Death by Neglect
Madden, Mike
Description
Collection
Title:
Death by Neglect
Creator:
Madden, Mike
Date:
7/9/2020
Text:
It is with a heavy heart that I share the announcement that the Orthotic & Prosthetic Technologies program at Oklahoma State Universities Institute of Technology has suspended the admission of new students into its program (see the official announcement below). We have been given 2 months to come up with an alternative option to prevent the closure of the program, and a narrow framework within which we can work to find that option.
It breaks my heart to see another technical program shutter its doors, Baker Community College succumbed to the same fate not long ago. Not a word was heard from the profession, not a word when Baker closed, I suspect it will be the same for us. Why is this profession so neglectful of its technical education programs? Who are all the new Master's degree students coming out of school going to hire if and when they want to start their own practice? Who are the central fabs going to hire? Is the practitioner of the future going to be beholden to others outside of their organizations where they cannot control costs and quality? If this profession continues to neglect its technical education programs, yes they will be. All you business owners will be beholden to someone else outside your business who will eat your profits and control your quality. How many of you out there now are looking for technicians and having a hard time finding qualified candidates? How many of you are still technically capable of taking someone off the street, training them, spending the time money and resources to do so, to have them then walk away because they are not dedicated to the profession? One of the many things that a student coming out of a technical program gives you is that they have proven their dedication to the profession by spending the time, money, and effort to get their technical education. I have been in this profession for almost 40 years, taught in this technical program for the last 10, and I am astonished that technicians are still so undervalued. Technical education is not supported by the vast majority of this profession, and it breaks my heart. The push to ramp up practitioner programs and ignore the struggle of the technical programs, which are graduating the students the Master's students are going to need to hire some day, is a shame on this profession. I have worked on multiple sides of this, as a technician, as a practitioner, and as a business owner so I am not blind or naïve about how much of this profession views and treats its technicians. I have experienced it, I have seen it, and I have heard it, and it's a damned shame. For the sake and future of this profession, to keep it vibrant and healthy, stop ignoring the value of technical education and start supporting those programs that remain before they all shutter their doors!!
My apologies to Coyote Design and Tamarack Habilitation Technologies who have been generous supporters of ours over the years.
Dear colleagues,
Today, OSU Institute of Technology will formally suspend the admission of any new students to the Associate in Applied Science in Orthotic & Prosthetic Technologies program. This decision comes after an extensive review of data regarding the operational costs, student tuition and fees, and the market demand for graduates of the program. There is no question that the ongoing reductions in state appropriations and the financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced all higher education campuses across the country to make difficult decisions.
The suspension of the program will enable OSUIT to explore the institution's options and determine the best next steps. No new students will be admitted for fall 2020, and the instructional focus of our faculty will prioritize our currently enrolled students. We remain committed to giving these students the opportunity to complete their educational goals no matter where they are in the process.
While this is difficult news during an already challenging time, this suspension should in no way diminish the exceptional efforts of our OPT faculty nor does it reflect on the caliber of education delivered by the OPT program.
Today's announcement will be shared both internally and externally. If you receive questions from students affected by this decision, please refer them to the School of Arts, Sciences & Health at (918) 293-4768, or contact the Office of Academic Affairs at (918) 293-5260. Please refer all media inquiries about this announcement to Shari Erwin at (918) 293-4966 or Eric Covey at (918) 293-5140.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bill R. Path
Michael P. Madden, CPO, LPO, FAAOP
Faculty
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
School of Arts, Sciences & Health
Orthotic & Prosthetic Technologies Program
1801 East 4th Street Okmulgee OK 74447
(P) 918-293-5320
(F) 918-293-4653
<Email Address Redacted>
[cid: <Email Address Redacted> ]< <URL Redacted> > [cid: <Email Address Redacted> ] < <URL Redacted> >
[cid: <Email Address Redacted> ]< <URL Redacted> > [cid: <Email Address Redacted> ] < https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_OSUIT-5FOandP&d=DwIFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=KmuawjwNpT9A2bnhzaNVjw8wO7L_TDosEXIk33h_tlw&m=LSwvwm2Lon5aK-2RVPq2ZRsOHgD98SJKaG3sCbV-kJA&s=5FubY2EX4NYKFv16X14OEp_Z1zCobL1KgNmXieyfr_Q&e= >
It breaks my heart to see another technical program shutter its doors, Baker Community College succumbed to the same fate not long ago. Not a word was heard from the profession, not a word when Baker closed, I suspect it will be the same for us. Why is this profession so neglectful of its technical education programs? Who are all the new Master's degree students coming out of school going to hire if and when they want to start their own practice? Who are the central fabs going to hire? Is the practitioner of the future going to be beholden to others outside of their organizations where they cannot control costs and quality? If this profession continues to neglect its technical education programs, yes they will be. All you business owners will be beholden to someone else outside your business who will eat your profits and control your quality. How many of you out there now are looking for technicians and having a hard time finding qualified candidates? How many of you are still technically capable of taking someone off the street, training them, spending the time money and resources to do so, to have them then walk away because they are not dedicated to the profession? One of the many things that a student coming out of a technical program gives you is that they have proven their dedication to the profession by spending the time, money, and effort to get their technical education. I have been in this profession for almost 40 years, taught in this technical program for the last 10, and I am astonished that technicians are still so undervalued. Technical education is not supported by the vast majority of this profession, and it breaks my heart. The push to ramp up practitioner programs and ignore the struggle of the technical programs, which are graduating the students the Master's students are going to need to hire some day, is a shame on this profession. I have worked on multiple sides of this, as a technician, as a practitioner, and as a business owner so I am not blind or naïve about how much of this profession views and treats its technicians. I have experienced it, I have seen it, and I have heard it, and it's a damned shame. For the sake and future of this profession, to keep it vibrant and healthy, stop ignoring the value of technical education and start supporting those programs that remain before they all shutter their doors!!
My apologies to Coyote Design and Tamarack Habilitation Technologies who have been generous supporters of ours over the years.
Dear colleagues,
Today, OSU Institute of Technology will formally suspend the admission of any new students to the Associate in Applied Science in Orthotic & Prosthetic Technologies program. This decision comes after an extensive review of data regarding the operational costs, student tuition and fees, and the market demand for graduates of the program. There is no question that the ongoing reductions in state appropriations and the financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced all higher education campuses across the country to make difficult decisions.
The suspension of the program will enable OSUIT to explore the institution's options and determine the best next steps. No new students will be admitted for fall 2020, and the instructional focus of our faculty will prioritize our currently enrolled students. We remain committed to giving these students the opportunity to complete their educational goals no matter where they are in the process.
While this is difficult news during an already challenging time, this suspension should in no way diminish the exceptional efforts of our OPT faculty nor does it reflect on the caliber of education delivered by the OPT program.
Today's announcement will be shared both internally and externally. If you receive questions from students affected by this decision, please refer them to the School of Arts, Sciences & Health at (918) 293-4768, or contact the Office of Academic Affairs at (918) 293-5260. Please refer all media inquiries about this announcement to Shari Erwin at (918) 293-4966 or Eric Covey at (918) 293-5140.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bill R. Path
Michael P. Madden, CPO, LPO, FAAOP
Faculty
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
School of Arts, Sciences & Health
Orthotic & Prosthetic Technologies Program
1801 East 4th Street Okmulgee OK 74447
(P) 918-293-5320
(F) 918-293-4653
<Email Address Redacted>
[cid: <Email Address Redacted> ]< <URL Redacted> > [cid: <Email Address Redacted> ] < <URL Redacted> >
[cid: <Email Address Redacted> ]< <URL Redacted> > [cid: <Email Address Redacted> ] < https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_OSUIT-5FOandP&d=DwIFAw&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=KmuawjwNpT9A2bnhzaNVjw8wO7L_TDosEXIk33h_tlw&m=LSwvwm2Lon5aK-2RVPq2ZRsOHgD98SJKaG3sCbV-kJA&s=5FubY2EX4NYKFv16X14OEp_Z1zCobL1KgNmXieyfr_Q&e= >
Citation
Madden, Mike, “Death by Neglect,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 6, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/255044.
