Angie Myer

Hi Susan, Excellent points and questions! I want to echo Cindy's comments and also encourage us all to think of other ways to assess learning other than the traditional written exam which requires proctoring. Not that this is a bad idea (most schools still do it), but it can be part of a broader spectrum of assessment strategies so it doesn't have to carry the weight (and worry that students are cheating). First of all, I have found that offering time limits often eliminates the need for proctoring because students cannot get the exam done in time if they are… >>>

Lucas, When I taught research methods to massage students, it was also only a couple of days. The best way is to connect it to another assignment/project where they must use the mini-lessons that you give them to do actual research (presentations, papers, etc). Often this can be done in a pathology class, or I've even seen it in business where students must present information on a massage specialization of their choice. In all cases, the research lessons serve to ensure that the students work is more informed and "smart" than it would be otherwise. I used to use Tiffany… >>>

Lucas, Good question. There are so many competencies for massage that absolutely DEMAND assessment other than written means, which is why the Commission has been so careful about the verbs used for each one. These should dictate the assessment strategies. As far as realistic time obstacles, my first thought is to incorporate mini hands-on/practical exams that take the same amount of time as a written exam. For example, checklists or rubrics where students are required to DEMONSTRATE a skill (stroke, stretch, palpation, bone, technique, etc) can be quickly used for each student instead of always observing a full massage session.… >>>

Hi Cindy, Thank you so much for sharing the facilitation duties and offering your extensive experience and insight into the challenges of career colleges. You're right, we often need to "recruit the whole student" when they are looking into schools. Paris, as a former Director of Admissions, I often encouraged students to be guest students for a day and/or talk to existing students, so they could "fall in love with the place" and see all the value for the money. I encouraged them to do so with our competitors as well. Particularly, in a field like massage where there are… >>>

Lucas, Your question is a good--and complex--one that may need further discussion during your accreditation process. (Are you seeking new accreditation or renewal? If new, you will have an additional consultation visit that can help.) The "integrated curriculum model" you describe is what COMTA does allow; students don't have to all start at the same point. However, the issue of ensuring proper sequencing of knowledge is something the Commission will look at critically. For example, not having the requisite anatomy knowledge prior to massage techniques may be an issue. It's not that you canNOT do it; its' just that you… >>>

Susan, Thanks again for the tips and questions. We have seen a growing number of institutions using social networking such as Facebook to keep in touch with graduates, and it seems to have been very successful. The challenge, of course, is to channel this casual/informal contact into verifiable employment records to use for accreditation purposes. Our experience had been that the easier and faster the method of contact, the greater the return rate. It's great you call your grads so often! Is this someone's specific job duty? I can see that it would be time-consuming, but probably worth the effort.… >>>

Hi Susan, Thank you for your post. Your insights into both challenges are astute and common. Despite not being able to guarantee employment, it sounds like your institution does a lot to support its graduates. I can see how that aspect of career services would be a real plus to a potential student and graduate. With the growing emphasis on gainful employment, I think it is a wise move to be proactive in that sense with grads. Unfortunately, I am not aware of a website that documents scholarship scams, but I will check with our Commissioners and staff to see… >>>