ADVISORY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES
A
HANDBOOK
FOR
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
El Paso Community College
P.O. Box 20500
El Paso, TX 79998
Members Edition
Revised: 2013-2014
Academic Year
El Paso County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender,
age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I.
The Purpose Statement of the College …………………………………………
1
Quality Education
Quality Student Services
Personal Enrichment
Economic Initiative
II.
Career and Technical Education at El Paso Community College…………….
1
III.
Advisory Committees………………………………………………………………
2
Why Advisory Committees?
Definition of Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee
IV
Advisory Committee Member Selection…………………………………………
3
Membership
Qualifications
Term of Office
Reimbursement
V.
General Functions of Advisory Committees……………………………………
4
VI.
Scope of Committee Activities…………………………………………………..
5
Community Surveys
Career Guidance/Graduate Placement
Curriculum Advisement
Public Relations/Recruitment
Equipment and Facilities
Staffing
Program Evaluation
Advisory Committee Composition
Advisory Committee Meetings/Minutes
VII.
Advisory Committee References………………………………………………..
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THE PURPOSE STATEMENT
The Mission of the El Paso Community College District is to provide educational opportunities
and support services to their economically and culturally diverse community.
Quality Education
o Associate Degrees, Certificates and Transfer Courses
o Accessible Learning Environment
o Lifelong Learning Opportunities
Quality Student Services
o Instructional Support
o Personal Development
o Career Guidance and Job Placement
Personal Enrichment
o Individual Growth
o Cultural and Environmental Awareness
o Appreciation of the Arts and Sciences
Economic Initiatives
o Workforce and Business Development
o Community Partnerships
o Global Outreach
2
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AT EPCC
Career and Technical Education programs and courses at El Paso Community College are
designed for those students who desire employment in a specific occupational field. Multiple
programs (including A.A.S., Certificate and Adult Vocational Programs) have been designated
to meet specific employment opportunities that will exist when students complete their studies.
Thus, students’ goals and ambitions are matched to the community’s needs.
With this realistic approach, El Paso Community College has become a leading educator of
skilled manpower of the West Texas-New Mexico region. The College’s success was made
possible through the excellent cooperation of local industry, business and healthcare/public
service institutions who increasingly turn to the College for skilled employees.
El Paso Community College believes every student should participate in the community as a
culturally aware citizen. Therefore, Career and Technical Education curricula also include
general education courses in the Humanities, Communication, Math/Science and
Social/Behavioral Sciences in addition to specialty courses. Exposure to, and knowledge of,
computer skills are also emphasized, since the role of technology in all fields is increasing.
Another feature of the College’s Career and Technical Education programs is commitment to
continuing education and lifelong learning with programs designated to help students to stay
abreast of changes in their chosen careers.
Advisory committees are an indispensable part of meeting the College’s mission and goals
which relate to Career and Technical Education.
ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Why Advisory Committees?
Career and Technical Education programs are unique because they recognize the need for input
from business, industrial and public service communities to assure that programs meet the needs
of the community. Career and Technical Education faculty and staff at El Paso Community
College actively support and endorse advisory committees. Career and Technical Education
programs prepare students to work in a highly technical, industrialized society that is
characterized by continuous and accelerated changes. Advisory committees are indispensable
in identifying current and future occupational skills, knowledge and goals. Such continual input
ensures that graduates’ knowledge and skills are not obsolete. Furthermore, advisory
committees assure that graduates have the necessary skills that the labor market demands for
success in a chosen field.
The broad purposes of the advisory committee as defined by the 2010 Guidelines for
Instructional Programs in Workforce Education include:
1. To help the collect documents those are needed for the workforce education program.
2. To ensure that the program has both adequate resources and a well-designed curriculum
to meet the needs of business and industry.
3
Definition of Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee
A Career and Technical Education advisory committee is a group of persons who are selected
from the community to advise the College regarding specific Career and Technical Education
programs and courses. Advisory committee members primarily include practitioners,
employers and supervisors within that occupation. Students, graduates and consumers may also
be represented on the committee. Members of the College faculty and staff may serve as
liaisons or ex-officio (non-voting) members of the committee.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER SELECTION
Membership
While most advisory committees consist of five or more members, an effort is made to include a
diverse group of advisory committee members who are representative of the community. The
advisory committee will elect a chair. The chair will serve in this capacity for one year.
El Paso Community College is represented on each committee by the Dean(s), the Instructional
Program Coordinator(s) and appropriate Continuing Education Director(s). Counselors may
also participate in some Advisory Committees. Full-time college employees serve only as exofficio (non-voting) members of advisory committees.
Qualifications
The College establishes separate program advisory committees for each career and technical
education program or cluster of closely related programs. The following are descriptions of
member qualifications:
1. The advisory committee is composed of persons who represent the demographics of the
College’s service area, as well as the occupational field, and who are knowledgeable
about skills used in occupations for which training is being provided.
2. Members are drawn from the public and private sectors, with emphasis on business,
industry and labor membership. Membership also represents the needs of special
population students.
3. Tech-Prep program advisory committee members will represent secondary education
and higher education, as well as business and industry.
4. Full-time faculty and staff of the College serve only as ex-officer members of the
committee. Part-time faculty who hold full-time positions within the career field may be
members of the committee. College employees may not serve as committee chairs.
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5. Each program advisory committee member advises in curriculum development and
program revisions relative to current and future trends in the field, equipment
acquisition, external learning experiences and student employment and placement.
6. Other characteristics desirable in a committee member include:
A. Interest in the specific goals of the program as an employer, consumer or
practitioner;
B. Competency and experience in the career area;
C. Adequate time available to participate in the advisory committee activities;
D. Willingness to share advice and concerns with College personnel.
7. Students and consumers may also be represented on advisory committees.
Term of Office
Members are selected for two-year terms with the option of reappointment.
Reimbursement
Advisory committee members serve without pay.
GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Advisory committee members are representatives from the community who volunteer their time
and energy to assure quality instructional programs. This outline of general functions is presented
with the understanding that requests for time and effort from the advisory committee members are
reasonable in nature. Following are some specific functions:
o Serve as a communication liaison between College and community groups to relate
instruction to the current and future needs of the community.
o Review current curriculum, recommend changes and approve recommended changes
suggested by instructional staff. Changes in curriculum may include changes in
curriculum organization, course revisions, and new courses and /or changes in degrees
offered.
o Assist in new program development and program revisions
5
o Validate the specific skills/workplace competencies required of graduates and suggest
related information and general education content for the course/program.
o Offer suggestions for the selection of equipment, software and other instructional
materials.
o Assist in the selection and acquisition of equipment, supplies and other donations from the
community.
o Recommend potential instructors.
o Assist in relaying information about current job openings to students and graduates of the
program.
o Identify local business/industry leaders who will provide students with external learning
experiences, employment and placement opportunities.
o Inform the College of changes in the labor market: specific needs, surplus/shortages of
personnel, national/regional trends, etc.
o Evaluate goals and objectives of the program curriculum.
o Evaluate the adequacy of existing college facilities and equipment.
o Assist in professional development of faculty.
o Assist in promoting and publicizing the program to the community, business and industry.
o Advisory committees may perform additional duties and functions in accordance with
guidelines from specialized accrediting agencies.
SCOPE OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
Each Career & Technical Education Advisory Committee at El Paso Community College
provides advice on the development, operation and evaluation of the program for which it
was appointed.
The following committee functions outline the scope of committee activities and are
presented so that individual members of the advisory committee understand how they
might best serve the college.
6
Community Surveys
The advisory committee assists the College in determining:
1.
The jobs for which an educational program or course is needed.
2.
The need for expanded education for those already employed.
3.
New areas in which courses should be developed.
4.
Whether or not programs should be established, expanded or eliminated.
Curriculum Advisement
The advisory committee can support the program by:
5.
Notifying faculty of job opportunities for students and graduates.
6.
Employing graduates and cooperative education students.
Curriculum Advisement
The advisory committee deliberates on appropriate curricular concerns to include the
following:
7.
Identifies competencies needed for employment.
8.
Examines the relationship between the occupational courses and other college
courses/programs.
9.
Emphasizes the development of human relations skills and positive attitudes toward work
within the program.
10.
Determines the appropriateness of instructional materials.
11.
Examines the performance of program graduates.
Public Relations/Recruitment
The advisory committee assists in:
12.
Developing community awareness of College faculty, facilities, programs and equipment.
7
13.
Suggesting ways to promote the College through speaking engagements, television, radio
and other media.
14.
Participating in awards programs for outstanding students and alumni.
15.
Suggesting a public relations calendar for the academic year.
Equipment and Facilities
Primary work activities of this function include inspection, evaluation, and providing
assistance in obtaining equipment, facilities and instructional resources. Four well-defined
types of facility evaluation studies are:
1. The utilization survey, which is an analysis of facilities in light of their expected use.
2. The safety survey (OSHA) compliance.
3. The adequacy study, which focuses on the condition of, access to and appropriateness of
facility and equipment.
4. The planning study of program needed, enrollment projections and facility requirements
for proposed programs and alternative laboratory organization.
Members can give advice and assistance in purchasing equipment or they can assist the
College in obtaining equipment and materials via donations or on consignment.
Staffing
The advisory committee assists in:
1.
Recommending the number of faculty needed for a course/program.
2.
Recommending adjunct faculty.
3.
Referring potential faculty for employment.
4.
Recommending changes in faculty workload and salary.
Program Evaluation
The Career and Technical Education advisory committee assists in institutional evaluation,
specialized accreditation self-studies and site visits as appropriate.
Note: The section, A Scope of Committee Activities, has been adapted from materials prepared by Seminole
Community College.
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Advisory Committee Composition
1.
Advisory committees must be composed of persons who broadly represent the
demographics, including the ethnic and gender diversity; the institution’s service area as
well as the demographics of the occupational field. Committee members should be
knowledgeable about the skills used in the occupation for which they are providing
information and guidance.
2.
Members should be drawn from both the private and public sectors, with an emphasis on
business, industry, and labor organizations.
3.
Tech-Prep program-specific advisory committees must include members who represent
secondary and higher education as well as business and industry
4.
Full-time faculty and staff of the community or technical college offering the program
must not be members of the advisory committee but may serve in an ex-official role.
5.
Part-time faculty who hold full-time positions within the career filed may be members of
the committee.
6.
Faculty and staff of senior institutions with whom the program may be articulated may
also be members of the committee.
Advisory Committee Meetings/ Minutes
Advisory committees must meet in person a minimum of one time a year and should, if
possible, have a quorum present; however, it is recommended that contact with committees be
maintained throughout the year via e-mail, fax phone, or video conference. During the
development of new programs, advisory committees should meet frequently.
All meetings of the advisory committee must be recorded in official minutes. The minutes must
include:
 Identification of committee members (name, title, and affiliation);

An indication of the committee members' presence or absence from the meeting;

The names and titles of others present at the meeting;

The signature of the recorder and elected chair;

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
Evidence of that industry partners have taken an active role in making decisions that
affect the program.
Minutes must be maintained in college files and made available to the Coordinating Board staff
upon request. Attached is a sample for recording advisory committee minutes recommended by
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
CHAIR PERSON:
MEETING DATE:
MEETING TIME:
MEETING PLACE:
RECORDER:
PREVIOUS MEETING:
MEMBERS PRESENT:
OTHERS
Name and Title
Name and Title
Name and Title
Agenda Item
Action Discussion Information
Responsibility
MINUTES
Key Discussion Points
Discussion
Old Business:
Continuing Business:
New Business:
Curriculum Decisions:
Other:
CHAIR PERSON SIGNATURE:
DATE:
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NEXT MEETING:
ADVISORY COMMITTEE REFERENCES
Affeldt, H. The Development of a Rationale and Guidelines for Effective Utilization of
Advisory Committees in the North Carolina Community College System. Doctoral
Dissertation.
Nova, University, 1981.
Armfield, G. A Study of Local North Carolina Community College Vocational Curriculum
Advisory Committees: Their Organization, Practices, and Functions. Doctoral
Dissertation.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1981.
Basualdo, E. Advisory Committees in Vocational-Technical Programs. Memphis State
Technical Institute at Memphis, 1976
Brooking, W. An Advisory Committees - Now More than Ever. Technical Education
News, 21, Winter 1983.
Cochran and Others. Advisory Committees in Action. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1980.
Garrity, R. AThe Role of the Advisory Committee: Curricular Excellence. @ AACJC
Journal, 40-41, October 1984.
Griffin, W. BIC (Business/Industry Council): A Concept Paper for Administrative
Discussion.
ERIC ED 229 068, 1983.
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Johnson, R. The Care and Feeding of Your Advisory Committee. Community Services
Catalyst. Light, J. A Practitioner’s Guide to Using and Meeting with Advisory
Groups. ERIC ED 237 140, 1982.
Reindeau, A. Advisory Committees for Occupational Education: A Guide to Organization
and Operation. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1977.
Rockmarker, G. and Gail Modlin. Updating Your Training Programs. Technician
Education News. 11-18, Fall 1988.
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Guidelines for Instructional Programs, 2008.
Wenrich, R. and Others. Administration of Vocational Education. American Technical
Publishers, 1988.
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