Source: HOWARD COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT submitted to
ESTABLISHING AND BUILDING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY IN WEST TEXAS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1027983
Grant No.
2022-67038-36264
Cumulative Award Amt.
$450,000.00
Proposal No.
2021-09826
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Nov 1, 2021
Project End Date
Oct 31, 2025
Grant Year
2022
Program Code
[A7601]- Agricultural Workforce Training Grants
Project Director
Johnson, B.
Recipient Organization
HOWARD COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT
1001 BIRDWELL LN
BIG SPRING,TX 797205015
Performing Department
Agricultural Science
Non Technical Summary
The Howard College Veterinary Technician A.A.S. Program will establish a new degree program at Howard College that will create job opportunities for individuals in the west Texas area. Students enrolled in the program will earn a credential from Howard College in addition to a national certification through the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). The program will be the only one of its kind in the west Texas area.We hope to graduate sixteen high-quality students who are ready to take on the workforce through this grant.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
31538991060100%
Knowledge Area
315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection;

Subject Of Investigation
3899 - Other animals, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);
Goals / Objectives
This project is intended to develop a new degree program at Howard College that leads to a nationally recognized Veterinary Technician certification. This program will provide a direct path to a growing career field. The A.A.S. program is intended for adult learners at the community college level. Students in the program will learn to work with veterinarians to provide healthcare for all animals. The program will focus on hands-on learning with at least half of the time spent working on the degree program taking place in labs or veterinary offices. Upon completion of the program, students should be able to pass the AVMA CVTEA exam to become certified Veterinary Technicians.Objectives .1.By September 30, 2025, be operating an AVMA CVTEA and THECB approved A.A.S. in Veterinary Technology program that accepts one new cohort of students each spring to begin classes in the fall.2.By September 30, 2025, graduate one cohort of students from the program.3.By September 30, 2025, develop a robust continuing education program working towards Emergency and Critical Care Technician certifications for participants.4.By September 30, 2025, develop a partnership with area humane societies and animal rescues to provide volunteer assistance for students to gain more hands-on experience.5.By September 30, 2025, develop a mentorship program with local veterinary technicians for students in the program.
Project Methods
During the grant period, five primary objectives will need to be completed for a successful project. Objective one is to be operating an AVMA CVTEA, and THECB approved A.A.S in Veterinary Technology program that accepts one new cohort of students each spring to begin classes in the fall. Evaluation of the objective will include the number of students admitted to the program, number of faculty (Program Chair and adjuncts) hired, faculty evaluations of program, Veterinary practice feedback on the program, and Advisory Committee feedback. Objective two is to graduate one cohort of students from the program with 100% job placement. This objective will be evaluated based on the number of graduating students, the number of graduating students with careers in the field, and alumni evaluations. Objective three is to develop a robust continuing education program working towards participants' Emergency and Critical Care Technician certifications. Evaluations will be made based upon the number of continuing education workshops, enrollment in continuing education workshops, and student feedback on continuing education workshops. Objective four plans to develop a partnership with area humane societies and animal rescues to provide volunteer assistance for students to gain more hands-on experience. Evaluations for objective four will be the number of animals assisted at the humane society, the number of volunteer hours at the humane society, and humane society feedback on volunteers. Objective five will be to develop a mentorship program with local veterinary technicians for students in the program. This final objective will be evaluated based on the number of mentors available for students, feedback from mentors on effectiveness of the mentorship program, and feedback from students on effectiveness of the mentorship program.

Progress 11/01/22 to 10/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:We have worked exhaustively to find a Project Director, without success. Several interviews have been conducted, however, one candidate declined the position, while the other was determined to not be a good fit. We have leads to several potential project director applicants and are pursing those. Changes/Problems:The biggest challenge has been hiring an Program Director. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?None. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Yes. We have discussed the proposed LVT program with numerous Veterinarians in the area and the response is always incredibly positive. Local Veterinarians are extremely supportive and ask how they can help. We had a lead of a prospective Program Director that would've been ideal, but after offering the job, the applicant declined. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are working on several new leads of prospective Program Directors. We hope to finally fill the position and get the program rolling.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? As stated previously, finding and hiring the correct person to serve as Project Director has been a massive challenge. A challenge that was underestimated and is still in progress.

Publications


    Progress 11/01/21 to 10/31/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:While our project has been desperately needed in West Texas, we have struggled to find the right person to hire on as the Program Chair for our Veterinary Technician Program. We have reached out to our target area for leads on a possible person to lead the program, but we are still struggling to find that. We have stayed in constant contact with many veterinary clinics around our service area. Changes/Problems:As already stated in previous questions, we have had trouble in finding the right person to lead the department in our stated goals for the project. We have not made any major changes except for having to push our stated timeline back by a year. We are hoping to stay the course, and find the right person to lead the program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?So far, we have not been able to provide direct training or professional development for a licensed veterinary technician. We are still searching to find the right person, and once hired, they can start to provide area veterinary technicians the opportunity to gain professional development and supplemental training while he/she develops the Howard College Veterinary Technician Program. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have tried to stay in constant contact with area veterinary clinics to provide updates and ask for support in finding us the right person to lead the program. We have reached out to area high schools with regular updates on the program through email or phone conversations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to find new avenues to post our position and reach out further to other schools around the nation to ask about recent graduates. We will continue to search for the right person. Once the person is hired, they will immediately get to work with the AVMA to start the accreditation process and start to offer professional development to area veterinary clinicians. This program chair will also work on the curriculum for the program.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? As of this reporting period, we have struggled to find the right person to take the lead on developing the program with the correct credentials as dictated by the American Veterinary Medical Association. There are many on-the-job trained veterinary technicians in our area, but very few are licensed under AVMA accreditation. Our goals have not changed as of this time, and we still hope to complete each of these goals as laid out by our plan during the original award. We have started reaching out to recent Licensed Veterinary Technician graduates from around the state to gauge interest in leading our program while also listing our position on various concentrated career boards.

    Publications