Mechanisms by which students will receive regular reports of academic performance will be in place and documented in the PTA Program Policies and Procedures Manual, page 18 (Appendix 4).
As stated in section 1.4.3, students will be required to meet with the Program Director once each semester (PTA Policies and Procedures Manual pp. 15, Appendix 4). During these sessions student success will be discussed. If the student is having difficulties then strategies will
discussed to improve success (study groups, flash cards, audio tape lecture/labs, instructor office hours, open lab hours, etc.). Students will be referred to Disability Support Services
Victoria College Self Study, Victoria TX Page 41 (http://www.victoriacollege.edu/disabilitysupportservices), tutoring
(http://www.victoriacollege.edu/tutoringcenter), or Counseling
(http://www.victoriacollege.edu/advisingcounselingservices) if appropriate.
Tutoring is available in the Tutoring Center for all general education courses. Funds are available for vocational programs through Carl Perkins grants for program specific tutoring.
The mechanisms by which students will receive regular reports of their clinical performance and progress is outlined in the PTA Program Policies and Procedures pp. 34-35 (Appendix 4) states the following:
• Students are provided the clinical evaluation objectives/standards and process as well as the PTA MACS instrument prior to clinical experiences.
• Clinical faculty evaluate the students’ performance relative to the
objectives/standards. Clinical faculty provide students with verbal and written feedback regarding their performance on a weekly basis. Students have an
opportunity to offer their perspective regarding clinical faculty evaluation statements during the weekly conference. Students will also assess their own performance.
• Sampling of knowledge and skills through focused questioning and observation and, grading the implementation of the plan of care established by a physical therapist using the PTA MACS instrument and other written assignments are the processes used to determine if students can deliver safe effective care and meet clinical performance objectives. If a student demonstrates a lack of level appropriate knowledge and/or preparation for skills regarding the patient assignment or previously taught content, a student is questioned and observed more frequently.
• If students do not show steady progress toward meeting the clinical objectives, they are counseled by the clinical instructor (CI), Center Coordinator of Clinical
Education (CCCE), and Academic Clinical Coordinator of Education (ACCE) and a contract is formulated which specifically addresses the deficiencies, learning
activities related to correcting the deficiencies if indicated and a time frame for fulfilling the contract. Students must complete all activities stipulated in the learning contract or they will not pass the clinical experience.
• Evaluation conferences are held between clinical instructors and students at midterm and at the end of the rotation or at other times during the semester if a student’s performance begins to decline. The Academic Clinical Coordinator of Education (ACCE) is readily available to the students throughout the rotation should the student and/or instructor determine a need for a conference. The ACCE will meet with the student and clinical instructor at least once during the clinical rotation.
The Clinical Educator’s Manual, page 13 (Appendix 5) states the following regarding students receiving regular reports of their performance:
Clinical faculty will use the PTA MACS to evaluate the students mid-way through the affiliation as well as at its conclusion. Students are expected to complete their copy of the PTA MACS prior to the mid-term and final evaluations. The evaluations shall be reviewed and both the clinical faculty and the student shall sign the Midterm and Final Progress Report .
Victoria College Self Study, Victoria TX Page 42 Complete instructions for the use of the PTA MACS are located inside its front cover.
When completing the PTA MACS, both the clinical faculty and the student should make specific comments on each individual skill sheet and on the summative comments sheet at the end of the form.
Informal weekly evaluations should be performed which do not require written notation.
If the CI and student are not able to meet each week, the student should perform a weekly self-assessment on which to base his/her feedback to the clinical instructor regarding his/her educational needs. Students are required to complete weekly progress forms that include the clinical instructor’s signature. These forms are turned into the ACCE for review.
Students are to provide the clinical supervisor with an evaluation of the facility
following each affiliation. This evaluation will provide the facility with the appropriate feedback to maintain clinical education program currency.
Victoria College Self Study, Victoria TX Page 43 2.4. Finances
The program has adequate financial support to achieve its stated mission.
Core faculty determine program needs and, with appropriate institutional officials, are involved in budget planning and management.
The Program Director is directly involved in the budget planning process for operational and other expenses in the PTA program. Budget development and resource allocation is a
collaborative process between the Program faculty and College administration. Both parties contribute budgetary information for meeting accreditation standards, program mission, goals, and outcomes. Budget planning involves both annual and projected program needs to ensure a sustainable funding source for PTA education. The Program Director and the Division Dean are responsible for maintaining the budget.
Income from PTA student tuition and fees, state contributions, grant sources, and private donors that support PTA program development are current and projected sources of funding. Annually, all Program Directors (with input from program faculty) within the Allied Health Division participate in the planning to identify equipment and curricular development needs for the upcoming academic year. Based on actual and projected needs the Program Directors submit budget proposals to the Division Dean in the spring prior to the next academic year (Appendix 22). The Division Dean will review the proposed budget with the Program Director and revisions are made collaboratively.
Academic faculty salaries for both full-time and part-time faculty members are approved by the Board of Trustees on a salary schedule that combines years of teaching experience and earned degrees. Advancements on the schedule occur on a yearly basis until the top step is achieved.
Currently the Program has one full-time Program Director and a full time faculty member for the position of Coordinator of Clinical Education. Faculty needs of program instruction were based on minimum criteria for CAPTE accreditation, PTA curriculum needs and continued program development and program assessment.
Funding for faculty development may be obtained from funds designated for professional development for the Allied Health Division. The Division Dean accepts applications for funding from full-time faculty members to determine need. This funding is generally sufficient to enable faculty development needs for each full-time program faculty member to attend at least one conference per year with reimbursement for travel, hotel, meals and registration. This funding is considered adequate by the program faculty.
Books and periodicals expenses are borne by the Library budget (Appendix 10).
Equipment needs were identified by the Program Director and approved by members of the Advisory Committee as well as the Division Dean. These requests fit into long-range plans and goals that are structured for the curriculum design of the Program. The Dean considers all
requests based on the justification posed by the Program Director. The equipment packages went out to bid and were ordered by the end of February 2010. All equipment ordered was
Victoria College Self Study, Victoria TX Page 44 delivered and installed by June 2010. The equipment is state-of-the art and more than meets the instructional needs of the Program (Appendix 22).
Mileage for clinical visits is reimbursed through the PTA budget. There have not been any additional clinical expenses projected other than professional development which will come out of the Division Dean’s professional development budget.
Accreditation fees for the program are paid out of the College’s general fund designated for accreditation fees.
Victoria College Self Study, Victoria TX Page 45 2.5 Administrative and Technical Support Services
2.5.1. Adequate administrative and technical support staff and services