Family and Consumer Sciences Discipline/Industry Collaborative Grant
Project Director Joann Driggers - Mt. San Antonio College
jdriggers@mtsac.edu
MISSION
The mission of Family and Consumer Sciences in the California community colleges is to prepare individuals to function effectively in changing family, community and work environments. Family and Consumer Sciences provides educational opportunities that respond to human needs, future technologies and global changes in preparing students for employment, advanced study and lifelong learning. Family and Consumer Sciences enables individuals to develop skills that improve the quality of life in a diverse society.
GOALS
> Provide access for all students in California community colleges to Family and consumer Sciences programs and services that meet their career, family and individual needs.
> Provide alternative delivery systems designed to meet the changing needs of individuals and organizations within the community.
> Provide diversity of programs and services to meet needs of a pluralistic society, increase awareness of equity issues and special needs populations and enhance opportunities for individuals to improve the quality of life.
> Provide off-campus and outreach instruction to meet lifelong learning needs of individuals and organizations within the community.
> Prepare individuals for advanced study in traditional, non-traditional and high technology fields in order to interface with a global economy.
> Provide individuals with competency skills which meet their career goals and lead to placement in a job for which they have been trained.
> Articulate with secondary, other post-secondary institutions and business and industry to maximize the quality of education and utilization of resources.
> Provide appropriate professional development opportunities for faculty, administrators and other vocational education program staff to improve the relevance and quality of instruction.
> Recognize the interdisciplinary nature of Family and Consumer Sciences by incorporating appropriate content from many other areas of study.
> Conduct ongoing program review to assess program status and effectiveness.
PRIORITIES
The Chancellor’s Office, California Community Colleges authorized the use of state leadership funds to improve career technical education programs. Activities suggested for implementing the priorities are listed below. For specific current activities go to Collaborative Grant or Advisory Committee at this website:
Performance Accountability: Activities will be directed toward the implementation and operation of the VTEA performance accountability system. This begins with determining performance indicators, levels of performance, and performance goals. Next is maximizing the utility of accountability information by providing local districts with data and other information that can be used by colleges to improve student performance.
Curriculum Development and Improvement: Activities will concentrate on reviewing, upgrading and improving curriculum currency, value, rigor, and delivery of instruction and, where business/industry needs dictate, developing new courses and programs that satisfy the needs of changing and emerging occupations. Improvement will include integration of academics, SCANS competencies, and other generic skills.
Professional Development: Activities will be directed toward ensuring that faculties are current with industry standards and have the resources to teach to industry standards. Efforts will be directed toward increasing the number of faculty engaged in integrating academic and vocational and technical education, implementing work-based learning, using technology in the curriculum and in the delivery of instruction, and assisting special population students in gaining access to and achieving success in vocational and technical education programs.
Student Support Structures: Activities will be directed toward increasing access to and success in vocational and technical education for all students who elect to enroll in these programs, particularly members of special populations, through a variety of support services. Up-to-date information regarding the job market and employment and job skills requirements will be developed and made available to all.
Partnership Development: Activities will improve linkages, cooperation, and collaboration among a variety of partners to produce responsive solutions to workforce development needs.
TOP CODES
The Taxonomy of Programs (TOP), an instructional program classification system used in California community colleges, is utilized statewide and by local colleges to report student enrollment data by program. TOP provides a common numeric coding system by which districts/colleges categorize degree and certificate programs and courses on the basis of the similarities of their published goals and objectives. For a listing of the Top Codes for the FCS disciplines please click on this link.