Characteristics, perceptions, and other factors influencing physical therapist assistant program directors in 2001.

Little is known about program directors in physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs. This study describes the characteristics of program directors in PTA programs, such as time spent on responsibilities, influences on decision making, perceptions of current working relationships, and satisfaction with decision making. Program directors of 153 (57.5%) accredited PTA programs responded to the survey. The self-reported data were generated by a mail survey developed by the investigator that included 32 demographic items and 58 Likert-scale items to meet the purpose of the study. The data suggest that PTA program directors have average to extremely good levels of satisfaction with their positions and spend more time on student-related and accreditation/long range planning activities than they do on other activities. Information on years of experience and types of degrees suggest that respondents have a great deal of physical therapy experience but much less experience in teaching and administration within community colleges. This information may be valuable for people who seek, or who are recruited for, PTA program director positions. It provides a foundational database for periodic studies of PTA program directors. As enrollments and new programs stabilize and as new program directors are appointed, their impact on physical therapy education and the profession must be reevaluated. J Allied Health. 2003; 32:92-105. CHANGES IN THE Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapist Assistants were adopted by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) in November 2000 for implementation in 2002. The new criterion 2.2.2.1. states: The program director demonstrates the academic and professional qualifications and relevant experience in education requisite for providing effective leadership for the program, the program faculty, and the students. These qualifications include all of the following: a minimum of a master's degree; licensure (if a physical therapist), or licensure, certification, or registration in states where applicable (if a PTA); experience in clinical practice, didactic and/or clinical teaching experience; experience in administration; experience in educational theory and methodology (curricular design, development, implementation, and evaluation); experience in instructional design and methodology; and experience in student evaluation and outcomes assessment.1 Given these revised criteria and the ongoing interest in the role of community college chairpersons,2 a study of the people who hold these positions appears appropriate. The number of texts devoted to this middle management position in colleges and universities, which are also applicable to the comparable manager in the community college, reflects the interest in this academic position.3-12 In addition to the issues, challenges, and benefits of the position, instruction in the performance of duties of the chairperson and the preparation they require are presented in these texts. The titles of persons in these midmanagement levels vary throughout both systems; however, the job responsibilities reflect their importance in postsecondary education regardless of the titles used. In this article, the positions are reported using the titles referred to in the literature, but the term program director is used when referring to the physical therapy assistant (PTA) chairperson because it is the title of choice in the CAPTE evaluative criteria. Review of Community College Administration Studies Because this is the first study of PTA program directors, a review of other studies addressing issues in community and junior colleges is necessary to set the background for understanding the challenges and opportunities of PTA program directors in the larger context of their educational settings. Several studies have been conducted that address teaching and learning issues, and other studies have described the complexity of the position across disciplines and academic units in community colleges. …