2016 Fall Surgical Technology Data Summary
Data and Evidence Analysis Summary – 2016 Surgical Technology Conducted by Doreen Olson, Adjunct Faculty and Program Development Coordinator, 7-18-2016 WTCS Comparative Data: https://facultyresources.westerntc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015-10-5121-SurgicalTechnology-QRP-Associate-Degree-Evidence-Analysis-Report.pdf Course Completion Western’s C or Better baseline of course completion rate for this program is 72.9% (2015). This program became an associate degree program in 2013 thus data collection dates to 2013. Comparative completion rates with Moraine Park (91.5% - 2015) lags 18.6%. 2013 difference between Western (73%) and Moraine Park (78.9) was -5.9%. Western’s completion rate was 65.6 % (2014) compared to Moraine Park’s 83.6%. Western’s three-year average (2013-2015) is 70.5% compared to Moraine Park’s 84.6% during this same time period. This three-year average is below the comparison college. It may be beneficial to contact Moraine Park to explore if there were program changes or teaching methods that influenced the high percentage of completion in 2015. It would also be beneficial to look at individual course completion rates, delivery method course completion rates, and instructor course completion rates to identify trends that may be influenced by one of those factors. In addition, it may be valuable to compare the success of your students to another similar program at Western (in both size, content, number of faculty, delivery methods, etc.). Second Year Retention The data demonstrates a 24.2% increase of second year retention from 34.3% (2014) to 58.5% (2015). There was a significant difference of second year retention between Western (34.3%) and Moraine Park (73.3%) in 2014. Western’s numerator and denominator was 23/67 compared to Moraine Park’s 22/30 during this time period. The 2015 data demonstrates a -2.8% lag between Western (58.5%) and Moraine Park (61.3%). The college average between the two colleges is 59.7%. Western’s Third Year Graduation The date for third year retention was 6% (2015) which is -4% compared to Moraine Park 10% (2015). The student ratio was 4/67 (Western) compared to 3/30 (Moraine Park). 1|Page Labor Market Analysis October 2015 https://facultyresources.westerntc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015-OCT-Surgical-TechnologyProgram-Trends.pdf In an analysis of the Western District and occupations associated with the field of Surgical Technology, the following points are noted: Occupations related to the Surgical Technology Program are expected to grow by 11.3% which is greater than the national growth rate of 9.5%. This results in the addition of 19 jobs to this career pathway from 2016-2020. District trends are anticipated to be stronger than the state trend of 8.5%. In 2015 there were 164 jobs reported which is 59% about the National average. Job distribution in the district by the year 2020 indicates a high concentration in La Crosse County (139 jobs). Surrounding counties are significantly lower with Monroe County anticipating 14 jobs and Vernon County 10 jobs. The other counties are under 10 positions. This program’s employment pattern demonstrates 30.8% of employed positions are in the 25-34 age range. The 35-44 age group has 22.0% of the age distribution followed by the 45-54 age group with 20.6%. The 55-64 and above represents 15.4% of the employees. The smallest segment of workers is the 19-24 year old population with 11.1%. The majority of jobs in 2015 were housed within general medical and surgical hospitals (83.6%) Positions in the offices of physicians comprised of 15 jobs in 2015 (9.4%). An analysis of the district’s Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) shows that there are two educational programs tagged to deliver graduates into the Surgical Technology field. In 2014, there were eight completers for seven openings. Earnings for graduates of this program range from $19.26 per hour to $24.19 per hour with the median hourly wage of $21.59. This is greater than the national median wage of $20.84. Student Satisfaction Trends The Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory was conducted in the fall of 2015. The instrument asks students to rate the importance AND the satisfaction with 95 items (1-7 with 7 as highest) related to the following “scales”: Instructional effectiveness Academic advising/counseling Concern for the individual Registration effectiveness Admissions and financial aid Student centeredness Campus climate Academic services Service excellence Safety and security Campus support services and responsiveness to diverse populations 2|Page In the program self-study process (data and evidence analysis work), programs are asked to identify gaps between importance and satisfaction. Gaps are calculated as the difference between the importance of an item and the satisfaction level. Gaps that are close to a “1” should be discussed and explored – particularly if they are tied to items that are rated as high in importance for students. This survey had six students respond. A cursory glance at the “scale” level revealed gaps in academic advising/counseling (1.47) and concern for the individual (1.48). The overall satisfaction with the experience at Western for the Surgical Technology program was 5.33 as compared to 5.68 for all students responding to the survey. The Surgical Technology students indicated that the experience thus far was lower than expected (4.33), whereas all students responding to this survey scored this at an average of 4.93. A more detailed analysis was conducted at the “item” level. Items are associated with one or more “scales” and provide additional insight into specific areas. Items rated highest in importance for Surgical Technology students include several items that scored a 7 (scale of 1-7 with 7 as very important): Item #7 – Adequate financial aid is available for most students. 6.83 Item #13 – Financial aid awards are announced to students in time to helpful in planning. 6.83 Item #15 – I am able to register for classes I need with few conflicts. 6.83 Item #18 – Quality of instruction in most of my classes is excellent. 6.83 Item #23 – Faculty are understanding of students’ unique circumstances. 6.83 Item #31 – Campus is safe and secure for all students. 6.83 Item #32 – My academic advisor is knowledgeable about my program. 6.83 Item #63 – I seldom get the “run-around” when seeking information on this campus. 7.00 Item #66 – Program requirements are clear and reasonable. 7.00 Item #72 – Wellness Center meets my fitness needs. 7.00 Item #77 – Sufficient financial assistance for child care. 7.00 Item #79 – Effective support services are available for minority students. 7.00 Note that the students in this program seemed to associate a higher level of importance to many items as compared to students in other programs. This resulted in several items with larger gaps between importance and satisfaction. Items that indicated gaps above 1.00 may be topics of discussion include: Item #2 – Faculty care about me as an individual. (1.50) Item #6 – Academic advisor is approachable. (1.66) Item #9 – Internships or practical experiences are provided in my program. (1.34) Item #12 – My academic advisor helps me set goals to work toward. (1.84) Item #13 – Financial aid awards are announced to students in time to helpful in planning. (2.50) Item #16 – The College shows concern for students as individuals. (1.50) Item #18 – Quality of instruction in most of my classes is excellent. (1.50) Item #19 – Campus provides effective support services for displaced homemakers. (1.60) Item #23 – Faculty are understanding of students’ unique circumstances. (1.16) Item #25 – My academic advisor is concerned about my success. (2.50) Item #29 – Faculty are fair and unbiased in their treatment of individual students. (1.34) 3|Page Item #30 – Career services provides students with help to get a job. (1.40) Item #32 – My academic advisor is knowledgeable about my program (1.50) Item #51 – There are convenient ways of paying my school bill. (1.17) Item #54 – Faculty are interested in my academic problems. (1.34) Item #58 – Nearly all of the faculty are knowledgeable in their fields. (1.67) Item #59 – New student orientation helps students adjust to the college. (2.25) Item #64 – Nearly all classes deal with practical experiences and applications. (1.16) Item #65 – Students are notified early in the term if they are doing poorly. (1.67) Item #67 – Channels for expressing student complaints are readily available. (1.17) Item #75 – Opportunity to be involved in the community through college activity/course. (1.20) Item #78 – Help is readily available to students whose grades fall below average. (1.50) Item #80 – College communication I receive makes me feel like I made a good choice. (1.34) Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Trends There were 14 responses to this survey. A recurring theme was how wonderful the instructors were. Most other comments regarding likes and dislikes were of a single personal preference and not of a common theme. There were nine conclusion comments and all expressed a positive experience at Western. Graduate Follow-Up Trends Year Types of jobs obtained Companies hiring Western graduates 2012-13 Surgical Technologist Certified Surgical Technologist Operating Room Technician Surgical Technologist Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, WI Black River Memorial Hospital, Black River Falls, WI Unity Point Health, ? Reedsburg Area Medical Center, Reedsburg, WI Richland Hospital, Richland Center, WI Vernon Memorial Healthcare, Viroqua, WI Year Types of jobs obtained Companies hiring Western graduates 2013-14 (No Data) Year Types of jobs obtained Companies hiring Western graduates 2014-15 Surgical Technology Surgical Tech ? 4|Page Career Pathways Assessment Your program had nine responses to the survey. Two were full-time faculty and two were parttime faculty. One was other faculty. You also had four deans or associate deans complete. Items that may be topics of discussion for this program include: o A possible area of discussion is in the course sequencing area as there appears to be some disagreement in this area. o There appears to be an opportunity to discuss student options such as Credit for Prior Learning, articulation agreements with high school students or credit transfer options. o There appears to be an opportunity to discuss faculty responsibilities in credit agreements, collaboration with high school teachers to maintain college level standards, and extending Credit for Prior Learning to incoming students. o Another opportunity for discussion might be internal partnerships with Business and Industry Services, scholarship options with the Western Foundation, or opportunities to work with the Career Services Office. o Lastly, there might be opportunity in discussing other learning opportunities for students such as service learning or attendance at career fairs. 5|Page
