Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 5 of The Illinois Commitment
Curriculum Renewal to Meet Demands of the Future: Engineering Technology
Black Hawk College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
As early as 2003, Black Hawk College realized, through is Program Review process, that its current
manufacturing cluster programs were in need of renewal. An extensive meeting with that discipline’s advisory
board examined what the future needs of manufacturing were and what work-place skills were necessary, so that
a renewal of the curriculum - guided by current and future needs - could begin.
Description of the effective practice:
The challenge to do an extensive renewal of an existing technical program allowed the College to establish a
quality and future-driven model of curriculum sustainability. The following are the steps that emerged from the
updating of the manufacturing cluster (now called Engineering Technology) and are now part of Black Hawk
College’s program renewal and development processes:
• Collect and analyze feedback from business and industry partners on technical and workplace skill needs for
current and future workers through surveys and/or advisory board discussion. (The core redesign of
manufacturing came from the future-based feedback through surveys and meetings).
• Expand employer and graduate feedback survey results with environmental scanning data and review of
exemplary practices from state, national, and/or international sources. Some of the review was done via the
web and some involved sending faculty on a benchmarking visit to exemplary sites (Engineering Tech-a
faculty visited the National Center for Manufacturing Education/NCME –co-sponsored by Sinclair
Community College and the University of Dayton. BHC’s efforts also coincided with the Illinois’ Critical
Skill Shortage Initiative for manufacturing.).
• Use a consultant, as feasible, to offer objective and discipline-based expertise to review current development
steps and to offer additional insights (Shepherd Anderson, Principal Investigator for NCME, spent three days
working with program faculty, administration, students, and advisory members and produced a feedback
report that was helpful in the renewal process.).
• Promote program faculty, department chair, and dean working collaboratively to set planning goals and
timelines to guide curriculum writing, program design, and review/submissions of program to internal and
external entities such as Program advisory group, BHC Curriculum Committee, BHC Board, ICCB, IBHE,
and industry regulatory bodies. (Engineering Technology faculty, department chair, and dean had regular
meetings throughout the year to communicate progress, share ideas and concerns.).
• Establish, as feasible, partnership opportunities with secondary and postsecondary entities to create seamless
transition of students from one level of education to another (Engineering Tech discussed program updates
with the Area Career Center, WIU, and Bradley University to create/renew student pathways into the ET
program).
• Use internal partners, such as marketing and advising, to create awareness and enrollment of students into
revised program (Engineering Tech created a marketing and advising plan as part of its renewal program.
For Fall 2006 the program is full. The renewed program is also working with Perkins’ Tech Prep/NTO
Coordinator to bring women into the ET program.).
• Expand and support programs fostering educational aspirations among minority students through use of
industry and educational contacts and local professional societies. (Engineering Tech has worked with John
Deere and local engineering societies to offer a Materials Day Camp for high school students. BHC is also
working with John Deere and Rock Island High School to prepare minority students to enter math and
engineering tracks.).
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
The College has made development/renewal of curriculum an action step in its Strategic Plan. The BHC Faculty
Senates will also be reviewing the program development steps in support of maintaining quality measures in
academics. Several other program areas have used these steps to successfully complete renewal or start-up
processes (e.g., Associate Degree Nursing, General Occupational and Technical Studies AAS, Pipefitters
Apprentice AAS). The College wants to align its efforts to the Illinois Commitment - especially Goals 1, 2, and
5.
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