Incubating Credit Classes in Continuing Education

Presented by:

Kirk White, MSN, RN

Director, Center for Healthcare Professionals

Houston Community College Coleman College

Agenda

• Strengths of CE

• Benefits of growing programs in CE

• Examples of successes

• Lessons learned

• Q&A

CE Strengths for Success

• Quality driven with competitive pricing• Typically follows a business model• Responds quickly to community needs• Generates revenue to pay for development• Flexibility & entrepreneurial approach to

program development• Not limited by many “credit” related barriers

Poll Question #1

CE as an Incubator

• Responsiveness – often the “front line” of the college

• Leveraging of Resources – maximize what is available

• Sustainability – build it so it can stand on it’s own

Responsiveness

• Community often comes to CE & customized training first with requests for new programs

• Used to creating new programs within weeks/months rather than years

• Frequently engaged with community groups – Chambers, Workforce Boards, Community Based Organizations

• Streamlined internal processes

Leveraging of Resources

• Sharing of faculty & expertise• Utilizing specialized classroom, lab space,

and internship sites• Joint use of expensive equipment• Sharing revenue with credit departments• Coordinating grant funded projects• Sharing program advisory commitees• Sharing community contacts / resources

Sustainability

• Building program on identified need• Building the CE program with the goal of

becoming a credit program• Integrated / cross-listed / mirror courses (or

entire program)• Flexibility for various student groups• Demonstrate success before committing

significant college resources

Poll Question #2

Models that Work• Austin Community College

– Video Game Development & Renewable Energy• Central Piedmont Community College

– Film Video Certificate Program• Bismarck State College

– Certified Nurse Aide• Lone Star College System

– MSSC Certified Logistics Analyst / Technician

•  Johnson County Community College

– HITECH Initiative

Video GameDevelopment• Began as CE certificate with specialty tracks• Advisory council with game companies• Three college departments, 2 Deans• 3 identified tracks / degrees• Joint work with credit faculty to move to

“Game Development Institute” (GDI)• GDI Director position• CE “integrated” courses & specialty topics

Renewable Energy

• Started in CE at request of industry• Several grants that leveraged funding for

resources & development• CE certifications (solar, solar thermal, sales)

and credit specialization (solar)• Shared equipment, space and faculty• Focus on “women in green” jobs• I-35 Corridor Consortium & TREEC

Film VideoCertificate Program• First course developed by CE entitled "The Art of

Production“• Soon converted to credit course “Videography I”• Success of course led to a hybrid certificate program

in Film/Video• Credit courses: Videography I; Vidoegraphy II• CE Courses: Studio Videography; Production I;

Production II; Video Editing I; Film Editing • Provides either a workforce certificate or part of an

Associates of Fine Arts

Certified Nurse Aide

• CE CNA program began over 15 years ago• During that time BSC added credit nursing programs

(LPN and ADN)• CE CNA became prerequisite to nursing programs • Credit nursing department suggested offering CNA

both CE and credit (allow for access to financial aid)• CE and credit collaborated to work out the details• Now offered as integrated / cross-listed course (CE

and credit students in same classroom)• Provides 2 credit hours for nursing track students

MSSC Certified Logistics Analyst / Technician • CE run grant funded project with Workforce Solutions• Supply chain logistics and certification through the Manufacturing

Skill Standards Council (MSSC) • Results in Certified Logistics Analyst (CLA) and Certified

Logistics Technician (CLT) • Success of program prompted collaboration with credit logistics

curriculum team and CE• CLA (36 hours) plus CLT (36 hours) now equals 3 hour credit

course (Introduction to Business Logistics)• Credit course is pathway to 3 credit awards (Basic Logistics

Certificate, First Line Logistics Leader Certificate, or A.A.S. in Logistic Management)

HITECH Initiative

• Part of the Midwest Community College HIT Consortium

• Federally grant funded HITECH curriculum (20 modules)

• Collaboration of credit and CE faculty in health care and information systems departments

• Initially delivered in hybrid format through CE to meet grant timeline

• Developed two credit certificates (one provided by JCCC, one by Hutchinson Community College) covering entire state of Kansas

Poll Question #3

Lessons Learned

• Importance of departments collaborating to develop programs

• Developing with the end in mind– Credit course hour requirements– Credit faculty credentials– Ease of transition / articulation for students– Who “owns” the program after it grows into

a credit program?

More Lessons Learned

• Involve the college registrar to address transcript issues (conversion of credit, letter grades for CE courses)

• Students need to be recognized by the college as a “student” regardless of how they are registered (CE or Credit)

• All college resources need to be available to all students (advising, library, etc)

• Shared commitment to quality instruction for both CE and credit options

College CE Contacts• ACC - Video Game Development & Renewable Energy

– Hector Aguilar, haguilar@austincc.edu

• CPCC - Film Video Certificate Program– Paul Koehnke, Paul.Koehnke@cpcc.edu

• BSC - Certified Nurse Aide– Sara Vollmer, sara.vollmer@bismarckstate.edu

• LSCS - MSSC Certified Logistics Analyst / Technician– Linda Head, lhead@lonestar.edu

• JCCC - HITECH Initiative– Darcy McGrath, dmcgrat1@jccc.edu

Questions?

Contact Information

Kirk White, MSN, RN, DirectorCenter for Healthcare Professionals, HCC Coleman College

kirk.white@hccs.edu