Best Practices in Collaboration and Articulation

Best Practices in Program Expansion to Meet Student and Workplace Needs

An Award-Winning Educational Collaborative Model

Presented by:

Sandra D’Amato-Palumbo, RDH, MPS

Dental Hygiene Program Director

Institution and address:

University of New Haven

419 Boston Post Road

West Haven, Connecticut, 06516

Contact information:

(203) 931-6025

Presentation synopsis: In 2002, representatives from the Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA) and Three Rivers Community College (TRCC), Norwich, Connecticut, contacted me to discuss potential, collaborative, educational opportunities between the University of New Haven DH Program (UNH) and TRCC. During this time period, Connecticut dentists expressed serious concerns about the shortage of dental hygienists, particularly in the Northeast. (The Communicator, Fall 2004) In 2003, the UNH DH Program and TRCC developed a dental hygiene transfer compact that became an innovative and “award-winning” partnership: the CSDA was the recipient of the prestigious ADAGolden Apple Award in 2004; thus, it evolved as the CSDA-TRCC-UNH Educational Partnership. To address student recruitment, marketing and administrative issues, the CSDA made a considerable financial commitment over a 4-year period to ensure the success of this endeavor.

While prudently addressing the shortage of dental hygienists in the state of Connecticut, ThreeRiversCommunity College and the University of New Haven Dental Hygiene Program have successfully implemented a distinct strategy for aspiring dental hygienists. This collaborative satisfied 4 pre-determined goals:

  1. To address the shortage of dental hygienists in the state of Connecticut, specifically in the eastern area.
  2. To address the recruitment and enrollment efforts in the UNH Dental Hygiene Program.
  3. To increase career opportunities for students in the Allied Health Department at TRCC.
  4. To offer alternative, less costly, educational opportunities for prospective dental hygiene students.

Students enrolled at TRCC must complete a Certificate in Pre-Dental Hygiene or Associate in Science Degree in General Studies, which includes the required UNH Introduction to Dental Hygiene I and II courses. As a result, TRCC pre-dental hygiene students complete the first year of the UNH three-year Associate in Science Degree in Dental Hygiene and the cost is approximately 1/10 of the cost of the private tuition at UNH. Within the transfer compact, ten guaranteed seats are awarded to qualified TRCC pre-dental hygiene students who meet the UNH DH admission criteria. Students are also eligible to earn the BS in Dental Hygiene at UNH.

This collaborative model is also offered at Gateway Community College (GCC), New Haven, Connecticut due to the support of the original, collaborative parties. This transfer compact between UNH and GCC is somewhat different in terms of academic requirements. Students enrolled in the pre-dental hygiene program at GCC must complete the Associate Degree in General Studies, including the required Introduction to Dental Hygiene I and II courses. Seven guaranteed seats are awarded in this transfer compact to qualified students.

Outcomes:

  • TRCC and UNH Transfer Compact: In 2006, UNH graduated 4 TRCC transfer students. Currently, 9 TRCC transfer students are enrolled in the junior-level (second-year clinical) dental hygiene program, and 10 students are enrolled in the sophomore-level (first-year clinical) dental hygiene program.
  • GCC and UNH Transfer Compact: Currently, 3 GCC transfer students are enrolled in the sophomore-level (first-year clinical) dental hygiene program.
  • The CSDA has received national recognition for its financial and collaborative support to address the shortage of dental hygienists in Connecticut.
  • TRCC and GCC compact agreements have tangible, self-sustaining processes within its academic structure, specifically for advisement, recruitment, marketing, equivalent course offerings, student interest, administrative support, communication, faculty, etc.
  • UNH faculty teaches the Introduction to Dental Hygiene I and II courses at the community colleges.

Learning objectives for the participant at the Area of Best Practice session at the 40th National Allied Dental Program Directors’ Conference:

An Award-Winning Educational Collaborative Model

Through a power point presentation the participant will be able to:

  • List the “problem” in the DH Program and/or geographic location (i.e. shortage of dental hygienists, enrollment, funding sources, student recruitment).
  • Identify organizations and/or educational institutions to collaborate with for the purpose of developing an articulation / transfer compact.
  • Identify funding sources to support marketing, student recruitment, and administrative personnel (direct costs).
  • Modify the transfer compact agreement to meet the dental hygiene program’s needs
  • Understand the collaborative process.
  • Create a time line to implement a transfer compact.
  • Identify the “key” people to assess, plan (develop goals and objectives), implement, and evaluate the compact agreement.
  • List the opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses prior to and during the process.
  • Review the Introduction to Dental Hygiene I and II curriculum.
  • Create and implement an “award-winning” collaborative/transfer compact agreement.