Kingsborough Community College (KCC) and Brooklyn College (BC), two branches of The City University of New York, are implementing a new collaborative program to create a highly qualified workforce for the area's growing biotechnology industry. The project is a coordinated effort developed in conjunction with local industry standards, and includes the following strategies: (1) Offer an articulated degree program between KCC and BC enabling students of diverse backgrounds to either enter the biotechnology industry through the completion of an A.S. degree in Biotechnology at KCC, or through a stream-lined program to complete either a B.S. or B.A in Biology at BC after completing their A.S. degree; (2) Develop a pipeline from high school to industry through a comprehensive recruitment and education effort to assure that the biotechnology program attracts a broad range of students across all demographics, and (3) Train educators working at different educational levels in current methods and approaches used in this rapidly transforming industry and prepare them to transfer this knowledge to their students.
The two-year A.S. in Biotechnology is modeled upon successful biotechnology programs offered locally and across the nation. The curriculum is front-loaded to offer all courses specific to biotechnology at the community college with advanced study at the senior college. This provides broad opportunities for students to choose between multiple career paths. The participation of an industry advisory board contributes to the enhancement of the curriculum and identifies the current and future needs of the biotechnology industry. The project is being disseminated to reach national and local audiences through Bio-Link, NSF annual meetings, NABT meetings, scholarly publications, newsletters, brochures, a frequently updated program web site as well as a capstone conference.
