Itawamba Community College Program Review Career-Technical and Health Science Programs

Itawamba Community College Program Review Career-Technical and Health Science Programs I. Program Information 1. Name of Program: Physical Therapist Assistant Program 2. Submission Date of Program Review: June 21, 2012 3. Name of Director or Coordinator: Thomas W. Hester, PT, DPT 4. Purpose Statement for the Program: The purpose of the ICC Physical Therapist Assistant Program is to prepare students to be entry-level practitioners who graduate with the necessary knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to effectively assist in treatment and testing of physical therapy patients under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist. 5. How does the purpose of the program support the overall mission/purpose of the College as adopted by the Board of Trustees? The ICC Mission states that the college is a two-year public-supported community college dedicated to serving the educational needs of the residents primarily of Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe and Pontotoc counties in Northeast Mississippi. The ICC PTA Program is dedicated to serving those counties, and the needs of other counties in the northern third of our state, since the college and program agree that having a program at ICC and not at any of the other community colleges in North Mississippi is advantageous to the college and to our region. ICC s main purpose is to provide comprehensive educational opportunities of the highest quality including vocational-technical instruction, which includes the Health Science Division of the college, of which the PTA Program is a part. The College has an open admissions policy that provides qualified students an opportunity to pursue technical Associate of Applied Science degrees, such as ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 1 of 13

the PTA Program. ICC and PTA Program students receive academic skills and application strategies to assume their roles in society and in the work place. Itawamba Community College and the ICC PTA Program respect the worth, dignity and potential of students, faculty and staff. Both feel that students can best be served in college and program environments that recognize the importance and contribution of each faculty and staff member, and who collectively create a positive, synergistic learning environment. Providing the PTA Program is consistent with and serves to fulfill (in part) Itawamba Community College s mission to provide: Technical and vocational programs that prepare students for immediate employment; Educational services which contribute to the needs of new, expanding or existing businesses and industries and to the training needs of the people; Current technology to advance educational purpose, including instructional services, student support services, distance learning and business management; Working relationships with federal, state, and local government; businesses and industries to provide training strategies, programs and courses to keep the citizenry working in an increasingly international economic environment. ICC s institutional goals that are consistent with the ICC PTA Program s goals include: Instructional Services Goal - Provide learning environments that foster change in the individual; are collaborative and creative; are driven by learner need; have measurable, predictable outcomes; and engage learners in an active mode. Student Support Goal - Continually improve student programs and services needed to maximize student potential and monitor the progress and performance of the students in relation to their needs and expectations. Technology Goal - Use the latest and most appropriate technology to support and enhance programs and services. Campus Climate Goal - Promote a safe and orderly climate that values the rights and dignity of individuals, respect for one another, the development of personal self-esteem and exemplary personal conduct. Fiscal Goal - Maintain sound financial management. Building Goal Collaboratively construct and improve facilities based on needs as funds are available. Professional Faculty Goal - Provide a professional environment that demands the highest professional teaching standards; encourages continuing scholarship among faculty; recognizes the importance of faculty participation in all operations; and supports activities that help faculty remain current in their discipline. ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 2 of 13

The PTA Program shares in the college s current strategic initiatives to improve completion rates, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and develop facilities and technology resources. 6. List the current Faculty and Staff with their titles for this program. Name Title Thomas W. Hester, PT, DPT Program Director Cheryl B. Ware, PT, DPT Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education II. Syllabi, Curriculum, and Instruction 7. Are all syllabi current? If NO, explain below. 8. Are students provided with written and clearly stated goals and requirements of each course, the general nature of the course content, and the methods of evaluation to be used in each course? 6. Are grading policies made available to students in this educational program? 9. Is the curriculum sequenced in a manner that is acceptable? 10. Does the curriculum fully satisfy the respective general education core? 11. Does the curriculum contain sufficient and appropriate numbers and types of elective courses? 12. Does the curriculum fully satisfy the educational needs of the students in this major? If any of the curriculum questions were answered with a NO response, state your recommendations for changes in the current curriculum. ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 3 of 13

13. In the clinical experiences, cooperative agreements, or affiliations with other agencies or institutions utilized in instruction, does the college faculty ultimately control and supervise the student learning? N/A If NO, why not? 14. Does the academic preparation of instructional faculty in this program meet accreditation and approving agency standards? If NO, why not? 15. Are the program s faculty routinely involved in professional development and other in-service training? Explain: PTA Program faculty members meet the college s requirements for in-house continuing education each year, and in addition participate in a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education sponsored by a component of the American Physical Therapy Association as required by the State of Mississippi to maintain a license as a Physical Therapist. 16. Do instructors in this program devote adequate time to preparation for the courses they teach? 17. Do instructors provide effective academic advising? 18. Is there evidence that program advisory committees meet at least twice annually to provide advice and consultation? Describe the nature of interaction between program faculty and the advisory committee (Give example(s) of advisory input or changes that resulted from the advisory relationship in the last five years.): The PTA Program s Advisory Committee is asked to provide input into any considerations of changes in curriculum and to make recommendations regarding equipment purchases with reference to current technology. Advisory Committee members volunteer as content experts in their areas of expertise to provide lectures on various aspects of the practice of physical therapy. Recent Advisory Committee recommendations resulted in changes to PTA Program admissions forms so as to allow more input about applicants who shadow those clinicians in PT practices. ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 4 of 13

19. Is there evidence that competencies being taught in this program are the competencies needed to perform in the workforce or at a higher level of education? If yes, how are the competencies determined? Competencies in the ICC PTA Program are designed to be in compliance with the PTA Program requirements of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. The competencies incorporate and build upon the Standard Curriculum guidelines established in conjunction with the Research and Curriculum Unit of Mississippi State University. 20. Are students who complete this curriculum ready for transfer and/or immediate employment in the field? Students and Course Content 21. Are instructors and administrators in this program careful in protecting the security, confidentiality, and integrity of student records? 22. Are appropriate and adequate laboratory experiences provided to supplement and reinforce the subject matter? N/A 23. Do courses in the program use a variety of means to evaluate student performance? Describe examples of student learning assessment (not related to end-ofsemester course grades): In addition to written exams, practical exams/skills checks, required projects and presentations, and evaluations by clinical instructors of student performance in clinical settings, surveys are utilized by the PTA Program as additional means of assessing student performance, including surveys of current students, graduates, employers of graduates, and clinical instructors. 24. Is the length of this program appropriate for the degree offered? ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 5 of 13

III. SWOT Analysis (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) 25. What are the program/unit s strengths or strong points? (Strengths are documented with data such as information on number of customers served, program/unit s performance, staff credentials or other factors that contribute to the success of the unit.) a) faculty has proper credentials and experience for their respective roles; b) program has physical space; financial, instructional, student support, clinical, equipment and supply resources that are adequate to meet program needs; c) the program enjoys strong applicant pools; d) the program enjoys board pass rates that are higher than the national average; e) the program enjoys graduate employment rates higher than the national average; f) close proximity to the largest regional comprehensive medical center with staff who volunteer their time to assist the program as lecturers and allow students to experience patient populations and diagnoses in fieldtrip groupings. 26. What are the weaknesses of the program? (Any problems that the program/unit may have encountered in the past are appropriate for this section.) a) Recent unilateral restriction of the Program Director s out-of-state travel to one activity per year, despite complete coverage of any additional travel costs by the PT professional association and coverage of PTA Program activities by Program faculty. This action has required the Program Director to withdraw from the Mississippi Board of PT, to withdraw from the APTA House of Delegates in the role of Chief Delegate from Mississippi, to withdraw from leadership positions in the APTA Education Section s PTA Educators Special Interest Group, and to withdraw as a Team Leader for On-site Accreditation Review of PTA Programs. This limitation impairs the Program Director s ability to stay abreast of and to influence current physical therapy policy, to gain knowledge of successful and current innovations and strategies to comply with changing accreditation requirements, and exposure to continuing education resources at greatly reduced costs or at no cost to the college - experiences needed to maintain licensure and competency as a physical therapist, as a physical therapy educator and as a PTA Program Director. b) Recent reduction in the annual contract length of Heath Science faculty, including both PTA Program faculty members, from 12 month contracts to 11 month contracts - resulting in reduced administrative time for accreditation compliance assessment and program development, and reduced availability of faculty for oversight of the program s clinical education component. ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 6 of 13

27. What opportunities are available for the program/unit? (Any opportunities for improving the program should be included in this section.) a) Opportunity to maximize space utility and efficiency in a new ICC Health Science building b) Opportunity to upgrade currency and effectiveness of instructional technology and equipment in the new ICC Health Science building c) Opportunity to encourage PTA Program graduates to benefit from the Ole Miss B.S. degree in Health Sciences being offered on campus through the Advanced Education center. d) Opportunity to benefit from a cultivated referral source of qualified applicants with B.S. degrees from the MSU Department of Exercise Science. 28. What are the threats or difficulties that the program/unit must overcome in the next five years? What is your plan for addressing these threats or difficulties? (If there are changes in the near future that are foreseen as negatively affecting this unit/program, these should be mentioned.) a) Recent changes in the APTA House of Delegates to expand the ability to assist a PT in the performance of Physical Therapy interventions to other extenders of care, in addition to the PTA. Plan: Promote the PTA in the state as the appropriate assistant to the PT. Advocate that state law not change to stray away from the present language that states the PT is performed by a PT or by a PTA under the supervision of a PT. b) Recent change in Workman s Compensation reimbursement for PT services in Mississippi to reduce reimbursement for the interventions provided by a PTA to 85% of the reimbursement for a PT, and the potential that other third party payers may follow suit. Plan: Assist the efforts of MPTA and APTA in continuing to make the case for the same reimbursement for PTAs as for PTs, considering the outcomes are consistently the same and costs are not significantly reduced when utilizing a PTA. ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 7 of 13

IV. Program Data 29. Data from your program for the previous three years (provided by Office of Institutional Research) Fall Student Enrollment Fall # of Majors Annual Completers Annual Graduates Board Pass CPAS Pass Positive Placement Duplicated Unduplicated # # # # % # % # % 2009 93 25 25 13 13 100% 13 100% 2010 90 24 24 12 11 92% 12 100% 2011 87 25 32 11 11 100% 11 100% (Enter percentages as decimals and round up. i.e. 75% would be.75 or 74.5% would be.75) 30. Provide an overview of significant results, honors, awards, and milestones achieved, as well as enhancements made to this program in the past five years. a) The year 2011 marked the 20 th year of the ICC PTA Program; b) The PTA Program achieved re-accreditation in April 2008 from the Commission on Accreditation in PT Education (CAPTE); c) All annual accreditation reports have demonstrated continued compliance with CAPTE accreditation criteria; d) Graduates have been involved in professional activities at the state and national level and have served as advisory committee members, guest lecturers and clinical instructors for the PTA Program; e) The ACCE has transitioned to the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree; f) Enrollment for the PTA Program was increased from 12 students to 14 students in Fall 2010; g) Graduates have achieved 100% board pass rates for the past 3 years; h) Graduates have enjoyed 100% placement within 3 months of graduation for each of the past 5 years; i) In the past 5 years, the program has experienced a 100% retention rate for 4 years, and a 92% retention rate for 1 year; j) The PTA Program relocated from the Fulton Campus to the Tupelo Campus of ICC three years ago, and as a result is closer to the area s large, primary regional medical center and its resources; k) The Program s ACCE recently presented at the NISOD conference; l) The Program s Director is currently serving as a mentor for the APTA s Educational Leadership Institute; V. Vision 31. State the vision for your program for the next five years or beyond? What goals do you hope to accomplish? ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 8 of 13

a) Completion of move to a new Health Science Building on the Tupelo Campus with updated technology, equipment and space; b) Successful completion of a CAPTE required Self Study in 2017 that demonstrates compliance with accreditation criteria; c) Three-year average Board pass rates that exceed 90%; d) Three-year average graduation rates that exceed 90%; e) Continued graduate placement for the next 5 years at 100%. VI. Utilization of Supportive Resources 32. Does the department of Campus Police adequately support your program? 33. Does the Office of Institutional Research, Effectiveness, & Accountability adequately support your program? 34. Does the Business Office adequately support your program? 35. Does the department of Technology and Information Systems adequately support your program? 36. Does the department of Physical Plant adequately support your program? 37. Does the Learning Resource Center adequately support your program? 38. Does the department of Distance Learning adequately support your program? ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 9 of 13

39. Do ICC sessions for Professional Development adequately support your program? 40. Does the department of Financial Aid adequately support your program? If no, explain why. 41. Does the Student Success Center area of Advising adequately support your program? If no, explain why. 42. Does the office of Registrar and Admissions adequately support your program? If no, explain why. 43. Does the Student Services area of Career Planning adequately support your program? 44. Does the Student Success Center area of Tutoring adequately support your program? 45. Does the department of Supportive & Disability Services adequately support your program? 46. Does the Bookstore adequately support your program? If NO, explain why ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 10 of 13

47. Does the Student Services area of Housing adequately support your program? 48. Does the department of Student Affairs adequately support your program? 49. Does the department of Public Relations and Publications adequately support your program? VII. SACS Principles Compliance Survey Institutional Effectiveness 50. Is there evidence that the effectiveness of instruction is periodically evaluated? 51. Are research-based evaluation processes (e.g., surveys, interviews, analysis of data) used for assessing this program? If yes, list the instruments and other processes used by the program for evaluating effectiveness. 1. Graduate Survey; Employer Survey 2. Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) 3. Clinical Instructor Questionnaire 4. End of semester, end of academic year, and end of program surveys 5. Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) and Generic Abilities assessment 52. Does the use of evaluation processes result in continuous improvement in the program/unit? If yes, describe some of the recent improvements that have come about in response to needs identified through these evaluation processes: 1. Purchase of additional and updated equipment for laboratory practice 2. Move to an on-line version of the CPI 3. Added an additional pulmonary lecture to pulmonary content of curriculum 4. Added an orthotic/prosthetic lab skills check-off 5. Revisions to clinical education expectations for Clinical Education I ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 11 of 13

53. Does the program/unit identify expected annual outcomes for its services; assess whether it achieves these outcomes; and provide evidence of improvement based analysis of those results? Financial Support Facilities 54. If an outcome is not achieved, are documented modifications or improvements made in the unit? 55. Is the number of full-time faculty members employed to teach in this program adequate to support the program effectively? 56. Are there adequate faculty resources provided to the faculty of this program to ensure the quality and integrity of the program? 57. Is adequate financial support available to meet the needs of this program? 58. Is the budget information available on-line to department/division heads? 59. Does the institution operate and maintain physical facilities that are adequate to serve the needs of this educational program? 60. Does the institution take reasonable steps to provide a healthy, safe, and secure environment for this educational program? 61. Are the physical facilities (classrooms, laboratories, etc.) accessible to disabled students? N/A 62. Is the instructional equipment used in this program similar to that used in the workplace or at a higher level of instruction? N/A 63. Does the institution provide and support student and faculty access to adequate library collections as well as to other learning and information resources consistent with the degree offered in this program? ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 12 of 13

SACS PRINCIPLES COMPLIANCE SURVEY (Action Plan) ANY ITEMS ANSWERED WITH A NEGATIVE RESPONSE IN THE SACS COMPLIANCE SURVEY SECTION INDICATE THAT THE INSTITUTION IS OUT OF COMPLIANCE AND MUST BE ACCOMPANIED WITH A WRITTEN PLAN FOR COMPLIANCE ON EACH ISSUE. Provide discussion below for any questions that was assigned a NO answer on the Principles Compliance Survey, and then provide a plan of improvement for each of those questions in the space below. Indicate the question number, your discussion, and the plan of action. ICC Program/Unit Five Year Review Page 13 of 13