Mission Statement

The Drafting and CAD Technology program provides training in architectural drafting, building information modeling, and 3D solids modeling that prepares students for careers in a variety of industries that employ computer-aided drafters. The department also serves the needs of students who are pursuing transfer to four-year universities in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Interior Design by offering core curriculum in these majors.

Program Description

The Drafting and CAD (Computer Aided Drafting/Design) Technology program is designed to prepare students to fulfill technical documentation requirements of today�s technically demanding disciplines from architecture to engineering. Students will apply a variety of concepts from trigonometry, physical science, and computer science in class to help prepare for real-world applications. The two major focus areas: Architecture and Construction along with Manufacturing and Engineering help to prepare students for careers such as interior design, building construction, engineering, manufacturing or architecture.

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to: describe the role of technical graphics in the engineering design process; produce dimensioned technical drawings using both manual sketching techniques and computer-aided drafting and design software; read and interpret the technical information provided by construction drawings, plot plans, floor plans, system blueprints, and elevations.

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

Courses & SLOs Assessed:
DFT-46 SLOC - Initiate design phases in as-built and proposed design change with separate configurations within a single project BIM file.
DFT-46 SLOD - Create an electronic shared work environment containing BIM application worksets to manage project sharing of details, model and specification data.
Programs & PLOs Assessed:
Produce a project, architecture-based model from a given instruction set to an industry-based expectation for completeness and correctness.
Our findings show that our students have given consistent results semester over semester with our normalized assignments and final examination. It can be hard to ascertain each individual SLO for a few reasons:
1)      This class is a capstone class and so the projects are large and integrated
2)      A passing grade for the projects does not necessarily mean that students had passing results for individual SLOs
Grades for the assignments (and their related SLOs) have been consistent from previous semesters. We are looking at SLOs C&D due to the fact that our industry advisory has asked us to add more rigor and more depth to our assignments related to SLOs C&D. We will take these suggestions under advisement and implement them as soon as possible.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

ACADEMIC_YEAR	PERIOD	Retention Rate	Success Rate
2015	SU	100%	94%
2015	FA	93%	84%
2015	SP	93%	77%
2016	FA	92%	72%
2016	SP	86%	78%
2017	SP	92%	81%
2017	FA	87%	74%
2018	FA	95%	87%
2018	SP	92%	84%
2019	SP	97%	94%
2019	FA	87%	78%

Success rates for DFT are adequate over the past five years. From program review, industry input and work with the CSU and UC, success rates are in line with the rigor and depth mandated by good practice. Limitations of resources including shared spaced with CSCI and ENGR are significant impacts to success rates. Rates are also diluted because of persistent numbers of ENGR students who take DFT2 and DFT8 and nothing else although if they were to complete DFT2, DFT8 and DFT16 they would achieve the CC in 3D Mechanical Applications. Completion rates to a an A.S. degree is lower than that of comparable CTE programs DFT remains a dependent part of the ENGR lower division education process. Degree and certificate completions can be and will be increased as we are able to grow resources proportionally with demand. Focused Persistence and fill rates for DFT are high but continue to be a challenge with the nature of ever-changing landscapes in the technical industries served. We see many whom we consider “surgical” completers – that is that they take a necessary class to fulfill an immediate need or employment improvement then leave. The rates for completions and employment rates remain at a sustained high level. ACADEMIC_YEAR Award Type Count 2015 Certificate: 6-17 Units 48 2015 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 16 2015 Associate in Science 14 2016 Certificate: 6-17 Units 34 2016 Associate in Science 10 2016 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 10 2017 Certificate: 6-17 Units 36 2017 Associate in Science 10 2017 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 5 2018 Certificate: 6-17 Units 39 2018 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 15 2018 Associate in Science 9 2019 Certificate: 6-17 Units 20 2019 Associate in Science 9 2019 Cert of Achievement 16-29 Unit 6

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

Strategic Direction

The college supports students in their progress toward their educational goals by collaborating with industry, external agencies, and other institutions of higher education to ensure that programs are relevant and meeting current needs. The Drafting Technology program is working directly with the UC and CSU Schools of Engineering, Construction Management, Interior Architecture and Sustainable Manufacturing to provide a shared guidance and oversight of curriculum that is relevant and meeting the needs of higher education rigor. Drafting Technology is working with local and regional industries to develop technical graphics programming that is relevant and needed to assure that local candidates for employment as prepared, ready and able to succeed in an employment outcome. Enhancing a Culture of Inclusiveness: Improving access, success, and completion of targeted student populations through the implementation of the Student Equity Plan. The Drafting Technology program is working closely with MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) and the STEM pathways at Butte College and local high schools to develop connections and achievements of target populations identified in the current District Student Equity Plan including outreach, intern opportunities and transfer successes into computer science pathways.

Program Review

DFT Program is undergoing program review in SP21. A committee has already been formed and data gathering has been initiated. They are meeting once a week to get this completed.
Previous results for Drafting Technology program were aggregated with Computer Science and are difficult to disaggregate and stand out except the following items from previous program review:
 
1)    Sustain program growth with qualified and effective Associate Faculty
 
Current status of DFT includes 1 full time faculty and 4 associate faculty.
 
2)    Continued work to develop pathways with local high schools and programs such as Guided Pathways and Dual Enrollment and recruit and retain under-represented students in our programs.
 
3)    Maintain our laboratory software and hardware so that students can be trained to industry standards, to maximize their employment potential.
 
4)    Constantly maintain and update our curriculum to ensure we are aligned with industry standards and adequately prepare our students for professional certification.
 
The efforts of faculty, staff and industry supporting DFT are to be appreciated for aligning the curriculum, developing certificates, certificates of achievement and AS degree and for maintaining a place of relevance and effectiveness. It is the intention of DFT, Sustainable Technologies and Design department to build on the good work previously accomplished to ensure that DFT remains in a position of prominence and importance to Butte College and the surrounding technical communities of architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing and within higher education.

Department Goals

Drafting Technology as an instructional program has the overarching goals that include:
1)    Increase Program Enrollments through outreach and marketing.
2)    Replace all equipment and instrumentation to current technology standards of practice for transfer and technology based completion strands.
3)    Attend professional development events, education opportunities, externships and trade shows.
4)    Complete Program Review and methodically overhaul the program to better fit with industry changes and student demand.

Future Development Strategies

Requested Non-Financial Resources

Current Financial Resources