Undergraduate Biology Education July 16, 2009

Elaine A. Johnson, PhD, Bio-Link Director

Is Education the Answer ?

In today’s global, knowledge-driven economy, a world-class education system is clearly necessary for competitive success

It is not sufficientA college degree is no guarantee of a good, secure

job

David Finegold, Dean, Rutgers’ School of Management and Labor Relations

Community Colleges Play Central Economic Role in the Changing Economy

“And I think that it is crucially important for us to reduce the income inequality in this county. And I the way that one has to do that, by any means that I can see, is through education. And I must say to you, the community colleges in this country have been in the forefront of a major change in the quality of what we are doing with respect to re-establishing skills.”

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, Feb, 2004

U.S. Post-secondary Students

More than 70% of all post-secondary students are non-traditional.

National Chamber of Commerce

Non-traditional– Over the age of 23– Independent of parental financial support– Seeking additional training to enter workforce

ATEAdvanced Technological Education

• Mandate from US Congress in 1992 • Two-year college emphasis• Focus on education of technicians• High technology fields that drive economy• Involves partnerships

– Academic – Employers

• Career pathways: K-12 CCUniversity

Bio-LinkNSF ATE National Center

Building a network that strengthen and expand biotechnology technician education at community and technical colleges to:

1. Enlarge and diversify the technician workforce 2. Meet industry’s growing needs for trained

technicians 3. Make high-quality training in all aspects of

biotechnology available to all students

Bio-Link Resources

Nearly 3,000 participated in Bio-Link workshops All regions of nation for community college & high school teachers, counselors, & industry professionals. Impact on over 280,000 students

Website with Curriculum & Instructional Materials,Listserv, job posting, career informationFaculty & student internshipsSummer Fellows & BIO ConferenceIndustry instructors in many programs$ 2.6 million in distribution of equipment &

supplies

Need for Change

Shift in the industry changes the type of workforce

National trends in technician educationFrom traditional academic to include skillsFrom defined disciplines to cross disciplinaryFrom traditional classrooms to experiential situations such as internships

www.aacc.nche.edu

Bio-Link Depot Happy Teachers

Elaine Johnson, Ph.D.Bio-Link Principal Investigator and Director

City College of San Franciscoejohnson@biolink.ucsf.edu

www.bio-link.org