Starting a Biotech AAS Program
Lone Star College-Montgomery Biotechnology Institute (LSBI) is frequently asked for information about starting a biotechnology AAS program. This question was addressed by Sunita Cooke, Patricia Joynton and Larry Loomis-Price during the presentation "Important Technologies for Integrating Biotechnology Into Curriculum and Community" at the League for Innovation meeting held in Long Beach California, November 17-20, 2002. Following is a summary of the section on "Starting a Program in Biotechnology" addressed in the presentation.
It is important to have some concept of LSC-Montgomery in order to compare how its environment relates to those at other institutions considering a program in biotechnology.
LSC-Montgomery belongs to the Lone Star College System. The System serves an extremely diverse region of 1,400 square miles and a population exceeding one million residents with 12 independent school districts and several chambers of commerce. It is the fastest growing college district in Texas, with a student enrollment of over 35,000 in credit classes. LSC-Montgomery serves 6,400 credit students. It is associated with The University Center, which is housed adjacent to the college. The University Center offers bachelor's and master's degrees from six area universities in more than 40 different majors. This center offers a unique opportunity for LSC-Montgomery students to conventiently continue their education with closely associated four year degree programs. LSC-Montgomery offered the first AAS degree in Texas, and created the Biotech Institute which is described in detail in About the Institute.
Some of the questions addressed in beginning a program in biotechnology are as follows:
Why start a program in biotechnology?
While consideration for a program in biotechnology may be driven by industry requests or occupation forecasts, the question that ultimately arises is, "What are the benefits to our school and our department?" The experience at LSC-Montgomery has been that:
- It invigorates a science program. Biotechnology material begins to be offered in many science classes. The faculty and the students benefit from the expansion of new techniques and technology brought in by the program.
- The program fosters a close working relationship with industry. This keeps fresh ideas, exciting people and a variety of modalities accessible.
- It promotes relationships with other divisions within the college. LSBI works closely with the Division of Corporate and Continuing Education for workforce training. LSBI also looks forward to collaborating with the LSC-Montgomery Cener for Professional Ethics, which is in the process of being developed at this time.
- Relationships with area schools and industry offer the opportunity to enrich the curriculum. Working cooperatively, curriculum for the biotech program can be streamlined to offer a time-efficient, industry-responsive sequence of courses from high school through a four year university.
When do I form an Advisory Board?
An advisory board is the first step to developing a program in biotechnology. The board should provide a diverse representation of indusry and education institutions in your area. The advisory board is instrumental in curriculum development, program content, public relations, recruitment and professional development. Board members provide a vital link to the community and selecting individuals with the occupational knowledge and a willingness to devote the necessary time to develop a program is important. The college will often have guidelines for advisory boards.
How do I establish the need for a biotech program?
An adequate needs assessment is essential in documenting that an AAS program will be successful if offered. Although workforce requests from area industry can be a driving force, it is necessary to assess the need nationally, regionally, and locally. Documenting the need through national trends and forecasts along with local surveys can impact how the request is viewed by administrators. Following are some of the resources available for obtaining backup documentation for assessing the need for a biotech program, and successfully rquesting administrative support for the program.
National statistics that demonstrate a need for biotech workers are noted in the following examples:
- According to the United States Department of Labor, careers in health care, engineering, biotechnology and information technology will experience faster than average growth in the next ten years.
U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupations Outlook Quarterly. Spring 2002. Vol. 46, Number 1, http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2002/spring/art01.pdf.
- The Biotechnology Human Resource Council states that a significant number of biotechnology companies listed the availability of skilled human resources as their third largest hurdle to commercialization
Biotechnology Human Resource Council. Biotechnology Use and Development, 1999. http://www.bhrc.ca/
Regional resources may include those from state workforce agencies showing occupational trends in the areas of biotechology and Life Sciences. LSBI has used the following reports from Texas Career Development Resources (http:www.cdr.state.tx..us):
- Biotechnology: Impact on Emerging Occupations (2002)
- Biotechnology Occupational Trends (2002)
- The Labor Market Implications of Recent and Anticipated
- Developments in the field of Biotechnology (February 2002)
- Biotech Education/Training/Research Facilities (2002)
Regional task forces often identify the need for a biotechnology workforce and have much of the assessment done. In Texas, the Governor’s Council on Science and Biotechnology was charged with determining the status of biotechnology in Texas, identifying gaps between education and employment, and making recommendations for addressing those gaps in order to meet the biotechnology employment needs of the state. The goal, established by the Council, was: A seamless system of K-16 initiatives that provides a solid foundation in elementary and secondary schools of science skills, a curriculum of biotechnology related workforce skills, and the attraction and retention of star scientists in the biotechnology related fields.
State Educational Agencies and Coordinating Boards supplies information about existing programs, graduates rates, student demographics, etc.
What kind of support/infrastructure is needed?
The first consideration should be given to establishing an Advisory Board, made up of research scientists, biotech company representatives, teachers, and workers of public and private companies.
Other considerations should include:
- Faculty. Could the program use available talent? Will retraining be needed? Will additional faculty need to be recruited and hired?
- Corporate Partnerships. Are sites available for student internships and professional development opportunities for faculty.
- Administrative Support. Considerations include secretarial, financial, public relations and a grant writer.
- Educational Institutions. Contacts with schools within the aera are necessary to establish articulations, outreach for student recruitment and partnerships for grants and other educational initiatives.
What costs should be considered?
Costs will depend on the type of program offered, but considerations should include:
How is the program typically funded?
Initial funding is generally provided by the college. However, funding sources include grants (state workforce agencies, NSF, educational coordinating boards, foundations), and corporate support (equipment, supplies, lecturers). Care should be given not to encourage too much corporate backing before solid partnerships are established.
What should be taken into consideration when developing curriculum?
Existing skill standards should be reviewed. For biotechnology these include those of Shoreline, Rochester, and California. They may be obtained from the Bio-Link website. Input from the advisory board, including occupational analysis through DACUM or PCAL can be helpful. Regulatory boards include state educational coordinating boards, workforce education manuals and accrediting agencies. WECM is the state inventory of workforce education courses for public two year colleges in Texas. It contains generic catalog descriptions and learning outcomes for each course.
SUMMARY
What have we learned from setting up a biotechnology program? First, getting money is important. Marketing is a key factor involved in obtaining the exposure and broadening the partnerships needed for success. A logo, brochures, website and getting into the community helps. The attitude of helping others, even if it is free at first, leads to rewards down the line. Researching and anticipating the needs of clients are important in order to assist partners in a pro-active manner.
Biotechnology programs are expensive and can be potentially cost ineffective. However, with an optimized structure, they can be revenue generating. The benefits of having a biotechnology include the associations formed and contributions toward economic development, individual career goals, workforce development and corporate training. Since there are a variety of technologies and fields that merge in biotechnology, the opportunity for partnerships are great.