The document discusses coaching students in a biotechnology program at San Diego City College. It outlines the goals of the biotechnology certificate program, including building STEM proficiency and workplace skills. It describes collaborating with students and providing support, especially for those with limited resources. A "Biotech Essentials" course is discussed that focuses on personal effectiveness, academic competency, and career readiness. The document also provides suggestions for what an ideal community college biotechnology professor could do, such as leveraging online tools and community resources to help students develop professional skills and identities.

1. Coaching Students in
Creating a Professional
Development Strategy
Bio-Link Regional Development Conference
Southern California Biotechnology Center
January 14, 2011
Gloria Rodriguez Bañuelos, Ph.D.
EdREAP

2. Overview
 Biotechnology Certification Program at
San Diego City College
 Collaboration
 Biotech Essentials Course
 Lessons Learned
 If I were a community college professor
who worked with students in a
Biotechnology Program…

3. Biotechnology Program at
San Diego City College
Biology 206
• Biotechnology • Certificate of
Principles Performance in
• STEM proficiency • Real-world Biotechnology
• Laboratory Technical Application • Opportunities via
Skills • Scientific Literacy networking in Biology
• Workplace 206
Readiness
Biology 109
Internship/Employment

4. Collaboration
 Support for students in Biology 109
 Novice level of science background
 Recent high school graduates
 New to the college experience
 Balance home life, work, and education
 Limited access to technology and
resources

5. Tier 1: Personal Effectiveness
Tier 2: Academic Competency
Tier 3: Workplace Competency
Tier 4: Industry-Wide Technical
Competency
Tier 5: Industry Sector Technical
Competencies
Tier 6: Occupation Specific
Knowledge
Tier 7: Occupation Specific Technical
Competencies
Tier 8: Occupation Specific
Requirements
Tier 9: Management Competencies
US Department of Labor, 2008

6. Biotech Essentials
 Personal Effectiveness
◦ interpersonal skills; integrity, professionalism,
initiative, dependability & reliability, lifelong learning
 Academic Competency
◦ reading, writing, mathematics, science, communication
(listening & speaking), critical & analytical thinking,& basic
computer skills
 Career Readiness
◦ teamwork, planning & organizing, innovative thinking,
problem solving & decision making, working with
tools & technology, checking, examining, and
recording, & business fundamentals.

7. Professional Identity
 Personality Testing for Teamwork
◦ Meyer’s Briggs
 Branding Statement for Résumé
◦ Integrates personal and professional
 Bragologue for Interview
◦ Story about professional challenges and
growth
 Business Cards for Networking

8. Professionalism
 Electronic Email Etiquette
 Voicemail
 Telephone Conversations
 Attire and Presentation
 Résumé, Cover Letters, and Job Hunting
 Informational Interview
 Thank You Cards

9. Profession Mobility
 Self-Advocacy  Scientific Seminars
 Taking risks  Science trade-journals
 Engagement  Professional
 Resourcefulness organizations
 World beyond the  Student organizations
classroom walls. at 4-year universities

10. Lessons Learned
 Variation in student participation and
motivation.
 Providing resources is sometimes not
enough.
 One-on-one sessions are a must.
 Asking students to explain actions or
behavior provides information that can guide
individual learning plan.
 Most successful students are those whose
goals are in line with those of the program.

11. IF I WERE A
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PROFESSOR…

12. Student Collaboration: Internet and
Web-based Tools
 Facebook
◦ Student Driven
 Apps
◦ DropBox
◦ Google Docs
◦ Templates for Résumé
 Skype
◦ Mentorship

13. Leverage Community Resources
 Specific resources available on campus
 Public Library
 Scientific Organizations
◦ Biocom
◦ San Diego Career Centers
 Other Biotech Programs
◦ Community Colleges
◦ 4-year universities

14. Instructional Practices
 Limit the amount of time I speak in the
classroom.
 What do I have to offer that students
cannot get on the internet?
 Set-up a system by which students can
provide feedback on a regular basis.

15. References
 Klaus, Peggy. (2008). The Hard Truth About
Soft Skills—Workplace Lessons Smart People
Wish They’d Learned Sooner. Collins.
 Klaus, Peggy (2003). BRAG! The Art of
Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It.
Warner Business Books.

16. Funding Sources
 Senate Bill 70
 San Diego Workforce Collaborative

17. Acknowledgements
 Roya Lahijani-SD City College
 Dave Singer-SD City College
 Jane Harrington-University of California San Diego,
Eckmann Laboratory
 Karen Overklift-Biocom
 Nancy Taylor-San Diego Science Alliance
 Lavar Watkins-South Metro Career Centers
 Mike Greig-Pfizer
 Maryam Azad-Green Solutions
 Judi Heitz-Grossmont Unified School District
 Sandy Slivka-Southern California Biotechnology
Center

18. Questions,
Thoughts,
Comments