Perkins End of Year Evaluation South Piedmont Community College

Perkins funding made a difference at our college by: ensuring that the student learning outcomes and program outcomes in Career and Technical Education programs, such as Welding, Advertising and Graphic Design, Basic Law Enforcement Training, Mechatronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Industrial Systems, were met through the purchase of new equipment and supplies. providing Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, and Advertising and Graphic Design students and instructors with the necessary tools needed for various certifications and certificates. allowing curriculum Welding students to get visual and hands-on training in manual cutting processes. reducing textbook costs by making available coding manuals to Medical Office Administration students. providing Early Childhood Education students access to a new and popular technology they will likely encounter in the workforce.

Perkins funding made a difference at our college by: (continued) providing much needed equipment for enhancing the lab experiences in curriculum health programs. ensuring that students in curriculum health programs have the opportunity to train for the workforce on state-of-the-art equipment. providing innovative applications for Medical Assisting students, such as technology for navigating Electronic Medical Records. providing additional opportunities for curriculum CTE students with documented disabilities to access assistive technology, such as, web- based speech-to-text and text-to-speech software, which will enhance student success.

Examples of our college’s best practices using Perkins funds: Faculty drive the selection of equipment, tools, and professional development. For example, Career and Technical Education faculty submit proposals to the Perkins liaison with rationale for their request and how this will benefit student learning. Proposals are selected based on need and number of students impacted. Funds are utilized in areas where there may otherwise be none available for the acquisition of needed equipment.

Our College Perkins Team: NameTitle Phone Elaine ClodfelterVice President of Student Services & Student Title IX Coordinator Angela BurlesonAssistant to the Vice President of Student Services & Student Title IX Coordinator Joyce LongVice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Maria LanderDean of Applied Science and Technology

1. We strengthened the academic, career, and technical skills of our students by: providing students with quality hands-on experiences. For example, with the stick rod oven purchased for the curriculum Welding program, welding rods can be stored correctly at the right temperature. When using correctly stored E7018 rods, students may produce excellent, sound welds. allowing Electrical and Industrial students the opportunity to create, design, and implement solutions to real-world problems. Perkins funds were used to obtain equipment/supplies that allowed the students and the instructor the ability to wire, test, and diagnose multiple electrical configurations, scenarios, and equipment that was not possible with the previous old and outdated equipment. making Medical Office Administration students more marketable by providing hands-on experiences using the most current coding manuals. exposing students to current technology that they may list on their resumes. For example, Early Childhood Education students may list the development of activities for interactive screens on their resumes.

1. We strengthened the academic, career, and technical skills of our students by: (continued) updating equipment in our curriculum health program labs: Examples include: leasing state-of-the-art sonography equipment that serves three programs in the Medical Sonography program purchasing refurbished portable units that provide curriculum Abdomen and Cardiac programs with “portable” equipment which allows scans to be done in multiple locations purchasing laptop computers for the Medical Assisting students to allow them the opportunity to learn “hands-on” in the lab on how to use and navigate through the Electronic Medical Record purchasing IV simulators for Medical Assisting which has reduced the need for students to practice sticks on one another

2. We linked career and technical education at the secondary level with career and technical education at the postsecondary level: Regular meetings are held with Career and Technical Education Directors from the two counties that we serve (Union and Anson). In addition, local employers and technical education high school teachers are invited to our Advisory Committee meetings. In August 2015, SPCC’s President, the Dean of Applied Science and Technology, the Work-based Learning Director, and Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) faculty met with Killingsworth Environmental executives to discuss HVAC-R pathways opportunities for students starting in high school. Input from the CTE directors is used when creating CTE pathways. Two high school to community college pathways were created for Cyber Crime Technology and Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology in collaboration with Union County Public Schools (UCPS) and seven with Anson County Public Schools (ACPS) for Youth Career Connect (YCC). These pathways are in Nurse Aide, Medical Assisting, Information Technology, Web Administration, Mechatronics, Industrial Systems, and basic Manufacturing. Similar high school and community college courses are reviewed to determine potential local articulation agreements. In April 2016, SPCC and UCPS signed a local articulation agreement for two HVAC-R courses - Introduction to Refrigeration and HVACR Electricity - as a result of these course reviews. A brochure for potential YCC students was designed in collaboration with YCC administrators, high school principals, and ACPS CTE Director listing pathways and grade availability. A VEX robotics competition was held in April in which local middle and high school teams and college teams participated.

3. We provided students with strong experience in, and understanding of all aspects of an industry by: offering summer camps to high school students in the areas of manufacturing, construction, cyber crime, and healthcare. taking students on field trips to local manufacturing, healthcare, business, and law enforcement facilities. attending college fairs at local high schools in Anson and Union counties. providing hands-on activities using industry standard equipment and software. encouraging faculty to participate in professional development in their discipline field and in the field of education. providing students with opportunities to complete work-based learning (WBL) to satisfy elective credit in most curriculum CTE degree programs. providing real world simulations by providing state-of-the-art equipment in the health program labs.

4. We developed, improved, or expanded the use of technology in career and technical education by: purchasing the supplies needed to implement and create 3D design projects which are required for classes in the Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs. allowing state-of-the-art equipment training for all students in the Advertising and Graphic Design program. Students may now scan their work, resize, rescan, and produce large-scale work. giving Medical Office Administration students access to the most current coding information. Links and websites from supplied coding manuals provide students with resources for correcting coding errors and billing forms. allowing Early Childhood Education students to build and practice skills on the interactive board just as they would in the classroom as the teacher. replacing old equipment in health programs. using purchased equipment to perform community health screening opportunities, which provide our students with real life, hands-on experience.

5. We provided professional development by: offering onsite training to faculty and staff on SmartBoard, an interactive whiteboard technology. providing funds for faculty to attend conferences. An example includes, an Information Technology faculty member attended the NCCIA conference and received the MS Security Fundamentals certification offering workshops in diversity and inclusion to college staff and faculty using the expertise of Human Services faculty. Examples include, “Different Like Me” and “Transgender Students in the Classroom: What Every Faculty Should Know” providing training to counseling staff on transcription/closed captioning to provide better real-time course access to CTE students with disability accommodations. providing annual disability service training through NC AHEAD (Association on Higher Education And Disability).

6. We developed and implemented evaluations of our career and technical education programs by: following the college’s assessment plan (Program Review) for assessing program outcomes in Career and Technical Education programs. requiring students in courses where program outcomes are assessed to submit required artifacts in TaskStream, an assessment management software. analyzing assessment data and developing continuous improvement plans. following the program review plan for reviewing programs and developing and implementing improvement plans based on the findings. maintaining Accreditation Status for health programs.

7. We Initiated, improved, expanded, and modernized quality career and technical education programs, including relevant technology by: purchasing necessary equipment/supplies that offer Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering students the ability to design, produce, and analyze machined parts that coincide with what will be expected of them when entering the workforce. In order to adhere to current industry standards, students must have precise measuring tools and equipment capable of producing high caliber parts with minimal tolerances. providing Medical Office Administration students with realistic and relevant situations. Students work directly with billing and coding software. Utilizing the software, along with the coding manuals, makes the experience more applicable to their professional experiences. introducing Early Childhood Education students to interactive technology that may not have been in existence when they were first in school. upgrading equipment and software in all programs to match industry standards.

8. We provided services and activities that are of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be effective as evidenced by: reducing class sizes for Automotive Technology, Culinary, and Welding courses. increasing CTE classes offered at local high schools by 20%. graduating the first 24 completers of CTE pathways. complying with Accreditation Standards for health programs. focusing on retention and completion in CTE programs.

9. We provided activities to prepare special population students who are enrolled in CTE courses by: providing personalized career counseling and assessments to students to better align their interests with industry opportunities. providing individualized advising sessions to create customized advising plans to help student achieve degree completion. providing mock interviewing appointments, resume writing workshops, and presentations for career development. providing information on opportunities for local and regional employment through the following media outlets: Gmail blasts, virtual career board posting, and flyers. providing workshops on strategies for work-life balance, time- management, and success in the online classroom.

9. We provided activities to prepare special population students who are enrolled in CTE courses by: (continued) featuring a female Welding Technology student on our web site. providing an inclusive environment where all students can thrive. creating high-demand health CTE pathways in the following program areas: Medical Assisting (Diploma and/or Associate degrees) Certified Nursing Assistant (Diploma Practical Nursing, Degrees in Nursing & Medical Sonography) Emergency Medical Science (Degree Emergency Medical Science)

Closing Thoughts Perkins funding allows students in our CTE programs to “keep up” with the ever changing technology that is present in the healthcare and industrial areas. By enrolling in CTE pathways, high school students may get a “jump start” in the careers of their choice, thus helping them to achieve a more effective transition into the workforce.