Articulation Agreements

Shane Keene, DHSC, RRT-NPS, CPFT, RPSGT, RST, FAARC

Program Director, Respiratory Therapy Program

Department Head, Analytical and Diagnostic Sciences

University of Cincinnati

Disclaimer

• I serve as a Commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

• Any statements or observations within this presentation that are not of an objective nature (numerically driven) are my personal insight and opinion and are not endorsed by any organization

AARC Strategic Plan

• Support existing educational programs in colleges and universities.

• Support existing and future articulation agreements between associate and baccalaureate respiratory therapy programs or a health science field.

• Expedite the continuing development of baccalaureate and graduate degree education in respiratory care with the goal of the baccalaureate degree as entry level

Purpose• An articulation agreement in your program

means there is no question as to what will transfer — the agreement between the two institutions spells it out for you. No waiting to see what counts for the student!

• Promotes transparency and helps students make informed choices.

• Increases program visibility from a marketing aspect

Dispersion of Programs

• Associate degree 85% (374 programs)

• Baccalaureate degree 14% (61 programs)

• Master’s degree <1% (3 programs)

Grounded BS Programs

• The associate degree is the only degree offered in DC and 22 states.

• The baccalaureate degree is offered in 28 states.

• Geography prohibits access to grounded BS programs for the majority of students

• Economics will prohibit the start of many new grounded BS programs

Baccalaureate Degree Programs (Entry into RC Profession)

1

1

1

4

2

1

1

3

2

1

2 3

1

3

1

5

1

2 2

12

2 1

6

4

Alaska Hawaii

N = 61 as of January 2015Red = No programs in that state (22)

Respiratory Care Degree Advancement Programs

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1 4

1

3

1

5

1

1 4

1

1

1

3

6

Alaska Hawaii

N = 49 as of January 2015Red = No programs in that state (20)

Green = AS to BSBlue = BS to MSPurple = Both Types

Combined Entry and Degree Advancement RC Programs

2

2

2

6

2

2

1

2

2

4

3

1

3 7

2

6

2

10

2

3 6

1

11

2

1

9

10

Alaska HawaiiN = 110 as of January 2015

Red = No programs in that state (17)

Green = Entry OnlyBlue = DA OnlyPurple = Both Types

BS Completion Model

• Associate to Bachelors is currently the easiest model for students to achieve an advanced degree

• Baccaulerate completion programs are growing and readily available online

• Students are looking for options to remain working full-time while completing their degree

Things to Consider

• Special Course Stipulations

• Accreditation

• State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement

Special Course Stipulations

• The purpose of articulation is a seamless transition for a student transferring from one program granting a degree to another program granting a higher level degree

• General education requirements generally have to be met, but try to avoid tacking on special courses.

• Additional courses outside of the curriculum increase student cost and time to completion

Accreditation• Generally regionally accredited institutions

will only enter into agreements with other regionally accredited organizations

• There are several nationally accredited programs with excellent NBRC pass rates that may or may not meet the general education requirements for your institution.

• Check with your articulation coordinator for specifics

SARA• State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements

– States and territories regulate higher education within their borders with varying requirements for out of state institutions

– Cross-state online education offered by colleges and universities is expanding rapidly

– SARA offers one location for member states to receive authorization without each institution having to seek individual state authorization

– Currently 28 states are members. Southern states will most likely be the last to join because of a previous compact that is still in place

Physical Presence

• Bachelors or Masters programs that are operating outside of their state and require any physical presence to meet a program requirement in the students home state may spark a physical presence and require a state authorization

• In some states developing an articulation with an organization outside of the state may count as physical presence.

Thanks!

Shane Keene

Shane.keene@uc.edu

423-335-0297

References• American Association for Respiratory Care

http://www.aarc.org/aarc/mission-statement/

• Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (2015). 2014 Report on Accreditation in Respiratory Care Education. Retrieved from http://www.coarc.com/

• Nc-sara. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2015, from http://nc-sara.org/