College of Lake County

Overview

College of Lake County (CLC) is a 2-year comprehensive community college dedicated to providing accessible, affordable, high-quality learning opportunities that meet the needs of its diverse student population and local workforce partners. The college offers degree, certificate, and workforce training programs across five campuses in northeastern Illinois.

The Challenge

Community colleges are challenged with ensuring their academic programs meet evolving local industry and statewide workforce needs. In addition, the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) has set forth stringent Program Quality Criteria, requiring colleges to align programs with industry standards while providing students with clear, accessible, and affordable pathways to employment. CLC knew it needed to engage faculty and local employers in a curriculum validation and revision process aimed at designing new Career Pathways and Programs of Study to provide students with industry skills, industry certifications and seamless transitions into the workforce. CLC also knew meeting these objectives would require dedicated resources and a multi-year, sustained effort.

The WIDS Solution

CLC partnered with WIDS to review and revise targeted program curriculum and ensure that both new and revised programs met all CLC and ICCB curriculum requirements. WIDS began by engaging local employers in a DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process to identify duties and tasks performed in each targeted program occupation.

WIDS then worked with CLC faculty to analyze the DACUM results alongside current workforce data and industry and occupational standards. The analysis informed the design of new Career Pathways aligned to occupational standards. The result is that, in various new programs, students can earn industry certifications while earning CLC credentials. As Liliana Ware, Assistant Director of Academic Planning, Educational Affairs, explained,

"WIDS took a deep dive look into the program outcomes to help faculty look at their course outcomes and determine what is important.”

WIDS also helped CLC faculty evaluate existing curriculum to identify where programs could be better aligned with industry standards. This process ensured students are gaining the skills needed to meet employer expectations while providing opportunities for them to earn occupational certifications.

“WIDS does a great job of synthesizing all this information to provide comprehensive new programs—or program modifications” said Ware.

The Result

WIDS guided CLC though a multi-year Program of Study process, resulting in several new and revised programs that align to industry and occupational standards. The programs now give students opportunities to save time and money by earning occupation credentials or becoming eligible for certification exams as part of their CLC educational journey.

Notable outcomes include:

1.) A revised Professional Accounting Certificate program that incorporates two sets of standards: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation CPA Exam preparation topics and IRS Enrolled Agent Certification topics. The alignment allows students to prepare and become eligible for taking the Illinois CPA Exam and the IRS enrolled Agent Exam, at no extra cost, while completing their CLC Program of Study. The dual certification pathway provides students with more diverse employment opportunities, addressing the needs of local employers who value these credentials.

2.) A new Audio-Visual Integration Technology A.A.S. program, aligned with the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) standards. The alignment allows students to join a professional organization, take the AVIXA AV Technologist Certification exam midway through the CLC program and, upon successful completion of the A.A.S. degree, qualify for taking the AVIXA Certified Technology Specialist certification exam. The integrated industry standards allow students to earn credentials, at no extra cost, while completing their degree, positioning them for a wider range of job opportunities in the rapidly growing AV industry.