Professional Resources: History of Cooperative Education at LaGuardia Community College

1998

ERIC_NO: ED418230
TITLE: Linking School-Based and Work-Based Learning: The Implications of LaGuardia's Co-op Seminars for School-to-Work Programs.
AUTHOR: Grubb, W. Norton; Badway, Norena
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1998
ABSTRACT: The cooperative education program at LaGuardia Community College, New York, incorporates seminars that integrate school- and work-based learning. In the seminars, students examine issues related to work in general, the organizations in which they are placed, and the ways in which their academic preparation is applied at the work site. The cooperative education program, which is mandatory for all full-time students, includes the following: a course that prepares students for their first co-op placement; planning sessions with a faculty advisor; three internships or placements; and three distinct levels of seminars taken in conjunction with each internship. The first and third levels may be specific to a student's chosen area of study or, may be generic, focusing on common workplace issues. All students take the second seminar, "Fundamentals of Career Advancement," which focuses on using the workplace to gain information about skills and personal requirements for upward mobility. Seminars allow students to explore careers, master skills and competencies common to all jobs, and explore social, ethical, political, and moral themes associated with working. Instructional methods in seminars are traditional lecture, class discussion, simulations, role-play, and faculty sharing of personal experiences. Seminar effectiveness depends on these factors: instructor background, training, and understanding of the seminar's purpose; instructional methods; and integration of the program into the larger college curriculum. The work-based component must become central to the educational purposes of the institution. (Contains 18 references.) (YLB)
39p.

1997

ERIC_NO: ED411026
TITLE: Cooperative Education: An International Collaborative.
AUTHOR: Bowen, Raymond C.
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1997
ABSTRACT: In 1993, the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), in the Dominican Republic, and New York's LaGuardia Community College (LaGCC) entered into a partnership to establish a series of community colleges in the Dominican Republic. The colleges were designed to foster economic growth, prepare graduates for transfer to the UASD to complete baccalaureate degrees, and meet the educational and training needs of area residents. One of the colleges, the Centro Universitario Regional de Suroeste, was established in the country's Barahona region, an underdeveloped area close to Haiti that has been declared a national site of interest for tourism development. A four-part implementation strategy was developed, including the following components: (1) an innovative curriculum was developed that included courses on travel and tourism, computer technology, general education, entrepreneurship, cooperative education, and English as a Foreign Language; (2) an advisory board of local business people was created, providing land and funds for construction; (3) the a small business resource center was established; and (4) a language instructor was hired to teach English. Faculty and staff from LaGCC provided a broad range of technical support in establishing the college, including assistance with curriculum and facilities design. In the college's first graduation, 32 of the 35 entering students completed their program and 75% had full-time jobs at the time of graduation. (YKH)
NOTE: 8p.; Paper presented at a conference sponsored by the World Association of Cooperative Education (Capetown, South Africa, August 18-22, 1997).

1995

ERIC_NO: ED388861
TITLE: Linking School-Based and Work-Based Learning: The Implications of LaGuardia's Co-op Seminars for School-to-Work Programs. Technical Assistance Report.
AUTHOR: Grubb, W. Norton; Badway, Norena
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1995
ABSTRACT: Co-op seminars are a key component of the cooperative education (CE) program at LaGuardia Community College in New York City. All LaGuardia students must enroll in CE and attend a series of co-op seminars that raise general issues about work, occupations in general, and the competencies required on the job. The seminars serve as a form of career exploration and a mechanism of connecting school- and work-based learning. Three levels of generic and major-specific seminars are offered. Like LaGuardia's CE program, the seminars attempt to promote an approach to teaching called TAR (Teach-Apply-Reinforce) and include classroom exercises and fieldwork assignments. Over the past decade, the co-op seminar program has undergone numerous changes, including a movement toward more generic seminars, greater flexibility, and use of union-sponsored and union-supported tutoring in basic skills. The co-op seminars incorporate a range of classroom techniques, including traditional lecture, class discussion, simulations/role play, and faculty sharing of personal experiences. The co-op seminars have proved to be a successful strategy for linking school- and work-based learning and offer a number of lessons for other schools considering establishing similar connecting activities. (Contains 17 references.) (MN) 30p.; Originally prepared for the Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress

1986

ERIC_NO: ED279353
TITLE: Student Workbook for Cooperative Education Preparation. A Required Course for LaGuardia Students Prior to Their First Internship.
AUTHOR: Koeppel, Jeffrey; Feifer, Dean Irwin
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1986
ABSTRACT: Designed for students enrolled in LaGuardia Community College's (LCC's) Cooperative Education Preparation class, this workbook contains readings, written assignments, and in-class activities which prepare the students to participate in internships. The workbook provides materials corresponding to the following class sections: (1) Understanding Cooperative Education, which introduces students to the basic concepts and objectives of cooperative education and to the course; (2) Looking at Your Life Accomplishments, in which students examine personal achievements; (3) Identifying Your Skills, which provides exercises to assist students in conducting a Personal Skills Inventory; (4) Writing Your Resume; (5) Knowing Your Needs (Values), which deals with economic, social, and ego needs; (6) Learning about Career Fields; (7) Setting Personal Objectives for Your Internship; (8) Preparing for an Employment Interview; (9) Practicing Your Interviewing Skills; and (10) Looking Ahead, which discusses the placement process and cooperative education. (LAL)
183p.; Revised by Helen Perry.

ERIC_NO: ED279354
TITLE: Career Research: Second Internship Seminar.
AUTHOR:
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1986
ABSTRACT: Designed for students enrolled in an internship seminar at LaGuardia Community College (New York), this workbook helps students assess their skills and plan for their career. Chapter I discusses definitions of success, planning one's career journey by establishing a series of career goals and gathering information, and the purpose of the seminar. Chapters II and III provide information, guidance, and activities to help students assess their personal and work-related values, their skills and strengths, and their weaknesses. Chapter IV stresses the importance of understanding as much as possible about a chosen career field, focusing on such considerations as job responsibilities, requirements for entry and advancement, earning potential, job outlook, job path, and career planning. This chapter also assigns a term project to prepare a Future Resume, which lists the steps the student might take to achieve his/her career goal in the next 10 years. Chapter V discusses educational options within the context of the student's career journey. In chapter VI, methods for coping with financial needs are reviewed. Chapter VII offers concluding words of advice. (LAL)
71p

1981

ERIC_NO: ED214426
TITLE: Cooperative Education, Experiential Learning, and Personal Knowledge.
AUTHOR: Abrahamsson, Kenneth, Ed.
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1981
ABSTRACT: Cooperative education, experiential learning, and personal knowledge are addressed in nine conference papers. Kenneth Abrahamsson considers the nature of experiential learning, the recognition of prior learning, educational design and the assessment of quality, and policy and practice for integrating learning and experience. Harry Hienemann considers the history of cooperative education, the evaluation of outcomes integrating classroom and work experience, and mandatory cooperative education at Laguardia Community College, New York. What is known about the educational effects and economic consequences of programs that recognize prior learning is reviewed by Alan P. Wagner. Solomon Arbeiter examines a model that can be used to evaluate students in programs recognizing prior learning, as well as the award of credit or advanced standing. Douglas M. Windham evaluates the economic effects of recognizing prior learning and considers the implications for institutional policy. The nature and value of relevant work experience in the education of primary school teachers is considered by Hannu Perha, followed by Staffan Larsson's review of five qualitatively different conceptions of experience as viewed by teachers. Maureen L. Pope suggests that a cultural transmission approach to teaching and knowledge dominates science education and that this has neglected the role of personal experience in the construction of knowledge. Erich Leitner examines the implications of cooperation between the University of Klagenfurt, Austria, and the Austrian Workers Union. Implications for the university pertain to the philosophy of higher education and innovations. (SW) 121p.; A selection of papers presented at the International Conference on Higher Education (5th, University of Lancaster, England, September 1-4, 1981).

1977

ERIC_NO: ED167735
TITLE: LaGuardia Community College: A Model for a Comprehensive Career Educational Approach to Higher Learning. Evaluation Report. (Volume III of Final Report).
AUTHOR:
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1977
ABSTRACT: LaGuardia Community College (New York), with support from a contract with the U.S. Office of Career Education, has developed and assessed a career education model for two-year colleges. From July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1977, LaGuardia designed, or refined, and pilot-tested career educational components that included a career resource center, work experiences, career education infusion into curricula, career simulation activities, and career advisement. Following are some of the findings based on the evaluation surveys: (1) student ratings of the career resource center, career advisement, and career simulation were consistently positive; (2) students enrolled in a redesigned Data Processing Introductory course and work experience sequence viewed the infusion attempt as a successful one, however time limitations imposed on the career education-infused Philosophy course made that experience less positive in the students' ratings; (3) the work internship program was positively judged by both interns and employers; and (4) the effective reality test in the workplace of the classroom-taught skills and concepts was seen as a prime outcome of LaGuardia's career education program. Twelve recommendations concerning implementation of career education were also presented, based on the pilot-test data. (A companion document, CE 019 282 contains a detailed description of the project objectives and activities.) (BM)
82p

ERIC_NO: ED136864
TITLE: The Impact of a Community College Cooperative Education Program on the Performance of its Graduates.
AUTHOR: Ehrlich, Dan J.; Heinemann, Harry N.
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1977
ABSTRACT: A study was conducted for the purpose of determining the impact of cooperative education (CE) on the experiences of community college students subsequent to their graduation. Comprehensive normative data on graduates and non-completers of LaGuardia Community College, which has a universal CE program, were collected by means of surveys. Performance-related information concerning CE and non-CE graduates of two other City University of New York (CUNY) community colleges with optional CE programs, and participating employers' evaluations of the overall CE program, its products, and their relative performance were also obtained. Results of data analysis showed: (1) type of curriculum from which a student graduated had a significant relationship to subsequent earnings; (2) within individual curriculum clusters, LaGuardia graduates consistently earned more than students who graduated from one of the other two colleges included in the study; (3) employers unequivocally rated LaGuardia graduates highly and perceived these graduates as superior to other employees relative to motivation, job skills, and abilities; (4) LaGuardia graduates did not represent a highly selective component of CUNY community college output; and (5) LaGuardia graduates were differentiated from other groups most by their cooperativeness, personal maturity, and attendance records. Extensive tabular data is included in the report and study-related materials are appended. (JDS)
178p.

ERIC_NO: ED167734
TITLE: LaGuardia Community College: A Model for a Comprehensive Career Educational Approach to Higher Learning. Final Report.
AUTHOR:
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1977
ABSTRACT: Divided into two parts, this document describes the comprehensive career education model at LaGuardia Community College (New York). Introductory material in part 1 includes a general overview of the project, a description of the U.S. Office of Career Education contract which enabled LaGuardia to expand its career education efforts, and a description of the setting and project objectives. Project activities prior to the O.C.E. contract, the contract objectives, developments during the contract period, and a summary and recommendations are presented for the following activities: (1) implementing a career resource center; (2) using cooperative education as the reality test of career education concepts and skills; (3) involving the teaching faculty in career education infusion; (4) collaborating with the business, labor, industrial, and public sectors; and (5) facilitating the productive use of leisure time. Finally, the agenda for a national conference conducted to demonstrate the project results concludes part 1. Part 2 outlines the tasks, activities, and time frames corresponding to the attainment of the contract objectives. (CE 019 283 contains the project evaluation report.) (BM)
100p.

1972

ERIC_NO: ED068088
TITLE: Cooperative Education at LaGuardia Community College: An Assessment and Description of the Initiation of an Innovative Curriculum. Final Report.
AUTHOR:
PUBLICATION_DATE: 1972
ABSTRACT: La Guardia College (New York) is the only community college in the United States requiring its entire student body to participate in a work-experience program regardless of curriculum choice. This study, conducted by a team of selected consultants, is an assessment of the program based on onsite visits, interviews, and an array of reports and publications. Areas of assessment were: (1) the legal framework, administrative structure and facilities; (2) the college curriculum; (3) the recruitment and enrollment program; (4) student services; (5) the college's self-evaluation program; and (6) the degree of the college's success. Some conclusions were: (1) the curriculum, using an interdisciplinary approach, individualized instruction, and a work internship program, provides a relevant experience for the student; (2) team counseling has proved to be effective and should be further developed to attain its full potential; (3) there is a pronounced need for additional funding sources to aid the financially pressed student; (4) recruitment methods need to be more comprehensive; (5) the college should continue to seek ways to evaluate the degree to which it is meeting its goals and objectives; and (6) the program merits close study by education authorities in other major metropolitan areas. (RN)
83p.

Introduction

Records of: COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
Location: Institutional Archives, LaGuardia Community College
Collection: Division of Cooperative Education, 1971- 2003
Department of Cooperative Education, 2003 -

Processed by: Staff, under direction of Institutional Archivists
Date Completed: Division of Cooperative Education December 12, 2003.
Department of Cooperative Education is an ongoing open-ended collection.
All Series from the Period 1971- 2003 remain in Series established prior to the Division becoming an Academic Department under the Division of Academic Affairs.

Acquisition:
Acquisition process of the materials is uncertain through 2001. Records may have been gleaned from other divisions. Since 2001 active acquisition policy has included posting, mailings, staff notices and the Taskforce reports of 2002-2003. The records (incomplete) of Task force were donated by a member. Other transactions were initiated and completed as part of Archival policy.

Linear feet of shelf space occupied: 2 linear feet
Approximate number of items: over 200

Access:
All items in this collection are available for research but many require special supervision. Items may not be reproducible except where specified in the series descriptions. Reproduction of any item requires specific permission from Institutional Archivist.

Other restrictions: Task force or specific notices may be restricted for use within and by college community.

History

(Written by Marie Cimino Spina, Institutional Archivist for Cooperative Education 2004)

LaGuardia Community College opened its doors on Sept 22, 1971. The then Division of Cooperative Education was organized in 1971. This staff of this challenging program developed from the new Community College's master plan. It had educational as well and in-service models. The focus was fourfold:

• Provide work experience
• Develop and refine student's marketable skills
• Develop career objectives for Liberal Arts students
• Involve students in issues relevant to New York City

In 2000 a new College President, Dr. Gail Mellow, was appointed. She developed many initiatives and sought to reexamine issues of student success, retention, recruitment and governance. Faced with changes in CUNY wide policy regarding academic success and a new world view of employment, the cooperative education model was one of many programs that received new interest, scrutiny and were targeted for evaluation and change based on several College wide initiatives. Among these were outcomes of a Vision process in 2001, a new focus on Strategic Planning and a new world view of economic and workplace experiential learning. Along with several other areas the President appointed a Task Force on cooperative Education.

The records of the Division and the developing Department are listed in the Series. These records were used extensively by the members of the Task Force.

Series Listings

The collection is divided into the following series:
Ceremonies/Events,
Committees,
Correspondence, Miscellaneous,
Procedures, Programs, Publications and Reports.

The materials date from approximately 1971 to the 2002 for the Division. Later materials are being regrouped to reflect the designation an an Academic Department. Most of the materials in this section of the collection are reports or program documents. Materials are housed in approximately 11 containers. Documents have been filed and usually are arranged chronologically by date. Folders are labeled and identified by document type (correspondence, program, report, etc.) and by document title.

The Programs series is divided into two sub-series: student workbooks, and miscellaneous information.

The Reports series consists of two sub-series: graduates, and miscellaneous studies and reports including some information on student demographics. Reports contain data on attendance patterns, ESL graduates, graduate surveys, job placement, salaries, transfer rates, and other important statistical information.

Series Description

SERIES 1: Ceremonies/Events - 1981 & 1994
Contains the program for the Cooperative Education Employer Recognition Awards ceremony and the Open House

SERIES 2: Committees - 1975
Various memoranda regarding the Cooperative Education Committee’s agenda, meetings and schedules.

SERIES 3: Correspondence - 1991 to Present
Letters and memoranda pertaining to Division and college-wide topics.

SERIES 4: Miscellaneous - Undated and 1984 to 1998
This series contains materials that do not fit into the other series within this collection. Miscellaneous documents may originate within the Division, or from other division, or departments. Included are budget graphs for the Division, faculty election notice, organizational charts for the Coop Education Division.

SERIES 5: Procedures - Undated to 1980's
Contained in this series are various employer/ student/teacher evaluation forms, grading standards, teacher guidelines, and the Division policy & procedure manual.

SERIES 6: Programs - Undated and 1970's to 1990's
The series on programs contains the Student Workbooks for Cooperative Education Preparation. This is part of a required course that students take prior to their first internship. The workbooks span a period beginning in 1981 and ending in 1992. Also included in this series are: student internship catalogs for specific academic programs, program descriptions and proposals, Co-op program guides, seminar information, internship opportunities lists, student handbooks, student interview programs and simulated interview programs. These materials date from the early 1970's to the present.

SERIES 7: Publications - 1970's to 1990's
Articles written by the faculty and staff of the Division of Cooperative Education, news clippings about LaGuardia Community College & the Cooperative Education Program, informational packets about the Co-Op program, and newsletters published by the Division.

SERIES 8: Reports - 1970's to 1990's
This series has reports about LaGuardia Community College graduates, and student demographics. The reports contain statistical information about graduate placement by industry, job description, major, salary range, average salary, full-time placements via internships/placement office/other, ratio of female to male according to major, length of time need to graduate, college transfer rates, etc.

Container List

Books & Writings by LaGuardia Faculty