What’s New at the COT
April 1, 2010
By John E. Cech, Dean
COT National Advisory Board on the Move!
The National Advisory Board of the MSU Billings College of Technology met on March 23, 2010 for its quarterly meeting. Over the past several meetings the NAB has listened and learned; discussed and debated the role of the board; and considered priorities and action plans in which the board can take an active role in advancing the mission of the College of Technology.
The board has been using this “working vision statement” to guide its work.
“Utilizing a wide variety of resources and activities across Montana State University-Billings campuses, the College of Technology will provide seamless access to educational opportunities for every member of our community, whether it be for academic or occupational advancement, or for personal enrichment.”
In reviewing the previous work of its members, input from faculty and staff, and intelligence gathered from the community, the National Advisory Board has indentified the five critical issues below as its highest priorities for supporting the College of Technology as it moves forward. The board has already begun work on short to mid-term action items to address these issues. Those action items are being refined and will be disseminated soon.
Priority #1: Community College Initiative
Scheduling flexibility; Role of SD2; Challenges of unintentional competition with main campus; Local mill levy; Focus and move forward!
Priority #2: Marketing
Need a marketing plan – task force?; Clarify image and brand; Community resources are available; Why are we losing students to other campuses?
Priority #3: Relationship with K-12
“Counselor marketing”; Linkage with Career Center; NAB members as diplomats.
Priority #4: Workforce Needs
Future-tense planning; Do programs match the needs of business?
Priority #5: Partnerships
Partners or donors?; Define relationships; Resources are available for true partnerships.
Update from the COT General Education Department
Spearheading the Movement toward Proctored Testing
On March 12, 2010, Richard Pierce and Elizabeth Fullon presented “Proctored Tests: Steps to Maintain the Integrity of Online Courses” at the second Extended Learning Institute conference at the University of Montana in Missoula. The speakers reported on new federal regulations that require educational institutions to verify the identity of online students. They also shared a working draft of the General Education Department’s test guidelines with other distance educators. The presentation aroused interest among educators, authors, and university administrators because of the implications of testing policies on accreditation and quality of online education. Developing workable proctored testing procedures and policies is part of the department’s endeavor to cultivate best practices and to offer the best services to the College of Technology’s online students.
Clickers in the Classroom—Human Relations
COT general education faculty member, Ms. Julie McDade has been incorporating the use of “clickers” (i.e. personal response pads) in her COMT 109 Human Relations courses. The following are some student comments about the clickers:
“I enjoy using the clickers in class because they bring a change of pace to the classroom. Seeing the results and being able to compare yourself to the rest of the class between each question is very helpful. Also it makes for some laughter in the class; therefore, class isn’t so serious.”
“…we can see our results as a class and personally to gauge where we stand”
“The clickers are very handy and it gives an overall idea of what the class knows.”
“I feel it is a fun activity and helpful.”
“I like the clicker quiz. It’s easy to do and it is explained right then what is wrong.”
“I really like the clicker quizzes. They give us a chance to answer the questions without any fear of others knowing we got it wrong.”
“I think that it is a smart, interesting and fun idea. It is not very hard to figure out one of these devices, and it is a good way to have the entire class participate. I am also glad the clickers are provided.”
“I like to use the report of the ones I missed to study from.”
Human Relations course at the Montana Women’s Prison
The COT General Education department is assisting the College of Professional Studies and Lifelong Learning by teaching a section of COMT 109 Human Relations at the Montana Women’s Prison. CPSLL has a grant which originally targeted workforce development of women at the Montana Women’s Prison and the Passages Pre-release Center. The focus has now expanded to include “for credit” coursework offerings.
SMART just got SMARTER
COT general education faculty members, Rich Pierce and Barb Pedula have advocated the use of SMARTboards in the classroom for two years. Through Perkins mini-grants this past fall, the two were able to secure funds to purchase wide-array microphones. The SMART software enables the recording of all items displayed on the screen, as well as the voice of instructor and students, in real time. Rich and Barb regularly post both the lecture notes as well as the real-time videos to sites accessible by their students.
COT Students Compete in Skills USA!
MSU Billings College of Technology transportation students traveled to Havre for the 39th annual Montana State “Skills USA” conference and skills competition. The group included Automotive Technology students Kale Baldik and Taylor Fouts, and Diesel Technology students Josh Squires, Zane Goll, Levi Holmes, Earl Fisher, Brian Schnurbusch, and Cameren Welch. The College of Technology students faced strong competition in their fields including former COT graduate Miles Waltner, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science from MSU Northern. Our students were well prepared for their competitions and placed high within their fields. Top awards included a second place finish by Zane Goll in the Diesel Technology skills contest, and a third place finish by Kale Baldik in the automotive competition. Both students were awarded medals as well as Snap-On tool prizes. COT students competed against their peers across the state including several bachelor degree seeking students from MSU Northern, two of which were Skills USA contestants who finished with medals last year and represented Montana at the 2009 National Conference. The Automotive contest chairman shared that this year’s competition was one of the closest in overall points in recent memory. Although the COT did not have any students who are eligible to move on to the national contest, their representation at the State Leadership Conference emphasized the quality of their academic and technical preparation.
COT Business Programs On The Move!
COT Business Administration faculty member, Trisha Biggs reports that the COT’s Business Administration program has witnessed an enrollment increase from 7 students to 39 students over the past year – a 500% increase!
In addition, Ms. Biggs shared the news that Human Resources student Abrielle Jiracek was chosen as the COT Internship Student of the year. The award was presented to the student by Mr. Tom Rogers from PPL Montana.
COT Medical Coding Program Students Perform Well on National Exam
COT Medical Coding and Insurance Billing Instructor, Jane Hansen reported her graduating class had 78% pass rate for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) certified coder exam on the first try. The national average is less than 50% passing the first time the test is taken.
COT Summer Session is Booming
As of May 30th, the COT had 253 students signed up for summer classes, compared to 174 at this same time last year. The FTE as of yesterday was double that of what we had last year at this time: 66.33 –Summer 2010, 31.06- Summer 2009.
COT Career Services Finalizes Graduate Survey
Career Services recently wrapped up its Graduate Survey of the Class of 2009 (SU 08, FA 08 & SP 09). It is reassuring to note that College of Technology grads seem to be faring well in this troubled economy.
The annual survey of 221 graduates included 162 respondents (73%). Of the respondents, 87 have jobs in their field; 36 are working outside of their field; 25 are continuing their education; 3 are not seeking employment; 1 has joined the military; and 9 are actively seeking employment.
The average annual salary of grads employed in their field is $35,255. Process Plant Tech grads reported highest earnings ($63,853) while lowest average earnings were reported by Auto Collision Repair grads ($19,893).
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