Western Carolina University
Annual Assessment Report
Spring 2008
Department: Department of Health Sciences
Program: Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Assessment contact person for major: Dr. Timothy Stegall, Ph.D., CLSp(MB)
I. Assessment Plan
Unit Mission Statement for the CLS Program:
The mission of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program is to provide quality graduates
to be employed in the regional health care facilities that the University serves and
beyond. The faculty pursues cutting edge developments in their discipline areas and is
dedicated to teaching students how to learn by using problem based learning to develop
critical thinking skills in our graduates. Eight affiliate hospitals link the CLS Program to
health care networks by providing highly technical clinical rotations for senior majors.
The program is dedicated to providing an articulation track on campus for associate
degree laboratory technicians. Due to program accreditation by the National Accrediting
Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, CLS graduates are automatically eligible for
two national certifications and state licensure exams.
The CLS Program outcome objectives are: to produce graduates with a Bachelor of
Science degree in clinical laboratory sciences that are:
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Eligible to sit for national certification exams and state licensure exams.
Qualified to work at the bench as a generalist in all areas of the clinical laboratory.
Capable of making critical decisions and problem solving.
Candidates for supervisory and management positions with additional experience.
Well balanced in basic biological science, chemistry, and general education.
Professional in their conduct and dedicated to their role in health care.
Well versed didactically and clinically in all medical laboratory disciplines.
The CLS Program holds national accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for
Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Accreditation is awarded to programs that
demonstrate a curriculum that meets the objective outcomes above. The CLS curriculum
design is predicated on selective admission for the junior year. Admission is dependent
on completion of liberal studies and specified science prerequisites in math, chemistry
and biology. The junior year (didactic) deals with sequential (basic and advanced)
courses in four discipline areas of clinical laboratory sciences: hematology, immunologyblood banking, microbiology and clinical biochemistry. The senior year is the clinical
phase of the program. CLS seniors are assigned to affiliate hospitals for four eight-week
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clinical rotations in each of the major discipline areas. Each senior student is under the
close supervision of an appointed clinical instructor who is a Clinical Laboratory
Scientist. Course supervision by WCU faculty takes place at the Mountain Area Health
Education Center in Asheville. During the clinical phase, CLS students learn to apply the
theory and laboratory knowledge they acquired in their junior year course work to real
laboratory testing in an actual accredited clinical laboratory. WCU faculty, in partnership
with appointed clinical instructors from the affiliate hospital, ensures that the student
meets the objective outcomes stated above.
Measures for each objective outcome are:
Assessment of outcomes is based on student satisfaction, employer satisfaction,
success in finding employment and national certification exam scores as compared to
national averages.
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Student satisfaction is measured by student evaluation of courses and
communication with graduates. The university exit surveys are also used. A
graduate survey is done every five years.
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Employer satisfaction is monitored continuously by clinical visits from WCU
faculty, comments from the CLS Advisory Committee and by five-year employer
survey.
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Employment success is monitored by email contact with graduates each year.
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Certification exam results are provided to the program (for a fee) by the
certifying agencies. It is accompanied by valuable, national statistical information
for each examination year. A content outline is published for both exams that
provide valuable information for the faculty in preparing course content.
Certification reports provide CLS faculty with key information on each group of
graduates as to areas of strengths and potential weaknesses.
II. 2008 Annual Assessment Report
Findings
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Student satisfaction – Junior and senior course evaluations are very positive.
Exiting seniors are extremely complimentary of the program and faculty
members.
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Employer satisfaction – The managers from regional hospitals are very
complimentary of our graduates who work for them. The Advisory Committee
met this May and had nothing but good comments about WCU graduates working
in their facilities.
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Employment success - WCU CLS graduates are in demand in the region and
beyond. Thirteen of fifteen 2008 graduates were employed at graduation. One
was looking in a specific area near Raleigh and the other has a husband in the
Marine Corps and is searching for employment near Camp Pendleton, California.
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Certification exam results – The certification exam results for 2008 are not yet
official as the graduates take their exams in May and June. In 2006-07, twenty of
twenty-four (83%) of our graduates passed their national certification exam. The
national average is 75%.
III. Program Improvements Based on Assessment
No program changes were made as a direct result of assessment this year. Changes in
prerequisites and the CLS major initiated in 2003-04 had a positive effect on recruitment
of CLS majors with the acquisition of higher aptitude students in each subsequent year.
With the inclusion of molecular diagnostic components in our courses and the reduction
in hours for graduation, the program was able to attract 14 new students to the major this
year.
Additionally, the CLS Program completed two faculty searches in 2008 resulting in the
hiring of two additional CLS faculty members who will begin teaching in August 2008.
The expertise of the new faculty combined with the expertise of remaining faculty
members will be a positive change for our students. Russell Cheadle resigned as
Program Director this spring and the search for his replacement will take place in the fall,
2008. Betty White will serve as the Interim Program Director until a permanent director
can be hired.
The CLS Program is currently accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for
Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). This accreditation went into effect in 2006 and
will be in effect until 2013.