Re: Licensure Shortfalls

[Guest guest]

Jeff,

Right on all counts. As I've said, those colleges that don't get on board

will be left in the dirt. Not all institutions have CEOs who understand the

education marketplace, but I guarantee you ours does. My understanding of

the rules is that we can make a request to come into their district and do a

course; they then have the choice of doing the program themselves or letting

us do it. If we can prove a need, then they're either going to have to do it

or let us do it. The CO Board will support us unless they have compelling

reasons to deny us, which most of them won't. There are processes in place to

deal with these questions; the only problem is that most program directors

don't even think outside their loop. I don't think many of them have even

the slightest inkling about the implications of distance education over the

Internet. But when we begin to pick off their students on the web, they'll

wake up and smell the ammonia caps. If they don't want to do it all by

themselves or feel like they don't have the resources, then we'll graciously

share with them. We'll co-op it. But the opportunity for education is going

to be there. Anybody who doesn't think so ought to talk to Senator

Ratcliff, one of the most astute and powerful senators in Texas on education

issues. The people who control education are really the people who control

funding. And community colleges that refuse to serve their communities are

going to find themselves in a heap 'o trouble. The Lege ain't gonna look

kindly on em.

And it's true that distance education won't work for ALL facets of EMS, but it

will work for lots of it. The didactic portions can actually be taught

better, probably, with distance education than face to face if it's done

right, meaning having Chat Rooms, feedback and interaction with the

instructor, and even the ability to call the instructor on the phone and have

a 1-on-1 with her. Distance education makes the student buy into the process

in a way that simple attendance in a classroom does not. {Bill Brown, please

copy!} All these things are completely do-able.

The parts that will need face-to-face are skills training and evaluation,

clinicals, internship and other lab work that needs to be hands on. But we've

got the present means to address and accomplish those needs. We can contract

with I/Es anyplace to teach those portions of the course. I don't believe

colleges who refuse to do it can stop us. We only need visionary

administrators who will support us. I've got one, and I'll bet that when

those at other colleges realize what's going on, many others will join the

club. The idea that we can't go into anybody else's territory is not well

founded in law. It's more a gentlemen's agreement between college presidents.

But the pressures of revenue production are becoming apparent to more and more

of these administrators, and those who understand the implications of distance

learning are going to carry the day. The good 'ole boy's club is going to

disintegrate when we show our bossses that we can generate thousands of

dollars in revenue from Internet and other distance learning-based courses.

And by the way, I invite you all to borrow, steal, build upon, advance these

arguments with your own administrators. Our common goal as educators should

be unlimited access to advanced education for all.

As EMS educators, we're by nature aggressive. Most educators are not. But if

my experiences are any guide, once you show your President what can be done

and what the stakes are, you're going to find her/him saying: We want and need

to do this. If they don't, then please call me. We'll be lurking on the

boundaries of your area, waiting to strike!!!

Gene Gandy, JD, LP

In a message dated 3/11/1999 23:45:36 Central Standard Time,

jeffjarvis@... writes:

<< Subj: [texasems-L] Re: Licensure Shortfalls

Date: 3/11/1999 23:45:36 Central Standard Time

From: jeffjarvis@... (Jarvis Jeff)

Reply-to: <A HREF= " mailto:egroups " >egroups</A>

To: egroups

Howdy y'all!

Gene, I'd like to make a point about one of the things you say below. I've

deleted the other stuff for brevity.

<GG: If they won't, then we at TJC will. We're busting our collective

<asses

<to get both the hardware and software in place to offer distance learning.

<The Virtual College, which was created by the last lege is also going to

<play a role here. In short, within a relatively short period of time (read

<a coupla years) distance education is going to be readily available in a

<variety of formats. For those colleges that don't want to offer it, fine;

<but they won't be able to then stand in the way of those colleges who DO

<want to do it from doing it. Much needs to be done, and we're learning as

<we go, but this WILL HAPPEN. Colleges who are not on the bandwagon will

<find themselves as the end of the trail eating the dust of those of us who

<Mintend to do this.

While I'm not convinced that distance learning is appropriate for

everything, it is certainly appropriate for many, if not most, topics. That

aside, however, I think we have a serious issue with colleges that refuse to

" service " their service area. We have what is probably one of the smallest

services areas in the state and we do our complete program off campus.

The mission of a community college is to serve the needs of the community.

That means, in almost all cases, getting off campus. It is very frustrating

to me (not to mention the people who actually have to live with it) to hear

of colleges with EMS programs that refuse to meet the needs of the

communities within their district.

I agree with you about allowing them to continue doing nothing. Hey, not a

problem. What I do have a BIG problem with is a college like this that

refuses to let another college come teach in their district. This has got to

change. I think that the processes are in place for this to happen.

I am in support of a modification to the training program approval which

would make outreach a requirement for approval. If the program doesn't have

the resources to do outreach, no problem. However, they MUST agree to allow

another college to come in.

I think in many cases, the problem is with the program director. If they

aren't willing to aggressively meet the needs of their service area, then

the college needs to get someone who is. If the college doesn't seem

interested in doing so, the community needs to make sure they get interested

in doing so. A few phone calls to the college's board of trustees ought to

do the trick.

Take care,

Jeff

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