Sustainability and Special Considerations

Establishing an advisory committee is only the first step. To be effective, the committee must become and remain active. Setting and reaching goals and objectives enhance the effectiveness of an advisory committee.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

The biggest sustainability factor for any committee is empowerment. The committee cannot bring about real change unless it is empowered to do so. You empower your committee by carrying out the following tasks:

• Selecting well-informed, highly motivated members
•  Choosing effective governance structure and personnel
•  Delegation of responsibilities as appropriate

What motivates advisory committee members?  How can you show appreciation for their commitment to your program? See what the handbook suggests.(Word 27.5 KB)

CONNECTIONS:

Typically, technical/occupational education programs must be coordinated with other federal or state initiatives to avoid unnecessary duplication of programs and services. Advisory committees must be made aware of initiatives or legislation that will affect the program, and there may be a need to coordinate or make connections with other activities. Adopting a “systems” viewpoint will benefit the program and leverage resources.

This handbook suggests making connections (Word 26 KB) with a variety of groups/resources that are college-wide, associated with economic development, secondary schools, universities, and workplace development groups.

EVALUATION:

Advisory committees should promote a culture of continuous improvement and focus on outcomes. Committee leadership must ensure that the members recognize that continuous improvement depends on regular evaluation. There are two broad areas of evaluation for an advisory committee: technical/occupational program review and advisory committee performance.

Click on the 'Evaluation' attachment below to read the suggestions on how to analyze data, goal attainment, and other ideas regarding evaluation of an advisory committee.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATION AND ISSUES:

Rural Areas: Rural areas must deal with special considerations and challenges. Rural areas often lack large employers that can provide committee members. However, one should keep in mind that small businesses provide the majority of all jobs in the United States, and in many communities small businesses are the only employers. Employees in small businesses typically wear many hats and are spread very thin, leaving little time for committee involvement. At the same time, representation of small businesses on advisory committees can offer certain advantages, such as personalized attention and more varied experiences for students and/or instructors at the worksite. Committees can look for ways to expand and enhance the involvement of small businesses by having them leverage their connections with subcontractors, suppliers, and other business contacts.  

Statewide Committees: Your program may already be advised by a statewide committee, or the program may be unique in some way that calls for a statewide committee. One example in Minnesota is the Healthcare Education Industry Partnership.

Combined Advisory Committees: Many of the employers who serve on your committee may also be helping the secondary education system or university in a similar role. For some locales, a combined advisory committee that serves both secondary and postsecondary makes sense. In some cases a committee might serve more than one postsecondary institution. The question of whether a single advisory committee (serving the needs of two or more college/universities or secondary schools) is feasible for your program area should be answered by the local community. Many questions will come into play when deciding whether to combine advisory committees:

• Will there be scheduling issues for a combined committee?
• Can a single group meet and address all the issues?
• Is the program so unique that it does not have a counterpart at a different educational level?
• Is the area too large geographically?
• Is there competition among the programs?
• Would a combined committee provide a coordinated approach to meeting the needs of industry?
• Would it broaden the awareness of the program?
• Even if a combined advisory committee were not feasible, informal information sharing between secondary and postsecondary levels is beneficial.

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