Co-op at PCC Sylvania

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Co-op at PCC Sylvania

• Co-op Task Force
• Findings and Recommendations

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Agenda

• Co-op Task Force Mission and Findings
• General Outcomes for Co-op Courses
• Co-op Practices Required by State and PCC
• Recommended Best Practices for Co-op
• Discussion and Next Steps

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Co-op Task Force (2008-2009)

• Mission Clarify Co-op Goals, Practices and Roles
  at PCC (College-wide)
• Tasks
• Identify desirable outcomes of Co-op
• Identify practices to be applied consistently
  throughout college
• Identify roles of faculty, APs and
  administrators
• Assess pay methodology for Co-op faculty

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Guiding Principles

• Regional Standards (Accreditation, Oregon Statute
  DOE Guidelines, PCC Policies)
• assure that the PCC Cooperative Education
  Program is academically rigorous.
• Consistent standards throughout PCC
• Focus on Best Practices
• Broad representation on committee (Labor,
  management, faculty, APs, administrators,
  Participants from CA/RC/SY/Open campuses)

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Committee Findings

• Identified a set of general outcomes for all
  Co-op courses (with assistance from Curriculum
  Committee)
• Identified required and recommended practices and
  responsible parties
• Developed a framework for faculty pay (used
  during contract negotiations)

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Co-op Outcomes

• Work productively in the workplace field
• Apply acquired (classroom) skills, knowledge, and
  training in a workplace setting
• Understand the skills and demands of work in the
  field in order to make informed career decisions
• Communicate appropriately in the workplace
• Continue to explore career opportunities

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Co-op Requirements

• State Guidelines (DOE)
• Co-op must be part of a program of study
  (associate degree, certificate of completion,
  transfer program).
• Co-op must be approved through each colleges
  curriculum approval process.
• Co-op courses are for credit and require
  adherence to all relevant policies related to
  curriculum and grading.
• Co-op sets up a Contractual Relationship with
  Organizations not Regionally Accredited (i.e.,
  the Co-op employer).
• Co-op must include an individual learning plan
  including learning outcomes and objectives.
• Co-op must include monitoring of the students
  progress through periodic visits or contacts at
  the Co-op site.

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Co-op Requirements

• Federal and State Law
• Co-op experiences may be paid or unpaid. For
  paid positions, various employment laws,
  including wage and hour laws, apply to the
  employer-employee.
• Co-op experiences must be administered in
  compliance with civil rights laws and
  regulations.
• Co-op programs must comply with Workers
  Compensation requirements

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Principles for Putting Requirements into Practice

• Effective Co-op learning requires structured
  student reflection
• The instructor must be responsible for site
  visits to assess student learning
• Faculty hired to teach Co-op courses must meet
  SAC Instructor Qualifications

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Required Co-op Practices

• Practice

• Responsible Party

1. CCOG/Outcomes
2. Syllabus
3. Guidelines for Student Eligibility
4. Site Development

1. Department/SAC
2. Department/Faculty
3. Department/SAC
4. Specialist/Faculty/Dept/Student (Student
   responsible for selection unless otherwise
   assigned by department)

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Required Co-op Practices

• Practice

• Responsible Party

1. Site Approval for Learning
2. Site Approval for Legal and Policy Requirements
3. Approval of Training Agreement Learning
   Objectives (Required BEFORE enrollment)
4. Enroll Student in Co-op
5. Workers Compensation

1. Faculty
2. Specialist
3. Faculty (Signed by student, employer, faculty
   specialist)
4. Specialist
5. Specialist

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Required Co-op Practices

• Practice

• Responsible Party

1. Faculty specifies method in syllabus. Student
   responsibility
2. In person by faculty, unless good cause for
   faculty designee (not specialist) or alternative
   monitoring
3. Faculty
4. Specialist

1. Reflection in Co-op (not seminar) to be
   evaluated
2. Site Visit/Monitoring
3. Grade entered (P/NP recommended)
4. Co-op records maintained for compliance

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Best Practices for Co-op

• We recommend the following practices be adopted
  by the department, faculty or specialists in
  embedded seminars, courses, training or
  one-on-one advising, etc., in addition to Co-op
  courses.
• - Co-op Task Force

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Recommended Co-op Practices

• Practice

• Responsible Party

1. Job search skills and techniques, including
   resumes, interviewing, cover letters, etc.
2. Evaluation of skills development and work-related
   accomplishments via portfolio or demonstration
   at work site

1. Specialist (faculty or department as needed)
2. Faculty

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Recommended Co-op Practices

• Practice

• Responsible Party

1. Education of students regarding workplace issues
   (harassment, labor law, discrimination,
   professionalism, etc.)
2. Workplace skills and techniques including time
   management, work ethics, problem solving, etc
3. Career Exploration activities and research

1. Specialist
2. Specialist (faculty or department as needed)
3. Faculty, Specialist, Department

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Next Steps?

• All SACs should review Co-op CCOGs for general
  outcomes (and to meet new grading requirements)
• How should departments review their practices?
• What support do faculty and specialists need to
  implement changes?
• What changes need to be made to the Co-op Faculty
  Handbook and other published material?
• How does the college verify that standards are
  being met?

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Sylvania Co-op Faculty Resources

• Copies of the Co-op Task Force Report and this
  presentation are available on-line at
• http//spot.pcc.edu/
  jobs/ sycoop.htm