The following steps were used to develop the local plan:
• Recommendations of the program advisory boards were discussed with faculty and staff in the programs;
• Meetings with department heads and lead faculty were conducted;
• Discussions with the Vice President of Academic Services were held; and
• Grant document was prepared by the Project Coordinator and the Director of Grants Management
• Document was reviewed and revised by Vice President of Academic Services.

Columbia State Community College’s plan for Perkins Career and Technical Education is designed to provide consistent growth during the next two years (2008-2009; 2009-2010). The plan for the upcoming two years consists of the following goals:
1. Improve agreed upon performance measures;
2. Strengthen CTE programs by updating equioment (Yr 1: EMT; Yr 2: Film Technology; Respiratory Care and Radiologic Technology);
3. Provide enrichment opportunities for students to improve retention, classroom performance and test performance (Yr 1: Vet Tech, Radiology Tech and Respiratory Care; Yr 2: EMT, Nursing);
4. Continue developing linkages between secondary and postsecondary programs
5. Strengthen advisory board participation (Yr. 1: identify best practices; Yr.2: implement best practices).
The plan is devised to provide the college with a comprehensive plan to improve the CTE programs at Columbia State methodically.

Columbia State’s baseline of 93.14% currently is ahead of the state goal of 92% for technical skill attainment. However, it is the college’s goal to increase the percentage.

1P1-01: Contract with a consultant in the field with exam prep expertise to deliver an exam prep course for Respiratory Care, Radiologic Technology, and Nursing.

1P1-02: Incorporate software purchased with 2007-2008 Perkins funding into Respiratory Care program to assist students with exam preparation.

Columbia State’s baseline of CTE concentrators receiving a credential, certificate or degree is 49.92%. The established goal for 2009-2010 is to increase the percentage to 50.08%. The following activities will be directed to achieving this goal:
2P1-01: Enrichment instruction in Radiological Technology, Veterinary Technology, Business Information Technology and Business Management will be provided for students to provide additional program specific support. The enrichment program will be targeted to the historically challenging classes.
2P1-02: Based on success achieved in the Accelerated Business Management program, the college will develop and institute an Accelerated Business Information Technology program. Although this is fully funded through the college’s resources and does not require Perkins funding, we believe it will have a significant impact on increasing graduation rates.

The current baseline for retention and transfer rates of CTE concentrators is 76.23%, and this meets the current state guidelines. However, improvement in all areas is a goal of the college, and we would like to see improvement in this area.
3P1-01: Nursing is the college’s largest AAS program, and we are currently in the process of changing the admissions/readmissions standards for the program. Beginning in Fall 2008, students seeking admission to the program must complete a standardized entrance examination to be admitted to the program. The department believes this exam is a good indicator of future success in the program and admissions based on the exam should increase overall performance. The cost for the testing will be funded by the college’s existing funding structure.
3P1-02: The college currently has a strong transfer articulation process in place with Trevecca University. The college plans to expand transfer articulation agreements to Austin Peay State University and Middle Tennessee State University.
3P1-03: College will continue to fund an on-line tutoring support system for Nursing students.

The current placement rate for CTE graduates is 88.24%, and the college’s goal for 2009-2010 increase the rate to 89.14%.
4P1-01: The college’s current job placement survey and process has been revised and will go into effect in Fall 2008. The improvement in the capture of accurate data will yield higher placement rates. By improving the information requested, assuring the completion of the survey and timely follow-up with graduates, the college will improve its data collection and show increased job placement rates for CTE concentrators.

The college must develop and implement innovative strategies to increase the baseline of 16.83% to the state goal of 17.43% in 2009-2010.

5P1-01: The college will use the web and email to communicate with undecided majors on the value of nontraditional gender careers.

5P1-02: The Office of Access and Diversity will develop and institute a targeted recruitment plan for minority non-traditional gender students.

5P1-03: College will identify non-traditional gender students who are declared majors in Pre-Allied Health and provide support services including tutoring and mentoring. It is important to provide support to these students in order to prepare them for admission to the Allied Health programs.

The college currently exceeds the state’s projected goals in this area. The current baseline is 77.08%. It appears that we are serving this population well with existing services, but we still would like to improve.

5P2-01: College will continue to offer existing services.

The integration of academics with CTE programs is accomplished through the 15 hours of general education requirements for the AAS degree programs including courses in English Composition. humanities/fine arts, science/ mathematics and social/behavioral sciences. Additionally program specific general education courses which are necessary to provide the science/math and/or social sciences foundation for study in the field are included in most degree paradigms. Integration of academics and CTE is being accomplished through utilization of local and state funds.

Columbia State has a history of working closely with secondary programs. In addition to having career pathways in all programs, except EMT, with all nine counties, the college partners with the local education agencies on grant projects when possible. The college also has a speaker’s bureau which goes to local high schools and middle schools to speak on the expectations of college and the programs which are offered. The college participates in the TN Scholars Program, and we are one of three agencies leading the P-16 initiative for the southern middle Tennessee region. These activities are being accomplished through utilization of local and state funds.

8P-01: The college will host meetings with college recruiters, advisors and community speakers to increase their awareness of the opportunities available with CTE certificates and degrees and to familiarize them with the programs. This will allow these employees to provide current information to high school students and incoming college students. The planned meetings will be conducted using already existing funds.

8P-02: The college will host a Career Fair for area high school students. One thousand students will attend and meet with training providers to gather information and hopefully narrow options for postsecondary study. In addition, smaller program fairs will be held at each of the extended campuses to provide students in those counties with the opportunity to learn more about Columbia State’s options. Perkins funds will be used to accomplish this activity.

8P-03: The college will host outreach opportunities for each campus. The activities will include high school and college faculty, administration and/or students within the service area to increase their awareness of careers and educational opportunities. Meetings may also be held to discuss articulation and dual programs.

8P-04: Have an Articulation Testing Day for high school students. Students will obtain credit for Columbia State courses which can be used toward a degree. High school faculty will see how their programs align with the college programs. It is an opportunity to build relationships and partnerships between high school and college faculty. This activity is intended to increase the number of students taking advantage of articulation agreements with the high schools.

8P-05: The college will work with the counties in the service area to develop a career pathway in EMT.

8P-06: The college will host discipline meetings with local high school faculty and college faculty to review the 2008 testing and make necessary changes.

8P-07: The college will publish a Pathways brochure to be given to all rising 8th graders and middle and high school guidance counselors in the service area. This brochure outlines a 6-year plan for study for AAS programs and shows the linkeage between high school and college.

Columbia State is currently meeting this requirement through guest speakers, co-op programs, internships, practicums and clinicals in the AAS programs. Approximately, 630 students each year are placed in work-based learning experiences In programs where students are not required to have a practicum/clinical experience, opportunities are made available for co-op experiences. It is in this area which the college can improve. It is the goal of the college to make our students more aware of the advantages of work-based learning experiences. The college will host a variety of workshops/learning sessions on work-based experiences using former students and people from the community. This will be accomplished using Perkins funding.

The College is forefront in the use of instructional technology. All classrooms are equipped with instructional presentation stations which include presenters, DVDs, computers and projectors. All teaching stations and instructional computer laboratories have high speed Internet access through wired connections. All campus locations also have wireless capabilities through out the campuses. In addition, each campus has a distance learning room equipped with interactive television capabilities, Internet access and connections to all other campuses an institutional intranet. All instructional computer labs and faculty computers are on a three year replacement cycle.

In addition to providing support for student participation in the Regents On-line Degree Program, faculty have developed their own internet and hybrid courses and all faculty have access to On-Line Campus (Desire to Learn), a class management tool which is used to support both on-line and on-ground classes.

Technology training and assistance for faculty are provided by staff in the Faculty Instructional Technology Training (FITT) Center and Instructional Technology Department and faculty members serving on the Instructional Design Team or as faculty technology mentors. These individuals assist faculty with the use of technology tools to deliver instruction and enhance teaching.

Technology for student use in learning is currently being funded primarily through TAF funding. The FITT Center is funded through local and Center of Emphasis funds from THEC. Additional non-restricted funds and funds from the Columbia State Foundation are used to support any needs not met through TAF.

Ongoing faculty professional development is essential for meeting the needs of the CTE programs. With advances in technology, teaching strategies and the hiring of new faculty, the need for professional development is always present. Perkins funding will be used to provide professional development for CTE programs in 2008-2010. The professional development will be high quality, sustained, intensive and classroom-focused in order to have a positive impact on classroom instruction and the teacher’s performance in the classroom. The planning professional development will include follow-up reports from those attending documenting their use in the classroom.

8P-08: Faculty will attend professional development in order to ensure currency and attain skill development.

Columbia State has an established institutional effectiveness plan which incorporates academic program review. The Level I Review identifies five year trends within the program, provides information for local and state level review, and identifies significant program course problems requiring program adjustments or further review. The review is conducted annually for all programs as part of the strategic planning and budget process.

Level II Review is focused on program improvement and is scheduled at least once every five years as part of a regularly scheduled program review cycle or as required by results of a Level I review. Analysis at this level is essentially a “self-study” that requires program faculty to evaluate program performance and make judgments which will provide the basis for planning for program improvement. It examines the program’s relation to the college’s purpose, the college’s mission, enrollment trends and student performance and satisfaction with the program. The curriculum, instruction, faculty development, student advisement, external relationships, adequacy of program resources, and the program’s progress in responding to the previous evaluations are analyzed. While the review emphasizes institutional concerns, it also addresses the external concerns of agencies such as TBR, THEC and SACS. Level II reviews may be conducted as accreditation visits from external accrediting agencies, program review by a peer reviewer from out of state or an academic audit committee composed of reviewers from other TBR institutions.

In addition, it is the goal of Columbia State that all accreditable CTE programs be accredited.

8P-09: The Business and Technology Division which includes the CTE programs -Business Management and Business Information Technology will continue working on initial accreditation. Seeking accreditation will encourage the program faculty to review program outcomes, assessments, and needs of constituents. This should result in better programs and processes.

8P-10: Explore and review best practices in advisory board development and investigate the use of advisory boards in CTE program evaluation. The college will evaluate its current advisory board effectiveness.

The focus for improvement in CTE programs for 2008-2010 will be in EMT. The EMT program feeds into a General Technology AAS degree. With a new director, the program is looking to improve and expand over the next two years.

8P-11: Upgrade the EMT program with new equipment.

Columbia State commits a significant amount of funding toward the provision of student services. The college offers the following programs:

a. The Academic Success Center is an open learning environment designed to provide individual students with academic support and access. The Center provides tutoring in math, writing, accounting, respiratory care and the sciences. Other subjects can be added if a need arises and tutors can be hired. The advising program works with students to plan their academic and career goals. A new advising process - Right Start- has been initialed this year. It will be refined and, ultimately will result in every degree and certificate seeking student having an individual learning plan. The SAGE program targets non-traditional students to provide support services.

b. Career Services works with students seeking help with career planning or job search. They also work with prospective students in exploring career and education options.

c. The Student Success Counseling program is designed to assist students with developing the skills and strategies needed to become effective, lifelong learners. The program assists students with setting goals, making the transition to college, time management, stress management, campus and community referrals, test anxiety and connecting to peer support.

d. The Office of Access and Diversity endeavors to provide leadership in developing and implementing programs, activities and initiatives that will heighten the awareness, presence and success of ethnic minorities and other under-represented groups including faculty, staff and students on the campus of Columbia State Community College. The office focuses efforts on transition activities, financial aid opportunities, and leadership training.

The college departments – Access and Diversity, Disability Services, and the SAGE program within the Academic Success Center-all focus on serving special populations. The college’s early alert warning system which identifies and refers at-risk students to services allows these students to be targeted for additional support. The first critical step in preparing them for high skill, high wage or high demand occupations is in advising. The advisors on the campus are familiar with all of the college’s programs, and through the Tech Prep program, they are aware of the benefits of two-year degrees. The college also uses testing to place students in classes where they can be most successful, and if lacking college readiness skills, can develop these skills before entering college level classes and CTE programs.

Give an overview of how the institution will offer not less than one opportunity per Local Education Agency for secondary students to obtain early college credit. Identify and describe any existing associate to baccalaureate linkages within career and technical or other occupational education. Explain how Perkins funds will be utilized to improve or expand links between upper- and lower-level institutions and schools. [Attach EXCEL “Transition Opportunity” worksheet]Currently the college has articulation agreements with each LEA for several courses in our AAS programs. Also, each college course is available for high school students to enroll in if they meet admission and prerequisite requirements. The college currently has a strong transfer articulation process in place with Trevecca University. The college plans to expand transfer articulation agreements to Austin Peay State University and Middle Tennessee State University. Perkins funds will be utilized to improve links by funding the Career Fair, local campus events, Testing Day, discipline meetings for secondary and post-secondary faculty, and Pathways brochures. Other events may occur with college funding and/or Perkins funding that also strengthen these links.

Columbia State is committed to quality education for all students. The college ensures academic quality through program review. Every program at the college is developing student learning outcomes based on the latest national standards for every course in the program. General education requirements have been identified and learning outcomes developed. All AAS students must complete 15 hours of general education requirements. Whether enrolled in academic classes or career and technical classes, all students must meet the quality student learning outcomes. In our career and technical programs, national accrediting standards are in place and national licensure exams are administered. The Business Management and Business Information Technology programs are currently undergoing accreditation procedures. Horticulture, Early Childhood Education, General Technology and Criminal Justice do not have to be nationally accredited, but each of the programs have developed student learning outcomes based on industry standards.

The career and technical programs that include some type of work-based activity are: Nursing, Respiratory Care, Radiologic Technology, Horticulture, and Early Childhood Education. The clinical/practicum experiences required for these programs provide students with experience and an understanding of all aspects of an industry. The Business Management and Business Information Technology programs are open to co-op experiences. In addition, the curriculum is designed to provide students with an understanding of the industry. Instructors use a variety of methods to expose students to the industry including: research projects, guest speakers, interviews, etc.

Professional development has always been important to the college. Both institutional funds and Perkins funds are utilized to increase the faculty’s knowledge and skills. Both onsite training and travel to other workshops and conferences are utilized to improve teaching and personal knowledge. Decisions of which activities to fund are based upon activity benefit to the college, division, department and individual. The wider the level of impact, the more likely the training is to be college funded. Personnel are encouraged to pursue activities at their own expense with the college allowing release time.

The college currently has active advisory committees in place for each career and technical program. The committees are comprised of members from the leading employers and professionals working in the field. Committees meet at least once annually to review curriculum and course offerings and assess the effectiveness of the programs. During the Perkins transition year, the college replaced any departing committee members and updated the advisory committee handbooks.

Columbia State assures that career and technical education programs meet national, state or regional business and industry standards through several review processes. Each of the programs has an active advisory board comprised of business and industry leaders who work with faculty to review and revise course content. Columbia State also has a program review process comprised of two levels, an annual review which looks at viability factors and problem areas and a five year review which examines curriculum and other factors related to student learning. Additionally, as part of the Performance Funding Report mandated by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, each unaccredited program undergoes a peer evaluation by evaluators from outside the state or an academic program audit by faculty from within the TBR system. Two Business and Technology division programs are currently undergoing a national accreditation process. Once completed, all of the CTE programs will be nationally accredited. The four nationally accredited health care programs conduct a self-study and undergo a site visit by their accrediting agencies as scheduled by the agencies in order to maintain their accreditation.

Columbia State has an established institutional effectiveness plan which incorporates academic program review. The Level I Review identifies five year trends within the program, provides information for local and state level review, and identifies significant program course problems requiring program adjustments or further review. The review is conducted annually for all programs as part of the strategic planning and budget process.

Level II Review is focused on program improvement and is scheduled at least once every five years as part of a regularly scheduled program review cycle or as required by results of a Level I review. Analysis at this level is essentially a “self-study” that requires program faculty to evaluate program performance and make judgments which will provide the basis for planning for program improvement. It examines the program’s relation to the college’s purpose, the college’s mission, enrollment trends and student performance and satisfaction with the program. The curriculum, instruction, faculty development, student advisement, external relationships, adequacy of program resources, and the program’s progress in responding to the previous evaluations are analyzed. While the review emphasizes institutional concerns, it also addresses the external concerns of agencies such as TBR, THEC and SACS. Level II reviews may be conducted as accreditation visits from external accrediting agencies, program review by a peer reviewer from out of state or an academic audit committee composed of reviewers from other TBR institutions.

In addition, it is the goal of Columbia State that all accreditable CTE programs be accredited. This year, the Business and Technology Division which includes the CTE programs -Business Management and Business Information Technology are working on initial accreditation applications. Early Childhood Education will begin the process for the next THEC Performance Funding cycle (2011-2015).

Columbia State is dedicated to providing services and transition activities for special populations. The disability services office provides disability support services in a variety of ways. Examples of these services include, but are not limited to, providing support counseling, coordinating community resources, providing information for faculty regarding disabilities, serving as an advocate for students, securing special adaptive equipment and aids, and providing individuals to assist with taking notes, tutoring and other special testing and classroom accommodations.

It is the policy of Columbia State that no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity on the basis of gender. Columbia State shall ensure that equal opportunity and nondiscrimination exist for all students without regard to gender, including but not limited to, the following: (1) recruitment and admission; (2) academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training and other education programs; (3) rules on student life activities; (4) facilities; (5) access to course offerings; (6) counseling; (7) financial assistance; and (8) employment assistance.

Perkins funds will be used over the next two years to target minority males and females to nontraditional occupations. Nontraditional careers often offer higher wage jobs, and it is important to make the minority populations aware of the opportunities in these areas. The Office of Access and Diversity will identify minorities currently enrolled in nontraditional gender programs, meet with the students and work with them to develop a plan for graduation. The plan will include linking the students with services provided by the college. In addition, the Office of Access and Diversity will identify the nontraditional gender students enrolled in the pre-Allied Health programs, and work to provide the support services needed to prepare them for entry into the program.

The following services are provided for students:
• The Academic Success Center provides new student advising, tutoring, computer-assisted tutorials, on-line tutoring and workshops on technology skills and study skills. This center is open to all students free-of-charge and has a presence at all five Columbia State campuses.
• The Counseling Center provides student support services such as goal setting, communication skills, time management skills, organizational skills, conflict resolution and dealing with test anxiety. The center is open to all students free-of-charge.
• The Career Resource Center is designed to help students with career planning and the job search process. The center consists of PC workstations with phone and fax capabilities. Students may receive assistance with writing a resume, interviewing, employer research and utilizing the internet for the job search.

The college uses on-line newspaper postings in local papers and community college on-line lists to recruit locally and nationally for open positions. Once the employee is hired, there is a comprehensive professional development plan in place to improve his/her likelihood of success at the college. In addition, departments mentor new faculty and work with him/her through yearly review to improve.

The college has an established Institutional Research Department. The Director is currently training in PL/SQL in order to be able to pull the data necessary for reporting complete, accurate and reliable information including special populations. With the development of the Operational Data Storehouse in the Banner system, data will be more readily available for reporting purposes.

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