Program Review for Motorsports
Program Review Framework & Criteria
I. Connection: From interest to application (Qualitative, program head and dean)
1) Please provide a description of any changes to the program since the last cycle and the appropriate updates to the catalog (general education changes, program requirement changes, ancillary program costs for students, hours/credits of credentials, etc.).
In the last few years we have transitioned away from Technical studies and are working on our stand alone Motorsports program. In the mean time we are using our csc’s (fabrication and setup) and (engines) to makeup our degree. The transition stages from beginning to end are difficult from time to time. If a DE student does two years with us then comes to college the path to the end has the same outcome, but different steps to get there, where a new college student takes the classes presented in each CSC and is finished. While we are in this transition stage we have to monitor all of our students to make sure they are on the right path to finish and be successful.
Due to the changes in curriculum several of our students had to do course subs within the program to finish on time which unfortunately put a couple classes on hold until we can complete the transition and those classes can be offered again.
Motorsports did acquire additional cost because of infusing welding into the program, we use more gas, wire, and consumables. In addition we use specific metals which drives the cost up.
2) How do students find out about the program? Please provide examples of advising activities, marketing materials, or other outreach and engagement events designed to recruit students to the program.
The motorsports program currently has 35 DE students and 30 Traditional college students. We participated in the 7th grade field trips along with high school tours. We use marketing media such as Facebook, Instagram and soon to be snapchat to showcase our facility and unique program. All our students receive a P&HCC racing college shirt to wear which has started conversations and landed them careers in the field. Motorsports uses show cars in our community to "show off" what we have to offer. Our students participate in local and regional events such as parades, car shows, races etc. We are always asked to come back due to their desire and work ethics. We are also in the works of an online facility tour for potential new students who are interested in our program. We use such items as brochures, flyers and other catchy handouts to attract new students.
II. Entry: From application to pathway entry (Qualitative, program head and dean)
1) Please provide a description of your program credentials and how they stack into one another.
Each one of the credits in both CSC's ( fabrication and setup)(engines) is tailored to fit and complements each other to make up the Motorsports Degree. Certain classes are prerequisites to the next round of classes. We work hard to ensure that each class has the right amount of content to lead to the next class.
Questions for consideration:
1.a. What is the employability (or transferability) of each credential?
With motorsports being such a great avenue into so may fields, a majority of our students find employment once they have completed the required courses. Whether its racing, welding, machining, sheet metal fabrication, or another avenue our students are prepared for their careers. Students often gain employment before graduation due to the level we teach at. We do offer CSC's in motorsports but most all students complete the associated degree. Students who don't finish either had issues with core classes or found employment before completion.
1.b. Do all credits from a sub-credential transfer into the parent credential?
yes, each one of our classes from the CSC’s transfer into our degree program. This insures that our students take the required amount of credit hours and graduate on time.
1.c. What is the timeframe of completion for all credentials within the program (i.e. is the program setup to award sub-credentials prior to the parent credential)?
A student can complete the program in four semesters unless some developmental courses need to be taken. We do offer two CSC's that roll together to complete the associates degree. If a student does not want the degree they can walk away with one or two different career certificates.
2) Program enrollment, if applicable, disaggregated by specialization (Quantitative, IE)
18/19 (AAS) HC: 35 FTE: 34.4 (CSC) HC: 1 FTE: .4
19/20 (AAS) HC: 39 FTE: 39.5
20/21 (AAS) HC: 38 FTE: 30 (CSC) HC: 2 FTE: 1
21/22 (AAS) HC: 19 FTE: 9.33 (CSC) HC: 6 FTE: 4.0
a. Annual program FTE and HC over the last review cycle (To include SCHEV program ratios and SCHEV class ratios)
Unfortunately COVID has taken its toll on us being a mainly hands on program.
We work hard to increase enrollment each year by doing Facebook posts, shop tours promoting our racing side and when we can visit our area highschools.
As you can see most students earn their CSC while be primarily in ASSOC. degree program
III. Progress: Pathway advancement (Quantitative, IE)
1) Student learning outcomes data
To apply concepts of high-performance engines:
18/19 - Not Reported 19/20 - Not Reported 20/21 - Not Reported
To resolve technical issues associated with assembling,
testing, and applying corrective methods for high-performance engines:
18/19 - Not Reported 19/20 - Not Reported 20/21 - Not Reported
To apply concepts of aerodynamics and stability and fabricate structures of race vehicles:
18/19 - Not Reported 19/20 - Not Reported 20/21 - Not Reported
To apply concepts regarding auto racing and race vehicles:
18/19 - 51% 19/20 - Not Reported 20/21 - Not Reported
To apply concepts of engineering materials, manufacturing processes, and testing techniques:
18/19 - 59% 19/20 - Not Reported 20/21 - Not Reported
****Due to curricular changes and transitioning program from technical studies, new course will be identified to measure outcomes progress from.
2) Program credit attainment (15/12 in one semester, 30/24 for those who enrolled in two consecutive semesters)
| 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | |
| Cohort Size | 35 | 39 | 38 | 19 |
| 12 or less credits (1 semester only) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 13-15 credits (1 semester only) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 24 or less credits (2 semesters) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| More than 24 credits (2 semesters) | 23 | 25 | 15 | 9 |
| Total taking 2 semesters worth of credits | 30/35 | 33/39 | 22/38 | 4/19 |
3) Program retention and persistence relative to the start date of the program (subsequent term calculation)
| Type | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 |
| Persistence | 100% | 93% | 67% | 33% |
| Retention | 82% | 79% | --* | 33% |
*Not available at the time of the data pull
IV. Completion: Credential attainment (Quantitative, IE)
1) Sub-credential attainment and timeframe (are students completing sub-credential prior to or at the same time as parent credential?)
Not applicable
2) Parent credential attainment and timeframe, if applicable, disaggregated by specialization
| Type | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 |
| Graduates | 5/35 | 8/39 | 7/38 | 9/19 |
| Out of graduates, those who graduated within 150% timeframe | 5/5 | 6/8 | 6/7 | 6/9 |
a. Are students completing within 6 semesters (150% of graduation time)?
For those students who graduate they do it within the 6 semesters ,but most sooner. For those who don't show up as being graduated doesn't mean they dropped out a large number of our students find employment because of their well rounded and desired skills and work ethics.
V. Transition: Employment or transfer post-credential (Quantitative, IE)
1) Transfer outcomes (students who transfer with associate degree, students who transfer without)
Not applicable
2) Student perspective/satisfaction
| Question | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 |
| The courses I took at P&HCC prepared me for my educational goals. | 75.0 | |||
| The faculty at P&HCC are fair and supportive of students. | 97.0 | |||
| The faculty at P&HCC demonstrate thorough knowledge of the subject matter. | 99.0 | |||
| In the courses I took at P&HCC, classroom activities and outside assignments were appropriate and meaningful. | 93.5 | |||
| I would recommend the faculty at P&HCC | 95.5 |
VI. Sustainability: Future Program Outlook (Mixed methods, IE, program head and dean)
1) Program forecast (major expenditures, changes, personnel needs, etc.); any future costs should be explained in this section)
The program currently has approximately 65 students taking classes 5 days a week and 3 nights a week between 2 full time instructors and one adjunct. We are always looking to expand and grow our program. Motorsports is a field that branches off into many other fields and all those fields are growing daily. We are constantly looking into new techniques and ways of doing tasks. Our equipment must be updated frequently and onsite training is a must for the equipment we purchase.
a. Any other pertinent information relevant to the review process should be provided here (e.g. community need, state/federal requirements, external accreditation, SCHEV low enrollment warning, etc.)
The motorsports program is well respected in our community and the racing community. We work closely with local companies that hire our students for such jobs as Fabrication, Performance Welding, Machining and racing. We have partnerships with places such as Sellars Racing, DRP racing products, Hedgecock Racing, Nascar and several local machine and welding facilities. These places continue to call and ask for motorsports students specifically. Our Motorsports students show these companies great work ethics, drive, and superior work quality.
b. Employment forecast for program (Analyst data)
| Occupation data for Patrick & Henry Service Region | Total Employed | Mean Wage | Projected Demand (5 years) |
| Assemblers & Fabricator | 1,081 | $30,500 | 406 |
| CNC Operators and Programmers | 67 | $42,300 | 29 |
| Machinists | 136 | $38,100 | 66 |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Workers | 106 | $37,600 | 53 |
| All Occupations | 47,606 | $42,000 | 25,599 |
The above job titles are very generic for what we do in motorsports. Our particular field is very precise in all areas whether it be fabrication, machining, welding or chassis setup. We perform tasks within thousandths of an inch in every avenue. Motorsports is also a engineering based career with ever evolving products, equipment, and technology. We see our program introducing new tools and computer tech over the next few years.
The wages in the above data average out to be $37,800 for those generic positions. In Motorsports we have several students that started out in the $45,000 - $50,000 and have two that are making $60,000 - $70,000.