Aviation Flight Technology. Discipline Name: Occupational Education. Department: Date: March 26, John K. Feldvary.

Transcription

1 Discipline Name: Department: Aviation Flight Technology Occupational Education Date: March 26, 2007 Department Chair: Discipline Team Leader: Discipline Team Members: John K. Feldvary John K Feldvary Jeff Fisher Jeff Essenmacher Dennis Hoyes Christopher Monk Matthew Miller Robert Broughton Michael Bartholomew Cheryl Blank Katrina Spry 1

2 Overview A. Mission Statement The mission of the Aviation Flight Technology Program is to provide safe, efficient and comfortable ground and flight training using state of the art aircraft and ground equipment. B. Program/discipline Goals. This program has been designed to prepare and or enhance a student s readiness for growth in an aviation career or in further aviation education. There are three student profiles that are considered within the program: 1. The student who wishes to obtain initial college credit at the community college level for economical or convenience reasons and intends to transfer to a four-year aviation degree program with either a flight or non-flight focus. 2. The student who is already involved in a career in aviation that wishes to obtain a certificate or degree to enhance career growth potential, or simply wishes to obtain more knowledge in a specific area of aviation. 3. The student just entering the college environment who wishes to explore aviation as a career possibility while obtaining initial college course credit or who definitely wants to obtain a certificate or associates degree leading to a career in aviation. The faculty, students, transfer institutions, and potential employers all act as stakeholders in the above stated goals. This is consistent with the overall stated goals of the college and its vision for all students. Data Gathering and Analysis I. Students This section documents how students enter, perform, and continue in the program/ discipline. A. Recruitment Current and prospective students come from a varied background that ranges from high school students to business and professional people from all types of disciplines. Current marketing, promotion and recruitment plans are presently in place and include the following: High School visits by the Director of Aviation Technology and advisors Newspaper advertisements and billboard promotions Local service club speaking engagements Introductory flights in college aircraft and flight center visits Participation at local airport events throughout the region such as fly-ins and airshows Participation in career fairs and workshops Promoting articulation transfer programs with four year institutions such as Western Michigan University 2

3 It is the responsibility of the Director of Aviation Technology to inform prospective students, counselors and advisors of the status of the program utilizing the above stated marketing tools. B. Assessment Based upon evaluations by the faculty, administrators, advisory committee members and students, it appears that students move through the program at varying degrees of length. Faculty and administrators maintain that it is an excellent program curriculum that is flexible in scheduling and utilizes modern equipment. Advisory committee members perceive the program as professional. Committee members feel free to express themselves in critiquing the program Safety and aircraft maintenance are second to none. Responses and evaluation by students seem to go outside of the program. For example, parking at Bert Walker Hall, walking too far to parking lots or walking alone at night seems to apply to the JCC campus where no courses are held. On the other hand, students commented that the program is expensive considering there are flight fees on top of the tuition. This is usually the cause for students moving at varying degrees of completion through the program. Most students need to earn enough money for the flight fees and lack of funding can retard their progress. C. Retention There is no formal retention plan in place yet to retain students in the program. It is the responsibility of the Director of Aviation Technology to track the progress of each student with input from the flight instructors. Marketing initiatives will help in this effort also. Summary/Analysis: My perspective of the program is that it is very effective in meeting the goals of the students. No matter which license or rating the student is working towards the courses and equipment are up to date so as to make these goals readily obtainable. Based on these data, the program is perceived as a very effective program from the student point of view. The courses are readily available and conveniently located. Most of the students agreed that the objectives and teaching methods employed by the instructors meet their occupational needs, interests and objectives. Although JCC does not have a centralized career guidance center, information from the flight centers helps students to make career decisions and choices. Students are very positive and almost universally agree that their instructors know their subject matter and provide it in an interesting and understandable manner. Also, instructors are readily available to provide extra help when needed. Instructional materials were rated very high by the students in that they are meaningful, available and current. Recruitment and retention of students has become a top priority of the program. Recruitment of students is being addressed through increased visible marketing efforts that include high school visits; booths at career fairs and aviation conferences; advertising in 3

4 newspapers along with billboard promotion of the program and Open Houses of the Flight Center that coincide with airport special events. Students are attracted to a program that is effective, convenient and of a moderate cost and have competent instruction. While student surveys indicate that this is the case, retention in the program has been a problem with students running out of money for flight fees. This causes them to take time off from the program in order to earn enough money for their flying lessons. The Director has addressed this issue by instituting an aggressive marketing program promoting scholarships to all degree seeking students as a way to offset these costs. This has aided in the retention of students. Overall, students in the program rate it very highly. The Perkins III Core Performance Indicators for FY indicate that the program comes close to or exceeds the mandated performance levels in most areas. Where the program falls short of these levels, the Director is addressing these issues through better communication and retention efforts to the students. The new marketing program should help in gaining a diversity of students. PROGRAM ENROLLMENT (Previous Three-Year Figures) Year Unduplicated Headcount Student Credit Hours For Specialty Courses Student Contact Hours PROGRAM GRADUATES & PLACEMENT DATA (Previous Three-Year Figures) YEAR # of Awards Conferred # Students That Received at Least one Award # Employed # Continuing Education # Entering Military n/a n/a n/a *If a student is employed and attending school, default to report the student as employed. PERKINS III CORE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FY CORE INDICATOR 1P1: % occupational concentrators who received a GPA of 2.0 or better in academic courses taken during P2: % occupational concentrators who received a GPA of 2.0 or better in occupational specialty courses taken during P1: % of first-time, full-time degree-seeking occupational students who entered Fall 2002 and who received an award by August 31, P1: % completers who responded to the Follow-up survey and reported being employed, entering military service, or State Performance Level Expected Performance Levels College Program 79.41% 82.22% 66.7% 83.45% 88.80% 78.9% 18.64% 24.14% 25.0% 91.01% 97.12% 100.0% 4

5 continuing their education within 180 days of graduation. 3P2: % who reported being employed and who were still employed 3 months later. 4P1: % men and women enrolled in programs considered nontraditional for their gender during as compared to total enrollment in nontraditional programs for P2: % men and women who received awards in programs considered non-traditional for their gender during as compared to total students that received an award in nontraditional programs during % 100.0% 100.0% 17.93% 16.38% 16.1% 14.25% 17.73% 0.0% Need This section documents the need for the existence of the program/discipline. A. Discipline Enrollment Trends The following chart shows the overall enrollment in the program/discipline over the last five years. Aviation Flight Technology Enrollment Trends /02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 B. Course Enrollment and Billing Contact Hours Trends Following are charts for each course in this program/discipline that look at enrollment trends over the last five years. They include both student enrollment and billing contact hours. 5

6 Billing Contact Hour Trends by Core Courses /02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/ Enrollment Trends by Core Courses /02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/ C. Relationship to other JCC Courses and Programs The courses in the Aviation Flight Technology are part of the Occupational Education degree program at JCC. However it bears no direct relationship to other disciplines in this area. The courses are required for an Associates Degree in Applied Science. The courses in the program have a specific sequence that must be followed and are appropriate to the program. Pre-requisites for the program are mainly English and Math placement courses for the degree seeking student that will insure success in the aviation program. 6

7 The following is an outline of the Aviation Flight Technology course progression that leads the student to a successful completion of his/her Private pilot license, Commercial pilot license, Instrument rating, Flight and Instrument Instructor rating and Multi-engine rating. Each course becomes a prerequisite for the next listed course below it. These courses are presented in a logical sequence and subsequently prepare the student for further course work. 110 Primary Ground 115 Primary Flight I 120 Primary Flight II 130 Commercial Flight I 135 Instrument Ground 140 Commercial Flight II 210 Instrument Flight 200 Commercial Flight III 260 Multi-Engine 205 Commercial Flight IV 215 Flight Instructor Theory 220 Flight Instructor D. Internal/External 230 Instrument Flight Service Instructor The Aviation Flight Technology program hosts the Jackson Hot Air Jubilee s registration, judging and balloon refueling. This is held each July. It is a chance to showcase the Flight Center to the local community. Externally the program participates in several Career Days and Career Pathway conferences. Some examples include the Great Lakes International Aviation Conference, local and regional Career Days at various middle schools and high schools and participate in student tours of the Jackson County airport and Lenawee County airport and JCC Flight Centers at each airport. The need for the program in the Jackson county area is very positive. The geographical location of the Flight Centers in Jackson and Adrian, Michigan lends itself to attracting students from a wide radius that contains no other flight schools or offers a program such as this one. The nearest competing programs are in excess of 40 miles in distance from Jackson and Adrian. These programs include Western Michigan University in Battle Creek and Lansing Community College in Lansing. Summary/Analysis: The Aviation Flight Technology program has been well received by area communities. In the post 9-11 era, enrollment has started to increase again. Enrollment and billing contact hours for show an increase over While the need for more modern facilities is becoming apparent, no significant changes in Jackson and Adrian Flight Centers are anticipated over the next five years. 7

8 Curriculum This section documents the appropriateness, currency, and transferability of courses in the program/discipline. It also compares the curriculum to other similar institutions. A. Institutional Integrity Since the program falls under Occupational Education the courses are appropriate for licensure. Upon completion of the program the student is qualified to fly for hire as a commercial pilot. Also, the student upon completion of the program may transfer all credits earned within the program to Western Michigan University since there is a formal Articulation Program with them. This enables the student to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Flight Science. The sequence for the completion of the program/certificate has been previously stated under II.C-Relationship to other JCC Courses and Programs. B. Comparison with other relevant institutions The JCC program compares favorably with two other Michigan colleges. They are Lansing Community College (LCC) and Northwestern Michigan College located in Traverse City. Both LCC and NWMC offer the same Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Part 61 program that JCC does. NWMC is similar to the JCC program in offering their program to both degree and nondegree seeking students. Their aircraft fleet and student composition and size are similar to JCC. LCC, while of similar size and composition to the JCC program, offers their program to only degree seeking students. Another difference is that LCC combines and offers an aircraft and avionics maintenance curriculum within their aviation program that leads to an IA (Inspection Authorization) license from the FAA. Summary/Analysis: The Aviation Flight Technology program at JCC is an open entry/open exit program that compares favorably or even exceeds other institutions. The JCC program adheres to all Federal guidelines for licensing of pilots and this is true of all aviation colleges. Faculty This section documents the characteristics of the faculty teaching in this program/discipline, by comparison of number of full time to adjunct faculty, billing contact hours generated by each group, and professional development over the last five years. A. Faculty Profile The Aviation Flight Technology consists of six adjunct faculty members. There is no full time faculty on staff. Therefore all billing contact hours are attributed to adjunct faculty only. Each of the six faculty members has the following highest degree: 1. AAS Aviation Flight Technology 2. Bachelor of Business Administration 3. Associates in Applied Science 4. Associates in Applied Science 8

9 5. No college degree 6. No college degree B. Professional Development There is no full time faculty associated with the Aviation Flight Technology program. All faculty are adjunct. However all faculty and employees of the program take advantage of and attend professional development courses. These include Fall and Winter Convocations, Faculty Learning Days and various conferences such as the Great Lakes International Conference (GLIAC). Facilities & Equipment This section documents the appropriateness and sufficiency of physical resources. A. Equipment/Supplies The kinds of major equipment and supplies used by courses in the program are listed below in aggregate. Course Equipment/Major Annual Supply Outlays Seven aircraft total-six single engine and one multi-engine aircraft. Major supply outlays include fuel and oil for the aircraft. Mandatory 100 hour and annual inspections contribute to tooling and equipment needed to perform the maintenance on these aircraft. B. Rooms/Laboratories There are two flight centers for the program. One is located at the Jackson County Airport, Jackson, Michigan and the other is located at the Lenawee County Airport, Adrian, Michigan. The Jackson facility is an older facility dating back to the 1950 s. The hangar can accommodate up to five of the JCC aircraft. There is one classroom that serves the need for all of the ground schools taught during each semester. While the size of the room is adequate, the age of the building presents a challenge in its heating and air conditioning. There is one office shared by two instructors that also serves as a pilot briefing room for the students. This is very inadequate. The Director has a small office that is of insufficient room. The reception lobby and office are of adequate size. There is no separate office for the maintenance technician and therefore utilizes space in the hangar itself for his office needs. This also is very inadequate. The Adrian facility is a newer and more modern facility that has adequate office space and reception area for the students. Classes are taught at JCC VOTECH in Adrian as opposed to the airport because of space. However instructor offices and briefing rooms for the students are of adequate size at the Adrian airport. The Adrian flight center also operates an aircraft simulator that can be utilized by all flight students. Due to space limitations the Jackson facility cannot maintain or house a flight simulator. C. Safety 9

10 Inventory of current safety devices/equipment/etc.used by the program is indicated below. Lab Or Room Hangars- Offices Safety Material/Devices Fire extinguishers, medical kit and eye wash station. Rubber latex gloves and eye safety glasses. Oil and gasoline spill kits. Summary/Analysis: The sufficiency, appropriateness and currency of equipment and supplies are very adequate. There are no anticipated significant changes in purchase of equipment or supplies other than what is needed for the normal operation and inspection of the school aircraft. There are no concerns about safety issues at either of the two flight centers. All employees and students are well trained in the care that must be taken around the aircraft, ramp and hangar area. Executive Summary: The JCC program has obviously suffered in the post 9-11 era. Declining enrollments up till recently were a result of losing a significant amount of international students and poor state and local economy seem to have bottomed out. Strengths: Excellent curriculum content Excellent program management Scheduling flexibility for retraining and skills upgrade Highly experienced Director, administrative staff and faculty Modern aircraft and up- to date equipment Weaknesses: Need for a more modern hangar and office and classroom space at the Jackson flight center Opportunities: New Marketing program that has gone into effect that will target high school students and help to rebuild the program Threats: Post 9-11 era has created a myriad of regulations that apply to all flight schools that if not followed exactly could penalize the program Present state and local economy of Michigan retard enrollment in the program 10

11 Action Plan Program name: Aviation Flight Technology Date of report to academic council: March 26, 2007 Four action plans: 1. Increase enrollment in the program. 2. Increase degree completion rates. 3. Increase hangar and office space at the Jackson Flight Center. 4. Increase involvement of the Aviation Advisory Committee in the development of program improvement. Steps for each plan: 1. Increasing enrollment in the program will be accomplished through high school visits, newspaper and magazine advertising, booths at career fairs, airport fly-ins and open houses at special airport events and face to face interviews with prospective students. 2. Increasing degree completion rates will be accomplished by advising students of all available scholarships and student loans and how to apply for them; transfer opportunities to institutions that we have articulation agreements with and job opportunities in the marketplace. 3. Hangar and office space requirements will be reviewed over the next few years by the Director and staff. This will include plans for a new flight center or the expansion of the present building and hangar in Jackson. 4. The Aviation Advisory Committee has already been reconstituted and meeting dates for 2007 have been established. Over the long term this committee will become more involved in the strategic planning of the program. Projected impact on the college/community: The overall impact of this action plan will bring increased revenue to JCC as a result of expanded and/or modern facilities and increased enrollment and degree completion rates. This will translate into more aircraft operations at the airport. Funding from the Federal government is predicated on number of operations at the airport. The more operations as a result of student activity the more airport improvements and upgrades can be made. Projected time line: The action items above call for a timeline from the present out to the next five years. At the end of that period the consideration for replacement or additional aircraft will have to be made. Person responsible: John K Feldvary, Director of Aviation Technology Resources needed: The main resources are those individuals willing to give their time and talent to the Advisory committee and increased revenue to expand the program. 11

12 E-2. SUMMARY OF EVALUATION PERCEPTIONS BY STUDENTS 24 Number of Students COMMENTS: Participating: Kind of expensive for a teen without a job Kind of hurried through material Vo-tech classroom not preferable too hot, poorly laid out for discussion purposes Parking is a major problem at night at Bert Walker Hall not happy It s always cold I have to walk in the dark alone and I don t like that I have to walk very far to other Parking lots RECOMMENDATIONS: Need to have more books available in Lenawee comment was made if the class isn t in Lenawee you won t find the book here E-1. SUMMARY OF EVALUATION PERCEPTIONS BY ADMINISTRATORS AND FACULTY COMMENTS: Excellent curriculum Excellent program management Flexibility that individualizes instruction Excellent and up-to-date equipment Number of Administrators and Faculty Participating: 5 RECOMMENDATIONS: Need more space - a new modern hanger/office/classroom facility with state of the art simulation Affordability and budget dollars that are available to make this happen E-3. SUMMARY OF EVALUATION PERCEPTIONS BY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS Number of Advisory Committee 6 COMMENTS: Members Participating: Current director; safety history Equipment; location; cost Personnel employed at the Jackson and Adrian flight centers; Well maintained aircraft - top notch mechanical inspections I believe it is in the professionalism of the faculty and staff. The condition of the grounds, building, equipment and aircraft. The cost associated with the Aviation degree, you won't get the student who "might" want to try it. Aviation is getting the students who can't afford to fail. 12

13 This is a well-established (since 1993) program with a legacy of leadership and safety. This program prepares students for employment in a field with high needs for our graduates A very well run program led by an understanding director and staff I feel the Aviation Advisory Committee does a good job. The meetings are not challenging and everyone feels free to express their ideas. We all seem to work well together Good program but there is no promotion of this program RECOMMENDATIONS: Space for maintenance; offices for the flight instructors Job placement More space in the Jackson flight center I believe the flight center is giving all it has to accommodate most of their students. The cost of flying will be always high as I mentioned above I think that is a good thing. Maybe more classes with "hands on" labs to actually see an airframe and powerplant The program has suffered lower enrollments lately due to a combination of image problems and insufficient advertising. While most of the instructional equipment is current, the program would benefit from newer equipment featuring emerging technology. Need to promote program New blood - there is clearly a lack of interest by some members The advisory committee could provide important feedback on the image of the program and could be instrumental in recruiting new students. 13