Cooperative Education in Two-Year Colleges. Final Report.

Overview & Synopsis

A research project was conducted to define cooperative education, to determine which two-year colleges in New York State operate cooperative education programs, and to assess the value of cooperative education. A survey of twenty-two colleges in the state identified 102 cooperative education offerings in thirty-seven interest areas. An assessment instrument to determine benefits accrued by cooperative education students was developed through on-site interviews with students, faculty, graduates, and employers, and through a literature review. The research produced the following results: (1) a working definition of cooperative education; (2) a checklist to determine if an experiential program is a cooperative education program; (3) a list ranking fifteen major issues for cooperative education coordinators at two-year colleges in New York State; (4) a display of benefits of cooperative education by source and area of student growth; and (5) investigations into the reasons for discontinuing cooperative education at two-year colleges in the state. Recommendations for future cooperative education programs are included. Appendixes contain survey instruments, interview procedures, benefits lists, meeting summaries, and an annotated bibliography. (KC/Author)