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Compliance Certification Section 3.4.2
Educational Programs Standards for All Educational Programs
The institution's continuing education, outreach, and service programs are consistent with the institution's mission.
Coker College is in compliance.
Coker College has a number of outreach programs. Many academic programs occasionally host high school or middle school students with the purpose of acquainting them and their teachers with Coker College while giving them exposure to an academic discipline in an informal setting. More formal programs exist as well. These outreach programs enhance the college experience for our students, the image of the College itself, and serve as excellent recruitment tools. All of these programs are consistent with the mission statement of the College, which reads in part:
Experiences both in and out of the classroom are focused on active student involvement and the practical application of academic knowledge that lead to lifelong learning. Coker measures its success by the personal and professional accomplishments enjoyed by all members of the academic community. [510 p 2]
A list of programs follows.
Career Fairs These are held annually at local elementary and middle schools. The College sends an admissions representative to discuss careers and how Coker College can help students reach their goals. The Admissions Office also provides assistance to local churches to assist their congregations in career planning and college choices.
Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery This facility is used by the Coker College Art Department to broaden students' exposure to artists with regional, national, and international reputations. Coker College's exhibition review committee secures a diverse selection of work by innovative artists. These exhibitions are announced in The Hartsville Messenger and through student-designed posters displayed in local business and regionally in high schools. In this way, Hartsville and the surrounding community are invited to enjoy the Art Department's exhibition series.
Coker College Board of Visitors The Coker College Department of Institutional Advancement uses members of the Board of Visitors as ambassadors for Coker College in their respective communities, representing the College to the general public and to prospective students and parents. The board meets twice annually and is comprised of 57 alumni, friends, and corporate and professional leaders.
Coker College Cobra Club Board This is the governing board for the Cobra Club and is made up of 30 community volunteers who assist with fundraising objectives that support athletics.
Criminology Internships The Criminology Program arranges internships
with all local law enforcement and state
criminal justice agencies. CRIM 431 Practicum in Criminology is designed
for students wanting to begin careers in those fields and to assist criminal
justice agencies as appropriate [1532]
.
Education Internships Teacher candidates at Coker College are
placed for clinical internships throughout their college coursework. Each
candidate completes a minimum of 100 hours of planned, supervised, objective-based
clinical internship experience beginning with the first semester at Coker.
The purpose of these internships is to allow the candidate to observe
the instructional processes and administrative procedures of organized
education and to apply skills learned in the college classroom. Placements
in area schools are planned to meet the specific needs of candidates as
they relate to the content and focus of each particular education course.
Placements are also monitored to ensure that candidates experience a variety
of grade levels and diverse student populations.
The Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center The center supports the educational mission of the Department of Dance, Music, and Theater and serves the College and the community at large. The center hosts a wide range of educational and cultural events including dance and music concerts, theatrical productions, an international films series, and the Coker College Performing Arts Series. The center provides facilities for the Communication Program, and displays the College's fine arts collection and Virginia Brunstein Collection in the center's Martin Stein Gallery.
Higher Education Awareness Program for 8th graders (HEAP) This is a Council of Higher Education mandated program to make all eighth grade students in South Carolina aware of higher education and its benefits. Local colleges and businesses partner with the public schools to discuss careers and college choices in South Carolina. The guidance counselors in the school coordinate the eight-week program in the schools and the Coker College Admissions Staff assists in classroom presentations.
The Hispanic Interview Project This consists of three faculty, from the Spanish, Social Work, and Sociology Programs and eight students. The project is represented as a class (SPA/SOC 399, 3 s.h.), and has three purposes, as follows:
- to serve the growing Hispanic immigrant population in South Carolina by assessing the needs of individuals, families and communities;
- to research the effects of international migration on identity among Hispanic immigrants in South Carolina; and
- to educate students in survey research techniques in Spanish, thereby educating them in terms of research skills and also increasing their fluency in Spanish. Thus the project has service, research, and educational goals that relate to the college's mission.
The project is funded by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, and also by the South Carolina Consortium for International Studies.
Internships Internships at Coker College are learning experiences designed to complement classroom learning in a practical way in a chosen field. It is an important part of Coker College's objective to have students actively involved in their learning and to develop critical thinking skills. Students are placed with local, state, and national employers in roles that range from observation to the completion of major projects. Students who participate in this program must attend an orientation session in the Center for International and Experiential Education, keep a journal to reflect on their experiences, record their hours on time sheets, and complete student and supervisor evaluations. Academic departments may have additional requirements such as a paper, portfolio, project, or presentation. See Section 3.4.4 for more information about experiential education credit.
Jump Start Program This is for high school juniors at Mayo High School for Mathematics, Science, and Technology. The Director of Admissions attends this event for students and parents of high school juniors to make them aware of the college admissions process.
Kalmia Gardens The Gardens sponsors and teach the Master Gardener
Program for Darlington County, and supports the Darlington County Master
Gardener Association by providing meeting space and support services.
An annual symposium is an educational event open to the public. It offers
subject-oriented adult educational program
outreach through the following:
- a public garden open daily during daylight hours, every day
- membership in the American Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboreta and the South Carolina Federation of Museums
- both on-site and off-site programs in the schools and Darlington County, taught by an education coordinator
- a library open to the public as a reference resource
- a program to answer gardening questions and make house calls for local
area residents
Move Without the Ball™ Initiative This is a program in cooperation with S. Graham and Associates. This program's focus is to get young athletes to broaden their career choices to include more than professional athletics and realize their potential in things other than sports.
Professional Development School This is a program that originated
from the Education Department at Coker College. This program coordinates
internships and field service for students training to be teachers and
offers professional development workshops and seminars for current teachers
at Thornwell School for the Arts in Hartsville.
Psychology Internships The Psychology Program encourages students to plan internships and field service experiences as part of certain courses (PSY 200 and PSY 201 in particular). The course PSY 490 is specifically for internships and is an option chosen by many psychology majors. The agencies and schools that accept these interns appreciate the help offered by our students, and the students benefit from the practical experience.
Public Readings by Authors Each year, the Department of Communication, Language, and Literature sponsors public readings by authors who also attend classes on campus and participate in book-signings. Recent authors have included writers of poetry, prose, drama, and nonfiction. All of the events are advertised in local newspapers and other media, and high schools receive invitations for their teachers and students. Local book groups are also invited. When children's authors and illustrators visit, the College also sends invitations to elementary and middle schools. All events are open to the community, and community participation has been excellent over the years.
Saturday Academy This is a training program for teenagers from Darlington and Florence counties that allows students to prepare for A+ certification so that they will be able to "refurbish older computers and sell them at a low cost to low-income families."
Social Work Conference Every fall (in October), the Social Work Program holds a one-day Social Work conference, which offers workshops by prominent local and national social workers and a keynote address. Social workers from around the state attend and receive contact hours required to maintain their annual social work state licenses. The conference showcases the College's social work majors, who provide assistance with registration and with workshops as moderators. The conference averages 150-175 attendees. For the past two years, social work students who traveled abroad presented workshops on their experience . This year's conference featured Dr. Diana DiNitto, prominent author from the University of Texas at Austin. Next year's keynote speech will be by Dr. Keith Alford, from Syracuse University (and a Coker College graduate).
Social Work Internships Social work students must complete three internships (9 academic hours of SWK 430 and 405 actual clock hours) in social service settings. Internships may be in public or private agencies, or in organizations of various sizes. Depending on a student's interests, the agency chosen may focus on various populations (e.g., children, families, elders) or service areas (e.g., family violence, HIV/AIDS, foster care). Some sites are predominantly rural, while others are in small towns and large urban areas. Each internship is supervised by a social work professional (MSW or BSW) who has at least two years of practice experience. Contracts for each internship are individually negotiated with the student, the internship coordinator, and the agency supervisor to include learning objectives, specific duties, and evaluation tools. The Field Director conducts a weekly seminar with students in field placements to provide ongoing assessment of the students' learning.
Speaker Bureau This is a program that originated from the Education Department at Coker College. This program is in association with The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA). The purpose of this organization is to interest young students in the field of education and to be "civic advocates of education." The Speaker Bureau is a group of faculty at Coker College who are willing to visit and make presentations in their fields at area high schools.
Sport Clinics These are conducted in men's basketball, men &
women's soccer, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. The clinics
expose the young student-athletes, ages 10-17, to a variety of sport skill
and strategies. The clinics are typically one-half day in length and are
free to the participants.
Success for Foster Youth Program This is a program in cooperation with S. Graham and Associates. This program involves foster children ranging in age from 13 to 21 years and focuses on three areas: "1) personal development, 2) economic self-sufficiency, and 3) the development of a positive support system for each youth."
Summer Dance Workshop This is a program that originated in the Dance Program at Coker College. This is a week-long workshop for high school students focusing on various types of dance (ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, tap, musical theater, and improvisation).
Summer Science Program This program was hosted on the College campus and organized by the GSSM. It exposes middle school students to an intensive week of engaging science workshops, including computer programming.
Teacher Academy This program is administered through the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, Boston University. Coker College cooperates with Boston and with the South Carolina Department of Education in this effort targeted to train K-12 teachers how to focus upon character education. For the past three years, Coker College has made available its facilities, has managed the logistics, and has contributed to the content of the Teacher Academy in the form of panel presentations.
Teacher Cadet Program This program is a partnership with ten area high schools. The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA) provides state leadership for this project. The main purpose of the Teacher Cadet Program is to encourage students who possess a high level of academic achievement to consider teaching as a career. The high school juniors and seniors enrolled in the program are provided insight into effective schools and teaching, and an opportunity to experience the many offerings of Coker College. Students and their teachers are extended invitations to enjoy the cultural presentations of the College and to utilize the library facilities. Approximately 130 Teacher Cadets visit Coker College each year. An Education Department faculty member supervises the program.
Women's Conference This program is for at-risk high school females
from the local alternative school. It offers information for life planning
skills and health issues. An inspirational speaker is also provided. The
program coordinator is Wendy Graham, of S. Graham & Associates.
Youth Leadership Development and Mentoring Program This is a program for youth started in Timmonsville, S.C., in 2000 in cooperation with S. Graham and Associates. This program strives to teach students "personal development strategies and concepts that students can apply for success in business practices."
Reference Documents Cited
| ID | Type | Source | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 510 | HTML PDF | Office: Registrar | 2003-04 Catalog | Course descriptions, tuition, faculty, administration, staff listing, majors and minors, completion requirements, transfers, general education |
| 1532 | DOC PDF | Office: Center for International and Experiential | List of Internship Sites | Ongoing list of internship placements. |