NEW OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS AWARD

Occupational Skills Awards (OSAs) are awards granted to students who complete a well-defined pattern of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities that may be oriented to career or general education. The OSA must be requested by the student through the Office of Admissions and Records at the completion of his/her coursework as detailed in the course catalog. While the Office of Admissions and Records maintains records of students who complete the award, note that these awards do not appear on the student’s transcript as they do not represent Certificates of Achievement, which do appear on a student’s transcript.

While the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) does allow for community colleges to grant OSAs, faculty are encouraged to apply for a Certificate of Achievement if the OSA is between 12 and 17.9 units for approval by the CCCCO. In doing so, the certificate will be represented in the CCC Curriculum Inventory Public Search Tool of the Chancellor’s Office approved programs. In addition, courses within the approved certificate will be considered program applicable rather than stand-alone. Further, the approved certificate will be assigned a program control number and will be included in the Chancellor’s Office Management Information System for use when reporting award and completion rates which is presented in the Student Success Scorecard and Salary Surfer tools.

Procedure for Creating, Approving, Publishing and Revising

Occupational Skills Awards

Application Date

Date Received

Proposed Award Title: Contact Individual

Division/Department Contact number

Contact E-mail

Recommended TOP Code:

Total Units of Award:

(Minimum of 6 units)

Number of required courses:

Projected Annual Completers:

Estimated Cost of implementation including Library Acquisitions: _

(i.e., special equipment or technology)

Please submit supporting documentation for the following Items:

Mission

  • Statement of primary goals and objectives of this award
  • Description to be placed in the catalog
  • Number of units required for this award
  • Competencies gained as an outcome

Need

  • Provide a written statement outlining why the College would support an Occupational Skills Award in contrast to offering a certificate program.
  • Evidence of support from program advisory committee/employers
  • Minutes indicating Advisory Committee Approval
  • Estimated annual completers
  • Evidence of expected employment in the field resulting from the OSA
  • Positive labor market information – Labor market data should identify a positive demand (i.e., more jobs than completers).
  • Identify Occupation(s)
  • Minutes of key meetings/recommendations

Quality

  • List of Required Course sequence
  • Identify the specific job skills/competencies that will be gained upon the completion of the OSA
  • Outlines of record for all required courses
  • NOTE: cross-listed courses should not be included in an OSA as the award is designed to identify specific job skills.

Feasibility

  • Library Faculty signatures
  • Discipline faculty, chair and dean signatures

Compliance

  • Licensing or accrediting standards, if required

*Note: Failure to provide all required information accurately and completely will prevent the Curriculum Office from processing your OSA request.

**Note that all of the above information will be required whenever there is a revision to an approved OSA

Faculty ______Date ______

Department Chair ______Date ______

Library Faculty ______Date ______

Division Dean ______Date ______

Curriculum Chair ______Date ______

Academic Senate ______Date ______

Revised 6/22/2014