Program Committee Minutes February 2017

Stafford Technical Center

Regional Advisory Board

Program Committee

Minutes

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Present: Scott Richards, Melissa Connor, Cindy Dunigan, Darlene Miglorie, Debra Taylor, Joan Paustian, Chris Wideawake, George Ambrose, Lori Cillo, Jim Eckhardt, Randy Ouellette, Mary Moran, Glenn Olson.

Guests: Lorin Gides, Adrienne Raymond

  1. Approval of Dec. 6 minutes
    1. Motion: Chris/Joan – Approved
  1. Building Update
    1. All programs are now back in their classrooms. The maintenance and IT staffs worked hard to minimize damage and to return the spaces and equipment to useable condition. Teachers and students have been fantastic in adjusting to this inconvenience. Insurance will cover the majority of the loss and most of the equipment has been received.
  1. Pre-Tech – Update on options
    1. Melissa reminded committee about Pre-Tech Foundations options for fall 2018. There is also an option for Pre-Tech Exploratory option for grades 9 and 10 that requires actually adding a program and staff. At this point, it is our opinion that Foundations makes more sense at this time.
    2. Faculty have been asked to let us know by March if they are interested in being involved.
    3. Joan – Concern about added school expense and scheduling of students from other schools. It would be good to involve principals in these discussions.
    4. George – Asked about possibility of satellite programming.
    5. Debra – recommended we look at distance learning option.
  1. IRCs and Postsecondary credits (documents are enclosed)
    1. Handout of opportunities by program.
    2. When we have a new instructor, they must re-apply. This causes these options to fluctuate yearly.
  1. Enrollment Criteria
    1. Lorin Gides shared resources she has organized to guide sending school counselors and special educators in making appropriate program recommendations.
    2. Lorin discussed how to help prepare a student for STC and program success.
    3. Lorin shared a whitepaper from the Michigan Department of Education on accommodations and modifications. Melissa discussed the reasons for not being able to modify a program.
    4. Joan: Asked about students who will never get to “licensed” status in certain programs; is there any thought in how we could address these students? These are students who would not be able to pass a skills test, but could be good “helpers” in a field. Debra stated that RCSU no longer has vocational offerings. The big question here is how, or can, STC help educate/train these students who would not be able to become a program “completer”.
    5. Debra requested that we re-examine this topic after everyone has a chance to review the materials.
    6. STC Admissions Folder Resources: http://bit.ly/2jBBgRi
    7. General Program Information: http://bit.ly/2knvPo3
  1. Current Enrollment
    1. Glenn shared attrition data to this point. We will look to be able to better disaggregate this information going forward.
  1. Other
    1. STEM Hiring
      1. The position has been posted in multiple newspapers and web sites. Glenn and Brian Narkowicz met with the STEM Advisory Committee members to write an appropriate listing.
    2. March meeting date is Town Meeting Day.
      1. A revised date will be set for the March meeting

Reminder:  The next meeting of the Program Committee will be

March 8, 2017 (Tentative)   8:00 – 9:00 a.m.