SABBATICAL REPORT – SPRING 2017

Jeff Roberts, MS, ATC Associate Professor, Division of Kinesiology, Athletics & Broadcasting

Proposal The purpose of this sabbatical leave identified multiple components to afford me the opportunity to enhance my performance relative to the job responsibilities associated with my roles as Associate Professor and Head Athletic Trainer at .

In May of 2015, the Athletic Training (AT) Strategic Alliance culminated more than two years of diligent examination and analysis of the appropriate professional degree level to best prepare athletic trainers for an integral role in an evolving health care system. The outcome of those efforts was to establish the professional degree in athletic training at the master’s degree level, with a specific implementation deadline of no less than seven years in 2022.

Ohlone College has offered an A.S. degree in Kinesiology: Athletic Training since 2004. The focus of that degree program has always been to prepare students, both academically and clinically, to be attractive and viable applicants for acceptance into accredited Athletic Training Education Programs (ATEP) at four-year institutions offering bachelor’s degrees in athletic training. To that end, the program has had numerous positive outcomes with students transferring to multiple four-year institutions, primarily within , to earn their bachelor’s degree in athletic training and, ultimately, become Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC).

The changes in athletic training education that are shifting the professional degree to the master’s degree level nationwide over the course of the several years are significantly impacting the current curriculum offered at Ohlone College, as well as other community colleges with similar programs, and current four-year institutions with accredited undergraduate ATEPs that will phase out near term.

Activities During the 2017 spring semester, I traveled across the state of California and spent time with athletic training faculty, clinical staff and athletic training students at the following institutions:

Community Colleges Modesto Junior College Mount San Antonio College Riverside College Santa Rosa Junior College Solano College

Four-Year Colleges/Universities Azusa Pacific University California Baptist University Chapman University CSU – Fresno CSU – Fullerton CSU – Long Beach CSU – Northridge CSU – Sacramento Point Loma Nazarene University San Jose State University University of LaVerne University of Pacific

During those interactions, I explored the following topics: academic/clinical program structure; faculty/staff structure; available funding/resources for instructional supplies and equipment; number of students and number of ‘completers’; barriers to completion; recruiting/marketing efforts, including relationships with area high schools/ROPs; club involvement; and future direction/vision for the program.

I was able to serve as a guest lecturer on the identified topics for the following lecture/laboratory courses at the identified institutions:

CSU – Fresno – KINES 140B, Rehabilitation Techniques in Athletic Training II (elbow rehabilitation)

Modesto Junior College – MPE 111, Advanced Athletic Training (evaluation of ankle/leg pathologies)

Point Loma Nazarene University – ATR 387, Assessment of Lower Extremity Pathology (foot and ankle evaluation)

Santa Rosa Junior College – KINES 64, Upper Extremity Injury Evaluation, Treatment and Rehab (shoulder injuries and evaluation)

In addition, I was able to sit in on the following courses at the identified institutions:

Azusa Pacific University – AT 562, Health Care Administration

California Baptist University – ATR 555, Therapeutic Interventions

Chapman University – AT 670, Clinical Examination and Diagnosis IV: Head, Neck and Spine

CSU – Fullerton – KNES 375, Sport Emergencies and Management and KNES 377, Therapeutic Rehabilitation

CSU – Long Beach – ATEP 308B, Athletic Training Evaluation II

I also had the opportunity to meet, informally and formally, with athletic training student groups/clubs at the following institutions:

CSU – Fullerton CSU – Long Beach CSU – Sacramento Foothill College Modesto Junior College Santa Rosa Junior College Solano College

Outcomes As a result of the outstanding interactions that I was able to engage in during this sabbatical leave, I have identified the following items as integral to developing a new approach to athletic training introduction, preparation and education within the community college setting.

• In many instances, athletic training students are significantly relied upon as integral members of the healthcare delivery system within intercollegiate athletics in the community college setting due to a lack of sufficient full-time/part-time clinical staff to care for existing athletic programs. This creates potential liability and risk management concerns and, secondary to the ongoing push for athletic training licensure in California, may ultimately create legal concerns in the provision of services, and should neither be supported nor continued. • Community college athletic training students, as a result of their significant clinical experience opportunities, often successfully develop sound, basic clinical skill sets associated with the provision of athletic training services, but they also have a propensity to struggle academically, especially in regards to pre-requisite coursework in science and math that is foundational to existing and future athletic training education programs. Thus, they often experience difficulty meeting admission and/or they struggle to successfully complete coursework at a satisfactory level upon admission to existing education programs, which negatively impacts their ability for academic and career pursuits. • No other allied health care field presents an opportunity for students not formally admitted to an accredited education program to participate and engage in direct patient care at the undergraduate education level. Again, there are potential liability and risk management concerns secondary to this circumstance.

• There is an identifiable need to focus academic preparation on creating opportunities for student success in courses that serve as pre-requisites to allied health care disciplines, including athletic training, with an emphasis on foundational science courses (anatomy, physiology, chemistry). At the same time, there exists a perspective that there should be less focus on acquisition of clinical skills and a greater focus on creating opportunities for academic success.

As a result, I am proposing the following curriculum changes within the Department of Kinesiology at Ohlone College:

• Gradual phase out of the existing A.S. degree in Kinesiology: Athletic Training, likely over 2-3 years, as this degree program no longer represents an optimal pathway for academic preparation in advance of transfer for students interested in pursuing a career in Athletic Training. • Place a significant emphasis for current and new students with an interest in careers in allied healthcare, including but not limited to Athletic Training, to pursue the A.A. degree in Kinesiology for Transfer (ADT). This path represents the optimal opportunity for students to transfer to a CSU institution as a Kinesiology major in order to obtain their undergraduate degree in the most expeditious manner. There is no doubt that Kinesiology will continue to be the primary undergraduate major for students who ultimately will pursue a degree in Athletic Training from an entry-level graduate Athletic Training Education Program secondary to the athletic training education transition currently in place nationwide. • Create a new Certificate of Achievement in Sports Medicine consisting of at least 18 units of coursework that represents pre-requisite and/or foundational science courses that will assist students with the pursuit of their academic objectives in allied healthcare disciplines. The utilization of Sports Medicine, as opposed to Athletic Training, will minimize potential confusion for students in regards to the intent and purpose of the academic opportunities at the community college undergraduate level as opposed to the entry-level graduate education that will be the standard moving forward. This may also position the new certificate program to be attractive to students interested in other allied healthcare fields (Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, etc.)

I am grateful to the Ohlone College Sabbatical Committee and the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to partake in this sabbatical leave.