Innovative Models for Effective Collaboration between Universities and Community Colleges

1
Innovative Models for Effective Collaboration
between Universities and Community Colleges

• Presented by
• Hesham Ali
• Department of Computer Science
• College of Information Science Technology
• University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Michele OConnor
• Educational Services
• Math, Science and Health Careers
• Metropolitan Community College

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Objectives For This Session

• Motivate audience to increase level of
  collaboration
• Identify advantages and challenges of
  collaboration
• Present different collaborative models along with
  working examples from UNO MCC partnership
• Discuss features of different models to choose
  best-fit model for given circumstances

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What is Collaboration?

• Dictionary definition To work together,
  especially in a joint intellectual effort.1.
• Joining together efforts for a mutual goal
• Mutually beneficial and mutually respectful
• a win-win situation
• Two levels of collaboration
• Simple Models one activity at a time
• Complex Models multiple activities with common
  goal and objectives
• 1.Dictionary.com,search?qcollaboration accessed 1 April, 2005.

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Why the Need for Collaboration?

• Institutions have to do more with less
• New initiatives are necessary for healthy growth
• Institutions operate in competitive environments
  and have need for allies
• Greater chance of acquiring funding with
  collaborative efforts
• Different perspectives from collaboration are
  more likely to lead to innovations

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Benefits Of Effective Collaboration

• Enhance opportunities for students and faculty at
  both institutions
• Increased interaction between faculty leads to
  greater degree of creativity
• Better preparation for students to transition
  from community college to university
• Complimentary goals with minor conflicts
• Maximizes strengths and increases resources at
  both institutions
• Encourages faculty to work collaboratively with
  colleagues outside of their institution
• Breaks down misperceptions that may exist between
  the two institutions as a result of enhanced
  communication

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Challenges Of Collaboration

• Different cultures at the university and the
  community college
• From student perspective
• From administrative/faculty perspective
• Lack of sufficient funding for implementing
  collaborative activities
• Finding time and willing participants
• Breaking down the walls
• Outcome difficult to quantify sometimes
• Results not always seen immediately

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Taking A Strategic Approach

• Many models of collaboration exist each with its
  benefits and challenges
• Perfect model may not be attainable in one step
  may have to be implemented in stages
• Not all activities require significant funding
• Can build upon existing structure and grow
  gradually
• Identify appropriate model for current
  circumstances and strategic goals

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Models for Collaboration

• Simple models
• Complex models

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Simple Models

• Comprised of one or few related activities
• Easier to implement
• May not require additional or special funding
• Leads to expansion of new opportunities for
  growth at both institutions

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Simple Model 1 Articulation At The Course Level

• First step towards larger scale articulation
• Increases a students ability to transfer
  effectively between institutions
• Requires and encourages collaboration and
  communication between faculty and academic
  departments at both institutions

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Simple Model 2 Articulation At The Program Level

• More challenging to implement
• Requires higher level of coordination
• More people involved to accomplish
• A to B getting Associates Degree then Bachelors
• MCC crafted previous general education coursework
  to create six new degree options designed to meet
  degree requirements at UNO
• Pre-Biology Pre-Chemistry
  Pre-Biotechnology
• Pre-Mathematics Pre-Physics
  Pre-Bioinformatics

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Articulation At The Program Level, cont.

• Allows students to transition from community
  college to university with sense of completion
  and accomplishment
• Complementing versus competing course scheduling

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Simple Model 3 Professional Certification

• Community colleges are often better prepared for
  providing training programs
• University labs often have more advanced labs
• Example Cisco certification for UNO and MCC
  students
• lab is located at UNO
• course instruction provided by an MCC certified
  instructor
• Students from both institutes take the training
  MCC students take it as an MCC course while UNO
  students take it as a lab component of an
  existing course

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Other Examples of Simple Models

• Shared funding of Graduate Teaching Assistants
  (GTAs)
• Mentoring programs for students and faculty
• Coordinated advising
• Shared resources

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Complex Models

• A number of activities bundled together to
  achieve a common goal with a set of specific
  objectives
• Require external funding funding at state,
  foundation, or federal level
• Number of awards are increasing and becoming more
  accessible
• Require even higher degree of coordination,
  planning and implementation at various levels

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Complex Model 1 TELCEDS

• Technology Enhanced, Learner-Centered Student
  Delivery Systems
• State funded grant 1999-2003 to facilitate
  sharing resources and provide a smooth transition
  from MCC to UNO
• Develop several articulated online courses at the
  sophomore and junior level and make them
  available to all CC students
• Joint seminars for students and faculty
• Online real-time advising
• Utilize joint resources to provide students at
  both institutes certification opportunities

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Complex Model 2 NSF STEP

• UNO and MCC STEPping Together
• Awarded in May, 2004 with one singular purpose
  To recruit, retain and increase the number of
  students pursing and obtaining STEM degrees by
  strengthening the collaboration between UNO and
  MCC.
• The grant supports expansion and adaptation of
  currently successful activities within and
  between the two institutions as well as the
  implementation of new activities.

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A New Dancethe 5-STEP

• Develop agreements for the articulation of
  complete programs of study
• Attract and retain students through the use of
  scholarships, particularly under-represented and
  non-traditional students
• Improve the quality and access to experimental
  education opportunities and student support
  services
• Expand diversity and incorporate new STEM
  degree/certificate options
• Increase outreach and recruitment acuities

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Scholarships

• One option offered to under-represented students
  entering UNO as new freshman
• Another option offered to Adult Learners,
  students transferring into UNO declaring a STEM
  degree option
• A third option offered at MCC to cover the last
  30 hours of completion of an Associate degree
• A fourth option called Bridge Scholarship
  offered to MCC STEM graduates who continue their
  education at UNO in pursuit of a 4-year STEM
  degree.

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Experiential Education Opportunities and Student
Support Services

• Early undergraduate research opportunities at UNO
• Career exploration opportunities of STEM areas at
  MCC
• Student mentoring programs
• linking STEM students with internal and external
  professionals
• Math and science center tutoring and remediation
  at both institutions

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Recruitment and Outreach

• New STEM discipline outreach coordinator to
  coordinate efforts for both MCC and UNO
• Centralizes creation of all promotional materials
• Assists with coordination of joint activities
  between the two institutions
• The go to person for both institutions

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Small Group Activity

• Share examples of collaborative activities
  between community college and universities
  currently in place at your institutions? Do they
  follow any of the discussed models or follow a
  different model?
• How to select the proper collaboration model(s)
  to implement?

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Criteria for Choosing the Proper collaboration
Model(s)?

• Key parameters
• The current resources
• The overall environment
• The expected demand
• The discipline(s) involved
• How does it fit with the strategic plans of your
  unit and your school

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Summary

• Collaboration can be wonderful but difficult
• Takes coordination, accommodation, and compromise
• Desire may arise from external motives - e.g.
  funding and need for resources
• Desire may also come from internal motives - e.g.
  vision of administration or faculty and then
  funding is sought
• Advanced collaboration adopting a common
  assessment program that includes objectives of
  courses and programs (AQIP-driven approach)