Bioscience Technology Program Review May 2, 2014

Transcription

1 Bioscience Technology Program Review May 2, 2014

2 Table of Contents 1. Program/Discipline Overview Outcomes and Assessment Other Curricular Issues Needs of Students and the Community Faculty: composition, qualifications and development Facilities and Support Keeping pace with employer needs Recommendations Appendix 1 Addressing Self Reflection Appendix 2 Core Outcome Mapping Appendix 3 Degree and Certificate Alignment to Core Outcomes Appendix 4 Annual Assessment Reports Appendix 5 Minutes from Advisory Board Meetings Appendix 6 Program Graduate Tracking Appendix 7 Portland Jobs Forecast Shows Need for Biological Technicians Appendix 8 Employer Survey Results 2

3 1. Program Overview A.1 What are the educational goals or objectives of this program? The Bioscience Technology program at PCC prepares individuals to work in the Bioscience industry. Bioscience employers include institutions and companies that use science and technology related to living organisms to provide products and services. Bioscience is a broad field with sectors such as bio- pharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical devices and research. The Bioscience Technology program also provides workplace knowledge and skills that cross over into related industries such as Food and Nutraceuticals. The curriculum provides basic science and hands-on technical training with an emphasis on critical thinking, accountability and communication. The Bioscience Technology Certificate is a pathway to entry-level positions in industry, with emphasis on basic laboratory skills, principles of measurement and related math applications, quality systems (working in a regulated environment), and safety. The Certificate is encompassed within, and serves as a foundation for the two-year Associate of Applied Science. Students who earn the AAS first complete a set of basic science and general education courses, then a core of technical courses (solution preparation, working with DNA and proteins, assays and other analytical procedures, preparative or 3

4 purification procedures, and cell culture). Students may then select electives that either develop these skills further, or provide additional theory/training in crossover areas, such as microelectronics. A.2 How do these compare with national or professional program trends or guidelines? The educational goals and outcomes of the PCC Bioscience Technology Program have kept pace with the national trends, from the earlier emphasis on molecular biology research workplace skills to the current holistic approach that integrates molecular biology laboratory skills with content and practices that are essential in the regulated bioscience workplace. The PCC BIT program was developed in consultation with a variety of industry and educational professionals from within and outside of Oregon, and continues to keep pace through direct faculty contacts and affiliation with the NSF-funded Bio- Link national network. The program is, in fact, currently designated as a Bio- Link program ( As a Bio-Link program, instructors and the department chair are involved in a national discussion regarding creation of a national certification for Bioscience Technology. A recent comparison shows that PCC s BIT program outcomes closely match the draft of the common core outcomes upon which the national certification is to be based: The close tie to national outcomes trends in bioscience technology is due to previous work of the former chair of BIT, Kendra Cawley, and in the past 6 years, by current chair Josephine Pino s direct work with the Biotechnology Educational community. This national community has a strong commitment to meeting workforce needs. Prior to arriving at PCC in 2008, Josephine was a faculty coauthor of the Washington State Skills Standards document: and a participant in the September 2007 Biomanufacturing Skills Standards Harmonization meeting in Indiana: More recently, she has taken part in recent Bio-Link discussions about the common core outcomes referenced above.in short, the biotech educational community is extremely wellnetworked and this contributes in a direct and positive way toward the ability of the PCC BIT program and its instructors to meet relevant workforce needs of this rapidly changing industry. 4

5 With regard to regional and state trends in the Bioscience industry, the PCC BIT program has developed close ties to the Oregon Bioscience Industry Organization ( Director Dennis McNannay and other leaders of the Oregon Bioscience Association provide support for our program in the form of student and faculty discounts for attending networking events, frequent introductions to members and potential employers, attendance at our Advisory board meetings, hosting of student volunteers, and more. Josephine Pino and then- Rock Creek President David Rule gave presentations as panelists in separate sessions at the Oregon Bioscience Association Annual meeting. This event alone led to a rapid expansion of our network of employers and even government contacts. For example, Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle and Business Development specialist Steve Thompson discussed the program with Dr. Rule and Josephine Pino at the meeting. As a result, we have been included in subsequent economic development events and discussions. In addition, our connection to the Oregon Biosicence Association has helped us forge ties to the new Bio-incubator, OTRADI (Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute). The PCC BIT program s ties to the Oregon Bioscience Association have been instrumental in the growth and development of our positive reputation in the Oregon Biocommunity. A.3 Have they changed since the last review, or are they expected to change in the next five years? The overarching goals of the program have not changed and are not anticipated to change. The big goal remains: to help students achieve learning outcomes that will enable them to obtain jobs, be successful in their jobs, and to continue learning in accordance with their educational and career goals. B. Please summarize changes that have been made since the last review. Program Timeline from 2004 to Present 2004 Program Review Shortly after the 2004 review, the PCC Biotechnology program was put on hiatus due to budgetary issues. In 2006, Genentech partnered with PCC and led the formation of a Bioscience Consortium with three additional member companies (Welch Allyn, Oligos Etc., Precision Wire Components) and the support of the Oregon Bioscience Association. This group identified changes to workforce needs and led the collaborative effort with PCC to build upon the strengths of the former PCC Biotechnology Program to create the Biotechnician Certificate and the new Bioscience Technology degree 5

6 program. (A.A.S.) In addition to the curriculum development support, Genentech provided 40 scholarships and the consortium companies provided guest speakers and on-site company tours and committee member participation for review of scholarship applications. In 2011 the curriculum was changed, largely by re-distribution of the outcomes into a more modular form. This met the goals of streamlining scheduling, having better consistency in instructional specialization, improving students understanding of the context of their learning, and improving our ability to meet learning outcomes. It also ensured that we were meeting the needs of the industry in a targeted and transparent way by focusing our regulatory compliance and business context instruction into a hands-on Quality Practices course. The faculty chair at the time of the 2004 program review was Kendra Cawley. Josephine Pino has been chair since the program s reinstatement in 2008, with Trish Willy serving as co-chair with Josephine from Sept 2011 to February of C. Were any of the changes made as a result of the last review? If so, please describe the rationale and result. C1. Curricular changes Brief History The original conception of the program was based upon industry demand The hiatus in the early 2000 s was related to various financial factors. The resumption of the program in 2008 was due to industry demand, led by a consortium that included member companies from the medical device, reagent providers, and biopharmaceutical sectors. The resurrected program included a one term certificate option and a two year degree (A.A.S) option. (The certificate is embedded within the degree). The resurrected program included broader industry focus. (eg. good manufacturing practices, environmental control, environmental health and safety, interviewing skills, etc.). Much of this was supported by direct industry participation including guest instructors and company tours. Modularization of the curriculum and expansion of the certificate in 2012 was based upon student and instructor feedback and broadened industry input. Some notable changes in this modularization were: Creation of a second Quality Practices class, BIT 126, was very well received by industry partners representing a broad swath of the biorelated industry in OR. 6

7 Scheduling changes to a Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday/Thursday block format were implemented to improve pedagogy and student success. Replacement of the 5-credit BIT 101 laboratory course with a new two credit Current Topics in Bioscience (BIT 102) course eliminated redundancy in the program, and provides a means to engage non-bit majors and to recruit interest in the field of Bioscience Technology. In 2013 a Distance Learning (DL) version of the Current Topics in Bioscience Technology course was developed by Jayme Gallegos. This was well received by students and by Bio-link partners in discussions at a national meeting. This DL course provides opportunities to recruit students who might not otherwise reach out to try a course in Bioscience Technology. For example, high school teachers and their students have recently inquired about taking the summer DL BIT 102 course. Ongoing classroom-level curriculum development includes generation of new teaching materials and procedural handouts for all BIT courses. The program would like to acknowledge the past and ongoing work of former full time faculty member Trish Willy and several excellent part time faculty members who have contributed many hours toward the production of these new teaching materials. In particular, it should be noted that most of these instructor-produced original materials have been developed and shared generously with the program for use by future instructors. One recommendation from the last program review was to evaluate realistic student capacity in a typical BIT laboratory class. This has been addressed in recent years by consideration of student evaluations and instructor feedback. The Cell Culture class, for example, can accommodate a maximum of 12 students without a severe negative impact on the students hands-on practice time. Instructors Carla Moentenich and Jayme Gallegos have streamlined the use of laboratory space and equipment in this course to allow for up to 12 students, by means of sharing equipment, and rotation between the cell culture laboratory space and the regular lab space with creation of concurrent learning activities to ensure learning outcomes are consistently being met for everyone attending class. For all other BIT laboratory courses, we have determined that 18 students would be the maximum enrollment without negative impact. This is due to these factors: the need for bench space, equipment space, limitations of equipment/instrumentation, the essential need for each student to gain hands-on experience and practice to achieve proficiency, and the need for direct guidance and interaction with the instructor. BIT lecture courses, such as BIT 102, 105, 107, and 125 could reasonably accommodate up to 30 students each. However, it should be noted that raising the enrollment of these courses would likely create a 7

8 bottleneck effect for students who might not be able to enroll in the laboratory courses due to lower capacities there. C2. Equipment and facilities changes The 2004 program review recommendations include a suggestion to purchase at least one additional fraction collector and pump to allow up to 12 students to work at one time, in groups of 3 compared with the 9 that were adequately accommodated in This has been done. Similarly, other equipment, including a gel documentation system, a fraction collector, micropipettes, pipet aids, multichannel pipets, electrophoresis units, a UV/VIS spectrophotometer, ph meters, balances, a microplate reader, a shaking incubator, a deep freezer (in partnership with Biology) and a transilluminator system have been purchased, to replace aging equipment, to accommodate the need for more direct, hands-on individual student learning and to adapt to changing technologies. Also, in 2013 we moved one of our biosafety cabinets from the open preparatory area to a small room adjacent to the main laboratory. This created a second clean room for students to use during the Fall term Cell Culture course. C3. Other Changes Since the time of the last program review, we have reconvened the Advisory Committee and, with the assistance of the original core members, we strategically recruited new members to better reflect the breadth of the Oregon Bioscience community. Currently, membership includes representatives from all of the major Oregon bioscience sectors : medical device, pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, staffing support services, and reagent and supply providers. One recommendation from the last review was Consider how this group might be more actively and creatively engaged in helping with issues that affect the program. During the past 9 years, this has been done. Illustrative examples are as follows: Members have helped us recruit new members. A subcommittee convened for strategic planning, under the guidance of board member John Tortoricci, the then interim director of the Oregon Bioscience Association. The outcome of this meeting was presented at the February 2009 meeting and formed the basis for subsequent board and program activities. We form subcommittees in response to need when issues arise. For example, during a curricular subcommittee worked together to develop the curriculum and teaching materials and lesson plans for the new BIT 126 Applied Quality Practices course. 8

9 Informal advisory board meetings are held at least three times a year; these are opportunities to keep communication active and to introduce new members of the bioscience community to the program, thereby increasing community awareness. Members volunteer to host subcommittee meetings on-site at their places of work. These meetings are usually accompanied by a tour of the facilities; this provides an opportunity for faculty and committee members to learn more about the diverse bioscience industries and endeavors in Oregon. Class guest speakers and tour hosts are actively recruited from the advisory committee or with the assistance of committee members. Internship and cooperative education hosts are actively recruited from the advisory committee. Committee members have shared their expertise in project management. For example, committee members Naomi Allan and Cheryl Bondurant used standard industry practices to lead the long-term planning and development of the BIT 126 teaching materials. Committee members, Naomi Allan and Cheryl Bondurant recently collaborated with Josephine Pino to write a proposal for a conference presentation. The proposal was accepted and the trio will be presenting in May 2014 at the National Association for Workforce Improvement (NAWI) conference. The presentation title is Unlocking the Code: a Collaborative Approach to Meeting Industry Need. Advisory committee members have helped introduce their industry colleagues to BIT faculty, deans, and students at Oregon Bioscience networking events. One 2004 program review recommendation was that a second faculty/staff member be added to the program to provide reliable complementary expertise in instruction, more collaborative decision-making, and dispersion of some of the program responsibilities (recruiting, advising, marketing, curriculum development etc.) and provide more flexibility for professional development. In late 2008, a 20hr/week instructional support technician, Carla Moentenich, was hired. In addition to the responsibilities outlined in the recommendation above, Carla also teaches part time. She has taught Cell Culture, Exploring Bioscience, Work Experience, and assists in virtually all of the laboratory classes, both in the classroom and out. Carla s professional background includes work in the OR bioscience industry so she is particularly well qualified to perform the duties of her position. She is also very efficient and effective in her job performance. Notably, these duties are numerous and occupy every minute of her time. She works with instructors and the department chair to prioritize these duties on a weekly basis because 20 hours a week does not provide enough time to accomplish all that could be 9

10 done to support the program, especially with regard to networking, technical innovation and work with students. Ideally, BIT, like the other CTE programs in the Science Division, would have a full-time instructional support technician position. Another recommendation in 2004 was Anticipate changes in curriculum and facilities that would give PCC the ability to address changes in the complexion of the local Biotechnology industry. The work outlined above with the Advisory board showcases our response to this recommendation. Anticipating changes utilizes direct engagement and advice from our board members. 10

11 2. Outcomes and Assessment A. Course-Level Outcomes: Identify and give examples of assessment-driven changes made to improve attainment of course-level student learning outcomes. Where key sequences exist, also include information about assessment-driven changes to those sequences. Changed prerequisites for certificate to placement into MTH 95 to ensure mathematics course outcomes of the prerequisites are appropriate for success in BIT 107 and BIT 109. Added routine practical exams to several courses. This was in response to assessment results that showed that a typical group of students had a wide range of mastery of skills. This pointed to a need for more standard and frequent proficiency assessments. Addition of time-management activities and methods to BIT laboratory courses in response to assessment results that indicated that several students were deficient in time-management skills. Additional teamwork activities and industry guest-led discussions were added in response to observations that showed that students generally perceived work in the bio-industry to be driven by individual success instead of the reality that it is driven by teamwork. In response to consistent instructor and student feedback and student assessment results, the decision was made to modularize the certificate curriculum by reactivating BIT 105 (Lab Safety), BIT 107 (Lab Math) and BIT 109 (Basic Lab Skills and Instrumentation). BIT 125 was not changed, but BIT 181 was modified from 2 to 3 credits to accommodate the need for more in-class lecture instruction. The two-credit BIT 102 (Current Topics in Bioscience Technology) 11

12 was created and BIT 101 (Intro to Bioscience Technology) was eliminated. The latter change was in response to assessments that showed the redundancy in BIT 110 and BIT 101 was confusing to students and that students needed more formalized instruction to help them understand the complexity of the whole Bioscience industry. Recent assessments have shown that BIT 102 has helped meet the latter goal. Formal and informal assessments conducted by the lead BIT 110 instructor (J. Pino) in showed that students were having trouble connecting the Quality Practices topics (e.g. good manufacturing practices, validation, environmental control) to the plethora of other topics and skills being learned. In response to this problem, a case study approach was tried. This case study is an activity called Popcorn GMP. This 3-hour activity showed promise, likely due to the hands-on nature of the exercise. The problem was that there was not enough time in the BIT 110 curriculum to expand the activity enough to achieve the necessary outcomes. Hence, the idea of a dedicated Quality Practices class emerged. This idea was presented to the advisory committee, a survey was distributed with the help of the Oregon Bioscience Association, results were considered, and a subcommittee was formed to develop the class. The new course, BIT 126 Applied Quality Practices, is now a valued part of the BIT curriculum. B. Addressing College Core Outcomes i. Describe how each of the College Core Outcomes are addressed in courses, and/or aligned with program and/or course outcomes. Professional Competence Professional competence is integral to the BIT program. It is aligned with every one of the program and course outcomes as the goal of this CTE program is to produce professionally competent graduates and employees for the Bioscience workforce. Professional competence instruction is integrated throughout the program, but can be sorted in to the following categories: Foundational technical skills such as solution making, instrument usage, and measurement and calibration. Application of knowledge, such as use of mathematics in the laboratory and appropriate safe behavior in the laboratory. Oral and written communication, both formal as in production of regulatory documentation and informal, during cooperative performance of laboratory procedures. 12

13 Advanced technical skills such as cloning of genes, culture of mammalian cells, immunochemistry methods, and protein purification. Professional soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, multi-tasking and work organization, and attention to detail. Communication Communication is also integrated into all BIT courses and includes written and oral forms. As described above students are taught to communicate and are given ample opportunities to practice this communication both formally and informally. Examples of communication include: Keeping industry-quality laboratory notebook documentation in every BIT laboratory course. Introduction to the documentation formats used in the regulated industry in BIT 125 Quality Systems. Opportunities to produce and to actually use the regulatory documentation in BIT 126 Applied Quality Practices. Expected team collaboration within all laboratory courses. Formal written laboratory reports and papers. Formal presentations, including, but not limited to a presentation of the work experience project at the end of BIT 280a,b. Participation in mock interviews, group discussions, informational interviews, and strong encouragement for students to ask questions at company tours. Required interviews for Cooperative Education (BIT 280 Work Experience) Critical Thinking Critical thinking is a fundamental skill that is learned by students throughout the BIT program. The General Studies and Basic Science courses provide foundational practice and then the BIT courses enable students to continue developing these skills on a daily basis in the context of learning and applying basic and then advanced procedures. Some examples of critical thinking activities and practice include, but are not limited to the following: Organization of laboratory notebook entries in a way that shows application of knowledge, understanding of connections between theory and practice, and ability to reflect and troubleshoot and apply the scientific method to solve problems and answer scientific and technical questions. Scenario-based questions on exams and homework give students the opportunity to practice critical thinking. For example, students might be 13

14 given a complex task to perform such as responding to a mock supervisor , or complex data to troubleshoot. Students perform long-term guided capstone projects to subclone genes and to purify proteins. These projects require time management, application of technical skill in new contexts, and coordinated teamwork Cultural Awareness As students in a CTE program, BIT students must work cooperatively with other students and with a variety of faculty members throughout the program. The cooperative teamwork is at times challenging for virtually every student. Often this is due to cultural differences. Examples of methods used by BIT instructors to promote the development of strong cultural awareness and skill in cross-cultural teamwork include the following: Workshops led by industry professionals. For example, an HR leader from local medical device company has led workshops to help BIT students understand the components of strong teamwork and the relevance of cultural differences in the context of performing tasks. The requirement that students work with different lab partners at various times through the program. Instructors assign partners and help guide students through challenges such as those associated with communication between different cultures and personalities. Guest speakers visit BIT classes throughout the program. Also, students visit companies for tours. On some occasions, industry guests address the issue of cultural awareness directly. This year (2014) will mark the third annual visit of 20 Biotechnology students from a technical college in Osaka, Japan. This visit is a cooperative event, coordinated in partnership with the PCC international office, the college in Japan, and the PCC Bioscience Technology department. As part of this visit, students share cultural information in the form of formal presentations and informal interactions (with translators). Also, students work together to perform a chromatography laboratory procedure. Through this event, students are exposed to a very different culture and discover a capacity to breach barriers in culture and language while discovering what they have in common: technical ability, commitment to learning, and more. Community and Environmental Responsibility Students are expected to exhibit community and environmental responsibility throughout the program. Some examples include: 14

15 In BIT 102 Current Topics in Bioscience Technology, students consider and discuss ethical questions relating to Bioscience. They also learn about broad examples of how bioscience is applied to solving human problems. They have opportunities to delve more deeply into topics of interest and to explore both sides of controversies such as those surrounding the use of genetically modified organisms and stem cells. In all of their laboratory classes, students are expected to maintain a safe and orderly laboratory work environment. Over the past two years, the BIT program has instituted a procedural policy to promote and assess this. It is called the Entropy Control Chart. Students document the cleaning and maintenance tasks they ve performed on a weekly basis. Rather than just cleaning up after themselves as individuals, they are expected to show contribution to the classroom community as a whole and to leave things better than they found them. In learning and practicing basic laboratory skills, students are encouraged and taught how to plan procedures to make the most efficient use of supplies and to reduce waste. They are also formally taught waste management skills. The annual visit by the Japanese Biotechnology students provides an opportunity for students to compare socially relevant issues and questions. For example, last year the Japanese visitors gave a presentation about the impacts of air pollution on the health of Japanese citizens. Together, our PCC students and the visiting students discussed and considered challenges and solutions to this problem. Self-Reflection BIT students are frequently required to conduct self-evaluation of their own professional and technical skills. This occurs in BIT laboratory classes, in Exploring Bioscience Technology (BIT 181), and during the Work Experience (BIT 280a) at the end of the program. Students self-evaluations are submitted to instructors and the instructor conducts interviews or feedback sessions with individual students. This provides an opportunity for each student to practice communicating about his/her own skills development as it relates to both academic progress and future career pathways. Student self -evaluation of professional skills and characteristics are based upon Traits, Characteristics, and Behaviors Required for Biomanfuacturing Occupations, p. vi of the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative Harmonized Skills Standards. Please refer to Appendix 1. 15

16 ii. Update the Core Outcomes Mapping Matrix for your SAC as appropriate. Please refer to Appendix 2. C. For Career and Technical Education Programs: Degree and Certificate Outcomes i. List your degree and certificate student learning outcomes, showing the alignment with the college core outcomes, and identify the strategies that are in place to assess the degree and certificate outcomes. Please refer to Appendix 3 for Degree and Certificate Alignment to Core Outcomes. ii. Describe the assessment design and processes that are used to determine whether students have met the outcomes of their degree or certificate Please see Annual Assessment Reports in Appendix 4 The assessment of the degree outcomes revealed that students needed more targeted time and instruction to enable them to gain practice in critical thinking as it applies to documentation in the laboratory. In addition, we found that although many individual students had gained proficiency in performing routine laboratory tasks, others had not. The assessment of the degree outcomes revealed more nuanced information about student achievement of laboratory skills and professional competency outcomes. For example, we learned that students were indeed proficient in some advanced skills while not meeting expectations in others. In addition, we found a need for students to have more opportunities for selfreflective thought and oral communication practice. The assessment continued to use more quantitative (rubric) assessment methods and revealed that the strategies (eg. more practical exams, post-course debriefings and deliberate teaching of time management and teamwork) from previous years were working. There were improvements in critical thinking, communication, and teamwork. Students were also showing evidence of self-reflection. With regard to criticalthinking, the SAC also questioned whether additional strategies would be best for assessment as the notebook relies on the ability of the student to show evidence of critical thinking in a written format. 16

17 iii. Identify and give examples of assessment-driven changes that have been made to improve students attainment of degree and certificate outcomes. Certificate (and degree) example The curriculum included a 10 credit multi-disciplinary course BIT 110 which was team taught. A typical number of instructors for this single course in a given 10-week term was seven. In addition, the curriculum of this one course included at least one guest speaker per week. Feedback from students, instructors, and industry partners revealed that this format was not sustainable. Also, the outcomes included several components that either went into too much depth, or failed to have relevance to more than one employer. (eg. hydraulics and lyophilization). We deemed that we could achieve appropriate outcomes more efficiently and effectively in a more modular format, so we resurrected BIT 105, 107 and 109. We eliminated BIT 110, BIT 101, and added BIT 102 and BIT 126. This effectively streamlined our curriculum, allowed for greater consistency of instruction, and relieved the students and staff of the stresses that had accompanied the running of the 9-credit BIT 110. Degree example Student practical assessments during second-year courses have indicated several areas where students were weak or not performing to the expected levels. An example is the realization that students weren t able to multitask as well as will be expected of them in most jobs. Once this deficiency was discovered, an activity designed specifically to teach organization and multi-tasking was developed and became part of the curriculum. Another example was the finding that students were deficient in their ability to coordinate teamwork. This is a critical skill for working in this and many fields. To address this issue, we reached out to our advisory board for suggestions and found help from Jan Merrick, a specialist in human resources at Welch Allyn. We set aside an entire class session devoted to teamwork and had Jan come and talk about teamwork, engage students in team building exercises, and help students understand the value of teamwork in the workplace. As a follow-up, in some courses, students were required to change lab partners periodically in order for them to work on this particular skill. 17

18 3. Other Curricular Issues A. To what degree are courses offered in a Distance modality (on-line, hybrid, interactive television, etc.)? For courses offered both via DL and on-campus, are there differences in student success? (Contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, either Laura Massey or Rob Vergun, for course-level data). If so, how are you, or will you address these differences. What significant revelations, concerns or questions arise in the area of DL delivery? During the summer of 2013, we offered BIT 102 for the first time as a DL course. It was developed and taught by a part time faculty Jayme Gallegos, in consultation with chair, Josephine Pino. Jayme used two new books in this course to ensure DL students had the depth of resources needed to fill some of the gaps anticipated for a Distance course. For example, DL students are not on campus with direct access to the library books, and were not taking a laboratory class at the same time. (Labs typically provide a lot of supplementary learning by virtue of the visual and physical proximity of equipment and other technologies referenced in the course.) Although the course has only been taught once, it was a popular offering, with good enrollment (19). Feedback from students was positive. Several of them expressed an appreciation for the convenience of being able to take a summer course online. For example, one student had not yet moved to Portland, but was still able to get started on her coursework. The instructor led discussions about issues that were sometimes controversial, and in all cases, current. She reported 18

19 that online discussions were rich and showed depth of engagement by the majority of the students. With regard to expansion of distance learning in BIT, we feel it is necessary to proceed conservatively. Most of our courses require hands-on engagement and inperson communication and collaboration. However, we have considered the possibility of developing a DL version of the two-credit BIT 125 Quality Systems course. We have an instructor who is interested in teaching this and we feel it could provide a means to recruit students from the local incumbent worker population. Has the SAC made any curricular changes as a result of exploring/adopting educational initiatives (e.g., Service Learning, Internationalization of the Curriculum, Inquiry-Based Learning, Honors, etc.)? If so, please describe. The BIT SAC has not made any of these changes. B. Are there any courses in the program that are offered as Dual Credit at area High Schools? If so, describe how does the SAC develops and maintains relationships with the HS faculty in support of quality instruction. Please note any best practices you have found, or ideas about how to strengthen this interaction. We do not have any Dual Credit courses at this time. C. Does the SAC plan to develop any additional Dual Credit agreements with area high schools? If so please describe. If not, what does the SAC see as barriers to developing further dual credit agreements. Only BIT 102 would be appropriate as a dual credit course. Barriers to BIT 105 and 107 (bioscience safety and bioscience laboratory math) course outcomes are very specific to this industry; there would be a strong need for extensive industryspecific professional development for instructors. Barriers to lab courses are difficult to overcome as well. Oregon high schools do not possess the facilities, small class sizes, nor equipment necessary to teach to the technically-rich outcomes, especially with the need to have students work in pairs to accomplish proficiency goals in basic and advanced techniques. 19

20 D. Identify and explain any other significant curricular changes that have been made since the last review. As described elsewhere in this document, the significant changes that have been made are the following. With the re-emergence of the program in 2008 a deliberate title change was made, to Bioscience Technology from Biotechnology. The new 13-credit Biotechnician Certificate was a new option in addition to the two year AAS degree in Bioscience Technology. In we made changes to modularize the certificate course requirements. We eliminated the 9-credit BIT 110 and 5- credit 101, created the 2-credit BIT 102, created BIT 126, increased the BIT 181 credits and added BIT 105, 107, and 109. As a result of the changes, the certificate program increased from 13 to 19 credits. 20

21 4. Needs of Students and the Community A. How is instruction informed by student demographics? There is no typical bioscience technology student. Many visitors to our BIT classrooms have been surprised by the diversity seen within the group. Our students range in (apparent) age from their late teens to mid-60s. Many of our students are returning to school seeking job skills after having obtained a prior degree or after having been in the work force for a number of years. Those with prior degrees often have B.S. level or higher degrees in Biology. A typical BIT class will also have one or two students who began their studies at PCC as undecided or with an original plan to pursue a career in the highly competitive Allied Health professions. Some of our students have had long successful careers prior and are joining our program to pursue a second more fun career. A typical class also has one or two non-native speakers of English and 1 or 2 others from underrepresented minority groups. In short, our student population is diverse. BIT instructors maintain a keen awareness of the impact of diversity on their instruction and as a department, we work together to develop strategies to not only deal with challenges stemming from this diversity, but to take advantage of the opportunities that arise because of it. For example, the diversity in prior learning means that a student who possesses a Master s degree could be working alongside a student who has never attended college prior. Similarly, a student with 20 years of manufacturing technology experience could be learning alongside a student who has a prior degree in Communications or Psychology. Students often find themselves working with other students who have English as a second language, or who come from a very different cultural background. These situations pose excellent opportunities for our students to gain not only cultural awareness, but valuable practice in cross-cultural communication. These 21

22 opportunities are built into the way we teach. Students work with lab partners. They collaborate in time management, technical planning, division of laboratory duties, and more. For example, in Applied Quality Practices, students work in collaborative teams in which each student has responsibility for a very large component of a term-long project. Much is accomplished both during class time and by communication outside of the class periods. As such, it is essential that students communicate using all possible formats. Instructors provide direct instruction for these skills and follow up with frequent assessment of teamwork and communication. B. Have there been any notable changes in instruction due to changes in demographics since the last review? As described above, the major curricular change in 2008 added a certificate to our program options. This, in and of itself, had a demographic impact on our student population, especially during the year and a half in which Genentech scholarships were available. Our certificate students at that time were mainly laid- off workers from the high tech industry. Most of them had not attended college, and many had not stepped into a classroom in many years. These students were in the same classes with AAS students who typically had several years of prior college education. The entry-skills levels varied dramatically in the same classroom. Informal and formal assessments led us to realize that modularizing the curriculum would enable us to separate, not the students, but the content, by level and subject so that students pacing through the curriculum would be more engaging, less stressful, and more flexible to schedule. C. Describe current and projected demand and enrollment patterns. Include discussion of any impact this will have on the program/discipline. Several events have led to changing enrollment patterns. For example, the elimination of the second trailing sequence of evening certificate course sections in 2012 eliminated the possibility of year-round student recruitment. The end of Worksource Center-supported heavy recruitment in 2009, the end of the Genentech scholarships in 2009, and changing economy impacted the demographics dramatically. Now, instead of culling through 50 or more certificate applications (as we did in ), we typically get only about 10 certificate applicants per year. The rest are AAS degree seekers. This elimination of the evening sections described above impacted our ability for students to pursue a more flexible path through the program. However, it has also resulted in a relatively higher percentage of AAS degree seekers, which has been 22

23 good in some ways. For example, the AAS affords better job opportunities and transfer opportunities. Another pattern that has emerged is that reduction of certificate seekers has led to more robust enrollment patterns in our subsequent (200-level) coursework. By way of explanation, each course is offered only one time in an academic year. The certificate courses are all the 100 level BIT courses. These 100-level courses also serve as prerequisites for the 200-level BIT courses. The five-credit BIT 109 Basic Laboratory Techniques and Instruments course has a limited enrollment capacity. Thus, enrollment of certificate students has a direct impact on the enrollment in the 200-level BIT courses in subsequent terms. With regard to the AAS degree, we consistently find that the majority of our inquiries come from students who have prior degrees or significant education attainment levels and/or significant amounts of work experience in parallel or related fields (eg. similar job titles from other industries.) Inquiries do not fit the typical academic year pattern. Many inquiries and applications are received at the end of the school year and during the summer, concomitant with university graduations and failed job seeking efforts by recent B.S. graduates. Recruitment of first time or beginning college students remains a challenge. This is widely recognized as a challenge nationally in bioscience/biotechnology education. Bio- Link conducted a survey in and the results have been shared with us ahead of publication. The title of the draft document is: National Trends in Biotechnology and Life Sciences Education: Bio-Link Survey Analysis The table below is from this Bio-Link analysis and shows student trends that are similar to our own observations at PCC for our AAS program. 23

24 Student Characteristics according to Bio-Link analysis Ethnicity: In , close to half (48%) of the biotechnology students (N=3,357) were of minority backgrounds, compared to only 35% in This increase mirrors the increasing diversity of the general population of community and technical college students, from 33% minority in 1998 to 48% in Gender: Just over half (51%) of the biotechnology students in were female, a decline from the 62% female in The proportion of female students in the general population of community and technical college students remained relatively stable, at 58% female in 1998 and 57% in Age: The average age of biotechnology students increased slightly, from 27 in to 29 in This is consistent with the national community and technical college average of 28 years of age in Biotechnology students covered a wide range of ages in , from 15 to 80 years old. Entering with Bachelors Degree: One out of every five students (20%) in entered the biotechnology programs with a Bachelors Degree or higher, compared to 22% in Entering with Industry Experience: One out of every 10 students (10%) in entered the biotechnology programs with work experience in the biotechnology industry. 1 International/Foreign: Ten percent (10%) of the biotechnology students in were international/foreign. 2 The data below is from PCC Office of Institutional Effectiveness data Ethnicity: 27% of students from ethnic minority backgrounds Gender: 44% male and 56% female Age Distribution: Most students are between the ages of 31-40, but range from The other demographics have proven to be a challenge to measure at PCC because students tend to underreport their prior educational experience upon intake. We know from personal conversations and review of transcripts that the number of entering students with prior degrees is much higher than has been reported officially by the students upon registration. 1 This was a new question in the survey so there is no prior data for comparison. 2 This was a new question in the survey so there is no prior data for comparison. 24

25 We have conducted recruitment of new college students (eg. such as new high school graduates). For example, BIT staff have visited high school classes, given presentations at the PCC Career Day, and have reached out to local high school teachers. Recruitment efforts of this type yield very little in the way of immediate results, though we believe that in the long run, it is a positive way to raise overall community awareness of our program. The largest constraint we face with regard to student recruitment is faculty and staff time. The BIT program is not a Perkins program, and as such, does not have access to Perkins advising funds. The department chairperson serves as advisor to all BIT students. This is a time-intensive part of the job and has taken priority above direct recruitment. Our justification for this choice is that it is more important to advise prospective and current students who are already here than to use our limited time and resources to recruit from external groups that are less likely to enroll. During the time that we offered the evening certificate courses, we were able to accommodate more students who had daytime jobs, or who were interested in changing majors or in adding on the certificate coursework along with their other studies (eg. toward an AAOT). Similarly, we get frequent calls from current PSU students who are interested in gaining job skills while still pursuing their B.S. degrees. We project that addition of evening and/or summer courses could enable us to recruit more students who would otherwise be lost due to timing issues. D. What strategies are used within the program/discipline to facilitate access and diversity? Personalized advising is done by the faculty department chair. Quick responsiveness and quality time is spent with each prospective student who comes to us seeking information about the program. We function with a philosophy that there are many different types of strengths that a person can bring to the program and to careers in Bioscience Technology and we work with each student to identify and advise according to his/her particular strengths and to evaluate the fit for the various pathways of opportunity so that the student will be able to succeed if they choose to enroll. Various strategies are used for low cost marketing of the program. These strategies allow us to reach out to a very diverse audience of prospective students. They also allow for greater visibility and community awareness of the program. Some examples of these strategies include: Portland Community College Bioscience Technology Facebook group, Linkedin group, posters, flyers, PCC Facebook page course announcements, and availability of brochures at the Health Science advising office at Sylvania campus. 25

26 Josephine Pino (chair) gave a presentation to general advisers to help provide information that could be shared with new and continuing students. Josephine and Carla have given presentations for Career Guidance (CG) classes. BIT faculty members have led outreach workshops at events such as CTE day, Adelante Chicas, Hermanas, Centro Cultural, and on-site at local high schools. E. Describe the methods used to ensure faculty are working with Disability Services to implement approved academic accommodations? The faculty chair, part time faculty and science and technology dean work directly with Disability Service. New part time faculty are mentored and guided in working with students to ensure appropriate accommodation requirements are met. As needed, faculty have communicated directly with prospective students to answer questions and provide information as the prospective students explored career choices with a view toward practicality and challenges. For example, in 2012 Co-chairs Trish Willy and Josephine Pino provided a very detailed tour of the laboratory facility and equipment for a sight impaired student and her case worker to assist in her fact-based decision about whether to pursue an academic and career pathway in Bioscience Technology. F. Has feedback from students, community groups, transfer institutions, business, industry or government been used to make curriculum or instructional changes (if this has not been addressed elsewhere in this document)? If so, describe. Please refer to information in previous sections. 26

27 5. Faculty: Composition, Qualifications, Development A. Provide information on i. Quantity and quality of the faculty needed to meet the needs of the program/discipline. Currently the program has 9 active part time faculty members. During a typical year, the program will employ a total of 7-10 instructors to teach all or part of 10 different BIT courses. The part time applicant pool remains robust. As a program, we take care during the interview process to identify those applicants from the pool who have the temperament, organizational skills, work ethic, technical skills and depth of knowledge to teach the CTE classes. In addition, we have made sure to provide ample guidance and support in the form of frequent meetings and assistance with time management (in particular) for new BIT part time faculty members. Extent of faculty turnover and changes anticipated in the next five years. The BIT program has been fortunate in that it has had a mostly consistently strong cadre of faculty members. Unfortunately, this coincides with high turnover because they are strong candidates for full time employment elsewhere. For example, in the past two years we ve lost four faculty members to full time jobs at local universities and institutions. We anticipate a similar turnover rate for the next five years if we continue to recruit high quality faculty. 27

28 ii. Extent of the reliance upon part-time faculty and how they compare with full-time faculty in terms of educational and experiential backgrounds. The BIT program has one full time faculty position and this person is meant to serve also as the department and SAC chair. At the current time, we are in a transition period in which a Biology faculty member is filling the role of BIT department chair. Because of the need to fulfill the role of chair, the full time faculty member in BIT must possess more depth and breadth of experience and education compared to the part time faculty members. However, it is important to note that our part time faculty members bring significant specialized expertise to the program. For example, we have several members who are specialists in fields like quality systems and work place safety. iii. How the faculty composition reflects the diversity and cultural competency goals of the institution. The BIT faculty are diverse in terms of age, gender and cultural background. Applicants are selected by the BIT department chairperson for interviews from the part time faculty pool and care is chosen to recommend hires with strong consideration of the cultural competency goals of the institution. B. Report any changes the SAC has made to instructor qualifications since the last review and the reason for the changes. The Instructor Qualification Form underwent a major revision in due to the fact that the program was newly emerging with major modifications compared to the previous Biotechnology Program curriculum. Care was taken to ensure that specialized courses such as BIT 125 Quality Systems and BIT 126 Applied Quality Practices would be taught by instructors with specialized and documented skill in the subject areas. Please refer to to view both versions. C. How have professional development activities of the faculty contributed to the strength of the program/discipline? If such activities have resulted in instructional or curricular changes, please describe. Jayme Gallegos, Trish Willy, and Josephine Pino have all attended the annual Bio-Link Fellows conference as funded Bio-Link- Fellows. As such, these faculty members were able to learn more about the development of the national core competencies. These BIT faculty members gained a higher awareness of the relative importance and relevance of these competencies to jobs across sectors and geographical regions. This has enhanced our ability to advise 28

29 students on their academic progress and career pathways. Jayme Gallegos dramatically expanded her network of educator colleagues and in so doing, has tapped into the collective knowledge about best practices in teaching cell culture. She also gained ideas about classroom management and distance learning. Jayme was able to implement this knowledge during her teaching of Cell Culture in the Fall of 2013 and Current Topics in Bioscience Technology in the Summer of Josephine Pino was able to update her knowledge about DNA technology, bioinformatics, and program leadership. This has been importance in her role as chair as she continues to make hiring recommendations, coach new faculty, and guide students in pursuit of their specific individual goals. Trish Willy learned about biomanufacturing and the importance of teaching quality practices to help students gain skills for working in the broad existing fields of the regulated bioindustry. The knowledge acquired by Trish at her attendance at the Bioman conference was of profound importance to the program. It provided valuable knowledge for her active role in the educator-industry partner subcommittee that developed of our BIT 126 Applied Quality Practices course. Josephine Pino had acquired the same valuable knowledge and awareness, but from prior Bioman and Bio-link conferences, and years of informal learning via these networks. 29

30 6. Facilities and Support A. Describe how classroom space, classroom technology, laboratory space and equipment impact student success. Laboratory space, technology, specialized instrumentation and equipment have a profound impact on student success in the BIT program. The facility and space allows us to mimic a real-world work environment for our students. Notably, students are happily surprised when they take their first tour of research laboratories and they realize that the real work environment is familiar and comfortable. Industry visitors, including CEOs of local bio-companies, and even Mr. Kroger of Kroger Food have noted similar observations about the professionalism of our facilities. B. Describe how students are using the library or other outside-the-classroom information resources. BIT students use the library for accessing primary literature when writing papers and preparing presentations. Also, in some classes, books are made available on reserve so that students have access to diverse offerings without having to make multiple expensive purchases. This is particularly important in most of our classes because of the dearth of specialized books that match the curriculum. C. Provide information on clerical, technical, administrative and/or tutoring support. There are several areas where the lack of either trained personnel, or inadequate personnel hours are hampering the program. 30

31 Currently, the BIT program has one 0.5 FTE (20hr/week) instructional support technician. As discussed prior in this report (end of section 1.C3), our instructional support technician, Carla Moentenich, does a superb job of accomplishing a variety of duties in these 20 hrs. However, if this was a full time position, much more could be accomplished. Currently, priorities have to be established and important things like student recruitment, communication with industry, advising, help with student job placement, and classroom work with students have to be sacrificed to insure that critical needs such as ordering, lab maintenance, and supply preparation are met. The BIT program has a very strong need for a learning skills specialist to help with job placements, industry outreach, and advising. Currently, the department chair juggles these duties, and as a result other program building activities are hampered. Of particular note is the need for the program chair to maintain flexible advising hours. This takes significant amounts of time and resources and thus hampers her ability to develop and implement student recruitment and curricular innovations. The BIT program students benefit from the assistance of the Cooperative Education office at the Rock Creek campus. This is due to the generous hard work of the Cooperative Education director, Nancy Pitzer and her one staff member. BIT does not have a Perkins specialist and thus activities and support such as review of the Coop Ed contracts is all done by Nancy and her small staff. Because of the understaffing in this office, it is difficult for them to always provide the full support that is needed in a timely manner, particularly during the crunch time just prior to the summer while BIT students are in need of the most support. Ideally, BIT would have a learning support specialist who could assist with Coop Ed placement as well as advising as described above. The clerical and administrative support in the Science and Technology division office at Rock Creek is exceptional and enables the logistical aspects of the program to run efficiently and effectively. Tutoring support for students who need extra help with the 100-level courses is now available in close proximity, with the opening of the SLC in building 7 at the RC campus. D. Provide information on how Advising, Counseling, Disability Services and other student services impact students. Counseling at PCC has been a tremendous resource and has helped several BIT students meet challenges and achieve success. The Student of Concern report has been used in several instances and the follow up has provided support for faculty and staff such that instruction could proceed smoothly for all. 31

32 Advising has provided occasional advice for the faculty department chair advisor and has been helpful in referring prospective students to BIT. However, general advisers do not have the knowledge and resources to handle specific questions about careers, academic pathways, and scheduling that are unique to the BIT program. This also highlights the program s need for a learning skills specialist. Disability Services has helped serve as a resource in helping faculty meet the needs of students in need of accommodation. E. Describe current patterns of scheduling (such as modality, class size, duration, times, location, or other), address the pedagogy of the program/discipline and the needs of students. The overall course requirements are summarized below: Bioscience Technician Certificate Course Requirements BIT 102 Current Topics in Bisocience (2 cr) BIT 105- Bioscience Workplace Safety (2 cr) BIT 107- Bioscience Lab Math (2 cr) BIT 109- Basic Laboratory Techniques/Instruments (5 cr) BIT 125- Quality Systems in Bioscience Technology (2 cr) BIT 126- Applied Quality Practices (3 cr) BIT 181 Exploring Bioscience (3 cr) Total Credits: 19 (28 classroom hours/week) Associate of Applied Science in Bioscience Technology Course Requirements Basic Science /General Ed/ Wr/Mth Certificate Courses feed into AAS Bioscience Course Electives (30cr) Recombinant DNA Methods Bioseparation Methods Cell Culture Immunochemistry methods Protein Purification Advanced DNA Methods Microelectronics choices Total Credits: 92 (27-30 lab hours/week) 32

33 With reference to the curriculum summarized above, AAS students are advised to take their General Education, Basic Science, Math, and Writing courses during their first year of the program. They then proceed through the BIT courses as a cohort during the second year (with the certificate students in some classes). The content-driven introductory 100-level BIT courses in laboratory math, safety, quality and current topics are taught in a lecture format. This provides students with efficient foundational skill development at the start of their second year, prior to taking the laboratory-intensive 200-level BIT courses. The 200-level courses are scheduled with a weekly hour of intensive lecture time followed by 8 hours of laboratory-lecture. From a pedagogical standpoint, this provides an opportunity at the start of the week for the instructor to introduce the theory behind new technologies, terminology, mechanics behind the instrumentation function, and more. Then, during the lecture-laboratory times, students perform the procedures, document the procedures, and have ample opportunities for instructorguided technical instruction, assessment of practical skills, and group discussions. Thus, long hours in the laboratory are essential for completion of procedures with time to consider results, troubleshoot, and discuss. Class size limitations were discussed in section C1, page 7. 33

34 7. Keeping Pace with Changing Employer Needs A. Evaluate the impact of the Advisory Committee on curriculum and instructional content methods, and/or outcomes. Please include minutes from the last three Advisory Committee meetings in the appendix. As described in greater detail earlier in this report (C3 p.8-9) the BIT Advisory Committee has had a large impact on curriculum, instructional content, methods, and outcomes. To illustrate this, here are some specific examples: The Advisory Committee members provided advice during revision of the program curriculum to the modular form. A subcommittee of the Advisory Committee worked in partnership with faculty to write curriculum for the new Applied Quality Practices class, BIT 126. Advisory committee members have written teaching materials and have provided sample documentation and have given several presentations based upon their areas of expertise during the Applied Quality Practices course. Advisory committee members have been guest lecturers in BIT 109, BIT 102, BIT 181, BIT 201. Advisory committee members frequently offer advice by telephone or in response to queries by BIT faculty and staff. For example, members have provided advice about equipment purchases and updating technologies. Please see Advisory Committee meeting minutes in Appendix 5. 34

35 B. How are students selected and/or prepared for program entry? At the current time, students must apply by a deadline in early June for best consideration for entry into the certificate program. In order to qualify for acceptance, students must show evidence of placement (by COMPASS or transcript) into WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 95 (or higher). At the current time, students may apply any time for acceptance into the degree program in Bioscience Technology. In order to qualify for acceptance, an applicant must show evidence of placement into WR 121, MTH 95 (or higher). All students must complete an application which includes reference contact, a letter of recommendation, and a written statement of purpose. All students are strongly encouraged to meet at or near the time of application with the faculty department chair adviser so that they have an opportunity to ask questions and to assess whether the program is a good fit for their career and academic plans. Selection of students at this time is based upon meeting of minimum standards with regard to submitted materials. Students are rarely denied entry, but on several occasions, the faculty department chair has recommended that the student seek an alternate program that would better meet his/her needs. This has been a successful approach. For example, a recent applicant found that the Biomedical Engineering program was a much better fit. Likewise, Health programs advisors often refer students to the BIT program. C. Review job placement data for students over the last five years, including salary information where available. Forecast future employment opportunities for students, including national or state forecasts if appropriate. From Fall 2008 through Fall 2009 the majority of students in the certificate program were awarded Genentech scholarships, administered through the Workforce Center of PCC. The data compiled at the end of this period is shown in the tables below. 35

36 CERTIFICATE DATA FALL 2008-FALL 2009 Fall 2008 Total number of students 10 Total completed all 13 credits 10 Total continuing education 1 Hires to date 8 Hired in the industry 7 Scholarships from Genentech 10 Average Wage $16.68 Winter 2009 Total number of students 14 Total completed all 13 credits 12 Total continuing education 2 Hires to date 11 Hired in the industry 8 Scholarships from Genentech 14 Average Wage $17.61 Fall 2009 Total number of students 13 Total completed all 13 credits 11 Total continuing education 2 Hires to date 8 Hired in the industry 6 Scholarships from Genentech 13 Average Wage $

37 During the winter of 2014 we conducted a Survey Monkey survey of graduates. The sample size is relatively small and not well controlled due to the challenges associated with tracking and contacting graduates, so the results should be considered qualitative. Graduates were contacted via personal of record and by Josephine Pino reaching out to graduates who are connected to her by Linkedin. Please note that some of these graduates surveyed were also included in the Workforce data above. A disproportionate number are certificate graduates as opposed to AAS graduates. Some results are shown below. Names of Bio-industry Employer Companies and Institutions Reported by Graduates Aronora, Inc. BioMerieux Diana Fresenius Medical Care Genentech Immunology Consultants Laboratory Najit Technologies, Inc. Northwest Naturals Products Oligos Etc. Oregon Health Science University Precision Wire Components Portland Veteran s Administration Medical Center Pulse Health Sandy Dialysis Sedia Bioscience Virogenomics Job Titles Reported by Graduates Assembly technician Equipment engineer Inspector Lab assistant Lab support technician Lab technician Laboratory technician- testing coordinator Manufacturing technician-inspection Materials handler Medical lab technician Process tech 37

38 Process technician Quality assurance technician Regulatory and compliance technician Research assistant 1 Research assistant 2 Research assistant II lab manager Research technician Technician See Appendix 6 for additional survey data Sample comments from graduates surveyed. My wage caps out at an hour. I have excellent benefits. I ve been able to apply all of the knowledge I gained from all of my classes to this position. Everything from working in the lab to document control and including the BIT 280 classes. Our clinic has a small lab w/centrifuge, regulated inventory, and regulated record keeping. Of course, there is also working in a manner that reduces the chance of contamination to patients and employees. We also must work safely with chemicals and biohazards and utilize the proper waste streams. Oh, and there is a compliant resolution process as well, so even BIT 125 was useful, but I am extremely glad for my BIT 126 class. (2013 AAS graduate) This was a fantastic program with a very helpful and encouraging staff. The overall goal of this program was to help retrain students and find them employment. Although the employment I found was in the semiconductor equipment field, much of the subject material directly related. It was specifically this training that allowed me to transition to a successful path and with that, it has accomplished its purpose. I am very thankful I was able to take part in this program. (2010 Certificate recipient) Yes, I started rather low on salary due to the economy but after 3 years of experience my salary increased substantially. From starting out at $13.00/hr increasing to $20.89/hr. The classes definitely prepared me for my job as it was very similar. Also, the resume building was a great help in securing a position. My resume was very effective. (2010 Certificate recipient) 38

39 I thoroughly enjoyed the program but the level of pay at most positions for a technician was not enough to sustain a family and therefore I was not able to pursue a career in the Bioscience industry. (2010 Certificate recipient) Forecasting: The Oregon bio-industry is extremely broad, with multiple sectors represented. Each of these sectors has a variety of potential entry level occupational titles. For example, medical device and pharmaceuticals are two sectors that each might possess occupations like quality assurance technician, laboratory assistant, manufacturing associate, and validation specialist. As a result, it is difficult to extract comprehensive predictive labor data for our graduates. Interestingly, a very recent report shows strong evidence that bio-related technician jobs are on the rise: See Appendix 7 for recent State of Oregon Employment Department report about fastest growing jobs. For the purposes of program planning as well as for this report, we have conducted a survey of potential employers. Surveys were sent to all Advisory Committee members, former cooperative education site hosts, and all Oregon (or nearby Washington) industry contacts from Josephine Pino s Linkedin contact list. The survey provides compelling support for the prediction that entry level jobs will be present in the near future for graduates of the PCC BIT program. See Appendix 8 for results from survey sent to potential employers. C. Analyze any barriers to degree or certificate completion that your students face, and identify common reasons that students may leave before completion. Because automatic certificate and degree awarding did not occur for most of the time covered in this report, our completion data is difficult to interpret. For example, many of our students who actually finished the degree requirements did not apply (and pay) for graduation. Anecdotally, we ve found that the major barriers that students face are financial and family/personal. Because many of our students have prior college education, financial aid is not always possible and they sometimes deplete funds before they can finish the degree requirements. Other students have left due to illness either their own, or of a member of their family. Several students have left prior to completion in order to accept a good job offer. In fact, in many cases, post-baccalaureate students have explained that they 39

40 enrolled in the program for job skills, specifically and that their primary goal was not to obtain a diploma or certificate. Two of our most successful noncompleters, in fact, were students who had Master s degrees prior to program entry. Both left in order to accept good job offers in the local bio-industry. Interestingly, the recent National Trends in Biotechnology and Life Sciences Education Bio-Link Survey Analysis found similar results. The national survey data below were obtained for sharing in this report with the permission of Bio-Link (supported by National Science Foundation) Percentage of Exiting Biotechnology Students Earning a Degree or Certificate (N=1,753) No Credential 32% Certificate 27% Degree 41% Of Those Earning a Degree or Certificate, Next Step after Completion (N=1,193) Unknown outcome 20% Transferred to a four-year institution 29% Secured employment in the bioscience industry 51% 40

41 Of Those Exiting without a Degree or Certificate, Reasons for Leaving (N=560) Unknown reasons 14% Personal or economic reasons 47% Transferred to a four-year institution 20% Secured employment in the bioscience industry 10% Completed course work to advance their existing bioscience career 9% D. Describe opportunities that exist or are in development for graduates of this program to continue their education in this career area or profession. With careful advising and scheduling, graduates of the program can transfer all of their general education, writing, and basic science credits to universities in Oregon (or elsewhere). For an AAS BIT graduate who transfers to PSU, for example, this means that the graduate could continue taking courses and obtain a B.S. in Biology with an additional 8 terms. Recent discussions with a General Science adviser has shown that it is also possible for a BIT AAS graduate to transfer to PSU and complete a degree in General science with an additional 6-7 terms of carefully chosen coursework. In short, though the AAS degree is not a formal transfer degree, it affords graduates with ample opportunity for further study. In addition, graduates who transferred in this manner have reported back with enthusiastic feedback. They have felt well-prepared, not only academically, but technically able to pursue independent research and to obtain jobs efficiently either prior to, or immediately after graduation. Some graduates of the program who begin work immediately after graduation have reported back in some cases that their employers have provided opportunities for tuition support for further education. For graduates who are working in the industry, there is also BioPro, a workforce training program offered by the Oregon Bioscience Association. BioPro provides specialized trainings to meet the specific needs of the Oregon Bioscience community. 41

42 8. Recommendations A. Identify recommendations related to teaching and learning that derive from results of the assessment of student learning outcomes (course, degree, certificate and/or College Core Outcomes). The BIT SAC is committed to using assessment of learning outcomes in a variety of forms as a driver for program change and progress. The following are some strategies for continuing to build on this philosophy of assessment-driven program strengthening. Continue to assess students technical skill using direct observation and laboratory practical exams. Make necessary changes based upon assessment results. Continue to address teamwork and cultural awareness using formal teaching strategies. Take advantage of professional development opportunities to enhance instructors ability to do this. Incorporate at least one additional method, in addition to the notebook-based rubric, for assessing critical thinking. Use these results for continual improvements in teaching and guiding critical thinking skills. Give students personal feedback after baseline assessments of critical thinking to promote better self-reflection and improvement. 42