Co-op at PCC Sylvania

1. Co-op at PCC Sylvania Co-op Task Force Findings and Recommendations

2. Agenda • Co-op Task Force Mission and Findings • General Outcomes for Co-op Courses • Co-op Practices Required by State and PCC • Recommended “Best Practices” for Co-op • Discussion and Next Steps

3. Co-op Task Force (2008-2009) • Mission: Clarify Co-op Goals, Practices and Roles at PCC (College-wide) • Tasks: • Identify desirable outcomes of Co-op • Identify practices to be applied consistently throughout college • Identify roles of faculty, APs and administrators • Assess pay methodology for Co-op faculty

4. Guiding Principles • Regional Standards (Accreditation, Oregon Statute & DOE Guidelines, PCC Policies) • “…assure that the PCC Cooperative Education Program is academically rigorous.” • Consistent standards throughout PCC • Focus on “Best Practices” • Broad representation on committee (Labor, management, faculty, APs, administrators, Participants from CA/RC/SY/Open campuses)

5. Committee Findings • Identified a set of general outcomes for all Co-op courses (with assistance from Curriculum Committee) • Identified required and recommended practices and responsible parties • Developed a proposal for faculty pay (used during contract negotiations)

6. Co-op Outcomes • Work productively in the workplace field • Apply acquired (classroom) skills, knowledge, and training in a workplace setting • Understand the skills and demands of work in the field in order to make informed career decisions • Communicate appropriately in the workplace • Continue to explore career opportunities

7. Co-op Requirements State Guidelines (DOE) • Co-op must be “part of a program of study” (associate degree, certificate of completion, transfer program). • Co-op must be approved through each college’s curriculum approval process. • Co-op courses are for credit and require adherence to all relevant policies related to curriculum and grading. • Co-op sets up a “Contractual Relationship with Organizations not Regionally Accredited” (i.e., the Co-op employer). • Co-op must include an individual learning plan including learning outcomes and objectives. • Co-op must include monitoring of the student’s progress through periodic visits or contacts at the Co-op site.

8. Co-op Requirements Federal and State Law • Co-op experiences may be paid or unpaid. For paid positions, various employment laws, including wage and hour laws, apply to the employer-employee. • Co-op experiences must be administered in compliance with civil rights laws and regulations. • Co-op programs must comply with Worker’s Compensation requirements

9. Principles for Putting Requirements into Practice • Effective Co-op learning requires structured student reflection • The instructor must be responsible for site visits to assess student learning • Faculty hired to teach Co-op courses must meet SAC Instructor Qualifications

10. Required Co-op Practices Practice Responsible Party • CCOG/Outcomes • Syllabus • Guidelines for Student Eligibility • Site Development • Department/SAC • Department/Faculty • Department/SAC • Specialist/Faculty/Dept/Student (Student responsible for selection unless otherwise assigned by department)

11. Required Co-op Practices Practice Responsible Party • Site Approval for Learning • Site Approval for Legal and Policy Requirements • Approval of Training Agreement & Learning Objectives (Required BEFORE enrollment) • Enroll Student in Co-op • Workers Compensation • Faculty • Specialist • Faculty (Signed by student, employer, faculty & specialist) • Specialist • Specialist

12. Required Co-op Practices Practice Responsible Party • Reflection in Co-op (not seminar) to be evaluated • Site Visit/Monitoring • Grad entered (P/NP recommended • Co-op records maintained for compliance • Faculty specifies method in syllabus. Student responsibility • In person by faculty, unless good cause for faculty designee (not specialist) or alternative monitoring • Faculty • Specialist

13. Best Practices for Co-op “We recommend the following practices be adopted by the department, faculty or specialists in embedded seminars, courses, training or one-on-one advising, etc., in addition to Co-op courses.” - Co-op Task Force

14. Recommended Co-op Practices Practice Responsible Party • Job search skills and techniques, including resumes, interviewing, cover letters, etc. • Evaluation of skills development and work-related accomplishments via portfolio or demonstration at work site • Specialist (faculty or department as needed) • Faculty

15. Recommended Co-op Practices Practice Responsible Party • Education of students regarding workplace issues (harassment, labor law, discrimination, professionalism, etc.) • Workplace skills and techniques including time management, work ethics, problem solving, etc • Career Exploration activities and research • Specialist • Specialist (faculty or department as needed) • Faculty, Specialist, Department

16. Next Steps? • All SACs should review Co-op CCOGs for general outcomes (and to meet new grading requirements) • How should departments review their practices? • What support do faculty and specialists need to implement changes? • What changes need to be made to the Co-op Faculty Handbook and other published material? • How does the college verify that standards are being met?