Approval Process
This information is geared more toward administrators than faculty, although these roles may often overlap.
The application for I-BEST can be found here on the WA State Board for Community and Technical Colleges I-BEST link. For questions about the application and process, you can contact Louisa Erickson at lerickson@sbctc.edu or 360-704-4368.
If you are in the initial stages of planning your I-BEST program, here is a sample 'to-do' list. This is by no means comprehensive, but simply a framework for you to fill in according to your institution's needs, resources, population and timeline.
- Determine which professional-technical program you
want to target.
- Which programs are basic skills students interested in, currently enrolled in, and/or struggling in?
- Which career paths are in high demand?
- Which instructors and/or programs are enthusiastic and committed to the I-BEST model?
- Meet with faculty to determine feasibility - is this a good match?
- Determine if the prof-tech program meets SBCTC I-BEST guidelines.
- Meet with student services to lay groundwork for financial aid, registration, advising, etc.
- Draft application
- Set initial planning meeting with technical/basic skills
instructors
- Establish collaboration plan
- Set program structure
- Plan data collection
- Determine how you will measure the success of the program.
- Meet with research office to establish data needs.
- Schedule times, resources.
- Recruit students (see I-BEST Recruitment for more information)
- Schedule/ plan training seminars for I-BEST instructors
- Schedule facilities
- Start the program!