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The institution ensures the quality of
educational programs/courses offered through consortia relationships or
contractual agreements, ensures ongoing compliance with the
comprehensive requirements, and evaluates the agreement against the
purpose of the institution.
_X_Compliance
___Partial Compliance ___Non-Compliance
Narrative
St. Petersburg
College is in compliance with this comprehensive standard because it
provides all coursework required for the degree programs at each degree
level. When appropriate and necessary, the College enters into
agreements for supervision or support to be provided by other accredited
institutions or entities through consortial agreements; however, Faculty
from St. Petersburg College provide all instruction and evaluation of
students.
The College does
not have any other entities providing instruction. However, other
facilities are utilized for the delivery of instruction. Such
arrangements are most often entered into in the interest of students in
education, nursing and allied health fields, or for the purpose of
providing increased access to higher education for high school students,
in accordance with direction given by the Florida Legislature.
College policy
on contracts
The Board of
Trustees has established a policy on contract administration assigning
responsibility for contracts to the College Attorney.
6Hx23-5.903 Contract
Administration. The college attorney is responsible for the review and
approval as to form and content of all written contracts to which the
College is or will be a party, with the exception of … Employment
contracts, rental of College facilities, Purchase orders, [and]
Construction contracts.
Contracts involving
clinicals are reviewed annually and revisions coordinated between all
parties and with the College Attorney.
Cooperative
Education and Internship Placements
For internship and
cooperative education placements, the College enters into agreements
with individual employers that describe the responsibilities of each
party for student supervision and evaluation, student participation
requirements, and any financial relationship. These agreements are
developed, monitored and evaluated by the originating department/program
and approved by responsible campus administrators. Through clinical
contractual agreements, education, nursing and allied health students
can engage in learning experiences at off-site locations such as
schools, hospitals or clinical laboratories. While such internships,
field work assignments, and clinical experiences have direct interaction
with non-college personnel the SPC Faculty are responsible for the
educational experiences and grading of the students.
Responsibilities
of all parties. Contracts
between St. Petersburg College and other entities are vetted by the
College Attorney to clearly delineate the responsibilities of all
parties.
Nursing clinical
training. St. Petersburg
College has an ongoing contract with All Children’s Hospital to the
hospital to provide clinical experiences for SPC students in the College
of Nursing. The contract clearly states the responsibilities of both
parties:
Excerpt from Educational Affiliation
Agreement between SPC College of Nursing and All Children’s Hospital,
Inc. on academic responsibilities
2. The Hospital agrees:
(a) to provide opportunities
for observation and practice experience for one or more students
from the Program under the supervision of Hospital personnel.
(i) to provide each assigned
student with a planned, supervised program of clinical experience.
3. The University agrees:
(a) to consult appropriate
Hospital personnel in selecting the student observation and practice
experiences.
(e) to provide the Program’s
required academic instruction and guidance.
(f) to assure each student
assigned to Hospital has completed the appropriate academic
prerequisites for the program.
(i) to provide all evaluation
forms required for the clinical experience by the University.
(j) to designate a member of
University Faculty … to coordinate the educational experience of
students participating in the Program with the Hospital Liaison.
(k) to assume overall
responsibility for developing and implementing the education program
in nursing curriculum.
(l) to be responsible for the
determination of the student’s final grade for clinical education
experience(s).
Ensuring quality of instruction.
SPC ensures the quality of
instruction by providing all academic instruction, curriculum
development, and evaluation forms, and by close coordination between the
Hospitals and the College through specific coordinators.
Provision for evaluating the agreement.
Contracts are evaluated by
all parties when up for renewal; however, SPC takes a proactive stance
when problems surface in the delivery of educational experiences in
clinical or school settings. With coordinators established at both
institutions, SPC and the cooperating institutions can intervene and
resolve problems immediately. When warranted, contracts are not
renewed. For example, one veterinary clinic was removed in Fall 2006
due to some of the practices used in the clinic that were not consistent
with good veterinary medicine or humane treatment of animals. SPC
upholds the highest ethical standards and will not place students in
this type of situation.
Teaching
internships. The College of
Education requires teacher candidates to spend a significant number of
hours (typically 170 – 200 clock hours) in actual school settings prior
to program completion. These school based experiences fall into one of
two categories: practicum experiences and the final internship (student
teaching.)
The Office of
School Partnerships within the College of Education holds the
responsibility for developing and maintaining positive relationships
with area school districts so that classroom teachers accept SPC teacher
candidates. School districts are not obliged to host College of
Education teacher candidates. When they do, it is as a matter of
professional courtesy and giving back to the profession.
The Office of
School Partnerships coordinates student candidate placements across
various counties, assigns supervisors, and monitors all aspects of
school-based experiences. The Office of School Partnerships assists the
school districts in assigning schools, Cooperating Classroom Teachers,
and grade levels. From semester to semester, the schools, teachers and
grade levels are subject to change. This same process occurs for both
practicum level and final internship placements. In both instances, the
Office of School Partnerships sends detailed instructions and procedures
for the three parties who typically participate in school based
experiences: the teacher candidate, the College of Education
supervisor, and the Cooperating Classroom Teacher. Handbooks with
detailed instructions have been developed for each party and are made
available to each, electronically as well as in hard copy. For the
final internship, each school principal and the Cooperating Classroom
Teacher signs a Letter of Agreement. This letter sets forth the general
guidelines for the final internship and allows the school
representatives to agree or not agree to certain stipulations.
While the school
district controls the specifics of the actual placement, all school
based experiences are guided and governed by the course syllabi for the
respective school based practicum or internship. In this way, the
specific tasks, assignments that teacher candidates perform and the
attending assessments of candidates in the actual school settings are
developed by College of Education Faculty.
Quality
assurance
Program Directors,
Deans, and College representatives to the clinical locations (i.e.,
Faculty members or lab facilitators assigned to that duty) monitor the
quality of clinical educational experiences through instructor-developed
evaluation forms and student surveys of instruction (SSI), which have a
separate form for clinicals. Program assessments provide additional
assurance that quality of instruction in clinical settings is
maintained.
For example, in the
Nursing R.N. program, the 2006 Program Assessment demonstrated that
clinicals were achieving the desired results.
Excerpt from Nursing R.N. Program
Assessment
I. Major Learning Outcome #5
The student will demonstrate role of
the Associated Degree Nurse as a manager of care by achieving a
satisfactory clinical evaluation during the nursing management course
(NUR 2810C).
II. Methodology
Means of Assessment:
Means of Assessment: NUR 2810C
Clinical Performance Evaluation
Date(s) of Administration:
Fall 2003, Spring
2004,Fall 2004, Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006.
This is a Faculty conducted
evaluation guided by the Clinical Performance Guide.
III. Criteria for Success
In the Nursing Program the Nursing IV
students are expected to perform satisfactorily on the NUR 2810C
Clinical Performance Guide on 80% of the criteria listed and 100% on the
criteria marked by bolded print. …
 IV.
Summary of Assessment Findings
Assessment Outcome 5:
NUR 2810C Clinical Performance
Evaluation
|
Year |
Student Enrolled
|
MET |
% |
|
Fall 2003 |
90 |
90 |
100% |
|
Spring 2004 |
119 |
118 |
99% |
|
Fall 2004 |
139 |
138 |
99% |
|
Spring 2005 |
120 |
119 |
99% |
|
Fall 2005 |
126 |
125 |
99% |
|
Spring 2006 |
131 |
130 |
99% |
V. Discussion and Analysis
of Assessment Findings
… Since this is the capstone
clinical practicum in an actual "on the job" setting, the data
indicates that students are achieving the clinical competencies
required to manage the care of multiple clients. The data reveals
that our students are demonstrating the competencies required of and
Associate Degree Graduate nurse by the time they complete this
course. This is a very important MLO and this data represents a
very favorable outcome as a measure of quality of the program and of
our graduates. This data also reflects that students do not get into
the practicum unless they have the competencies to be successful.
Most programs
requiring clinicals or internships are separately accredited by their
discipline associations that have clear expectations for student
performance. The College of Nursing, for example, adheres to the
standards of the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
(NLNAC)
Excerpt from College of Nursing Systematic Plan for Program Evaluation,
Program Assessment and/or Outcome Analysis for Each NLNAC Accreditation
Criterion
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Criterion 3
Nursing
Education unit is administered by a nurse who is academically
and experientially qualified and who has authority and
responsibility for development and administration of the
program. |
3.1 Program
Assessment: Comparative analysis of each (Dean and ADN
Program Directors) nurse administrator’s workload demonstrates
authority, responsibility, and adequate time allocation for
development and administration of the nursing education unit. |
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PROCESS |
IMPLEMENTATION |
|
Component |
Where
Document/s Information is Found |
Person
Responsible |
Frequency
of Assessment |
Assessment
Method/s (e.g., tools, instruments, charts, tables) |
Results of
Data Collection and Analysis - Including Actual Levels of
Achievement |
Actions for
Program Development, Maintenance, or Revision |
|
Nurse
Administra-tors |
Nurse
Administra-tors’ reports of workload activities. |
Evaluation
Committee obtains data re: workload activities. |
Annual |
Table
format to evaluate workload activities r/t development and
administration of the unit in nursing. |
Tables 3.1,
3.2, and 3.3 reflect the workload activities of the Dean and the
ADN Program Directors. |
No change
indicated at this time. All involved parties within the college
and the CON express a positive response to the smooth
functioning of the CON. |
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Data will
indicate where changes may be needed to facilitate Dean and ADN
Program Director goal development. |
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Students in these
programs have a high rate of being placed in field: Registered nurses,
for example, have a 96% placement rate in the most recent SPC Placement
and Follow-up Report.
Employer survey
data from programs that include internships have been very positive: in
the most recent survey, over 97% of employers indicated they would hire
another SPC Nursing graduate.
District
Articulation Agreements
For the purpose of
providing high school students opportunities for dual enrollment, St.
Petersburg College has entered into an Inter-institutional articulation
agreement with the Pinellas County School District. Faculty include
both St. Petersburg College and Pinellas County employees, but all
Pinellas County employees meet SPC credentialing requirements and are
paid by SPC for teaching dual credit courses. Faculty must follow the
course outlines developed by the SPC Curriculum & Instruction
Committee. Florida State Statutes (2004), Chapter 1007.23, provides the
oversight and compliance for articulation with colleges. Articulation
with high schools through dual enrollment process is addressed in
Chapter 1007.271.
Excerpt from Florida Statutes
1007.23 oversight for articulation
1007.271
Dual enrollment programs.-- (1) The dual enrollment program is the enrollment of an eligible
secondary student or home education student in a postsecondary
course creditable toward high school completion and a career
certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
(3) The Department of Education
shall adopt guidelines designed to achieve comparability across
school districts of both student qualifications and teacher
qualifications for dual enrollment courses. Student qualifications
must demonstrate readiness for college-level coursework if the
student is to be enrolled in college courses.
The Florida
Department of Education has established the following guidelines for
ensuring the quality of courses offered through dual enrollment:
Excerpt from Florida Department of Education Study on Acceleration
Mechanisms
|
Type of Course |
Student Eligibility Criteria |
Teacher Qualifications |
Manner in which HS credit is earned |
Manner in which Postsecondary credit is earned |
|
Dual Enrollment |
Section 1007.271, F.S.
- 3.0 un-weighted GPA (2.0 for vocational) - Must pass
appropriate section of the CPT - Colleges may also set
additional admissions criteria – outlined in
interinstitutional
articulation agreement |
Must meet SACS criteria for college Faculty (Master’s degree +
18 graduate credit hours in subject area) |
Receive a passing grade in the course |
Receive a C or better in the course (per ACC).
Statewide Course Numbering System |
The overall
objective of the articulation activities is to increase access and
provide outreach through contractual agreements. College oversight of
these agreements is a collaborative process that rests with the vice
president, College wide articulation committee, articulation officers,
workforce development, legal counsel, Cabinet, and the office of the
College President.
Responsibilities
of all parties
The
Inter-institutional articulation agreement between St. Petersburg
College and the Pinellas County School District clearly defines the
responsibilities of each party.
Review and
evaluation of the articulation agreement
The
Inter-institutional articulation agreement between St. Petersburg
College and the Pinellas County School District is evaluated annually by
the Pinellas Education Articulation Committee (PEAC) through a letter of
understanding accepted by both parties.
Excerpt from Interinstitutional
Articulation Agreement Between the Pinellas County School Board and the
St. Petersburg College District Board of Trustees
This agreement shall continue
in full force and effect unless terminated by notice of one party to
the other at least 180 days in advance of the termination date.
However, hereafter it may be amended on an annual basis through
a Letter of Understanding accepted by both parties. With the
exception of fundamental changes to the agreement, the President and
Superintendent shall have the authority to modify the agreement in
order to carry out its intent. Pursuant to Section 1007.235(2),
Florida Statutes, the interinstitutional articulation agreement
shall be reviewed each year for such modifications prior to high
school registration for the fall term of the following year.
Quality
assurance
St. Petersburg
College maintains the quality of instruction through the use of fully
credentialed Faculty teaching dual credit, paid as SPC employees. Dual
credit adjunct Faculty are evaluated with the College’s adjunct Faculty
form. Approved course outlines must be used in teaching dual credit
courses.
In the 2005-2006
academic year, a total of 1,788 high school students completed 6,435
courses while participating in the Dual Credit Program. The delivery
systems within the Dual Credit Program include: Pinellas County high
schools, private high schools, home schooled students, St. Petersburg
Collegiate High School students, and Early Admissions students. The
average GPA for Fall 2005 was 3.16; Spring 2006 was 3.07; and Summer
2006 was 3.06, yielding an overall average of 3.099.
Gender and racial
distributions vary slightly each session. For Fall 2005 the gender
ratio was 65% female and 35% male. The racial distribution for American
Indians was less than .01%. The group was largely white with 86.1%.
The Black population was 4.5%, followed by Hispanic at 2.7% and Asian
students comprising 1.8% of this population. 4.8% of the students did
not racially identify themselves.
In the fall of
2006, SPC sponsored five information meetings in minority communities
with the goal of increasing minority student involvement in the Dual
Credit Program.
References
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