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, [email protected]
• CPCC - Film Video Certificate Program– Paul Koehnke, [email protected]
• BSC - Certified Nurse Aide– Sara Vollmer, [email protected]
• LSCS - MSSC Certified Logistics Analyst / Technician– Linda Head, [email protected]
• JCCC - HITECH Initiative– Darcy McGrath, [email protected]
Questions?
Contact Information
Kirk White, MSN, RN, DirectorCenter for Healthcare Professionals, HCC Coleman College
