Agency/Program Visit Samuel Levinson Educational agencies and programs are important for the future of our country,

as it relates to our economy, our opportunities, and also for our citizens. Many of these programs may e offered through a community college or university. !hey allo" those of various ages and professions to learn and meet their goals. #or this assignment, $ "ill focus on an agency %no"n as &olum us State &ommunity &ollege. $ "ill also focus on the chemistry department of &olum us State in this assignment. $t is my goal to provide a etter understanding of this agency, and to detail the advantages and opportunities that it ma%es availa le to students. !his community college is located near me, as it is in &olum us, 'hio. $t also has off(site locations for those "ho decide not to attend the main campus. !he &olum us State &ommunity &ollege has served those in 'hio since its opening in )*+,. At this stating point, the community college had only si-ty(seven students, and since then it has gro"n to over thirty(thousand students. !he college also offers classes at nine sites that are off(campus, in the area of central 'hio. &ompared to other t"o(year institutions in 'hio, &olum us State a"ards the most associates degrees every year. At the main campus in &olum us, students may e-perience classes in over t"o dozen uildings. $t is a large campus "ith a "ide variety of classes. 'ne may see% an associates degree or a certificate program, for e-ample. !he campus spans eighty acres of land and features a large statue of &hristopher &olum us, "ith a old stance pointing to"ards the "est side of the campus area. .ue to the campus location in the city of &olum us, it is convenient for many residents to locate /ohiohistorycentral.org0.

!he statue of &hristopher &olum us that is located at &olum us State &ommunity &ollege also has its o"n uni1ue history. !he large "hite statue arrived in &olum us, 'hio in )*2+, "here it "as stored in three separate pieces at a different location, the &olum us Par%s and 3ecreation office. !he statue had some damage to it, and in )*24 it "as repaired y sculptor Alfred !i or. !he statue "as originally offered to San #rancisco in the )*56s, ut it "as declined. $t reached its current location, at the &olum us State &ommunity &ollege, in )*22. 7y then, the statue "as restored to its magnificence, and it "as a proper gift to the college /.ispatch.com0. &olum us State &ommunity &ollege has the goal of providing the classes and programs that students need in order to reach their goals. !hese goals may include learning a s%ill, o taining a degree, or ma%ing an important advancement in a career. Many individuals may o tain an associates8 degree, "hich "ould automatically 1ualify them for many different occupations that "ould not e availa le "ithout the degree. !he college also provides students "ith the opportunity to egin a achelor8s degree that may e completed at a four year university. !hose interested in the college have a "ide variety of ma9ors and programs to choose from, including technology and community education. !he community college is committed to advancing their students in the direction of progress, as their mission statement is to provide educational programs that are high 1uality that allo" students to meet their life(long needs, as it relates to their goals for the future. $n addition to this, they is a curriculum that is dynamic, and it meet the needs of a diverse student population. !he community college may also e vie"ed as a place to egin one8s career, thin%ing of the community, educational institutions, as "ell as areas of usiness. $t may e a gate"ay to the professional realm, helping one to prepare for the

"or%force in advance. $ncreasing the percentage of student success is also a part of this goal, as "ell as constantly ma%ing improvements to the academics of the school. &reating a friendly, productive learning environment that students may have confidence in is of importance /cscc.edu0. #or the school8s programs, the faculty ma%es their decisions ased on strategy and planning. !hey see% to constantly upgrade their programs to offer a learning environment of high 1uality. Student groups and alumni may e consulted in decision ma%ing, and "ith a cross(section intervie" "ith local leaders. !he strategic plan usually follo"s three goals. #irst, there should e the development of a strategic vision, that descri es the values of &olum us State. !his involves the sta%eholders, "hich includes those "ho are alumni and students, as "ell as employers, leaders and the faculty of the college. Another goal in the process is to revie" the statements of the college, regarding its mission and values, and to ma%e revisions "here necessary. $n addition to this goal, it is important for the college to identify priorities in the institution, and to egin the process of archiving these values as it relates to the school8s vision. #eed ac% is al"ays "elcome from students and those in the community, in order to ma%e improvements. !here are a "ide variety of programs offered y &olum us State. !he main offerings from the school are that of associate degrees and certificates. #or those "ho "ish to enter the "or% force relatively soon, the school encourages the &areer and !ech program, and for those "ho "ould li%e to start their achelor8s degree, they are encouraged to e-plore the Arts and Sciences degree programs. !he programs are not limited to these t"o categories, as &olum us State has noncredit programs for those "ho are interested in &ommunity Education and :or%force .evelopment. 'ne does not have to e a high

school graduate to enefit from &olum us State, as younger students "ho are still in high school may enroll in one of the ;()< Programs. !hose "ho egin their achelor8s degree "ith &olum us State may e assured the credits transfer to most pu lic colleges in 'hio, as "ell as other schools outside of the state. At &olum us State, the school is funded y student tuition and from state funding. A large percentage of funding is from the state of 'hio, and federally funded "or%force programs. $ elieve that ta- appropriations are used to"ards funding the community college, and it is an institution designed to improve the community. &olum us State also accepts donations, that may e used to provide further funding for the institution. =sually state funding for community colleges is considered sta le, ut due to economic recession there may e concerns to see% funds else"here /such as student tuition and private donations0. &ompetition for state ta- dollars may place community colleges at a disadvantage. $n some states, more funding may e used for ;()< education, compared to that of community colleges. !herefore, it is to a college8s enefit that there are multiple methods of receiving funding, as opposed to relying only on state funding. As a "ay to alance funding issues, a community college may decide to charge a higher tuition /aacc.nche.edu0. 'verall, $ feel that &olum us State &ommunity &ollege offers educational opportunities that enefit their students, including an associate8s degree, certificate programs, noncredit programs, and also the option to egin a achelor8s degree. !he learning environment is organized and an academic year is three semesters. $ find that the average class size of nineteen students is reasona le, and there is a student(to(faculty ratio of <,>). More than )<6 different programs are offered at the college, ranging from

usiness, technology, health, and engineering technologies. $ thin% that many individuals "ould e a le to find a program of interest, due to the diversity of programs, and $ am satisfied "ith the convenience of a centrally located main campus and several off(site locations /cscc.edu0. !he program that $ primarily e-plored at &olum us States &ommunity &ollege, is that of the Medical La oratory !echnology program. A part of this program involves chemistry. !hose "ho are engaged in the Medical La oratory !echnology program "ill e learning ho" to e a technician involved in modern medical practices. Part of the 9o of a technician is to "or% in diagnostic areas of medicine, "ith the goal of ma%ing medical conclusions. !his program involves several chemistry and iology classes, including those that are specifically designed to educate those "ho "ill e Medical La oratory !echnicians. !hose in this felid primarily "or% in a health care setting, such as a clinic or a la . !his "ill involve the chemical analysis of human ody fluids /such as a lood sample0, classifying lood cells, identifying microorganisms related to disease, and also selecting compati le donor lood. !herefore, the program has a focus in preparing students to "or% as Medical La oratory !echnicians, in a "ide variety of different medical facilities /cscc.edu0. !he learners "ould have an interest in the medical field, and they "ould "ant to ma%e sure that they had all of the necessary %no"ledge to perform their 9o efficiently. !his is an important program and the "or%ers that "ill e trained through this program "ill e ma%ing a positive difference in the lives of many individuals. Another reason that students "ould have an interest in this is due to the many opportunities for a 9o . 'ne "ould have many options in this promising and important field. !hey may "or% in a

la oratory specializing in research and reference, they may also e employed in a hospital, a pu lic health facility, there "ould also e opportunities to "or% in a veterinarian office, an environment and 1uality assurance la , and other areas related to medical e-perience. Although all of these fields are related due to 9o performance and medical technicians, there is a variety of option, as e-plained y the different fields listed. Learners may arrive in a traditional classroom, or they may e "or%ing online. 3efresher classes are availa le, and these include classes in chemistry and micro iology /cscc.edu0. !he instructors for the classes related to the Medical La oratory !echnology program are e-perienced in the various classes that are a part of the program, and from the eginning to the end of the program, a student "ill e "or%ing "ith numerous instructors. #aculty and advisors are availa le to "or% "ith students, in order to assist them in meeting their goals. !he &olum us State &ommunity &ollege has eight advisors listed, for students in the Medical La oratory !echnology program to contact for information. $n addition to these advisors, "ho are there to "or% "ith students and help them to manage their goals related to this program, the "e site also tells us of an instructor of an assistant professor "ho "ill also communicate "ith students and ans"er their 1uestions. 'ne instructor that is involved "ith chemistry classes associated "ith the Medical La oratory !echnology program, is Michael ?ailu, chairman of the chemistry department at &olum us State &ommunity &ollege. $nstructor ?ailu is helpful to his students and approacha le to ans"er 1uestions. ?e "or%s "ith his class to ma%e sure that they are understanding lectures, and he also provides appropriate study guides. $ feel that instructor ?ailu places a lot of effort into helping his students o tain the highest grades, and he is %no"ledgea le a out the class material.

!hose "ho are in this program may anticipate ecoming familiar "ith the processes that are re1uired for a career in Medical La oratory !echnology. Adult learners "ho are high school graduates are e-pecting to receive a certification in Medical La oratory !echnology /or ML!0 and after the program is complete, the student should e ready to e hired for a 9o at a clinic, hospital, medical la , or other location. $t should not e a factor if one is "or%ing in a clinic or a medical la , as they should have the e-pectation that they "ill e a le to perform their 9o in any setting. So the primary e-pectation is to have a clear understanding of the program, and ac1uire the needed s%ills. $n the program, students "ill e e-posed to situations that are designed to simulate "hat one "ill encounter as a Medical La oratory !echnician. !herefore, one should have less 1uestions a out the program and the occupation, "ith a complete understanding, once they compete this program /cscc.edu0. !he facilitation style and instructional methods used y instructors in this program includes attending class to o serve lectures, participating in la s, ta%ing tests, and undergoing clinical studies. !hose "ho are successful in this program are eligi le to ta%e an e-am for certification. !he 7oard of 3egistry of the American Society for &linical Pathology is responsi le for disserting this e-am to those "ho complete the program. !hose "ho graduate from the program may also advance and "or% to ecome a technologist, a manager, educator, or research specialist. Part of my process in gathering data included intervie"ing students. $n addition to this $ have visited the campus and also e-plored the &olum us State &ommunity &ollege "e site. !he "e site contains a "ealth of information, and gave me a etter understanding of the program and student e-pectations. #or the student intervie"s, $

prepared a rief 1uestionnaire. !"o students in the program "ere %ind enough to ans"er my 1uestions, providing further insight, directly from the students. My first 1uestion as%ed the students a out the main goal in the class. 'ne student simply ans"ered that their goal "as to achieve a degree. !he second student, "ho "ent into more detail "ith their ans"er, stated that they "anted to o tain education and e-perience, so they "ould e a le to "or% in their career field successfully. $n the second 1uestion oth students e-pressed that they do feel that they can use "hat they learned in class for their career. 'ne of the students ans"ered that "ith every class, there are valua le items of information that may e used for the entire program. !he students also ans"ered that "ith the classes they e-perienced, that they learned information that "ill help them in their everyday life. 'ne of them detailed that healthcare is a field "here one is al"ays trou le shooting and "or%ing "ith the 1uality control issues. !he student continued "ith an e-planation that the program uilds scenarios and helps students to thin% outside of their level of e-perience, and thin% to"ards the future. !he other student said that they "ould e a le to etter complete programs due to the classes they too%. Another 1uestion $ as%ed dealt "ith the learning e-perience. 7oth students agreed that they "ere en9oying the e-perience, and that the college is focused on career e-periences. 'ne student felt they could relate to the messages presented in class. !he student e-plained that the teacher "ould al"ays e-plain "hy things "or%ed the "ay they did. $ as%ed them if the methods of evaluation "ere clear. 7oth students elieved that they "ere, and one e-plained that many students may e enefiting from the classes, ut perhaps they do not truly appreciate everything they are learning. !his same student e-pressed that they learn est "hen presented "ith a

pro lem and as%ed to solve it. !hey also li%e to receive feed ac% from teachers on "hat they are doing "ell and on "hat needs improvement. !he student e-pressed that they felt there "as enefit in pro lem solving, learning from the teacher on specific issues, and receiving a final revie" on the su 9ect. !eachers "ho are a le to ma%e the students thin% more deeply a out a su 9ect are valua le. !he student continued y telling me that they also feel responsi le for as%ing 1uestions, ensuring that understanding is proper, that due dates are met, and feed ac% is given. As for methods of evaluation, this student "ho provided a "ealth of information and insight, told me that they preferred to "or% on a portfolio, and to e evaluated y their "or% on pro9ects related to that. !he other student e-plained that they li%ed to practice their s%ills learned in a class and receive feed ac% from the teacher. 7oth students seemed to have an interest in the program, and they "anted to ma%e improvements "here they needed to, and to also learn more. 'ne of the students e-pressed that the 1ualities of this program, including the "ay in "hich it is evaluated, "ould e useful in all su 9ect matter, including math, science, and also English. An e-tensive program "ith lectures, la s, and e-ams "ill assist the student in learning and having the est understanding, so they may e using all of these s%ills on their 9o . $ have learned a out the Medical La oratory !echnology program, including the resources /such as advisors and faulty mem ers that may e contacted0 availa le to students and the methods of evaluation /tests, la s, e-ams0. $ thin% that those "ho "or% as Medical La oratory !echnicians have great responsi ility as medical "or%ers, so it is of importance that these individuals receive the proper training. 7efore learning a out this program, $ felt that $ had asic information, ut $ did not %no" of the e-tensive tas%s

that Medical La oratory !echnicians "ere e-pected to perform. !hey are responsi le for diagnostic procedures, analyzing ody fluids, classifying lood cells, and other related activities. $ thin% that ased on "hat $ have learned, that &olum us State &ommunity &ollege has fulfilled their mission statement for the ML! program. !his mission statement is to prepare students for a career as a Medical La oratory !echnician, and to assist them in graduating. Students in this program should e a le to demonstrate ehaviors and technical s%ills that are professional, and relevant to the field. Students should e a le to meet the e-pectations of future employers, and $ thin% they "ill e successful in doing so y follo"ing this program, ta%ing the classes needed to fulfill their degree. $ feel that this is a great program to e-plore and that &olum us State &ommunity &ollege provides students "ith the information that they need to have an understanding of the program. Medical La oratory !echnicians are important in the medical field, and $ thin% that &olum us State prepares students for this career, ased on the information $ have e-plored. $ thin% that there are methods of evaluation, such as e-ams and la s, that allo" instructors to ma%e the decision of "hether or not a student is prepared for the certification test. $ thin% this is an opportunity that many students should consider, as it is a path that ta%es the student to"ards an important career. $n addition to the enefits that are already mentioned, students may apply their "or% in the ML! program to"ards o taining and associates8 degree, therefore the opportunities present are not only limited to the ML! program.

3eferences> 'hio ?istory &entral @&olum us State &ommunity &ollegeA Encyclopedia Management &ontent System Bhttp>//""".ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.phpCrecD<56EF

!he &olum us .ispatch @Statue of &ity8s Gamesa%e Hets Ma%eoverA <6)<, !he .ispatch Printing &ompany Bhttp>//""".dispatch.com/content/stories/local/<6)</6E/6E/statue(of(citys(namesa%e( gets(ma%eover(home.htmlF &olum us State &ommunity &ollege Bhttp>//""".cscc.edu/a out/F 'hio Association of &ommunity &olleges @<6)6 #ederal Legislative PrioritiesA Bhttp>//""".ohiocommunitycolleges.org/assets/images/pu lic( pages/+<aacfae2,f6<f d2EE24c* ef<* fe+.pdf F @#unding $ssues in =.S. &ommunity &ollegesA ;atsinas, Stephen H.I !ollefson, !errence A.I 3eamey, 7ec%y A. <6)<, AA&& Bhttp>//""".aacc.nche.edu/Pu lications/3eports/.ocuments/fundingissues.pdfF