On April 24, 2008, the current Perkins IV Coordinator called a meeting with the Cleveland State Community College (CLSCC) deans/department heads from Humanities, Mathematics and Science, Health and Wellness, Nursing, Business and Technology. Also, included were representatives from the Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) office, Continuing Education/Workforce Development, Instructional Technology Department and the Vice Presidents from Academic Affairs and Student Services Development. These participants discussed the future role of Perkins as a supplement in their programs. Upon receipt of Perkins IV funds, these departments will be implementing the various programs.

The Business and Technology Division Dean and Perkins Coordinator had a meeting with staff and faculty of the college that work with CTE and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs. These faculty and staff identified several activities over these next two years that Perkins funding will target to expand and enhance these programs in order to recruit, retain, graduate, place and credential more CLSCC career and technical education (CTE) students pursing an AAS degree. Over the two year period, July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2010, these activities include:

• Employ part-time Academic Coaches for Nursing, Applied Mathematics and Technical Writing. This assistance is beyond remediation education and is for the enrichment of the CLSCC learner through application of academic concepts into career/technical courses, or for the support of special populations as described in Section 3 of the Act (i.e. disabled, economically disadvantaged, displaced homemaker, singles, under represented genders in the program or English as second language). Academic coaches will help students determine how they best learn and how to operate in an academic environment in order to be successful at CLSCC.
This includes such topics as: study skills, time management, stress management, effective reading for comprehension, overcoming math anxiety, applying math principles to technical courses, transformational learning, problem-solving, note-taking and test-taking. Academic coaches will meet with students, either individually or in groups, regularly throughout the semester. Some highly motivated, high-achieving students will utilize this academic coach to improve their learning efficiency.

• Enhance Electro-Mechanical program technology with the purchase of a software program to operate virtual programs for hydraulics, pneumatic, electrical and programmable logic controller (PLC) systems.

• Integrate Academic and CTE courses via joint projects.

• Continue to partner with secondary schools to provide smooth, cost-effective transfer of students from secondary to post-secondary education.

• Develop articulation transfer agreements with four-year institutions for our AAS degree programs.

• Recruit more AAS degree seeking students, especially those in special populations and non-gender related field.

• Enhance Co-Operative Education program to increase the number of business and industry partner employers thus giving more of our students the opportunity of work-based learning experiences.

• Develop new and strengthen existing partnerships with business and industry, labor organizations, agencies and local educational agencies (LEA’s).

• Enhance the Marine Technology program at our Vonore campus with equipment and technology for the Lamination courses.

• Enhance Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program at our Athens and Cleveland campuses through adding EMT mannequins to demonstrate life threatening situations of patients.

• Develop a process to gather numerous data elements related to gender, race/ethnicity and special population and other student categories, required for reporting purposes.

• Encourage all students to utilize aptitude and interest assessment programs which are offered free of charge.

• Develop displays and materials for AAS awareness purposes to add CTE students and Co-Op employers.

• Enhance and add course offerings via our Virtual Classrooms, RODP and online@ CSLCC.

• Improve the efficiency and functionality of training vehicles in the Law Enforcement Training program by modernizing public safety equipment and technology.

• Preliminary efforts that will lead to accreditation of the Early Childhood Education program.

• Participation in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Institute annual national conference. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8.

• Provide faculty and staff development via in-service speakers and workshops and attendance at discipline-specific conferences and seminars which are high quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused in order to have a positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction and the teacher’s performance in the classroom, and are not 1-day or short-term workshops or conferences.

As part of this Perkins IV request, there will be a part-time academic coach hired to assist students in the Nursing program to prepare students to complete their course work, increase retention of nursing majors and to successfully pass with higher averages part 1, 2 and 3 of the NCLEX exam.

According to the Nursing Department director, the graduation rate for nursing students has declined. For instance, of the 120 students that were admitted into the Nursing program in the Fall of 2006, there were only 59 students that graduated in the Spring of 2008. The majority of students withdrew from the program due to a combination of failing courses and life changing events. The extra assistance from by the academic coach is anticipated to encourage non-traditional students to achieve better grades and assist them in graduating from the program.

Assisting students in graduating is an important feature of many activities performed by CLSCC Student Services Division. The ACCESS Center provides a variety of services to assist students in setting and achieving academic and career goals, including advising, counseling (academic, personal, and career), and support services for special populations including students with disabilities, adult/nontraditional students, and students from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds. The Admissions and Records Office contacts students who are close to completing graduation requirements, and assists them, with their academic advisor, in completing the necessary steps to apply for graduation. Through this process, students are notified of any and all courses that they still need to complete in order to graduate.

As part of the Perkins IV request, there will be part time academic coaches hired to assist students in the following courses and programs:
• Applied Mathematics
• Technical Writing
• Nursing

The requested Applied Mathematics academic coach will provide support to all students in AAS degree and Certificate programs, especially those students in the General Technology and Industrial Technology degree programs who are having trouble seeing how to apply what they are learning in the requirement Math course to the other CTE courses, such as Technical Calculations, they are taking. By seeing this relevance, the students will achieve better grades in all of their courses, which will in turn lead to higher graduation rates.
The Composition I (ENG 1010) course is required for students in all AAS degree programs and Business Communications and Reporting Writing is required in several. CLSCC faculty members have found that career and technical education students have difficulty in these courses. When they have writing assignments in their Composition and CTE courses, while their reports contain the necessary information, they are not properly constructed and often have grammatical errors. This academic coach will be available to them to review their reports and papers and given additional instruction. This individual instruction will lead to better grades, which is expected to lead to higher graduation rates.

According to the Nursing Department, the graduation rate for nursing students has declined. Of the 120 students that were admitted into the Nursing program in the Fall of 2006, there were only 59 students that graduated in the Spring of 2008. The majority of students withdrew from the program due to a combination of failing courses and life changing events. The extra assistance from by the academic coaches is anticipated to encourage students to succeed and graduate.

These academic coaches will also be able to explain to the students how what they are learning at CLSCC will be applied to their actual work requirements in their chosen career fields.

Student retention is a focus for all staff in the CLSCC Student Services Division. Services in the ACCESS Center are designed to provide assistance and support to students through advising, counseling, career enhancement, and support services. Specific programs and services are available for special populations including students with disabilities, adult/nontraditional students, and students from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds. The ACCESS Center also offers a variety of workshops targeting academic skills, personal development issues, and career information. Counselors conduct special outreach to students who withdraw during the semester to encourage and assist them in re-enrolling and meet with students who are referred because of academic or financial aid probation/suspension to develop a Student Success Plan for getting back on track academically.

Research points to the impact of student involvement on student learning, success, and retention. Through the CLSCC Student Life and Leadership Office, students are encouraged to become active in out of class activities. Student activities and events provide an avenue through which students, faculty, and staff may interact socially. Approximately twenty different clubs and organizations are active on campus, and afford students opportunities for involvement centered on academic disciplines, professional goals, or personal interests. A leadership development program for students offers classes and workshops for students interested in exploring leadership and enhancing their skills as leaders.

The ACCESS Center piloted during 2007-2008 a mentoring program for students who were awarded Diversity Scholarships. Students who volunteered for this program were assigned a mentor from the ACCESS Center staff that would meet regularly with the student, monitor their progress, and assist them as needed. This mentoring program will be continued, and hopefully expanded, for 2008-2009 utilizing College state funds.

The ACCESS Center also offers a variety of workshops targeting academic skills, personal development issues, and career information. Counselors conduct special outreach to students who withdraw during the semester to encourage and assist them in reenrolling, and meet with students who are referred because of academic or financial aid probation/suspension to develop a Student Success Plan for getting back on track academically.

A KUDER trainer will come on campus to train the staff and faculty during in-service. Everyone will gain knowledge of how to use this program to encourage their students to take the career inventory surveys. The training will be at no cost to the grant, college or student. When students take the assessment faculty, advisors will be better able to work with their students to assist them in selecting the appropriate coursework for their specific majors.

As part of the Perkins IV request, there will be part time academic coaches hired to assist students in the following courses and programs:
• Applied Mathematics
• Technical Writing
• Nursing

The Applied Mathematics academic coach will provide support to all students in AAS degree and Certificate programs, especially those students in the General Technology and Industrial Technology degree programs. These students are having trouble seeing how to apply what they are learning in the requirement Math course to the other CTE courses, such as Technical Calculations, they are taking. By seeing this relevance, the student will achieve better grades in all of their courses, which will in turn lead to higher retention rates.

The Composition I course is required for students in all AAS degree programs. We have found that our career and technical education students have difficulty in this course. When they have writing assignments in their Comp and CTE courses, while their reports contain the necessary information, they are not properly constructed and often have grammatical errors. This academic coach will be available to them to review their reports and paper and given additional instruction.

Faculty and staff will attend in-service sessions and workshops to enable them to learn and apply new teaching methods and technology to more fully engage students and to enhance their advisement and counseling skills.

The College’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), which is part of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) requirement for a plan for continuous improvement, is funded through the College general funds and what the College receives through THEC performance funding.

Job Placement activities are conducted by staff in the ACCESS Center. In addition to career counseling, resume preparation, and job search skills assistance, staff members also maintain a listing of part-time and full-time jobs for students and graduates, through Cougar JobLink, which is a web-based placement service. This program allows students to search job opportunities and upload and submit resumes to employers. Employers may post jobs directly into this program, once they gain access by talking with a staff member. The programs mentioned in this section will not be requested through Perkins funding. The college will continue to fund these programs through the College’s general funds.

With Perkins funds, we will develop new and strengthen existing partnerships with business and industry, labor organizations and agencies in our five-county service area to promote our AAS and Career Technical college programs and to assist with graduate placement.

Perkins funding will provide instructional materials, which will enable the Early Childhood Education program to apply to receive the self-study materials to be able to apply for accreditation. The accreditation will provide increased visibility and credibility promoting the highest standard and quality for the AAS Early Childhood Education degree program. The accreditation will provide graduates with more experience and professionalism within this field.

Our college strives to market and recruit a diverse student through Student Services staff members that specialize in working with these various populations. The Business and Technology Division will continue to coordinate with these representatives to provide access to CTE programs to all students. The Coordinator of Adult Services, located in the ACCESS Center, works specifically with non-traditional/adult students. Through that office, students are provided a variety of supportive services, including career counseling, educational workshops, mentoring and other small group support, and academic skills assistance.

The Coordinator of Disability Support Services, also located in the ACCESS Center, assists students with accommodations to learn effectively in the classroom. The services this office provides are:
• Supportive counseling
• Referring to community resources
• Providing assistance in securing special materials, equipment and adaptive aids
• Serving as an advocate for students with disabilities.

The ACCESS Center also houses the Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs, who works to recruit and assist students from a variety of racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds. During the Fall 2007 semester, fifty-six students registered with the Disability Support Services office.

Since the college’s inception forty years ago, it has maintained a Financial Aid office which assists students completing applications for Pell grants and U.S Department of Education Stanford subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

Through Perkins activities, we partner with local educational agencies (LEA’s) and within our Student Services Department to encourage all students to utilize aptitude and interest assessment programs, such as KUDER and TCIDS, which are offered free of charge to the student, college and this grant. Perkins staff will analyze results from this database to focus recruiting efforts targeted at students, especially those in special populations, whose results indicate aptitude and interest in career and technical occupations.

Perkins staff will also contact agencies that offer assistance to special-population individuals to make them aware of financial aid opportunities available to be able to enroll in CTE programs offered at Cleveland State. We will ensure that all students are aware of national, state and local agencies and organizations that are available to them to assist them in day-to-day challenges that may distract them from their studies.

Job Placement activities are conducted by staff in the ACCESS Center. In addition to career counseling, resume preparation, and job search skills assistance, staff members also maintain a listing of part-time and full-time jobs for students and graduates, through Cougar JobLink, which is a web-based placement service. This program allows students to search job opportunities and upload and submit resumes to employers. Employers may post jobs directly into this program, once they gain access by talking with a staff member.

As part of the Perkins IV request, there will be part time academic coaches hired to assist students in the following courses and programs:
• Applied Mathematics
• Technical Writing
• Nursing

According to the Nursing Department, the graduation rate for nursing students has declined. For instance, of the 120 students that were admitted into the Nursing program in the Fall of 2006, there were only 59 students that graduated in the Spring of 2008. The majority of students withdrew from the program due to a combination of failing courses and life changing events. The extra assistance from by the academic coaches is anticipated to encourage non-traditional students in achieving better grades and assist them in graduating from the program.

We will ensure that all students are aware of national, state and local agencies and organizations that are available to them to assist them in day-to-day challenges that may distract them from their studies.

Per Tennessee Board of Regents general education requirements, students pursuing an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree are required to complete the following course categories:
• English Composition
• Humanities and/or Fine Arts
• Social/Behavioral Sciences
• Natural Science/Mathematics
• One additional course from the categories of
• Communication,
• Humanities and/or Fine Arts,
• Social/Behavioral Sciences, or
• Natural Science/Mathematics

These course requirements comprise about 25% of the AAS degree course curriculum.

In addition to these general education requirements, some AAS degree major programs require applied mathematics and technical writing courses, such as, Business Calculations, Technical Calculations and Business Communications/Report Writing.

With Perkins IV funding, the Business Department will coordinate with the Humanities Department to integrate an English course with a Business course. The Technology Department will partner with the Mathematics and Science Department to integrate the Applied Mathematics course with one of their Industrial Technology major courses. The faculty will be provided stipends to develop curriculum and oversee these two projects.

An example of a joint project could be the implementation of a campus Recycling program. Students from the Composition course will write the press release, Business Applications on PC students will develop and present the Power Point presentations to the President’s Cabinet; and Staff, Faculty and Student Senates. Another joint project could be the Applied Trigonometry course working with students from the Technical Calculations course to implement a joint “real world” project. These “hands-on” projects with joint courses will develop the Quality Enhancement Program of “engaging students in their learning”.

The part time academic coach in Applied Mathematics, Technical Writing and Nursing will assist students to integrate what they are learning in their academic courses with their courses. These academic coaches will also be able to explain to the students how what they are learning at CLSCC will be applied to their actual work requirements in their chosen career fields.

CLSCC has cohort groups in Business, Nursing, Construction and Law Enforcement Training. With the success of cohort groups working together as learning communities, additional cohort opportunities are being explored. Our various student clubs and organization have also facilitated the ability of students to work and learn together.

The College is actively involved in providing dual enrollment opportunities for high school students in all of our programs. There were 313 dual enrollment students for the Fall 2007 semester and 275 for the Spring 2008 semester. These courses were held either at the area high school or on the Cleveland State campus. Currently, there are high school students from eight high schools in the Cleveland State service area that are participating in the dual enrollment program.

Through dual enrollment, students are able to begin the transition from high school to college by taking college-level courses before they graduate from high school. Money is available to qualified students through the Tennessee Lottery Dual Enrollment Grant program, and some local school systems assist by paying all or part of students’ fees for dual courses. College staffs in the Recruitment and Enrollment Development Office and the Admissions and Records Office work with students to promote the program and enroll students.

This past year, the Bradley County School Board paid the difference between total cost of the courses and the part funded via the Lottery grant for students in their two high schools to participate in the dual enrollment program.

The College continues to work with the LEA’s in our service area to develop new CTE dual enrollment courses. For instance, Cleveland High Schools is interested in working with CLSCC on a Networking course. Cleveland State will also partner with the LEA’s in our area to offer a Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit Business Entrepreneurship course.

Perkins staff will continue to partner closely with the CTE directors in our six LEA’s to promote our existing Dual Credit course and to expand offerings as available. The Perkins coordinator and College faculty will continue to work with the high schools to implement Dual Credit assessments.

The Student Services Division works to bridge the gap between high school and college enrollment through regular visits to service area high schools. Through the Allied Health Careers Outreach Program, middle and high school students are exposed to a variety of career options in allied health fields. Students also have the opportunity to gain valuable volunteer experience in a hospital setting through a summer camp program. Regular visits by the program coordinator to high school classes provide another way by which students can learn about careers such as nursing, emergency medical technician, and medical assisting, as well as Cleveland State programs for those careers.

The Perkins staff will continue to assist the LEA’s in the rollout of training and implementation of the KUDER career assessment tool for students. There is no charge to the LEA, CLSCC or student for this assessment. We will produce KUDER database reports from information entered by the high school and college students. These reports will enable Perkins staff to target recruitment efforts toward CTE students, especially those special-population students, based on students’ career interests from their KUDER inventory results.

A KUDER expert will train faculty and staff on using the KUDER assessment tool. This presentation will be done at no charge to the grant or college.

Faculty and staff members will be encouraged to visit high schools in our service area to meet with people there to discuss the AAS degree offerings at CLSCC and to recruit students from all populations. This will also give the faculty an opportunity to discuss the Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment offerings available to them.

Existing and any new Dual Enrollment courses that may be developed as part of this grant project would be available to students via numerous distance learning options, for example, the virtual classroom, online @CSCC, video and Regents Online Degree Program.

Cleveland State has a successful Cooperative Education program, with 260 students and 215 business associates participating during the Fall 2007 semester. This program partners with businesses, industries and government agencies to employ students at their agencies on a part-time basis. The students receive “real-world” training in companies and when they graduate these students are often offered the opportunity to be employed with the company.

With this Perkins proposal, the Co-op program will be enhanced through recruiting more businesses in the various college fields. The Perkins staff will research businesses in the CLSCC five-county service area, create student and employer databases and assist in recruiting additional Business and Industry contacts within fields that are not currently utilizing Co-op students.

Programs of study with cooperative education potential will be identified and marketed to business and industry (computer information systems, computer information technology, Graphics/CAD, health care management, medical transcription, accounting, office systems, etc.).

Businesses and industries will be identified and researched (what majors could be of benefit to the company) and program specific letters will be mailed in an effort to generate placements.

Faculty advisors of these programs will be consulted to determine skills students will have developed through their training that would be of benefit to the employer. This expertise will be highlighted in the letters to employer--what our students can offer a potential employer.

Follow-up phone calls will be made to potential leads in an effort to solidify the placement.

A campaign such as this has not been conducted before and it is believed that this could make area employers aware of the college’s cooperative education program and generate internship opportunities for our students.
Full-time faculty experience in business and industry also help to make lectures and class discussions relevant to current industry practices. Most adjunct faculty members are working full-time in the areas of their teaching.

Faculty and staff members will be encouraged to visit businesses, industries and agencies in our service area to meet with people there to discuss the AAS degree offerings at CLSCC and to recruit students from all populations. This will also give the faculty an opportunity to learn the operations of the companies which will allow them to improve their course learning outcomes.

The Technology Department is requesting Perkins IV funds to purchase the Automation Studio 5.3 Educational Package software, which allows the department to build and operate virtual hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, and programmable logic controller (PLC) systems on the PC desktop. Students will have the ability to drag and drop system components onto the desktop to assemble a system and then simulate its operation with the ability to monitor parameters like voltage, current, pressure, temperature, flow rates, etc. This program will greatly enhance a number of classes in the following degree and certificate programs, which represents some of the core courses that relate to the industrial and manufacturing market that the college serves:

Degree
General Technology
Electro-Mechanical
Electronics

Certificate
Climate Control Technology
Electro-Mechanical Maintenance

Specific Courses
EET 1010 Electric Circuits I
EET 1020 Electric Circuits II
EET 1110 Electrical Systems in HVAC
EET 1210 Digital Electronics I
EET 1220 Digital Electronics II
EET 1310 Analog Electronics
EET 2010 Electric Machines
EET 2020 Electric Controls
INT 2110 Fluid Power Systems
INT 2120 Advanced Fluid Power Systems

The software package will complement a National Science Foundation Grant, in which the college will receive $150,000 to enhance the Electro-Mechanical program with additional “hands-on” equipment designed for transporting to other schools and businesses for training purposes.

Course delivery will continue to improve and expand learning opportunities to students who are off-campus via numerous distance learning options, for example, the Virtual Classroom, online @CSCC, Video and Regents Online Degree Program.

The Emergency Medical Technician programs are expanding at both the Athens off-site campus and the main campus. In addition, in the Fall of 2008 the Vonore Fire Department will be doing EMT training at the Vonore off site campus. To respond to the expansion and growth of the program, the Nursing Department is requesting new mannequin equipment for both campuses. This equipment will be used to provide “hands-on” instruction that will demonstrate emergency situations of patients. The mannequin will provide the “real world” experience that is vital to training this specialized field.

During CLSCC in-service programs, Perkins funds will be requested to contract with a consultant/expert to present “Student Engagement – Meet Students At The Front Door” workshop to faculty that will assist them in making students feel comfortable with their transition into college. There will be another consultant/expert contracted to teach faculty members during in-service training how to integrate academic courses with CTE courses and to assist them in the development of projects.

A KUDER expert will train faculty and staff on using the KUDER assessment tool. This presentation will be done at no charge to the grant or college.

With the purchase of the Automation Studio 5.3 Educational Package software, faculty in the Technology area will be required to study and work with the applications to be able to deliver the appropriate training to their students.

Two faculty members who teach in the Early Childhood Education AAS degree program will attend the four-day National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age eight.

Faculty and staff members will be encouraged to visit businesses, industries and agencies in our service area to meet with people there to discuss the AAS degree offerings at CLSCC and to recruit students from all populations. This will also give the faculty an opportunity to learn the operations of the companies which will allow them to improve their course learning outcomes.

As part of Cleveland State’s SACS accreditation process, the college has developed a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). This plan incorporates various activities that improve student learning. The college annually administers the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) survey to students. This national survey assists the college in assessing the overall college’s effectiveness in student learning.
The majors within the Career and Technical Programs meet rigorous quality standards through accreditation by the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT). The Nursing Major, Associate of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.), is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing and adhere to the standards of these programs. The Medical Assistant Concentration, within the Office Administration Major (A.A.S. degree) is accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The college’s Law Enforcement training Academy provides training to meet the requirements for individuals to be eligible as a Peace Officer in the State of Tennessee upon completion of the P.O.S.T. approved Law Enforcement Academy.

With the use of Perkins IV Base Grant funds, the college will also be able to receive the instructional materials that, with its usage and application, will allow for the request of the Early Childhood Education AAS degree program to become fully accredited.

The CLSCC Technology Department is requesting Perkins IV funds to purchase the Automation Studio 5.3 Educational Package software, which allows the department to build and operate virtual hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, and programmable logic controller (PLC) systems on the PC desktop. Students will have the ability to drag and drop system components onto the desktop to assemble a system and then simulate its operation with the ability to monitor parameters like voltage, current, pressure, temperature, flow rates, etc.

Faculty and staff members will be encouraged to visit businesses, industries, agencies and high schools in our service area to meet with people there to discuss the AAS degree offerings at CLSCC and to recruit students from all populations. This will also give the faculty an opportunity to learn the operations of the companies which will allow them to improve their course learning outcomes.

Two faculty members who teach in the Early Childhood Education AAS degree program will attend the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age eight. These faculty members will apply what they learn to the ECED program, thus enhancing student learning opportunities.

The integration of Academic and CTE courses project will also lead to improved classroom experiences for our students, which will include the use of new technology.

Course delivery will continue to improve and expand learning opportunities to students who are off-campus via numerous distance learning options, for example, the Virtual Classroom, online @CSCC, Video and Regents Online Degree Program.

The CLSCC Student Services Division provides a wide variety of services available for the students of Cleveland State and the community. Staff members are committed to providing quality services and programs that promote student success, assist students in setting and achieving goals, and encourage students to become involved in all aspects of college life.

The Division is comprised of the following departments: The ACCESS Center, Admission and Records, Athletics, Financial Aid, Marketing and Public Information, Recruitment and Enrollment Development, and Student Life and Leadership. A staff of more than thirty CLSCC employees administers programs and services that are designed to facilitate student enrollment and success.

As part of this Perkins IV request, the college is requesting stipends to faculty in the Career Technical fields to assist with promoting our AAS degree programs and recruiting students into the AAS degree and Career Technical programs. Based on career assessment made from the results of KUDER, students will be recruited into pursuing career and technology majors.

The Business and Technology Department is requesting Perkins IV funding to develop promotional materials for the AAS degree, Career Technical Programs and Cooperative Education. These materials will educate area companies and their employees about the AAS degree and Certificate programs that are available at Cleveland State. In addition these displays will promote programs and certificates tailored to workforce development needs. For instance, Cleveland State is providing Customer Service courses to Whirlpool Corporation employees.

These materials will be used at trade shows, career fairs and general displays for the recruitment of CTE students and at CLSCC service-area businesses and industries. There will be approximately forty posters produced and displayed in company sites within the region. Brochures will be developed that explain the eight AAS and five Certificate programs offered at CLSCC.

The Student Life and Leadership Office provide support for student clubs and organizations across campus. In conjunction with faculty advisors from appropriate academic areas, the college offers the following academic-related student organizations:
• Computer Aided Design Club—Advisor, Charles Barkley, Assistant Professor of Technology
• International Association of Administrative Professionals student chapter - Advisor, Sherra Witt, Associate Professor, Office Administration
• Medical Assistant Student Association - Advisor, Karmon Kingsley, Instructor/Director, Medical Assistant Program
• Student Nurses Association - Advisor, Judy Norton, Assistant Professor, Nursing
• Gamers Club – Advisor, Nathan Garner, Associate Professor – Computer Information Systems
• Early Childhood Education Students – Advisors, Suzanne Wood, Associate Professor and Wendy Davis, Instructor – Early Childhood Education

The Coordinator of Adult Services, located in the ACCESS Center, works specifically with non-traditional/adult students. Through that office, students are provided a variety of supportive services, including career counseling, educational workshops, mentoring and other small group support, and academic skills assistance.



The Coordinator of Disability Support Services, also located in the ACCESS Center, assists students with accommodations to learn effectively in the classroom. The services this office provides are:
• Supportive counseling
• Referring to community resources
• Providing assistance in securing special materials, equipment and adaptive aids
• Serving as an advocate for students with disabilities.

The ACCESS Center also houses the Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs, who works to recruit and assist students from a variety of racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds. The Coordinator handles the Diversity Scholarship program, which awards funds to students who meet a variety of criteria, including being from one of the backgrounds listed above.

CLSCC strives to market and recruit a diverse student population including but not limited to individuals preparing for gender non-traditional careers, displaced homemakers, those with disabilities through Student Development representatives that specialize in working with these various populations. The Business and Technology Division will continue to coordinate with the following ACCESS Center staff: Adult Services Department (serves non-traditional/adult students), the Coordinator of Disability Support Services (assists students with accommodations to learn effectively in the classroom), and the Coordinator of Minority Services (recruits programs to minority students). The Perkins Coordinator will work with the college’s Allied Health Coordinator and Recruiters to market the nursing and technical fields to non-traditional students. For example programs will be marketed to encourage males to pursue the nursing field and females will be encouraged to pursue careers in the electronics fields.

The Perkins Coordinator and Business and Technology Division will coordinate with the college’s various areas, for example, with the Coordinator for Minority Services to place students in the current diversity scholarships which were provided by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and with Financial Aid and the Foundation to assist displaced homemakers.

Course delivery will continue to improve and expand learning opportunities to students who are off-campus via numerous distance learning options, for example, the Virtual Classroom, online @CSCC, Video and Regents Online Degree Program.

The Business and Technology Division is requesting Perkins IV funding to develop promotional materials for the AAS degree and Career Technical Programs. These materials will educate companies and their employees about the Career and Technical AAS degree and Certificate programs that are available at Cleveland State. In addition these displays will promote programs and certificates tailored to workforce development needs. For instance, Cleveland State recently taught Customer Service Training to Whirlpool Corporation employees.

These materials will be used at high schools, trade shows, career fairs and general displays for the recruitment of CTE students and at CLSCC service-area businesses and industries. There will be approximately forty posters produced and displayed in company sites within the region. Table top and full-size displays will be developed to transport to shows, fairs and companies.

The Perkins Coordinator participated on Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Education and Workforce Development Committee with CTE Directors from Cleveland City and Bradley County Schools systems, TTC Athens Director and Lee University Representative. The Coordinator served as host for the annual Teacher Appreciation and Awards reception.

The Perkins Coordinator served on CLSCC Sustainability Committee to plan and hold Environmental Festival called “It’s All About the Green” that was held April 17, 2009. This was a community event for students and the general public, which attracted approximately 300 people. This event featured PV Solar Panel energy demonstrations which promoted the Industrial Technology major Construction Technology concentration AAS degree and certificate programs.

In partnership with the Cleveland Junior Achievement, the Perkins Coordinator and other CLSCC representatives participated in the “Reality Check” program at Ocoee Middle School, Cleveland Middle School and Athens Junior High.

The Perkins Coordinator served as a judge for two competitions during the state Health Occupations Student Association conference in Chattanooga and attended the annual Bradley County school system CTE Advisors Appreciation Dinner as a special guest.

CLSCC will use FY 2009-10 Perkins base grant funds to conduct Focus Groups with AAS degree graduates to determine what lead them to come to Cleveland State and how Cleveland State programs assisted them in their careers. Input will also be requested on how to improve non-traditional student recruitment and what program, course and curriculum enhancements are needed to better prepare AAS degree graduates for work positions. The college currently has a Facebook for Cleveland State graduates. An announcement will be made on Facebook inviting all AAS graduates to the Focus group event. These former graduates will be asked to use the site to initiate and sustain an on-going networking group reaching out to current and prospective students. An associated blog will be advertised through normal publicity channels.

The college will promote the event through various sources. For instance, the college currently has a Facebook for Cleveland State graduates. An announcement will be made on Facebook inviting all AAS graduates to the Focus group event. These former graduates will be asked to use the site to initiate and sustain an on-going networking group reaching out to current and prospective students. An associated blog will be advertised through normal publicity channels.

Perkins base grant funds will be used in FY 2009-10 to purchase Law Enforcement simulation equipment that will enhance the Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETA) courses which is the first year of the Criminal Justice AAS degree program. For example, Flexible Rescue Randy will be used in the Criminal Justice programs at area high schools in the CLSCC service area as a valuable tool to expose high school students to the activities of rescue workers and police officers. These areas include but are not limited to training in the rescuing of a person in the art of confined space rescue, traffic crash rescues and miscellaneous home and industrial accidents. Randy will be available for high school student to simulate crime scene scenarios where students working as rescue works and police offers will practice the investigation of a crime or accident scene to prepare them for local, state and national competitions.

CLSCC has a very successful transfer of our AA and AS degree students to other in-state and out-of-state four year institutions. Transfer agreements exist to some four-year private colleges for our AAS business graduates. An agreement with University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is being pursued for transfer of AAS construction majors. The Perkins coordinator will work to expand this transferability for more of our AAS degree students.

At the Vonore campus site, the college is developing a Marine Technology Institute for Boating Industry. The second year (FY 2009-10), $10,000 in Perkins Funds will be requested to purchase equipment for the Lamination courses.

Via Perkins funds requests, during the 2008-2010 years, CLSCC will increase recruiting efforts for our Early Childhood Education AAS degree program. Via articulation agreements with our LEA’s, we will offer college course credit to high school students who have successfully completed course work and conducted twenty hours of observation.

The Perkins coordinator will continue to work with the CTE Directors in our six LEA’s to improve the existing Dual Credit agreements between CLSCC and the high schools. We will strive to offer new Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment courses that will benefit the CTE student.

Transfer agreements exist to some four-year private colleges for our AAS business graduates. An agreement with University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is being pursued for transfer of AAS construction majors. The Perkins coordinator will work to expand this transferability for more of our AAS degree students.

All courses and programs, academic and career/technical, are held to the same standards. Our courses are approved by the College’s Curriculum and Academic standards Committee. All faculty meet SACS criteria for subject taught. Additional standards are met through accreditation of Nursing, Medical Assistant and Industrial Technology majors.

Application of knowledge to an industry setting is integrated into all CTE courses, many of which require a hands-on, lab experience. Through our Co-Op programs, students have an opportunity to gain work experience. The Nursing, Medical Assistant and Early Childhood Education programs require clinical and practical experiences.

Many faculty members are active members of professional organizations. Perkins funds will be used for professional development sessions.

During CLSCC in-service programs, Perkins funds will be requested to contract with a consultant/expert to present “Student Engagement – Meet Students At The Front Door” workshop for faculty and staff, which will assist them in making students feel comfortable with their transition into college. There will also be another consultant/expert contracted to teach faculty and staff members how to integrate academic courses with CTE courses.

A KUDER expert will train faculty and staff on using the KUDER assessment tool. This presentation will be done at no charge to the grant or college.

The college has established several Advisory Councils for Business and Technology, Industrial Technology, Medical Assistant, Nursing, Public and Government Service, Tellico Education Consortium for Business and Industry, Early Childhood Education and Emergency Medical Technician. As a minimum, these councils meet once a year and several meet two or three times each year.

The college has met with boating industry representatives and they have formed new Marine Technology Advisory Council.

To strengthen the new Construction Technology Concentration, AAS Degree, a new Advisory Council has been formed that includes our business and industry sponsors, Habitat for Humanity and the Ocoee Region Builders Association. These organizations assist in the implementation of the Construction Technology applications into building zero energy housing.

The Medical Assistant program, Nursing and Industrial Technology majors are nationally accredited. Non-accredited programs are subject to peer review under Tennessee Board of Regents and Tennessee Higher Education Commission performance funding guidelines. These guidelines require a test of general education competencies and program tests and license exams measure student competencies.


Advisory Committees are utilized to gain input into course content and program offerings. In addition to advisory groups, frequent visits are made to businesses and industries in the Cleveland State five-county service area to discuss training needs with plant managers, and human resource personnel, which involve responding to educational and training needs for current and future employees.

The Curriculum and Standards Committee monitors course and program changes. Performance funding measures graduation rates and placement rates. Selected programs are measured by outside accrediting agencies.

The Perkins staff will request monthly assessments from the employees that implement portions of the grant. For instance, in the Nursing Department, the academic coaches will be assessed on the success of students, for example, their classroom assignments and test scores, retention rate, graduation rate and ultimately their scores on the NCLEX exam.

The Coordinator of Adult Services, located in the ACCESS Center, works specifically with non-traditional/adult students. Through that office, students are provided a variety of supportive services, including career counseling, educational workshops, mentoring and other small group support, and academic skills assistance.

The ACCESS Center also houses the Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs, who works to recruit and assist students from a variety of racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Since CLSCC inception forty years ago, it has maintained a Financial Aid office which assists students completing applications for Pell grants and U.S Department of Education Stanford subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

Cleveland State Community College markets and recruits to diverse student populations including but not limited to individuals preparing for gender non-traditional careers, displaced homemakers, those with disabilities through Student Development representatives that specialize in working with these various populations.

The Business and Technology Division will continue to coordinate with the following ACCESS Center staff: Adult Services Department (serves non-traditional/adult students), the Coordinator of Disability Support Services (assists students with accommodations to learn effectively in the classroom), and the Coordinator of Minority Services (recruits programs to minority students).

The Perkins Coordinator will work with the college’s Allied Health Coordinator and Recruiters to market the nursing and technical fields to non-traditional students. For example, programs will be marketed to encourage males to pursue the nursing field and females will be encouraged to pursue careers in the electronics fields.

Through the CLSCC Student Services area, prospective and current students may talk with personnel that can offer guidance and other services at the Athens and Vonore locations as well as the main Cleveland campus. Career planning activities, counseling and personal development programs, disability support services, minority student programs, peer tutoring services, and testing services all contribute to programs and services designed to promote academic success, career preparation, and personal development and support the educational advancement and workforce development goals of the College and its students.

Each CLSCC student is assigned an academic advisor who will assist the student with developing career/educational goals and preparing his/her class schedule. Students should review the schedule of classes and consult with his/her academic advisor to plan a desirable schedule prior to registering.

The KUDER career interest assessment tool is available to all prospects and students free of charge.

From the Perkin IV Reserve grant, funds have been requested to enable the college to employ a temporary part-time CTE Transition Specialist dedicated to outreach for students who are participating in career and technical education programs at the six LEA’s in the CLSCC service area and to facilitate the smooth transition of secondary CTE students into the Business and Management, Office Systems Administration, Industrial Technology and General Technology AAS degree programs at Cleveland State Community College.

This individual will be housed in the Recruitment and Enrollment Development Office in the Student Services Division, and will work with other college staff that participate in college recruitment and outreach efforts. As part of the specific focus on these four CTE programs, the Integration Coordinator will meet regularly with CLSCC Business and Technology Division faculty and staff, as well as CTE directors, guidance counselors and teachers from service area high schools, to increase awareness of these four CLSCC AAS programs and their connections to secondary CTE programs and courses. One major strategy that will be employed is to develop avenues for CLSCC faculty to engage their counterparts at service area high schools to share information and curriculum, as well as to engage secondary students in learning not just their subject area, but also learning about opportunities for continuing their education beyond high school.

The communication to LEA CTE directors, guidance counselors, teachers and students of and recruitment of CTE students to existing and new Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment course offerings will also be a focus for this person.

This person will continue to assist the LEA’s in the rollout of training and implementation of the KUDER career assessment tool for students. There is no charge to the LEA, CLSCC or student for this assessment. We will produce KUDER database reports from information entered by the high school students in our six LEA’s. These reports will enable this person to target recruitment efforts, especially to special-population CTE students, based on students’ career interests from their KUDER inventory results.

In the faculty selection process, advertisement for the position will stress the need for industry-related experience, as well as academic degrees earned, to assure SACS criteria are met. CLSCC has been successful in recruiting faculty with business and industry experiences. All health education programs have faculty with professional licenses.

Perkins staff will coordinate with the CLSCC Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) staff to gather, maintain and analyze data for the Perkins IV program. For instance IRA staff will obtain data from the Banner system and provide it to Perkins staff for quarterly and annual reports. This data will be compiled and tracked within the FAUPL and CAR reports.

The IRA Director will work closely with her counterparts at the other Tennessee community colleges and with the TBR Office of Research and Assessment to ensure consistent, accurate data is collected. For those programs that do not have acceptable under-served student enrollment, Perkins staff and CLCSS personnel with work closely together to develop and implement improvement strategies.