising and instruction for the program. The courses necessary for the degree are taught at the college already as part of the general education complement of classes or under current certificate curricula. The only major potential added expense is for the salary of a program coordinator. Increases in enrollment could increase the amount of consumable supplies needed in the certificate programs as well as necessitate additional adjunct faculty. However, those costs would be more than offset by the tuition generated under the increase in enrollment. E. Program Review and Assessment Evaluation of learning outcomes is incorporated in the annual planning and evaluation processes of all academic programs at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. Both direct and indirect assessments are used as part of the annual program review established by KCTCS Board of Regents Policies, Sections 4.3 and 4.9 and KCTCS Administrative Policies and Procedures, Section Indirect evaluation will be used to assess the instructional effectiveness of the program from the student s perspective. Presently, ECTC employs the Student Evaluation of Instruction instrument for classroom evaluation. The instrument is used to determine if faculty performance aligns with student expectations. The faculty member and their supervisor as well as the Division Chair review results annually. Another indirect measure of student learning includes the use of Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to determine the extent to which students believe they are engaged in practices known to promote learning. Aggregate results are made available to Program Coordinators, and examination of the results are incorporated in the annual planning and evaluation process. The data from the CCSSE are used to promote college-wide improvements in student learning and persistence. ECTC will analyze and report on credentialing examination performance, programmatic retention/attrition, graduate satisfaction, employer satisfaction, degree completion, and job placement to the Technical Education Database System (TEDS) and program coordinators for annual program review in Compliance Assist. ECTC will also analyze and report enrollment, 130

5 number of graduates, success rates on board exams, graduate surveys, employer surveys, and program advisory committee surveys to KCTCS, TEDS, and program coordinators. As a new associate degree program, the results of the college program review will also be forwarded to CPE for review three years after implementation. Upon a successful CPE review, the program will report during the typical five year CPE institutional program review. F. Conclusion The proposed degree is consistent with the strategic plans of ECTC, KCTCS, and CPE. The degree will assist in achieving diversity and student success goals. Furthermore, the program curriculum has already been established and approved at other KCTCS institutions. Since there is significant employer and student demand for the HST degree, which can be offered with a minimal investment of funds, HST is an optimal choice as an addition to ECTC s list of degrees. 131

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