East Carolina University
Program Prioritization
Unit Name:
_Clinical Laboratory Science __
College/School:
_Allied Health Sciences____
Program Data Template
Definitional Note: The name of the process being engaged in is program prioritization. However, it is acknowledged that most
of the data requested here must be reported at the unit level. In this sense, “units” typically will be academic departments (not
necessarily code units). Please make sure that the numbers recorded below represent the unit named above. If units wish to
single out particular programs (degrees, minors, certificates, concentrations) for comment, that commentary will occur in Part II
of this template.
This data template consists of two parts. Part I is quantitatively oriented and organizes a wide range of
indicator variables to measure a unit’s program productivity, centrality, and quality. These three
sections of Part I are preceded by a contextual program demographic section. Please note that the
breadth of measures is intentional and not tailored to the uniqueness of any individual program. As a
result, it is quite likely that some entries will not apply at all or be zero. For example, many programs do
not have access to licensure or certification examinations. Some of the data requested in Part I of the
template are supplied centrally but some of the indicators must be self-reported. If the value of any
institutionally provided indicator seems to be at odds with local (unit, college) knowledge, please correct
that value and supply a note to that effect indicating the change and the source of the new data. Part II
is more qualitative in nature and requests short narratives so that units can express attributes of their
program(s) that might escape quantitative expression. In addition, the second section permits synthesis
and analysis that yields knowledge of programs unattainable directly from Part I.
Part I. Program Data Template, Quantitative Indicators
Program (Contextual) Demographics
Label
FYs 2011, 2010,
2009 (unless noted)
NFAC
FAC$
NFTF
FTF$
NT&TT
T&TT$
NSPA
SPA$
NEPA
EPA$
NNOST
NOST$
NGAS
GAS$
NNSGA
NSGA$
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
RGS
RGS
RGS
DEPT
DEPT
Human Resources
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Total Number of Faculty FTE
Total Aggregate Salary ($) of Faculty
Number of Fixed-Term Faculty FTE
Aggregate Salary ($) of Fixed-Term Faculty
Number of Tenured & Tenure Track Faculty FTE
Aggregate Salary ($) of Tenured and Tenure Track Faculty
Number of SPA FTE
Aggregate Salary ($) of SPA
Number of Non-teaching EPA FTE
Aggregate Salary ($) of Non-teaching EPA
Number of Non-state Supported Employees FTE
Aggregate Salary ($) of Non-state Supported Employees
Number of State-supported Graduate Assistants
Aggregate Salary ($) of State-supported Graduate Assistants
Number of Non-state Supported Graduate Assistants
Aggregate Salary ($) of Non-state Supported Graduate Assistants
17. Other ($) State-supported Salary (e.g., administrative stipends)
OSAL$
RGS
TSOP$
ONE$
CLIN$
DEVEL$
GIVE$
EXTGC$
F&A$
START$
OTH$
RGS
RGS
HS
Adv
Adv
OGC
OGC
RGS
DEPT
Degrees Currently Offered by Unit (list with year established)
Number of UNC Institutions Offering These Degrees
Minors Offered (list)
Certificates Offered (list, including Fellows and Residents)
Total SCH Produced (F+S)
Total SCH Produced in Summer Terms
Proportion of Total SCH, DE
Total Undergraduate Majors Enrolled
Total Master-level Majors Enrolled
Total Majors above Master-level Enrolled
Number of Undergraduate Degrees Awarded
Proportion of Undergraduate Degrees Awarded, DE
Number of Graduate Degrees Awarded (Master's Level)
Number of Graduate Degrees Awarded (Above Master's Level)
Proportion of Graduate Degrees Awarded, DE
DEGREES
UNCSYS
MINORS
CERTS
SCHF&S
SCHSU
DE%
NUMAJ
NM-MAJ
N>M-MAJ
NUDGA
DEUD%
NM-DA
N>M-DA
DEGD%
AA
AA
AA
AA
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
DEPT
IPAR
IPAR
DEPT
Total office space (sq.ft.) assigned to unit
Total research space (sq.ft. support and lab) assigned to unit
Total classroom space (sq.ft.) assigned to unit
Other (non-classroom) space (sq.ft.) assigned to unit
Percent Faculty, Terminal Degree
Percent Faculty, Clinical
Percent Faculty, Graduate Faculty Status
Percent Faculty, Part-time
Percent Faculty, Female
Percent Faculty, Minority
Median Age of Faculty
Percent Undergraduate Students, Female
Percent Undergraduate Students, Minority
Percent Graduate Students, Female
Percent Graduate Students, Minority
OFFSP
RESSP
CLASP
OTHSP
TERM%
CLINIC%
GRAD%
PART%
FEM%
MINOR%
MDAGE
USFEM%
USMIN%
GSFEM%
GSMIN%
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
IPAR
MSCHF
MSCH$
MSCHNF
MSEM
PPC
PPC
PPC
DEPT
Monetary Resources
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
Total $ State Permanent Operating Budget
Total $ Received in One-time Distributions
Total $ from Clinical Revenues
Total Size ($) of Foundation Accounts (corpus)
Total $ From Annual Fundraising
Total $ External Grant and Contract Awards
Total $ in F&A Distribution (Unit + PI)
Total $ Received in Faculty Start-up Packages
Total $ from Other Revenues (fees, tickets, intellectual property,
etc.)
Students Served
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
Other
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
PRODUCTIVITY
Teaching
57.
58.
59.
60.
SCH/Faculty FTE
SCH/Operating $
SCH/Non-faculty FTE (SPA + Non-teaching EPA)
Annual Semester Hours/Faculty FTE
61.
62.
63.
64.
Mean Weekly Instructional Contact Hours/Faculty FTE
Number of Undergraduate Majors/Faculty FTE
Number of Master's Level Majors/Faculty FTE
Number of Majors Above Master's Level/Faculty FTE
MCONT
MUMAF
MM-MAF
M>M-MAF
DEPT
PPC
PPC
PPC
MJUEXF
MJUPERF
MBOOKF
MTEXTF
MREFF
MPRESF
MPATF
MEXT$F
MNEXTF
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
MPDCF
MRRJF
MPANF
MEDSF
MCOMF
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
RGS
MCOEDF
MOSERF
MHRSF
RGS
RGS
HS
NFCSCH
NPREQ
NCREQ
NFIIP
REG
NEXIGA
RGS
NSAP
DEPT
NUSED
DEPT
SOCIETY
DEPT
MSOIS
ECUAF
IPAR
DEPT
TAWARDF
REVISE
URES%
GRES%
USERV%
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
SISAWF
DEPT
Scholarship
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
Number of Juried Exhibitions/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Number of Juried Performances/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Number of Books/ T&TT Faculty FTE
(exclude textbooks)
Number of Textbooks/ T &TT Faculty FTE
Number of Refereed (Articles+Chapters)/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Number of Discipline Presentations/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Number of Patents/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Total External Award $/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Number of External Grants/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Service
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
Number of Professional or Disciplinary Committees/Faculty FTE
Number of Reviews or Referees or Juries/Faculty FTE
Competitive Grant Panels/Faculty FTE
Journal Board or Editor/Faculty FTE
Number of Unit or College or ECU Committee
Memberships/Faculty FTE
79. Continuing Education Offerings/Faculty FTE
80. Number of Other Service Activities/Faculty FTE
81. Mean Hrs. of Patient Care/Faculty FTE
CENTRALITY
82. Total Foundation Curriculum SCH Produced
83. Number of Other Programs Requiring a Unit's Course(s)
84. Number of Courses in Unit Required by Other Programs
85. Number of Faculty Participating in Interdisciplinary Instructional
Programs
86. Number of External Interdisciplinary Grant Awards (across
departments)
87. Number of Direct Connections to ECU Strategic Action Plan
(1.1.1 - 5.3.3)
88. Instructional, Creative, Research Facilities Used by Other
Programs
89. Societal Need and External Demand: BLS or Other Estimate of
Job Growth
REG
REG
DEPT
QUALITY
Teaching
90. Mean Unit SOIS Scores
91. Number ECU Teaching Awards/Faculty FTE (outside unit, college,
school)
92. Number External Teaching Awards/Faculty FTE (outside ECU)
93. Number of Significant Curriculum Innovations/Revisions
94. Percent of Undergraduate Students Engaged in Formal Research
95. Percent of Graduate Students Engaged in Formal Research
96. Percent of Undergraduate Students Engaged in Service & Service
Learning
97. Number ECU Student Scholarly Awards/Faculty FTE
98. Number External Student Scholarly Awards/Faculty FTE
SESAWF
DEPT
MPACT
MCITEF
ACTIV%
NCOMPET
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
PPC
F&A$F
EXAWF
PERAWF
RESAWF
OTAWF
PPC
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
REGIONF
OFFICF
SERAWF
LEADF
DEPT
RGS
DEPT
RGS
ACCRED
PASS%
4GRAD%
6GRAD%
CONTED%
FIELD%
NSCHOL
MSAT
MGRE
MGPA
ACCEPT%
MTGML
MTG>ML
PODOCS
AA
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
FAid
Adm
RGS
RGS
RGS
DEPT
DEPT
DEPT
Scholarship
99. Mean Impact Factor of Journals Published In
100. Mean Number of Citations/ T&TT Faculty FTE
101. Percentage of Creative/Research Active Faculty (T & TT only)
102. Number of Competitive Research Grant Awards/Faculty FTE
(e.g., NIH, NSF)
103. Total $ F&A/ T&TT Faculty FTE
104. Exhibition Awards/ T&TT Faculty FTE
105. Performance Awards/ T&TT Faculty FTE
106. Research Awards/ T&TT Faculty FTE
107. Other Scholarly Awards/ T&TT Faculty FTE
Service
108. Regionally Engaged Service Activities/Faculty FTE
109. Number of Professional or Disciplinary Offices Held/Faculty FTE
110. External Professional or Disciplinary Service Awards/Faculty FTE
111. Number of Other Service Leadership Positions Held/Faculty FTE
Other
112. Program Accreditation (indicate available, achieved)
113. Pass Rate on Licensure or Certification Examinations
114. Undergraduate (4 year) Graduation Rate
115. Undergraduate (6 year) Graduation Rate
116. Percent Undergraduates to a Graduate or Professional Program
117. Percent Graduates to Job Within Field
118. Number of Undergraduate Students with Academic Scholarship
119. Mean SAT of Undergraduate Majors
120. Mean GRE/MAT (standardized exam) of Graduate Students
121. Mean Undergraduate GPA of Graduate Students
122. Graduate Acceptance Percent (# admit/# apply)*100
123. Mean Time to Graduation (Master's Level)
124. Mean Time to Graduation (Above Master's Level)
125. Number of Post-docs Engaged in Unit
Part II. Program Data Template, Short Narratives
Part I of the Program Data Template provides important quantitative indicators of program productivity,
centrality, and quality. Some of those numbers are provided institutionally while other indicators are
self-reported. The effective prioritization of programs also requires knowledge about units and their
programs that might not be well represented in summary statistics. Part II of the Template is explicitly
intended for programs to concisely shed additional light on the productivity, centrality, quality, and
future possibilities not captured in Part I of the Template.
The maximum page limit for all requested narratives is four (4) pages total (with at least 11 point font
and normal margins). In addition, no individual narrative of the four requested (Productivity, Centrality,
Quality, Opportunities) should exceed 1.5 pages. Given the importance of these documents, they are
expected to contain compelling evidence and to be very well written. You are encouraged to use
bulleted lists whenever possible.
(A) Productivity. Please provide evidence that program(s) contained within the unit are highly
productive. You may highlight and synthesize information from Part I. You may qualify numbers
contained in Part I that require additional context. You may emphasize qualitative aspects
about the unit’s programs that are not captured in Part I. You may compare the productivity of
the unit’s programs with those of benchmark programs (if that is attempted, please indicate the
benchmark set).
As is the case with other healthcare programs, the clinical laboratory science program is a rigorous
one that requires a student to learn four independent bodies of knowledge (Clinical Chemistry,
Hematology, Microbiology and Immunohematology) in order to become a competent practitioner.
CLS faculty spend significant amounts of time outside normal classroom hours with CLS students to
help them acquire the cognitive, psychomotor and affective skills required for the profession. The
annual average number of contact hours/FTE for CLS is 472.5. Please also see the narratives that
follow.
(B) Centrality. Please provide evidence that program(s) contained within the unit are essential to
achieving the university’s mission and contribute significantly to the Strategic Action Plan, 201013. The connectivity of programs to key instructional, creative and research, and service
directions is an essential aspect of this analysis. Any statement concerning societal needs (e.g.,
the growth of external demand) should be situated here.
Description of the Clinical Laboratory Science Profession (from www.naacls.org)
Clinical laboratory professionals perform, develop, evaluate, correlate and assure accuracy and validity
of laboratory information; direct and supervise clinical laboratory resources and operations; and
collaborate in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. They have the requisite knowledge and skills to
educate laboratory professionals, other health care professionals, and others in laboratory practice as
well as the public. The responsibility to act as consultants to other members of the healthcare team is a
critical one, as more non-laboratory professionals are now performing laboratory tests at point of care
(for example the ER, the ICU, and OR). These healthcare professionals do not have the same command
of the body of knowledge of laboratory medicine, and are not as familiar with important concepts such
as sample collection techniques, quality control testing to validate patient results, troubleshooting lab
instrument problems, and recognizing and resolving discrepant patient results. The following incident
serves as an example of this difference between laboratory and non-laboratory healthcare
professionals:
A patient was seen in a clinic at a local hospital in Eastern North Carolina recently. Blood collected for
a complete blood count gave a critically low result for Hemoglobin. There were two healthcare
professionals working in the lab at the clinic that day, a radiology technician and a medical laboratory
scientist. The radiology technician analyzed the sample, but did not realize how critically low the
hemoglobin result was. When the medical laboratory scientist saw the result, she immediately
sought out the patient’s doctor and informed her of the critically low result. The doctor ordered the
patient transferred immediately to the local hospital’s emergency room, where the patient went into
cardiac arrest on arrival. Fortunately the patient survived, in large part due to the timely actions of
the medical laboratory scientist. Another example of the need for collaboration between the
laboratory and other healthcare professionals can be found at: http://articles.mcall.com/2011-0615/news/mc-allentown-lehigh-valley-hospital-p20110615_1_blood-sugar-transplant-patient-fataldose/2.
As a program in the College of Allied Health Sciences, the Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) program plays
a part in the College’s mission to provide allied health care practitioners to healthcare institutions in
Eastern North Carolina and the rest of the state. Since 2001, 68% of ECU CLS graduates have filled
vacancies at hospital and group practice laboratories in Eastern North Carolina.
It is estimated that 70-80% of medical diagnoses are made on the basis of clinical laboratory test
results. The large volume of laboratory testing required to produce these results is conducted primarily
by clinical laboratory professionals, like the graduates of ECU’s CLS program.
In its 2011 wage and vacancy survey (available in the April 2011 issue of Laboratory Medicine) the
American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) reported that 11-23% of hospitals stated that vacant
positions for clinical laboratory professionals were taking more than a year to fill. The overall vacancy
rate for staff clinical laboratory scientists (B.S. degree professionals)ranged from 8.62- 11.6%. By
comparison, the current national vacancy rate of nurses ranges from 5 – 7.5%
(http://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Files/assets/library/retentioninstitute/NationalHealthcareRNRetentionReport2011.pdf). A 2009 survey of NC hospital laboratories
performed by ECU CLS faculty found vacancy rates for B.S. degree clinical laboratory professionals and
supervisors of 6.1-10.3%. This shortage is projected to increase as laboratory professionals begin retiring
(the median age of lab professionals in the U. S. is approximately 50 years old). ASCP’s survey projects
that between 14.2 and 17.9% of lab professionals in the U.S. will retire within the next five years. In
addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment for clinical laboratory scientists will
increase by 12% from 2008 to 2018.
The CLS program contributes to ECU’s Strategic Action Plan in the following ways:
ECU Strategic Action Plan
CLS Contribution
Initiative
1.4.5 - Increase the number of
Dual B.S. in CLS and Biology in collaboration with Department of
students who enter and succeed Biology.
in the science, technology,
engineering, mathematics
(STEM), and health science
disciplines.
Between 2007 and 2011, 21% of the 93 applicants to the CLS
program were students who already had B.S. degrees in Biology.
1.2 - Prepare students to define
and achieve successful civic,
professional, and personal lives.
Since 2005, 75- 100% of the CLS graduates have begun their
careers in the clinical laboratory within one month after
graduation.
1.16- Graduate students who
are proficient in information
technology appropriate for their
discipline.
CLS students take CLSC 4803, Introduction to Laboratory
Information Systems (LIS), and gain LIS experience in clinical
rotations. In CLSC 4801, students learn how to identify and
access databases to review the professional literature in lab
medicine and apply the results to the development of research
projects or innovations in clinical practice.
CLSC students take CLSC 4801 and 4802, Professional Practice
Issues course. Students carry out research projects and receive
instruction in healthcare ethics in the clinical laboratory. Students
also collaborate in role playing simulations to apply their
knowledge and practice making informed, ethical decisions
regarding lab test results, budgets and personnel matters.
CLS faculty conduct an annual workshop for Nurse Midwives
program students that teaches them the principles of microscopy
and provides experience in performance and evaluation of basic
laboratory tests performed by these professionals.
1.23- Develop each student’s
ability to locate, evaluate and
communicate knowledge; to
make informed decisions; and
to recognize the ethical
dimensions of decisions.
3.43- Launch a model for interprofessional education in
selected health sciences areas.
(C) Quality. Please provide evidence that the program(s) contained within the unit are of the
highest quality. Here, the greatest concern is for the quality of outcomes (not inputs). The
nature (significance, volume) of recognitions for faculty, students, and alumni that originate
from outside the university is important. Indicators of innovation and impressive outcomes
within instructional, research, and service programs should be evidenced here. You may
compare the quality of program outcomes with those of benchmark programs (the same set
used in narrative A).
1. Success of ECU CLS Graduates:
a. Jason Ezzelle, (1997) is now Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Product Development at
PPDI in Wilmington, NC. Jason began with PPDI as a clinical trials coordinator and
traveled all over the world helping laboratories participating in HIV vaccine trials to
maintain compliance with federal regulations regarding laboratory testing. Jason credits
the rigor of the CLS program with regard to its writing intensive focus for his current
success.
b. Christian Williams, (2001) is now a practicing physician in South Carolina
c. Bridget Ledford, (2010) entered a Ph.D. in CLS program at Catholic University of America
in fall 2010 on a full scholarship. Prior to this, Bridget was awarded ECU’s Patriot
Scholarship (Ms. Ledford is a military veteran), and a scholastic achievement award by
the American Society for Clinical Pathology.
d. Samantha Rudd, (2008) was awarded an Emerging Infectious Diseases Advanced
Laboratory Training Fellowship by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. Ms.
Rudd was one of the few B.S. degree professionals awarded this honor. This fellowship
provided Ms. Rudd with an opportunity to work with the Mycotic Diseases Branch of the
CDC, doing research on new diagnostic tests for fungal diseases.
2. Certification of CLS Program by the National Accrediting Agency for the Clinical Laboratory
Sciences (NAACLS) – certification by this agency qualifies graduates of the CLS program to
take the Board of Certification (BOC) exam given by the American Society for Clinical
Pathology (ASCP). Employers often require prospective employees to be certified, or be
certification eligible to qualify for positions in the clinical laboratory.
The ECU CLS program is certified by NAACLS. The last re-accreditation site visit in 2006 resulted
in the program being awarded the maximum accreditation period of seven years.
3. First-time pass rate on the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Board of Certification
exam- The ECU CLS first time pass rate was 100% for 6 out of 9 graduating classes from 2001
through 2009 (not all of the 2010 and 2011 graduates have taken the exam yet), and an
average of 95% for all graduating classes for that time period (total number of students
taking the BOC exam = 62; number of students who passed on the first attempt = 59). The
average pass rate for comparable CLS programs in the U.S. during this time period was
81.6%.
4. Employment after graduation – Since 2005 75-100% of CLS graduates have been employed
at graduation or within one month of graduation. The department often receives requests
from employers to send out recruiting announcements to the program’s graduates.
5. Requests from Eastern Area Health Education Center (EAHEC) for continuing education
(CE) for NC lab professionals- ECU CLS faculty provide at least one annual CE program for
laboratory professionals in Eastern NC each year.
(D) Opportunity Analysis. Most of the analysis involved in program prioritization, whether
quantitative or qualitative, is necessarily historic in nature. With a vision for the future, how
might the unit’s program(s) be re-purposed or re-configured to achieve higher levels of
productivity, or centrality, or quality? The focus here should be on a realistic statement of
potential program adaptation. Given the circumstances, this should not be a simple request for
additional funding. If there are potential benefits from program consolidation or new
partnerships (on or off campus) this is the time to hear about them.
Future directions for the ECU clinical laboratory science program include:
1. Education of students in other ECU healthcare degree programs in the principles of lab testing:
As previously discussed, clinical laboratory professionals possess a unique body of knowledge in
laboratory medicine that must be shared not only with clinical laboratory science students, but
with students in other programs at ECU that have any involvement in laboratory testing.
Laboratory testing is regulated by the federal and state governments wherever it is performed,
and testing personnel need to be aware of and comply with these regulations. The clinical
laboratory science program can provide education and laboratory experiences to students in
nursing and physician’s assistant programs and also for any degree program at ECU that requires
its students to perform any clinical laboratory tests, such as fingerstick glucose or urine tests.
The program does provide a annual workshop on clinical microscopy, wet preps and urine
testing to students in ECU’s Nurse Midwives program. This would support ECU’s Strategic Plan
initiative 3.3- Strengthen academic programs that support health and health sciences, and
3.43- Launch a model for inter-professional education in selected health sciences areas.
2. Online (DE) MLT to MLS program: Medical laboratory technicians often desire to complete the
requirements for a B.S. degree in their profession, but are prevented from doing so because
they are working full time. Clinical laboratory education programs in the U.S. have addressed
this need by creating distance education programs that allow the student to take didactic
courses online and complete their internships in the laboratories where they are employed. The
CLS program at ECU has received numerous requests for this type of program from medical
laboratory technicians who work in Eastern North Carolina. The laboratory administration at Pitt
County Memorial Hospital has also made this request for its MLT staff, in order to continue
working with the program at East Carolina University. This is a way to increase enrollments in
the CLS program without incurring significant additional expenses, in addition to addressing a
need for this type of program in this area. The only program of this type in North Carolina is at
Winston-Salem State University. This would support ECU’s Strategic Plan initiative 3.3Strengthen academic programs that support health and health sciences, and 3.3.1- Remain
responsive to a changing health environment by providing an innovative education experience
for future healthcare providers.