mopdf.com

Eastern West VirginiaCommunity and Technical CollegeProgram ReviewCertificate in Automotive Technology (C.A.S.)2017Submitted by: Curtis W. HakalaDivision Chair for General StudiesApproved by Assessment Committee: 10/06/2017Approved by LOT Committee: 10/16/17Approved by Cabinet: 10/24/17Approved by Board of Governors: 12/13/171

Program Review2017Certificate in Automotive Technology (C.A.S.)CIP Code: 22470604Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical CollegeProgram OverviewThe Automotive Technology (ATT) CAS program provides a technical education at the certificate degreelevel. Through instruction and practical application, students gain knowledge and skills required of themodern automotive technician. Successful completion of the ATT CAS program will allow graduates toenter the workforce at the technician level. They are prepared to apply the knowledge and skillsdeveloped in lectures and laboratories to diagnose, trouble shoot, and repair today’s complex vehicles.The ATT curriculum prepares graduates to work in dealerships, independent repair facilities, automotivesuppliers, distributorships, and sales. The graduate is prepared to become self-employed in the automotiverepair field. Typical salaries for automotive technicians in our area range from 12 to 18 dollars perhour. In addition, most larger maintenance shops include medical benefits.Significant features of the ATT program are the actual hours of “hands on” experience. Many of thestudents entering this degree program are tactile learners and tend not to do as well in lecture onlycourses. Eastern has designed the courses not only to teach the basics and fundamentals, but also to helpstudents understand why they need to learn these functions. The program incorporated multipleinstructional methods to address diverse learning styles.The thirty hours of ATT instruction is designed to allow a student to obtain a certificate-level education;students select classes from the following course sequence in the ATT CAS program:First Year—Fall SemesterDept.Course TitleFirst Year—Spring SemesterSem. Hrs.ATT103Engine Repair4ATT105Braking Systems4ATT107Suspension & Steering4ENL101English Composition I3Total Semester Hours15Dept.Course TitleAutomotiveATT 124Electricity/Electronics IAutomotive HeatingATT 128and Air ConditioningAutomotiveATT 205Electricity/Electronics IIMathematics ElectiveElective(MTH 115 or higher)Total Semester HoursSem. Hrs.444315Upon completion of this degree, graduates will be able to:1. Apply accepted safety and health practices in the workplace.2. Use proper tools and instrumentation to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair braking systems.3. Use proper tools and instrumentation to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair automotive suspensionand steering systems.4. Use proper tools and instrumentation to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair automotive engines.5. Use proper tools and instrumentation to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair automotive electricaland electronic systems and components.2

6. Use proper tools and instrumentation to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair automotive heatingsystems.7. Use proper tools and instrumentation to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair automotive airconditioning systems.8. Apply effective written communication and computation skills.9. Demonstrate computer literacy.Synopsis of Significant Findings: Meeting Learning OutcomesFourteen Course Assessment reports were submitted between Spring 2013 and Spring 2016. Of these, 12(86%) showed that 75% or more of their learning outcomes had been met. Full data from submittedCourse Assessment reports can be found in Appendix A.The two reports, which showed that the benchmark had not been met, were distributed as follows:ENL 101 – 1MTH 115 – 1ENL 101: English Composition I The next Course Assessment report is due Fall 2017.The combined pass rate of the four sections offered in Fall 2016 was 96%.MTH 115: Business Math The last Course Assessment report was completed in Fall 2016, where 1 of 4 outcomes was metat 75% or greater. The next Course Assessment report is due Fall 2018.The pass rate of the one section offered in Fall 2016 was 70%.In the absence of current Course Assessment reports, the most recent examination of the last availableresults suggest that the above courses are currently functioning adequately, and immediate investigationand intervention is not needed. Writers of the next Course Assessment reports for these courses should, asa matter of course, review previous reports and continue to address Learning Outcomes that have not beenmet to the 75% benchmark.Plans for Program ImprovementThe program was developed with the help of local industries throughout Eastern’s six county servicedistrict. The goals of the program were to educate individuals to help them move to higher level positionswithin automotive repair shops and to help supply future needs for automotive technicians. Discussions ofhaving “people in the pipeline” were a constant thread throughout the meetings and course development.Automotive technician employers throughout our district were involved in original discussions, and moreimportantly, were involved in continuing advisory committee meetings.Eastern has spent considerable time and resources marketing this program in the past and expected to seeincreased enrollment as a result. Unfortunately, enrollment has been consistently low over the past fiveyears; additionally, the ATT program is and expensive technical program with a small student toinstructor ratio. This will make it very difficult to be a self-sufficient program relying purely on tuition.Instructor salaries are higher as well in order to attract qualified faculty.3

The improvement plan for the ATT program begins with centering on Eastern’s program review processitself. Generating strategies to institutionalize the use of assessment data to improve student learning andsupport curriculum improvement has already begun with the creation of annual program-level assessmentreports, an adjunct assessment project, a hybrid full-time faculty/assessment facilitator position, and theadoption of Blackboard Data Analytics (BBDA) as a data tracking system. Eastern’s Annual ProgramAssessment Reports will review at least three program outcomes over designated years, which will helpEastern generate more qualitative data. The piloted adjunct assessment project has recruited part-timefaculty to conduct Master Course Record reviews, chart general education outcomes, create course-levelassessments, and generate specific course assessment plans. Also, Eastern’s recent adoption and trainingin BBDA will provide Eastern staff access to useable data, which will help analyze whether initiatives areeffective.Although Eastern follows the standard, state-wide cycle for program-level assessment and programreview in its Assessment of Student Academic Achievement Report, the feasibility of creating annualprogram level assessments for all programs is a daunting task considering the lack of full-time faculty incertain content areas and the fact that Eastern currently has only two division chairs. Altering the programassessment cycle, by giving time to collect data, could refine the assessment process.Identification of Weaknesses/DeficienciesOne of the weaknesses identified in Eastern’s ATT program included the lack of embedded certificationsor any kind of nationally recognized exit test. Beginning in December 2015, as a requirement ofgraduation, ATT graduates were required to take the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute(NOCTI) for Automotive Technicians. Table 1 compares Eastern’s student scores with NOCTI’s postsecondary national averages.Table 1: NOCTI Automotive Technician SubscoresNOCTIOutcomes123456NOCTI BrakesElectrical/ElectronicSystemsEngine PerformanceSuspension/SteeringCustomer Relations/ShopProceduresNOCTI Auto 3.566.965.458.162.875.073.982.079.245.945.0Eastern ATT CAS student scores are below the national average, based on a small sample size, andfuture program reviews will extrapolate and analyze data based on student NOCTI scores to helpimprove program deficiencies. Eastern will also develop guided pathway graphic organizers forits ATT program, which allows students to easily visualize their degree pathway to careersuccess.Another concern with the ATT program centers on enrollment. Enrollment has been erratic fromFall 2012 through Fall 2016 as seen in Table 2; additionally, the loss of the full-time automotive4

instructor position has further contributed to low enrollment resulting in the cancellation of mostATT courses in Fall 2017.Table 2: 5 Year Trend Data on Graduates and MajorsSemesterFall 2012Spring 2013Fall 2013Spring 2014Fall 2014Spring 2015Fall 2015Spring 2016Fall 8.327Full-Time (%)5 (83%)3 (75%)1 (33%)1 (50%)0 (0%)0 (0%)0 (0%)4 (100%)7 (78%)21 (75%)Graduates2012-2013: 02013-2014: 62014-2015: 32015-2016: 3Fall 2012-Spring 2016: 12Summary of Assessment Model and Utilization for Program ImprovementEastern’s assessment plan consists of three levels: entry level assessment (ACCUPLACER, SAT, ACT),active enrollment assessment (course and program assessment, student satisfaction surveys, etc.), andpost-graduation assessment (employment satisfaction survey, alumni survey, employment and salary data,etc.). Since December 2014, ATT students participated in NOCTI, which delivers a battery ofassessments for students studying career and technical programs at technical colleges in the United States.IDEA Short Form Reports (i.e. course evaluation surveys) are administered each semester in all coursesections with enrollment of six or more students. Course completion rates and student tracking studies areused as a measure of overall program success. All courses are assessed on a cyclical basis, andrecommendations for improvements are funneled into the feedback loop so that future Course Assessmentreports will address any course shortcomings. A summary of Course Assessment reports is provided inAppendix A. Of all the technical programs, the ATT program has consistently compiled CourseAssessment reports throughout this program review cycle with 100% of ATT classes meeting 75% ormore of their learning outcomes.Data on Student PlacementFrom Fall 2012 through Spring 2016, 12 students graduated with an ATT CAS major. Of these 12students, student placement data has been collected on 8 students (57% of cohort). No information wasavailable on 4 graduates: 6 students (50%) are employed full-time 2 students (16%) are employed part-time 1 student (8%) is currently enrolled in a B.A. program 0 students (0%) are currently enrolled in M.A. programs 1 student (8%) graduated with a baccalaureate degreeFinal RecommendationsThe recommendation is to discontinue offering the ATT CAS program in its current format. Similar toEastern’s AAS Nursing program, ATT classes should be offered on a two-year cohort model, wheretechnical core classes are only offered once every two years.5