1. Table of Contents
1. Table of Contents ... 1
2. Need ... 2
3. Response to the Need ... 6
4. Program Management/Institutional Commitment ... 10
5. Identified Resources ... 12 Appendix A, Application Signature Page
2. Need (Statement of Problem)
a. Brief description of the proposed baccalaureate program.
West Los Angeles College (West) proposes to develop, implement, and operate a pilot Bachelor of Science degree program in Dental Hygiene (BSDH). The program will provide a 120-unit BSDH program for new students and a 30-unit BSDH degree
completion program for dental hygienists with an Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene.
This new program builds on an existing strong Associate degree program in Dental Hygiene that has consistently been one of the most successful community college
Dental Hygiene programs in the nation. Over the last 12 years, 94% of students
accepted into the Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene program completed the rigorous curriculum and 100% of our program graduates have passed the national and state boards’ exams. The new BSDH program will provide pathways for graduates into
(i) employment, (ii) clinical supervision, (iii) education, (iv) master’s degree programs, (v) public health, (vi) research, (vii) the corporate oral health industry, and (viii) other
career pathways where the baccalaureate is a minimum qualification.
The BSDH degree program will create pathways for the college’s diverse
student population. Los Angeles County, the probable home and place of employment
for program graduates, is expected to see a population increase of 637,000 persons over the project period.1 The county now has a majority-minority population, with
Latinos comprising more than 50% of the population. High quality oral health care is often lacking in communities of color.2 West’s new BSDH will prepare highly educated dental professionals who have a deep understanding of the cultural context of general and oral health care and who can function as role models and advocates for oral health care in their communities.3
West’s Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene pilot program will require 120 semester units of rigorous academic preparation. After accumulating 50 units of lower division coursework, including specific requirements stipulated by the Commission on Dental Accreditation in science and general education, students can apply for entrance into the program. Following acceptance, students will become part of a cohort of
students who complete 61 units of dental hygiene and nine units of upper division
general education coursework. New cohorts of 50 will start each fall semester beginning in fall 2017.
Acceptance into West’s Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree completion program will require students to have completed all required prerequisites, all lower division general education requirements, and the AS in Dental Hygiene. West will accept 29 units of required prerequisites, 15 additional units to complete the lower division general education requirements, and 46 units of Dental Hygiene course work. Accepted students will complete 9 units of upper division general education
requirements and 21 units of upper division course work in Dental Hygiene.
b. Description of the college and district.
1 www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographics.reports/projections/P-1 2http://www.wkkf.org/what-we-do/healthy-kids/oral-health
Enrolling 10,500 students, West Los Angeles College is one of nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District and serves the diverse communities in West and South Los Angeles. This area encompasses a population of over 1 million in a county with a population of over 10 million.
Accredited by the Accrediting Commission on Community and Junior College of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, West is a comprehensive, open door two-year public postsecondary institution. With a mission that “A West education
enriches students with the knowledge and skills needed to earn certificates and degrees, to transfer, to build careers, and to pursue life-long learning,” West offers 60
associate degrees, 29 certificates, adult education, and customized business training. The Los Angeles Community College District, the largest community college district in the nation, enrolls over 135,000 students each year. The table below shows the demographics of the LACCD, West, the college’s Allied Health Division, current dental hygiene students at West, and for comparison purposes, demographics of students in dental hygienist programs nationally. West’s dental hygiene program is leading the national effort to diversify the dental hygiene profession.
Demographics LACCD West Los Angeles College Allied Health Division Current DH students Dental Hygiene Students nationally Female 57% 58% 74% 87% 97% Male 43% 42% 26% 13% 3% Latino 55% 37% 34% 23% 9% African American 15% 32% 21% 10% 4% Asian/Pacific Islander 13% 7% 10% 11% 6% White 16% 13% 31% 56% 73% Other 2% 11% 4% -- 6% <19 18% 16% 5% -- ** 20 - 24 36% 35% 25% 15% ** 25 - 34 23% 26% 36% 28% ** >35 18% 21% 24% 10% **
** CODA uses different ranges: Less than 23 = 38%, 24 to 29 = 36%, 30 to 34 = 5%, 35 to 39 = 4%, 40+ = 6%.
c. Interest, support, and demand for the program, including a statement supporting the necessity of a four-year degree.
To determine potential interest in and support of students and industry
representatives, West’s Dental Hygiene program conducted an anonymous survey of currently enrolled students and members of the program’s advisory committee in fall 2014. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = want to enroll now, 78% of the two current and one graduate dental hygiene cohorts (14, 15, and 16) indicated a strong interest (1 and 2)
in enrolling in a BSDH.4 100% of the advisory board recommended that West
develop the BSDH program.5
Both the American Dental Hygienists Association and the California Dental Hygiene Association are now recommending that the BSDH be the new standard for new
dental hygienists. There is a great need for a BSDH degree, given the growing
complexity of dental hygiene care as the population ages and for those individuals with chronic diseases, the connection between oral health and overall general health, and the increasing need and demand for the prevention of oral disease and the promotion of health to the public.6,7,8 The BSDH degree will be an additional pathway to the Master of Science in Dental Hygiene at the University of California, San Francisco and the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles.
d. Regional and/or statewide labor market and unmet workforce needs.
West has carefully examined labor market information for the 2012 to 2022 period. Every indication is that there is a real and strong demand for highly qualified dental
hygienists.
♦ California projects a 23.4% increase in demand for dental hygienists9 ♦ Los Angeles County shows a 19% growth in demand for dental hygienists10 ♦ O*Net online: Dental Hygiene is projected to grow much faster than other
occupations (22% or more) and is classified as an occupation with a Bright Outlook designation11
The American Dental Educators Association reports a need for Dental Hygiene educators who hold a minimum of a bachelor degree to teach in a community college and/or a university setting. Representatives for Colgate and Hu-Friedy serve on our advisory board and both support starting the BSDH program as working in this industry requires a higher degree.12
There are no public baccalaureate degree programs in Dental Hygiene in California13. This forces hygienists who desire a baccalaureate to attend either expensive private universities or apply and move out of state to enroll in programs in other states. For example, the University of Southern California Dental Hygiene program has an estimated cost of $154,900. Loma Linda University’s Dental Hygiene program estimates the cost of the program at $128,060. West Coast University
estimates $132,867 for the BSDH. These are insurmountable barriers for most students, particularly those who are from lower socioeconomic populations or are returning to school. These tuition and fees are also barriers to diversifying the workforce. The cost of 4http://www.wlac.edu/WLAC/media/documents/allied-health/DH%20Bachelors%20Degree/StudentBSInterestSurvey.pdf 5http://www.wlac.edu/WLAC/media/documents/allied-health/DH%20Bachelors%20Degree/AdvisoryBoard-4yrDegreeSurvey.pdf 6http://www.adha.org/resources-docs/7263_Focus_on_Advancing_Profession.pdf, pp. 16 to 19 7 http://www.wlac.edu/WLAC/media/documents/allied-health/DH%20Bachelors%20Degree/CDHA-Support-Letter/CDHALetterBSDHPilot.pdf 8http://www.wlac.edu/WLAC/media/documents/allied-health/DH%20Bachelors%20Degree/California_Dental-_Hygiene_Assoc.pdf, p.2 9http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/cgi/databrowsing/occExplorerQSDetails.asp?searchCriteria= dental+hygienist&careerID=&menuChoice=&geogArea=0601000000&soccode=292021&search=Explore+Occupation 10http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/cgi/databrowsing/occExplorerQSDetails.asp?searchCriteria= dental+hygienist&careerID=&menuChoice=&geogArea=0604000037&soccode=292021&search=Explore+Occupation 11http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2021.00 12http://www.wlac.edu/WLAC/media/documents/allied-health/DH%20Bachelors%20Degree/CogatePharmaceuticals.pdf 13 http://www.WLAC.EDU/WLAC/media/documents/allied-health/DH%20Bachelors%20Degree/UCLA-BS-Dental-Hygiene_Letter-1.pdf
enrollment fees and books for attending West’s proposed pathways to the BSDH degree are estimated to be below $10,000—a significantly lower cost and one that promotes access from communities of color to diversify the profession and from low-income populations to be an engine of economic growth.
e. Further evidence of need.
As with many professions, there is a general need to diversify the workforce. In July 2008 the Center for Health Professions at the University of California, San Francisco,14 published a significant discussion of the gender and racial disparity between the population of the state and the dental profession. While the discussion focuses on dentists, it is equally true for the larger profession that includes dental hygienists. A key point is that there is little disagreement about the need for and importance of recruiting a diverse student body to ensure that the composition of the dental workforce begins to reflect the (i) diversity of the state and (ii) that this might be a key strategy to lessen the oral health disparities that afflict the state’s minority and low-income populations.
West was the first college in California to offer a Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) program, completion of which licenses a dental hygienist to work independently in nursing homes or schools and with home bound patients. Acceptance into West’s RDHAP program requires a BS or equivalent. With an
increasing number of elderly and more school-aged children, particularly in low-income and minority population areas, there is continuing need for highly qualified RDHAPs who have a high impact on the oral health of the communities with which they work.15
Unfortunately, with no BSDH programs in affordable public colleges and only degree and degree completion programs at expensive private institutions in California, the number of dental hygienists able to benefit from RDHAP training is severely
restricted and the need for dental care goes unabated. The BSDH program at West will create a growing base of BS-degreed dental hygienists ready to add new credentials and new skills sets that increase both professional opportunities for practice and bring effective dental hygiene care to underserved populations.
In 2000, the Surgeon General released a report on oral health in America. The information about schoolchildren was staggering: Tooth decay was reported as the most common chronic childhood illness, with 51 million school hours lost to dental-related illness each year.16 Graduates of West’s BSDH and RDHAP programs will have the knowledge and skills to address dental health issues in young children removing barriers to school attendance and promoting good oral and general health.17
West’s clinical rotation sites provide students with exceptional learning experiences. From the UCLA dental clinics to the Veterans Administration dental clinics, and clinics operated by non-profits in low-income communities of color, students work with a wide range of patients with co-occurring dental, physical, and psychological maladies that challenge and prepare the students to work with patients of all ages and cultural
backgrounds, with multiple health conditions, in high and low technology environments. 14http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu/Content/29/2008-07_Diversity_in_Californias_Health_Professions_Dentistry.pdf 15http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu/Content/29/2008-05_Registered_Dental_Hygienists_in_Alternative_Practice_Increasing_ Access_to_Dental_Care_in_California.pdf, pp 42-43 16 http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/SurgeonGeneral/Documents/execsumm.pdf 17 http://www.attendanceworks.org/dental-health-issues-take-a-bite-out-of-school-attendance/
3. Response to the Need
a. Size, scope, and success of existing associate degree programs.
Size: West’s Dental Hygiene program starts new cohorts of 30 students every fall
semester. Each cohort completes the CODA accredited program in four semesters. We will seek CODA’s authorization to enroll 50 students in each BSDH major cohort and 30 students in each BSDH degree completion cohort starting in fall 2017. West’s Dental Hygiene program complies with all CODA requirements for faculty/student ratios in lab classes and the clinical environments and can scale up or down based on enrollment.
Interest in the program is very high. Informational workshops are conducted
throughout the year attracting more than 600 potential candidates from throughout southern California and even from other states. Over the last 12 years, an average of 138 applications per year have been received and between 25 and 30 applicants were admitted per year.
Success: The current Dental Hygiene program has averaged 27 students per
cohort. 94% of students who start the program complete all required coursework, and
100% of program completers pass the national and state boards’ licensing exams.
In annual surveys of graduates, 100% of respondents report they work as a dental hygienist. This extremely high success rate is achieved through high-impact educational methodologies such as (i) extensive faculty mentoring of students, (ii) collaborative learning, (iii) undergraduate research, (iv) e-portfolios, (v) community-based learning, and (vi) capstone projects. It indicates that through careful program planning, the
number of students accepted into the BSDH program can be increased from the current 30 per cohort to a planned 50 in the BSDH and 30 in the BSDH completion programs as the student success support structures are in place.
Scope: Since 1972, the Commission on Dental Accreditation has accredited West’s
Dental Hygiene program. Through affiliations with four local Veterans Affairs dental facilities, non-profit organizations, UCLA dental school, and UCLA Venice dental clinic, students have premiere clinical learning experiences in a variety of settings, under the supervision of dentists and West’s Dental Hygiene faculty. As a result, students graduate with educational experiences in cultural diversity, caring for medically compromised patients, and community outreach.
b. Proposed program builds on existing programs and will include access for prospective students within the community.
Dental Hygiene is one of a growing array of Allied Health programs offered at West that prepare the healthcare workforce for Los Angeles. Through programs in (i) Dental Hygiene, (ii) Medical Assistant, (iii) Geriatric Care, (iv) Certified Nursing Assistant, (v) Home Health Aide, (vi) Emergency Medical Technician, (vii) Paramedic, and (viii)
Pharmacy Technician, hundreds of students graduate from West annually with the skills needed to enter and progress in high-demand, high-growth, high-wage healthcare employment. The college’s programs are widely advertised throughout the community, promoted on the college website,18 and listed in printed and online schedules.19
18http://www.wlac.edu/Allied-Health/index.aspx 19http://webapps.wlac.edu/
West is starting a Dental Assistant associate degree program that can serve as a pathway to the BSDH as graduates enter the field and seek upward responsibility and professional growth (nationally, 20% of dental assistants become dental hygienists.20) West is part of a nine-college DOL TAAACCCT grant award for health care that is developing a series of courses to prepare students for entry into healthcare career pathways and provide successful students with credentials recognized among the nine participating colleges and hundreds of healthcare employers. This curriculum will be a pathway to the BSDH program enabling students at all the LACCD colleges to complete prerequisites at their home school and apply for and transition to the BSDH program at West (i) increasing access for students to a high-demand healthcare baccalaureate degree and (ii) building a diverse dental workforce to meet the needs of the region.
c. Five-year enrollment projections and the number of anticipated graduates.
Beginning in fall 2017, the BSDH program will accept a cohort of 50 students into the Dental Hygiene major and a cohort of 30 students into the BS degree completion programs. The table below includes the five-year projected enrollment and outcomes in both the 120-unit BSDH major and the 30-unit BSDH degree completion program.
Cohort start and end
dates+ # Enrolled Completers*
National/State Board pass* Pilot Running Totals BSDH major Fall 2017 – Spring 2019 50 47 47 47 Fall 2018 – Spring 2020 50 47 47 94 Fall 2019 – Spring 2021 50 47 47 141 Fall 2020 – Spring 2022 50 47 47 218 Fall 2021 – Spring 2023 50 47 47 235
BSDH Degree Completion Program
Fall 2017 – Spring 2019 30 28 -- 28 Fall 2018 – Spring 2020 30 28 -- 56 Fall 2019 – Spring 2021 30 28 -- 84 Fall 2020 – Spring 2022 30 28 -- 112 Fall 2021 – Spring 2023 30 28 -- 140 Projected totals… 400 375 235 375
+ Each cohort = 4 semesters * Using historical rates of completers and pass rates d. Evidence of lack of program duplication with the UC or the CSU statewide.
Recent direct communication with the University of California, Los Angeles21 and California State University, Northridge22 confirm there is no competition with these two institutions and that neither is aware of a BSDH program anywhere in their systems.
e. Analysis of the proposed curriculum including upper division discipline work.
20 Source: American Dental Association, Health Policy Resources Center, 2011-12 Survey of Dental Hygiene Education Programs. 21
http://www.WLAC.EDU/WLAC/media/documents/allied-health/DH%20Bachelors%20Degree/UCLA-BS-Dental-Hygiene_Letter-1.pdf
West’s proposed BSDH majors program, shown in the table below, is a 120-unit bachelor degree program. It has four major components as shown in the table below: (i) 29 units of required lower division program prerequisites, (ii) 21 units of lower division general education courses, (iii) 61 units of Dental Hygiene major coursework, and (iv) 9 units of upper division general education coursework. 52 units of Dental Hygiene major course work will be converted to upper division credit.
29 units of lower division program prerequisites
61 units of dental hygiene major coursework 9 units of upper division general education ♦ Communications 101 (3) ♦ English 101 (3) ♦ Chemistry 60 (5) ♦ Anatomy 1 (4) ♦ Psychology 1 (3) ♦ Sociology 1 (3) ♦ Microbiology 20 (4) ♦ Physiology 1 (4) ♦ DH 100 (2) ♦ DH 101 (2) ♦ DH 104 (2) ♦ DH 105 (2) ♦ DH 106 (2) ♦ DH 109 (1) ♦ DH 150 (2) ♦ DH 212 (2) ♦ DH 108 (2) ♦ DH 151 (3) ♦ DH 152 (1) ♦ DH 153 (1) ♦ DH 154 (2) ♦ DH 156 (2) ♦ DH 189 (2) ♦ DH 207 (1) ♦ DH 209 (1) ♦ DH 256 (3) ♦ DH 190 (1) ♦ DH 200 (1) ♦ DH 201 (4) ♦ DH 204 (1) ♦ DH 205 (1) ♦ DH 206 (1) ♦ DH 208 (3) ♦ DH 215 (3) ♦ DH 191 (1) ♦ DH 210 (1) ♦ DH 250 (5) ♦ DH 251 (2) ♦ DH 252 (1) ♦ DH 253 (1) ♦ DH 254 (1) ♦ DH 260 (1) See discussion in item 3f immediately below 21 units of lower division general education ♦ English 103 (3) ♦ Math 245 (3) ♦ Philosophy 20 (3) ♦ Art 708 (3) ♦ Political Science 1 (3) ♦ Family and Consumer
Studies 21 (3)
West’s BSDH degree completion program recognizes that current ASDH holders need a pathway to the BS. West will accept 29 units of required prerequisites, 15 additional units to complete the lower division general education requirements, and 46 units of Dental Hygiene course work. Accepted students will complete 9 units of upper division general education requirements (the same requirement as the BSDH major) and 21 units of upper division course work in Dental Hygiene in courses such as:
Contemporary issues in dental hygiene (3)
Dental hygiene epidemiology and biostatistics (3)
Dental hygiene research (3) Dental hygiene capstone and practicum (6) Dental hygiene methodology and
leadership (3)
Public health and special populations (3)
Careful consideration will be given to a variety of courses, such as those shown below, that can serve as the upper division general education course work. West will consult with faculty at the MSDH program at UCSF, CODA, and faculty in the Dental and Public Health schools at UCLA to seek their guidance for appropriate coursework that best prepares students for the field.
Professional Ethics Epidemiology Cultural diversity Upper division
English Intercultural Communication Ethnic Diversity in America Nutrition and Health Biology of Human Aging Physiological Effects of Exercise During Aging Adult Nutrition Maturity and Aging in
Crosscultural Perspective
The Physiology of Nutrition & Disease
Bioethics and Medical Ethics
Culture & Medicine Healers Healing Practices
Technical/Report Writing
g. Timeline for planning, implementation, accreditation approval, and degree completion.
The table below presents major activities and summary details of each activity to provide an upper-level planning document for the BSDH program.
Application approved January 2015
Systems changes
1. Coordinate with CCCCO, State Academic Senate, UC, CSU, other colleges to ensure program meet all requirements
January 2015 and continuing
2. Coordinate within LACCD and at West to ensure coordinated processes are in place to support students
January 2015 and continuing
Formalize curriculum design
1. Develop curriculum maps for BSDH major and BSDH degree
completion programs March 2015
2. Convert existing Dental Hygiene courses to upper division October 2015
3. Approval of 9 units of upper division general education courses October 2015
4. Approval of 21 units of upper division BSDH completion courses April 2016
Faculty and professional development
1. Hire faculty for upper division general education courses July 2018
Accept BSDH cohorts of students
1. Application period for first BSDH cohort starting fall 2017 March 2017
2. Faculty committee meets to review applications June 2017
3. Announce cohort June 2017
4. First BSDH cohort starts Fall 2017
5. Repeat item 1, 2, 3, and 4 for subsequent cohorts
6. First BSDH cohort graduates Spring 2019
Accreditation
1. Prepare and submit Substantive Change application to CODA Spring 2016
4. Program Management/ Institutional Commitment
a. Current and historical accreditation status and for the proposed program.
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western
Association of Schools and Colleges accredits West Los Angeles College. The college has maintained its accredited status since its founding in 1969 and is preparing for a spring 2016 team visit. The college will prepare and submit a Request for Substantive Change for the BSDH using ACCJC guidance.
The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredits the Dental Hygiene program. The next scheduled visit is in 2017.
b. College and district long-term effective and stable fiscal management.
West has a stable, committed, and forward-looking administrative and academic leadership group. All areas of the college participate in an effective planning process grounded in detailed annual program reviews that provide guidance for internal budget allocations, staffing levels, purchases of new equipment, etc. Through careful
enrollment, income, and expense management, West has maintained a balanced budget over the last 5 years. West is committed to ensuring the success of the BSDH.
The LACCD is fiscally sound with a 10% reserve fund. The chancellor and vice chancellors, with the publically elected Board of Trustees in active consultation with the District Academic Senate and other key constituents provide strong academic and fiscal leadership at the district level. LACCD is committed to ensuring the success of the BSDH initiative.
c. Experienced and appropriate program administration and support staff.
Ms. Carmen Dones is the full-time chair/director of Allied Health and will have primary front-line responsibility for implementing the BSDH program. She is currently responsible for all aspects of planning, budgeting, equipping, and staffing for the current associate degree program in Dental Hygiene. In her role as director of Allied Health, she is keenly aware of the type of support structures and high impact educational strategies that increase student success and tirelessly advocates for students with faculty,
Counseling, Learning Center, Financial Aid, and other service points students seek out. Ms. Dones is a Dental Hygienist with an MS degree and oversees four full-time Dental Hygiene faculty and a senior office secretary. She has been the lead faculty member in the development and start-up of the Pharmacy Technician and Medical Assistant programs. Full-time faculty have either an MS or DDS degree and is responsible for the didactic courses in the Dental Health program.
Ms. Dones reports to Ms. Aracely Aguiar, dean of Academic Affairs and Curriculum, who, as a licensed dental hygienist, has a deep understanding of the field. In her role as dean, she has gained a clear understanding of the intricacies of curriculum
development, course sequencing, and faculty assignments. The dental hygiene
program has a designated financial aid advisor and counselor who work with students.
d. Examples of programs successfully implemented.
In the last three years, West has designed and implemented, through grant funding, and sustained a Medical Assistant Associate of Science program that now graduates 30
students a year—a 98% success rate. The Allied Health division operates a Certified Nursing Assistant program that has a 98% success rate on state certification exams, an EMT program with a 65% completion and 97% pass rate on the state certification exam, and a Paramedic program boasting an 85% completion rate and a 98% pass rate.
Four times a year, a group of 25 to 30 dental hygienists from Japan come to West for periodontics seminars and hands on workshops in clinical skills development.
West’s Dental Hygiene faculty conduct three continuing education symposia a year on topics such as patients with dementia, CPR, infection control, and radiation safety.
West has an active grants office that currently oversees approximately $27 million in grant funded programs from a wide variety of local, state, and federal sources. The college is the fiscal agent for or participates in several DOL, numerous ED, and one California Department of Education awards. These awards include: (i) DOL H-B (fiscal agent, $4.9m), (ii) DOL TAACCCT (participant, $1.8m), (iii) seven ED TRIO awards (fiscal agent, $7.5m), (iv) three ED Title V (participant, $4.8m), (v) ED Title III (fiscal agent, $2.4m), (vi) CDE Career Pathways Trust (participant, $1m), and (vii) NSF S-STEM (fiscal agent, $600k). These programs (i) recruit, train, and place unemployed persons in high demand, high wage, ICT employment, (ii) develop new curriculum in health care and global studies, (iii) outreach and reinforce a college-going culture among middle and high school students, (iv) conduct professional development in high-impact instructional practices to improve student success, and (v) create effective curricular pathways between high schools and the college.
e. Provide an organizational chart for the pilot program.
President Vice President, Academic Affairs Dean, Academic Affairs Curriculum Dean & Chair
Chair, Allied Health
Vice President, Student Services Counseling Financial Aid Active Enrollment Management Task Force
5. Identified Resources
a. Funding and other resources to support the planning and implementation.
West has the physical classrooms, laboratories, program instructional dental operatory clinic, and off-campus clinical sites in place for the BSDH program. Faculty who teach the lower division prerequisites and general education, and the courses in the major are in place and degree-qualified to teach at the baccalaureate level. Of the required 120 units for the BSDH degree, only the 9 units of upper division general education will be new. Faculty attend professional development activities and will seek out opportunities related to the BSDH initiative.
West is part of a $19 million DOL TAACCCT for health care pathway development and the project director has affirmed that it will fund the necessary curriculum and programmatic changes as the college moves from an AS to a BS in Dental Hygiene.23
b. Evidence of the availability of discipline prepared instructional faculty and appropriate student support services and personnel.
All didactic faculty have a minimum of a masters degree and all clinical faculty have a minimum of a bachelor, some have a masters degree or a DDS. Most have additional teaching assignments at UCLA. All of the faculty are licensed dental professionals with a minimum of two years experience in the field. There is a designated counselor and financial aid advisor for dental hygiene students. The Allied Health support staff has established processes to monitor student program progress and maintains thorough student records.
Total DDS Masters
prepared Baccalaureate prepared
Lecturers (didactic) 7 2 5 -- Clinical 13 2 3 9 Full-time faculty 4 1 3 Part-time faculty 16 2 5 9
Black Latino Asian White Male Female
Full-time faculty -- 2 2 -- 1 3
Part-time faculty -- 2 3 11 1 15
c. Description of facilities, instructional equipment, and supplies for the program.
In fall 2013 West opened a new Math-Science building that includes a 23-chair state-of-the-art dental clinic. All lecture classrooms are equipped with (i) double
overhead projectors and screens, (ii) dental stools, (iii) overhead magnifying lamps, and
(iv) dental equipment necessary for lecture/lab courses. In the dental clinic, each dental
station is equipped with a computer and dental management software so students learn in a real-world environment and constantly log their procedures. The lab is equipped with (i) six digital/conventional radiology operatories that support training on digital and traditional x-rays, (ii) digital panoramic radiology equipment training students in cutting edge technology found in high-end and research institutions, (iii) eight radiology
mannequins (with both adult and child dentition), (iv) digital charting, (v) high and low speed hand piece and vacuum systems, (vi) a state-of-the-art sterilization facility to comply with OSHA standard precaution guidelines to maximize disease prevention, (vii) simulation mannequins for dental x-rays and clinical and laboratory procedures, (viii) laser equipment so students learn cutting-edge techniques for gum tissue therapy and removal of bacteria, (ix) teeth whitening techniques, and (x) oral cancer detection equipment to teach students how to thoroughly examine patients for oral cancers, a critical step for patients with a history of smoking or who have not had regular dental care. In the clinic area, there is a dedicated area for patient chart review so students learn proper methods of preparing for working with patients.
d. Analysis showing that the proposed baccalaureate degree can be successfully achieved with identified resources.
West Los Angeles College is proposing two tracks to the BSDH: (i) a complete baccalaureate degree program of 120 units of coursework; 29 units of lower division prerequisites, 21 units of lower division general education and electives, 61 units of Dental Hygiene major coursework, and 9 units of upper division general education and
(ii) to increase access to the BSDH degree for current ASDH holders, a second path to
the BS—a degree completion path of 30 units; 9 units of upper division general education and 21 units of upper division course work related to the field. The college has in place all the necessary components to ensure the quality and success of the BSDH initiative: (i) a highly regarded Dental Hygiene associate degree program that maintains a high student success and employment rate that predicates the success of the BSDH degree, (ii) 111 units of the proposed 120-unit degree, (iii) highly qualified faculty who teach all lower division course work and all Dental Hygiene major course work, (iii) the highest quality instructional facilities complete with advanced dental technologies, (iv) experienced academic leadership (the chair of Allied Health, dean of Academic Affairs and Curriculum, vice president of Academic Affairs) who are all committed to a successful implementation of the BSDH, (v) a highly developed internal faculty development program that encourages sharing among faculty of new
methodologies and technologies to increase student success, access to instructional materials, community building, and development of e-portfolios of academic and extra-curricular activities, and (vi) extensive experience in program development and
implementation of new academic programs and developing and operating substantial grant-funded projects. The college has developed a webpage specifically for the BSDH program (http://www.wlac.edu/Allied-Health/BS-Dental-Hygiene.spx). West will work collaboratively with the (i) state chancellor’s office, (ii) the State Academic Senate, (iii) the UC and CSU systems, (iv) the ACCJC and CODA, and (v) internally within the LACCD to ensure a program of high quality that meets academic and professional standards, and creates pathways not currently available for a diverse student body seeking access to high growth careers and graduating highly-prepared dental hygienists who are culturally competent and able to contribute to continuing efforts to improve overall oral and general health in the community.
