Annual Report - Automotive Technology

Program Goals  

In addition to the competencies required for Associate of Science degrees, the Automotive Technology Program includes the following outcomes:

  1. To prepare students with the skills and competencies necessary for a successful career as an automotive technician;
  2. To instill in students the work habits and attitudes necessary to work in a highly competitive field; and
  3. To provide students the basic skills necessary to become lifelong learners in order to keep abreast of the latest technological changes in the automotive field.

Program Description  

The Certificate of Achievement (C.A.), 45 credits, is awarded to students who complete a prescribed series of courses leading to employment in the automotive service and repair industry. Students completing the requirements for a C.A. will have demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to enter the industry with the goal of becoming Mechanics and/or Technicians.

The Certificate of Completion, (C.C.), 18 credits, is awarded to students who successfully complete a group of occupational courses in a specific sequence. This credential is designed primarily for students who require short-term training and/or job upgrading for a specific automotive specialty. Because of variations in service and repair areas employment, students should select course electives appropriate to their needs.

The Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, 64 credits, prepares students for employment in the automotive field and is designed to enable graduates, with the goal of becoming technicians and supervisors, to also enter related vocational-technical fields or to pursue advanced education at other colleges. The competencies students are expected to achieve in the Automotive Technology program are based on the tasks prescribed by the NATEF and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) for technician certification in the following service/repair areas:

Recommended high school preparation: Pre-algebra, Electronics, Chemistry or Physics, Industrial Arts.

Assessment of Program SLOs

Industry's standards are actually presented to NATEF. The automotive program in turn, receives the necessary tasks to be taught from NATEF. An evaluation is performed every 30 months and an on-site evaluation is performed every 5 years to insure the program is providing the necessary content in which industry dictates.

Overall Program Analysis

Overall status of the program is healthy.

The program was certified by NATEF (National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation) on March 31, 2005. This accreditation is required to be evaluated every 30 months and recertified every 5 years. The program was rated on its Policies and procedures, Program standards, Tasks and student objectives, Instructional and technical equipment, Academics and workplace skills, Instructor qualifications, Graduate statistics, Facilities, Finances, Student services, Safety and Cooperative training program. The evaluation process rated the program as a "Master" - Post Secondary Automotive Training Program". Further information may be obtained at the national website, NATEF.ORG.

Program demand is healthy. All program health measures for demand (number of majors, student semester hours, student registrations, course full-time equivalent) are above the minimum levels.

Program efficiency is healthy.All health measures for program efficiency are above the minimum levels, and in the cases of majors/full-time equivalent faculty, student semester hour/full-time equivalent faculty, and number of classes taught, the actual levels fell above the set satisfactory levels.

Program effectiveness is healthy. While there was a decrease in the number of degrees and certificates awarded from the previous academic year, the actual levels were above the minimum levels. In addition, the Perkins III Program Core Indicator Report shows that employment and transfer rates of graduates and leavers of the automotive technology program exceeded the set standards.

Detailed information regarding the automotive program's structure, staff, advisory committee, credits, student hours, certificates and degrees may be obtained at http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/auto.

Future Plans

At this time there is a request to extend the AAS degree to a 30-month program. Currently, this degree is 24 months. This would bring us in alignment with Honolulu Community College and provide additional hours to instruct the ever increasing number of tasks required by NATEF. The automotive staff believes the programs should be aligned as LCC and HCC are the only two certified programs in the state.

A request has been made for additional space.

Program Articulations

None.

Advisory Board

 

 

 

 

Contact Us | Updated on July 2, 2006 | ©2006 Leeward Community College