Elaina Bleifield Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs at Inver Hills Community College, NAACLS Board of Directors Member – Two Year Educator

As a college administrator who has served three different institutions, I would like to share effective strategies for working with your college’s administration to support your accreditation needs. For context, my background includes experience at two-year public colleges in a large state system where the faculty are unionized.

Understanding the Expectations from the Beginning

Advocating for your program can be overwhelming. Whether you are new to a program, new to an institution, or just new to program advocacy – determining a starting point can be challenging. As a member of higher administration who is frequently approached by program faculty, here is my advice.

It’s crucial to grasp the institution’s expectations of program directors. Arrange a meeting with your supervisor as soon as you can, armed with as much information as possible. They may not have all the answers, but they can guide you to the right resources. Don’t be afraid of asking questions.

Understanding how your supervisor determines success in your role is key. Curriculum is the program’s main selling point for students. It is important to understand if you will need to invest time or resources into the curriculum. Before leaving the meeting, you will want to know the status of the curriculum and if it needs to be developed or updated. This kind of information might not be easily obtained simply by reviewing the institution’s website. However, the supervisor likely knows where the concerns are at the current time. 

Teaching takes a lot of time. A thorough understanding of your role as a professor will inform how you will balance your role as Program Director and faculty. You will need to assess whether you have enough resources to effectively do your work as Program Director. This might include ensuring you have sufficient staffing support to do your work.

Hiring is one of the most important things institutions do, so be sure to understand the expected institutional process to ensure efficient use of your time. If the policies on hiring new faculty and staff are unclear, ask specific questions about the process and your role. For these kinds of topics, Human Resources will have valuable information for you, and I encourage you to meet with the Human Resources team well before the hiring process begins. 

To properly advocate for program resources, you need to be familiar with the budget. Secure a copy of the budget and understand your role in budget development. Be proactive and meet with the business office to ensure you follow the proper policies and procedures, especially as it pertains to purchasing. Avoiding assumptions that may lead to mistakes can go a long way to developing productive professional relationships.

Find out your accreditation status and when your next report is due. Download the most up-to-date copy of the standards and standards compliance guide from the NAACLS Website. Note any changes that may need to be made, and the resources required to make them. NAACLS does not grant compliance for things programs “will do” in the future. You must ensure the resources are secured with enough time to make the necessary changes before your program is reviewed.

Build Your Support Network

Talking to program directors from other accredited programs at your institution is insightful. This preparation will help you gain information to be efficient in meeting with your supervisor. Some questions you may want to ask:

• How does your supervisor (Dean or VP) prefer to operate? For instance, do they want an appointment, or can you just drop by their office? 
• Are there expectations that the institution has with regards to accredited programs? 
• How does the institution measure a program’s success? This is important to consider as it may differ from simply complying with NAACLS Standards.
• Are there professional development expectations and are funds available to you? 
• Does the institution provide funding for travel to a national conference to support your accreditation process?

Listening to the perspective of a peer with more experience is a great way to avoid bumps in the road. Additionally, having a sounding board with someone in your professional environment is always valuable.

Find a support network for you in your role as a program director of a NAACLS accredited program.  This will help you feel connected and supported. Are there other program directors in your region?  Reach out to them to introduce yourself.  If you can visit their site, it might be helpful for you to gain an understanding of your own program and institutional operations. The American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences has a lively educator’s listserv that may be worth joining. The NAACLS website has information on how to join.

Strategically develop the membership of your advisory committee. NAACLS requires you to have an advisory committee, so use it to your advantage. The role of this group should be to validate whether your program is preparing graduates adequately to enter the workforce. Seek out hiring managers or supervisors from local hospitals or clinics who hire your graduates. Include both recent graduates and current students on the advisory committee. Find folks who can act as your program’s “gentle critic” yet serve as your greatest program champions outside your institution. 

Ask the following questions:

• Are there competencies our recent graduates are missing when they enter the workforce? 
• What are our graduates good at? 
• Where could they improve? 
• Are there special skills you are seeking in medical laboratory professionals?

Outside perspectives on where your program can improve and the resources needed can help your cause.  Make sure you document these responses in your minutes with the necessary details. Not only will this provide some helpful evidence to assist you with administration, but it will also help with your next self-study and site visit!

Welcoming A New Administrator

You will be unlikely to work with the same Dean/VP administrator throughout your career. Planning to start your relationship in a positive and productive light is advantageous for all parties. Meet with your new leader as soon as is reasonable. Ask for 30 minutes, be prepared, and leave them a summary with key data/information for them to read again later. They are possibly overwhelmed with new information, so having something in hand to review can be helpful.

Remember this is just an introduction, so you’ll want the overview to be clear and concise.  Explain what your program is about. Include introductory information such as:

• the number of students in your program,
• a description of the admissions process (when do they start – once or twice a year?),
• a listing of your student outcomes,
• and the status of the curriculum (are you currently planning any changes?).

After the general introduction, bring them up to speed on your NAACLS accreditation:

• where you are in the accreditation cycle
• what the results of the last site visit were, and
• provide a copy of the latest site visit report and board award.

Finally, identify current needs and priorities:

• describe the current needs of the program – equipment, faculty, etc.
• discuss the current wish list of the program – items that are desired, but are not the highest priority at this time.

Providing a high-level overview of your program for your new supervisor will help them understand your needs quickly, especially if you have items which need immediate attention. Clear communication and excellent preparation will instill confidence in the decision makers, enabling them to make well-informed and effective decisions.

Making the Ask

Now that you understand the expectations, have gathered information and tips from your peers, and have gotten to know your dean/VP, you are prepared to make your resource request. Be ready to provide a proposal that evaluates alternatives and includes appropriate justification, to ensure the request isn’t an all or nothing proposal.   

Following your institution’s process, provide a detailed request. Make sure your supervisor understands the ins and outs of your request because they will likely have to provide additional explanations or justification to other institutional leaders. In addition, to make sure you can get what you need, it is important to consider that no administrator likes being blind-sided, so work with them in your planning process. Administrators want to help, and they might know of other resources which could support your request.

Administrators always have to prioritize requests, so providing context for the need is helpful. Through previous conversations with your supervisor, you have likely informally shared your “must haves” versus your “nice to haves.” But for an official request, arriving at the meeting with details on the immediacy of the request (months versus years) as well as the benefits and drawbacks of alternatives to consider may increase the likelihood of a productive meeting.

Inquire about other funding sources; institutions may have a foundation or internal innovation funds that could help you with at least a partial match for a request. Additionally, your dean may have developed relationships with community or industry partners who might be able to support the request.  Faculty development funds may also be considered, depending on the ask. 

As a college administrator, I never wanted to put any program’s accreditation at risk.  This could mean making sure that faculty directors attend workshops/conferences to support their professional development, especially in advance of an accreditation reporting cycle.  Be sure you understand whether this is a “requirement” of your accreditor or whether this might be a “recommendation” of your accreditor. Contact your NAACLS Program Service Coordinator if you have questions – they are often an excellent, underutilized resource and may help you think of a solution to your situation.

Adding faculty is a significant resource request. If you have any way to justify the cost by providing a return on investment, you might be able to make your case more effectively. Frame the discussion like this: yes, hiring a faculty member to teach this course costs xx, but if we are able to offer an additional section, the tuition from xx number of students enrolling will offset the salary; OR, previous work has shown that when we have additional faculty in the classroom, students achieve their outcomes at a higher rate/or are more likely to be retained.

Finding additional space for a program is a unique challenge. Very rarely do institutions have empty space; more often than not, it is underutilized. Come prepared with a plan. Speak to the current occupiers and let them know your ideas, recognizing this may be a sensitive conversation. A plan to collaborate and work together could benefit your cause. This is where the relationship as a result of building your support group may pay off. For your meeting with your supervisor, consider any resources needed and arrive with estimates of what those costs will include.. Sharing ideas and conversations with your supervisor will show you are also trying to seek creative solutions .

For new equipment, be prepared to describe the equipment so your supervisor understands what it does. If you have similar equipment, emphasize why the new equipment is needed. Provide quotes for the equipment, as well as any software, training, and maintenance  with your request. Ensuring your supervisor has all the information needed is essential to their ability to advocate for you and your program when competing for other institutional funding.

When possible, tie the resources requested to a plan to recruit and market your program to potential students. Make the case on how attracting more students can help address the laboratory workforce shortage. For example, NAACLS standards provide the flexibility to consider an accelerated program. When you can present this type of information to your supervisor, it will help them to advocate with other institutional leaders as to why your program should receive what you are seeking. Demonstrating industry and workforce need is an excellent selling point but also having student demand to  justify the expenses goes a long way to making such an investment. Additionally, the strategically chosen advisory committee participants may lead to fruitful relationships and community buy-in. Industry partners may be able to provide resources for the request (these might include donated equipment, part-time faculty, clinical placements for your students, etc.).  

For a program director to be most effective, it is important to have a good working relationship with your supervisor.  Being prepared in your meetings and being concise about your requests will help your supervisor advocate for the program. It will help your supervisor help you (and your program) if they clearly understand your needs. Importantly, don’t forget to regularly update your supervisor the good news about your program and your students. If you can tie their successes back to the resources and support they gave you, even better. Often, supervisors will be able to advocate for your program in places you might not consider – at a meeting with the institution’s board members or with local political leaders, perhaps even media requests. It is an excellent idea to make sure they have positive stories to share.    

Effective program advocacy requires patience, persistence, and strategic communication. By understanding institutional priorities, building a strong network, and proactively seeking support, you can make a compelling case for your program’s value. Advocacy is n