Shared Community College Nanotechnology Programs. The Joys and Challenges in a Collaborative College Setting

Shared Community College

Nanotechnology Programs

Illinois Community Colleges

 3rd largest community college system in the nation.

 39 community college districts

 48 community colleges

 The average $2,521 per year in tuition and fees.

 Over 300 different careers/occupations.

 First community college Joliet Junior College - 1901.

 Diverse and relatively independent districts

Challenge of Career Programs in

Emerging Technologies



Industry



_{Initially small job market}



Often not concentrated in any one college district



Dynamically changing technology



Community college



High capital equipment costs



_{Specialized instructor expertise}

Technology Development Cycle –

Two Views of the Challenges

1900 1950 2000 2050 VINYL MAGNETIC CD ONLIN E

1) Typical compression of technology lifecycles – New technologies are developed and supplanted at an increasingly rapid rate.

2) Multiple competing technologies emerge. Maintaining a sustainable

Strategies Addressing These

Challenges - Collaboration

Community College to

Community College Program Sharing

Community College to Industry

Community College to University Research Center regional and national centers All strategies are important and not mutually exclusive. Today’s discussion focuses on our

experiences with a shared program in Illinois



Increase the base of students interested in

nanotechnology career programs – cross district

programs



Increase the support across all students for

nanotechnology courses – introducing courses

eligible for transfer credit



Increase the infusion of nanoscale content across

STEM courses

Strategies Addressing These

College of Lake County/Harper Model

•Avoid initial cost of completely duplicated programs

•Allow for eventual growth to 2 full programs as demand develops

•Share subject matter expertise across schools •Shared industry advisory structure

•Challenges

•Coordinate curriculum – schools have independent curriculum committees but overall curriculum approval is at state level board.

•One institution is degree granting – student need to meet minimum credit requirements at that institution.

•Distance – Harper and Lake County are close in distance but it is not an easy commute for

students •Tuition rates

•Requires a degree of trust among schools which in some arenas are competitors

Addressing the challenges

 Coordinate curriculum – schools have independent curriculum

committees but overall curriculum approval is at state level board.

One institution is degree granting – student need to meet minimum credit requirements at that

institution.

Distance – Harper and Lake

County are close in distance but it is not an easy commute for

students

Tuition rates

Requires a degree of trust among schools which in some arenas are competitors

 Curriculum has to be carefully coordinated in content across the schools. Changes have to be made in a time frame

consistent with each schools processes.

 Eventually we may

differentiate curriculum as per industry requirements.

Addressing the challenges

 Coordinate curriculum – schools have independent curriculum

committees but overall curriculum approval is at state level board.

One institution is degree granting – student need to meet minimum credit requirements at that

institution.

Distance – Harper and Lake

County are close in distance but it is not an easy commute for

students

Tuition rates

Requires a degree of trust among schools which in some arenas are competitors



This requires careful

coordination with

counseling so that

students understand

these requirements

Addressing the challenges

independent curriculum committees but overall curriculum approval is at state level board.

One institution is degree granting – student need to meet minimum credit requirements at that institution.

Distance – Harper and Lake County are close in distance but it is not an easy commute for students

Tuition rates

Requires a degree of trust among schools which in some arenas are competitors

 We are trying various options for remote learning. However, some fact to face experience,

particularly for labs is required.  As students will have to learn to

work in a geographically dispersed environment in industry, these remote learning experiences can help prepare them to operate in this environment.

Addressing the challenges

independent curriculum committees but overall curriculum approval is at state level board.

One institution is degree granting – student need to meet minimum credit requirements at that institution.

Distance – Harper and Lake County are close in distance but it is not an easy commute for students

Tuition rates

Requires a degree of trust among schools which in some arenas are competitors

 In district tuition rates were agreed upon

Addressing the challenges

 Coordinate curriculum – schools have independent curriculum committees but overall curriculum approval is at state level board.

One institution is degree granting – student need to meet minimum credit requirements at that institution.

Distance – Harper and Lake County are close in distance but it is not an easy commute for students

Tuition rates

Requires a degree of trust among schools which in some arenas are competitors

 This is critical. Coordination of

scheduling of classes, counseling of students and similar activities is critical but outside of the normal processes at either school

Student Stories

 Open enrollment program

 Most students take a few courses out of general interest

 Some take a specific set of courses for career reasons

 Some are in it for the AAS degree

 Students seem to shift among these categories – often

difficult to collect meaningful statistics

 Employment examples

 Local nano industry

 National semiconductor firm

 Local TV news intern!

 Transfer

 ~4 transfer to biology programs