Water Technology

Advisory Committee Meeting

Minutes

November 21, 2005

Eastern Municipal Water District, Community Room

Hemet, CA

Welcome and Introductions

The meeting was called to order by Laurie McLaughlin with informal, round-table introductions of the industry representatives and staff. Five advisory members were in attendance.

Purpose of Advisory Meetings

Ms. McLaughlin stated the purpose of advisory meetings is to listen to the community to ensure the quality of the program and look at employability trends.

Program Update

Mike Creighton provided an overview of the program. Capacity for all classes is beyond the maximum. There is a need to recruit instructors.

Student Outlook

Most of the students are outside the field trying to get in. 30%+ are industry professionals trying to maintain certification. The department is not getting cold calls about the program. Most of the interest comes from word of mouth and outreach.

Review of Spring 2006 Schedule

The committee reviewed the Spring 2006 schedule. All classes are full beyond capacity, keeping in mind attrition. The stumbling block is getting instructors. The issue is MSJC does not have the ability to offer more courses until successful recruitment of new qualified instructors.

There was a discussion on the benefits of continuing the Water 100, Introduction to Water/Wastewater Operations. The resolution was that the course provides an opportunity to discuss water technology options, a reiteration of the fact that there is a need for instructors.

Mr. Creighton discussed the conversion of WTR 125 from a lab class to lecture. There is an opportunity for a known instructor to teach, if the class is limited to 10 students. It might be able to commence with a team teaching strategy provided both instructors are qualified. A hands-on approach is better for understanding.

The determination was to keep it as a lab class for now and dig a bit deeper. Demonstration is not necessary for certification.

The committee addressed the problematic issue of students purchasing the wrong books without being able to return them. An offered solution was to sort the books by ISBN and for instructors to work with the instruction office to make sure the correct titles and ISBN are determined prior to the start of the semester.

Facility Options

There is a need to find new facilities to hold water tech classes. LakeSkinner is no longer an option. There are security issues since 9/11/2001. Tina stated the possibility of usingclassrooms at the new LHMWD facility next year when construction is complete. The expected completion is Summer 2006.

Recommendations for Instructors

Laurie McLaughlin requested recommendations for new instructors. Instructors don’t need to have a Bachelor’s degree. Instructors need 24 General Education units plus a minimum 5 years experience. There was a suggestion to contact the Human Resource departments of area water districts, detailing the need for instructors and the qualifications.

A recruitment tool is to have an employer fair for water technology or participate in the Riverside County Water Symposium at LakePerris. The date is June 6, 2006. Contact TMG communications in Corona for more information.

Curriculum Development

The predicted outlook for the Water Technology program looks good. Several employees will retire in the next 10 years. The industry needs new energy, new recruitment. Some districts might offer signing bonuses based upon education.

Most students work toward a certificate first and then pursue a degree. Students want more course offerings and are hesitant to re-take classes. Currently, instructors point students to GIS. There is a need to review the ed-plan for the water technology degree program to expand the electives, to review general course offerings, and to re-define introductory applications.

Curriculum development should also look into advanced courses for management. This will provide an opportunity for individuals to grow within the organization. Helpful courses include Geographic Information Systems, Water Utility Management, professional development/people skills, and administrative skills.

The wells and pumps course needs follow up. It is written, pending approval. There was discussion on creating a water utility management course. Rick Hoffman will write the curriculum and teach the course.

There was a discussion about creating simulated, computerized case studies for water technology. Working with the CIS department, Water tech could create a fictitious water system. It might be expensive to research and set up. The benefit would be great. Check into SCADA, Supervised Control and Data Acquisition.

Test prep classes. The last preparation class had to be cancelled. Only 3 students showed up. The testing schedule does not accommodate the semester system. Most certification tests are 5 months after the classes end.

Community Feedback

Tina Farrell, Lake Hemet Municipal Water District (LHMWD)

Test preparation is currently in-house. Test prep is really needed closer to the time of the test. The State does not provide adequate input. It would be cost effective for Lake Hemet Municipal Water District to have the option of outside test preparation for employees. Tina was glad to have information to take back. It will help with their process.

Laurie McLaughlin facilitated a roundtable discussion on test pass rates. Currently, MSJC has a 70%+ pass rate. Students have test anxiety. Most instructors are encouraged not to teach to the test. One suggestion was to create a separate course specifically designed for test prep and test-taking skills which can be offered over the course of the semester in 2-hour increments. Another suggestion was to revise the curriculum to tailor and invent courses to get the type of employees needed by the community.

The meeting adjourned at approximately9:30am.

ATTENDEES:

Melita Caldwell-Betties, MSJC Instructor, EMWD

Michael Creighton,MSJC, Instructor, Program Coordinator

Tina Farrell, Lake Hemet Municipal Water District

Janeen Foster, MSJC Consultant, Career Education-Special Projects

Rick Hoffman, MSJC Instructor

Laurie McLaughlin, MSJC, Associate Dean, Career Education

Page 1 of 3