Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute Respiratory Therapy Program Application & Information Guide
Table of Contents Introduction 3 Accreditation.3 Student Services..3 Basic Program Requirements.3 Application & Selection Process..4 TABE Assessment..4 Constructed Response Assessment..4 Interview..5 Program Status Notification 5 After Acceptance 5 Program Costs.5 Background Check & Drug Screening..6 Physical Examination.6 Scrubs 6 Malpractice Insurance 6 Photograph 6 2
Introduction Thank you for considering Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute as you pursue a career as a Respiratory Therapist. The Respiratory Therapy Program is an intense, academically demanding, full-time two-year program that begins June 2016 and ends June 2018. Our program prepares students to apply for licensure by the Respiratory Care Board of California (RCB) as a Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) and to apply for national highlevel competency examinations including the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) exam. During the second year of study, students will have clinical rotations which require reporting to a designated hospital in Ventura or Los Angeles County, in which students will be responsible for their own transportation and vehicle insurance. Accreditation The Commission of Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com) accredits the Respiratory Therapy Program of Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute / Excelsior College Consortium, CoARC number 200586, for Respiratory Care. In addition, Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and has received the maximum six-year accreditation. Student Services The school's Counseling Office (Room 402) provides information, counseling, and guidance to students and prospective students. Students are to purchase textbooks, uniforms, and supplies at the Student Store (Room 601). Snacks and refreshments are also available for purchase throughout the day. Basic Program Requirements All applicants must be at least 18 years of age by the first class meeting. In addition, applicants must be graduates of an accredited U.S. high school, have passed the English-language version of the G.E.D, or have a college degree from an accredited U.S. institution. Foreign diplomas or degrees are not accepted. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS REQUIREMENT. Proof of graduation from an accredited U.S. high school, college, or passage of the G.E.D. must be in the form of an official transcript. Official transcripts are to be mailed directly to the school in a sealed envelope with the awarding school (or test center) seal or stamp noting that an official transcript is enclosed. If a student has an official, unopened, transcript, it can be walked into the Counseling Office. Opened, broken seal transcripts are no longer official and will not be accepted. In regards to the G.E.D., an official copy of test results, not a state certificate, will need to be provided. In the application packet a "Request for Transcript form is included. This form is to be sent to the school(s) or G.E.D. test center. Please contact the Counseling Office if extra request forms are needed. The proof of graduation or G.E.D must be filed with the Counseling Office no later than Monday, June 27, 2016. The Respiratory Care Board of California requires those seeking licensure as Respiratory Therapists to have an Associates of Science (A.S.) degree in Liberal Arts from a respiratory therapy or partnership school. Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute has a partnership with Excelsior College. As the co-sponsor, Excelsior College is responsible for finalizing the degree requirements and issues the Associates of Science (A.S.) degree in Liberal Arts upon successful completion of all coursework at Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute and Excelsior College. The Respiratory Therapy Program at Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute is recognized as a 54- unit program through the American Council on Education (ACE). An additional 18 units are required by Excelsior College for their Associate in Science (A.S.) degree and must be in the following subject areas: English Composition 3 units Computer Literacy 1 unit Humanities 6 units Ethics 1 unit Social Science 6 units Capstone 1 unit College units previously earned will be reviewed and approved at the discretion of Excelsior College for English Composition, Humanities and Social Science. Computer Literacy, Ethics and Capstone must be taken through 3
Excelsior. Excelsior College has the ultimate responsibility and decision-making to accept previously earned college credit. Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute has no authority over approval of previous college units towards the A.S. degree. Application & Selection Process The school is limited by state and local guidelines as to the number of students permitted into the program. Therefore, a selection process is conducted for all applicants and is based on a cumulative point system in three categories: TABE Assessment, constructed response assessment, and interview. Additional points are awarded to applicants who have the following: An academic degree (AA/AS or higher) from an accredited U.S. college or university completion of Anatomy and Physiology from an accredited U.S. college or university Unofficial college transcripts must be submitted to the Counseling Office to satisfy requirements, with official college transcripts provided upon acceptance into the program. All documents (transcripts, physicals, etc.) submitted to Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute becomes the property of the school. It is strongly recommended copies are made of these documents before submission as copies will not be provided once transcripts are submitted. The above requirements will only be used as admission criteria and not for credit. Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute does not award the A.S. degree. Our co-sponsor, Excelsior College, makes the final determination for all transferable college course credit and the awards the Associate in Science degree. At the conclusion of the selection process, points are totaled for each applicant and the applicants are ranked numerically. Once a status letter has been received, an applicant may request to be given the total number of their overall points, but cannot be given their ranking due to the confidentiality for all applicants. Conditional acceptance means pending a clear and clean background check and drug screening. All costs associated with the background check and drug screening, which is to be completed before the beginning of the program, is the responsibility of the conditionally accepted applicant. TABE Assessment All applicants are required to take a basic skills test as part of the program selection process. The TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) is given in a small group setting. The test consists of reading comprehension, mathematics computation and language mechanics and students are given ½ hour to complete this test. Calculators are not permitted. The TABE provides an overall score according to grade level competencies. The score achieved is part of an applicant's overall points. Constructed Response Assessment The constructed response assessment is given immediately after the TABE and also needs to be completed in ½ hour. This test consists of short answer questions which are used to assess writing and critical thinking skills. A rubric is used to score the constructed response assessment. Students will need to show proper ID on the day of the test and will not be permitted to test without proper ID. Acceptable forms of ID are a driver s license, state-issued ID card, passport, or military ID. The name on the ID must be an exact match with the name on the application. Due to time constraints and a limited number of test sessions, applicants are only allowed to test once during each application process. Applicants who are unable to attend the TABE Assessment must contact Kris Owen immediately to reschedule at (805) 579-6200 x1615 or kristen.owen@simivalleyusd.org. Rescheduling the originally assigned test date will only be made once. Failure to attend the rescheduled test will forfeit the application submitted to the Respiratory Therapy Program. Applicants will be given an interview date and time at the conclusion of the TABE testing session. 4
Interview Interviews are held after an applicant has tested. The interview panel will consist of one to five members and may include one or more of the program's instructors, the allied health counselor, a school administrator, a representative of a clinical site, or one or more graduates of the program. Areas evaluated in the interview are: - Professional appearance, attitude, and motivation - Knowledge of the profession and the program - Interpersonal and communication skills - Ability to follow directions and instructions Applicants should arrive at least ten minutes early for their interview. If an appointment cannot be made, call Kris Owen at (805) 579-6200 x1615. Rescheduling an originally assigned interview date may be done one time only. The school will not contact applicants who fail to show for their interview. Applicants who do not attend the scheduled interview, forfeit their application in the Respiratory Therapy Program. As a courtesy to others, please call Kris Owen to cancel an appointment or interview time. Program Status Notification It is the applicant s responsibility to inform Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute of any changes in email address, home/mailing address, and/or contact number. If conditionally accepted, a candidate has been accepted into the program pending a clear and clean background check and drug screening. Students will be notified in any or all of the following means of communication: Via email, using email address provided on application Mailed letter via USPS using the address provided on the application form Status notification letters will be sent out on or after Monday, May 16, 2016. When the letter is received, the applicant s status will be listed as conditionally accepted or alternate. If no email or letter has been received by Friday, May 20, 2016, call Kris Owen to request another email and/or letter mailed. Applicants who achieve the highest number of points (or score) are conditionally accepted into the program. The remaining applicants are alternates. Alternates are ranked based on their overall points (score), and may be contacted should a space become available before the first day of the program. Mandatory Orientation for new students will be on Friday, May 27, 2016 from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Failure to attend the orientation will forfeit a student s placement in the program. After You are Accepted Program Cost The total approximate cost of the program completed at Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute is $10,675.00, which includes course fees and books. Be advised Simi Valley Adult School & Career Institute does not participate in state or federally funded financial aid programs which include grants and loans. Students may secure private loans. The fee installment schedule for the program is as follows (books and supplies are not included below): INSTALLMENT SCHEDULE Monday June 6, 2016 $500 Monday January 9, 2017 $500 Monday October 9, 2018 $1000 Monday August 8, 2016 $500 Monday March 6, 2017 $500 Monday January 8, 2018 $1000 Monday October 3, 2016 $500 Monday May 8, 2017 $500 Monday March 5, 2018 $1000 Monday June 5, 2017 $1000 Monday May 7, 2018 $1000 5
Monday August 7, 2017 $1000 There is an additional cost that will be payable to Excelsior College. These fees will total approximately $4,000.00 with Excelsior offering a payment plan, as well as, financial aid. Additional information will be given at the New Student Mandatory Orientation. There are no refunds of any fees unless the class is cancelled by the Adult School. Background Check and Drug Screening Those conditionally accepted must have a criminal background check and drug screening prior to enrollment. If the background check returns with a record or conviction of a: Felony: automatic drop from the RT Program Misdemeanor: handled on a case by case basis, which includes possibly being dropped from the program The drug screen test will include screening for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, methaqualone, methadone, propoxyphene, and phencyclidine, and others. To assure patient safety, partner agencies require all students having clinical experiences in their facilities clear a drug screen test. Additionally, all drug testing must ensure chain of custody and have Medical Review Officer (MRO) oversight. This necessitates the use of a singular drug testing company to ensure standardization of testing procedures and compliance with our clinical facilities and field internship agency. Students who test positive on the drug screen (or diluted) will have five (5) business days to demonstrate negative results. If a student disagrees with the results, the student shall contact the drug-testing lab for further consideration. Students who fail to clear the drug screen on the second attempt cannot complete program course requirements. Disqualified students may reapply for the program. Those needing to retest to clear positive results or because of a dilute specimen will be responsible for the additional testing cost. If the results of the 2nd drug screen return as diluted or positive, the student will be dropped from the RT Program. As with all student information, results of the drug screen test will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. Health records are in a secured location, accessible only to the Program Director and/or Director of Clinical Education. Additional information will be given at the New Student Mandatory Orientation. The student is responsible for all costs associated with the background check and drug screening. Once the background check and drug screening clears the student, the conditional status will be removed. Physical Examination All of the school s clinical sites require a physical exam. Students in the program are required to have a physical examination at their own expense. The physical examination form will be provided by an instructor after the start of the program. It is recommended copies be made of all forms as the original is needed for records. Scrubs All students are required to wear scrubs for the Core/Professional RC phase on campus. Scrubs are available in the Student Store for purchase. The color of scrubs for the Respiratory Therapy students is gray. Malpractice Insurance Students are covered by the school district under a blanket malpractice insurance policy. The school makes all arrangements and the insurance fee is included in the required fees for the program. Photograph ID All those accepted into the program must submit a recent, passport-type photograph. The Counseling Office can also make a copy of a driver s license or passport, provided either is current. 6 NOTE: Information and requirements contained herein are subject to change according to national, state board policies & school district regulations, which include but are not limited to all dates, times and prices listed in this document.