Gary C. White, M.Ed., RRT, RPFT Spokane Community College, Spokane WA

1. Re-Engaging Your Advisory Committee: From Improving Participation to Understanding Their Role in the Accreditation Process Gary C. White, M.Ed., RRT, RPFT Spokane Community College, Spokane WA

2. Conflict of Interest • I have no real or perceived conflict of interest that relates to this presentation. Any use of brand names is not in any way meant to be an endorsement of a specific product, but to merely illustrate a point of emphasis.

3. Objectives • Briefly describe the history of advisory committees • Describe the anatomy of an advisory committee • Describe the physiology of an advisory committee • Discuss ways to recruit members for your advisory committee

4. Objectives • Describe the purpose of an advisory committee • Discuss the indicators of an effective advisory committee • Describe ways you can improve your advisory committee’s participation • Describe the role the advisory committee plays in CoARC accreditation

5. History of Advisory Committees • Early twentieth century • vocational technical schools perceived a threat from local school officials with strong academic backgrounds • US Congress 1917 – Smith-Hughes Act • Encourage the use of citizen advisory groups to facilitate planning and evaluation of programs and to help link the programs with schools and communities

6. History of Advisory Committees • Between the 1940s through the late 1950s • Use of advisory committees was not uniform • The success of the practice had a high degree of variability • The use of advisory committees was still encouraged

7. History of Advisory Committees • During the 1960s community colleges and vocational-technical education centers emerged • The use of advisory committees became more common practice • There was an expansion of vocational-technical education offerings

8. History of Advisory Committees • Vocational Education Act of 1963 established the National Advisory Council for Vocational Education • 1968 amendments included the first legal mandate calling for the formation of state advisory councils. • Education Amendments of 1976 emphasized greater involvement than in the past of national and state councils and called specifically for advisory councils at the local level.

9. History of Advisory Committees • Carl D Perkins act 1984 • Advisory Panel and advisory committee requirements • State statutes • The majority of state statutes require advisory committees for career and technical education programs • Bottom line … “It’s not a CoARC mandate folks”

10. Anatomy of an Advisory Committee • Membership composed of the public, students, faculty, and representatives from business and industry (employers & employees) • Public member(s) • Individual not affiliated with the profession (patient?) • Business / Industry Representatives • Department managers • Home care companies • Therapists / Graduates

11. Anatomy of an Advisory Committee • Student Representatives • One representative per class or cohort • Faculty • Program Director • Director of Clinical Education • Full time / Part time faculty • Medical Director

12. Anatomy of an Advisory Committee • Selection process • Appointment of members • Dean or division administrator • Program director recommendation to Dean or division administrator • Election of members • Professional group/organization electing members to the committee • Size of the committee • Try to keep it under 15 members • It’s fun to herd cats!

13. Anatomy of an Advisory Committee • Selection process • Once a member agrees to serve, an official appointment letter from the institution should be sent • Helps to formalize the commitment • Terms of service • Set up a rotation (three years is typical) • Sometimes member rotation can be problematic • Personally I like my area managers on the committee

14. Anatomy of an Advisory Committee • Job description(s) • Defines a specific and important role on the committee • Facilitates reporting back to the committee • Encourages engagement • Formalizes the relationship with the group

15. Voting and Non-Voting Members • Washington State Statute • Only industry members are voting members of an advisory committee • Hospital representatives • Home care representatives • Long term care representatives • Non-voting members • Faculty • Students • MD directors

16. Voting and Non-Voting Members • Advisory committee roster must designate • Voting members • Non-voting members Any voting before the committee must be reflected in the minutes • Non-voting membership input • Still valued and important • Often these members provide insight that is missed by others

17. Recruiting Members • Recruitment of new members can feel like competition with effectively running a respiratory care program. • With enforcement of term limits, recruiting new members is essential • Recruiting new members annually does take time • Have the members of the committee assist in the process

18. Recruiting Members • Ideas for recruitment • Program alumni • Clinical/Internship Site staff • Representatives from Professional Organizations Associated • Retired faculty/Staff of the program • Representatives from business/industry who hire graduates

19. Recruiting Members • “Making Linkages” exercise • Members of the committee identify a potential pool of new members • Make assignments for individual members to contact and recruit others • Facilitates some ownership and “buy in” to being part of the group

20. Physiology of Advisory Committees“Care and Feeding” • Orientation • A brief training on purpose, function, organizational structure • Orientation can be more formalized • Workshop / Orientation • May involve other departments/divisions/colleges • Computer based • Provide a copy of your institution’s Advisory Committee Handbook to each member

21. Physiology of Advisory Committees “Care and Feeding” • Frequency of full committee orientation • Should occur bi-annually for the committee • Orientation of new chair • Should occur annually with appointment of new chair

22. Physiology of Advisory Committees “Care and Feeding” • Ethics Laws • Abstain or recusal from voting • Purchase of equipment when that individual is a sole source or will profit from the decision • Curriculum issues • When individual(s) may benefit from changes in course offerings • Paid adjunct faculty • Benefits to institutions

23. Physiology of Advisory Committees “Care and Feeding” • Charter and bylaws • Establish operational guidelines • Regular meetings • 2 – 3 times per year • Establishes working relationships among members • Facilitates development of a biennial work plan • Election of committee chair

24. Purpose of Advisory Committees • Provide input to curriculum and instruction • Can be essential to move desired curriculum changes through curriculum committees • Provide guidance for new industry requirements • Provide programmatic review • Advisory committees are a great tool for programmatic assessment

25. Purpose of Advisory Committees • Assist with recruitment and job placement • Recruiting new program faculty • Placing graduates • Assist with student organizations • Judging skills/knowledge • Sponsoring activities • Fund raising • Career/Portfolio development

26. Purpose of Advisory Committees • Assist with faculty professional development • Sabbatical opportunities • In-service opportunities • Provide help with community / public relations • Career fairs • Pre-College career orientations • Meeting with HS counselors

27. Purpose of Advisory Committees • Assist with resource evaluation and procurement • Invite the committee to your lab for a meeting • Committee support helps with acquiring new equipment • The managers know what’s on their “wish list” • Make certain both your program and your clinical sites have the same goals

28. Purpose of Advisory Committees • Assist with or support legislative efforts • State budgets are tight • Higher education is often “low hanging fruit” • Often the community / industry leaders are well connected • Have them make phone calls • Have them express the positive contribution your program makes for their institution / business

29. Indicators of Advisory Committee Effectiveness • Develops and carries out an annual plan of action • Put the plan in writing • Establish a “sub-committee” if needed • Make specific assignments with due dates • Articulates long and short term goals • Put the plans in writing • Make certain the plan(s) are in the minutes

30. Indicators of Advisory Committee Effectiveness • Regularly reviews curriculum • Are industry needs being met? • Are student needs being met? • What trends does the committee see? • Positive • Needs improvement • What specifically • How can the program effectively address it?

31. Indicators of Advisory Committee Effectiveness • Promotes and helps to publicize the program • Your program doesn’t need to be a “Best Kept Secret” • The profession needs positive press in the local community • Assesses the impact of recommendations annually • Document this in your meeting minutes

32. Indicators of Advisory Committee Effectiveness • Reviews programmatic outcome data • The program goal(s) • Annually! • The Program’s NBRC results • Print and share the “Annual School Summary Report” • Graduate placement • CoARC Graduate and Employer Survey results • Document all of this in the meeting minutes!

33. Improving Advisory Committee Participation • Recognition of member(s) contributions • Letters from campus administrators • Committee recognition of member(s) contributions • Listen to your committee don’t tell them • The members want input • The members want to see action • The members don’t want to waste time

34. Improving Advisory Committee Participation • Implement recommendations that are made • Committees get excited when they see action and results • Most members are results oriented • Show progress toward recommended change(s) • Written documentation can help to keep a focus and a goal

35. Improving Advisory Committee Participation • Are there joint public/private or private/private projects that can be implemented? • Sometimes there are funding sources that either party may not be aware of • Work jointly to bring in new revenue streams to support the college and the program • Sometimes a little seed money can really blossom

36. Improving Advisory Committee Participation • Mentorship programs • Advisory committee members mentoring students • Can help with attrition • Members mentoring new members or mentorship toward chair • Sharing knowledge • Industry sharing with students (guest speakers) • Faculty helping to with clinical staff continuing education

37. Improving Advisory Committee Participation • Organization of a “Speakers Bureau” • Often community groups want healthcare presentations • What a great way to promote the profession • What a great way to promote the program • Engaged members help to drive change and improve quality • FOOD!!!

38. Advisory Committees and Accreditation • Standard 3.01 • Advisory committee annually reviews the program’s goal(s) • Document this in your committee minutes • My program makes this a Fall agenda item • I read and distribute the program’s goal • There is a formal vote to accept the program’s goal • The results of the vote are recorded in the minutes • The committee can recommend additional goal(s)

39. Advisory Committees and Accreditation • Standard 3.04 • An advisory committee, with representation from each of the communities of interest and key personnel must meet at least annually • Assist in reviewing and evaluating any changes to educational goals • Program outcomes • Instructional effectiveness • Program response to change

40. Advisory Committees and Accreditation • Standard 3.04 • The communities of interest that serve the program must include but are not limited to, students, graduates, faculty, college administrators, employers, physicians and the public

41. Advisory Committees and Accreditation • Required record keeping • Review of program goal(s) annually by the advisory committee • Documentation in the advisory committee minutes • Membership list • Update annually • Include identification with the community of interest that the members serve to represent

42. Advisory Committees and Accreditation • Required record keeping • Minutes and attendance from each advisory committee meeting • Should be factual and reflect the meeting • The minutes aren’t a newsletter

43. Conclusion • I have described the anatomy and physiology of an effective advisory committee • The purpose of the advisory committee has been developed • I have described ways to improve participation in your own advisory committee

44. Conclusion • I have described some key indicators of effective advisory committees • Now … • Go home and make a plan • Involve key members of your committee in that plan • Put your plan(s) in writing • Get your advisory committee members engaged