Instructional Projects : A-030 (formerly TCAT-010)

Policy/Guideline

1. General Statement
   1. It is recognized that instructional or “live work” projects enhance vocational-technical training, and work-based learning associated with high impact practices.
   2. Instructional projects are those which:
      1. When completed constitute a product; or
      2. Involve repairing or providing maintenance service to a device; or
      3. Involve the delivery of a personal service, such as in cosmetology programs.
   3. To ensure that such projects are meaningful to the training program, they must be selected on the basis of their potential contribution in aiding students develop identified competencies. All such projects must be selected and scheduled in keeping with stated objectives of the instructional program.
2. Selection, Authorization, and Sources of Projects
   1. The President or designee is responsible for the selection and authorization of all school projects, except those involving construction, which shall require approval by the Chancellor.
      1. Purchases related to school projects must be consistent with the TBR purchasing policies and procedures (No. 4.02.10.00).
      2. Where applicable, solicitation and acceptance of projects shall be subject to the TBR policy on solicitation and acceptance of gifts (Policy number 4.01.04.00).
      3. The sources of individual projects may include those offered by students and staff of the school, members of the schools’ advisory committees, personnel and institutions of the Tennessee Board of Regents System,  civic groups, governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations.
      4. The President or designee may authorize individual projects offered from other individuals and groups in the event appropriate projects are not available from the above sources.
   2. An instructor shall be responsible for selecting and scheduling individual projects, which may be selected only from authorized categories.
      1. No work may be performed on a project from a category that has not been authorized.
      2. An instructor may give priority to a project belonging to a student, provided it meets established training objectives.
3. School Projects
   1. The school shall bear the cost of parts, supplies, and materials for school projects.
      1. Acquisition of such parts, supplies, and materials shall be in accordance with the Tennessee Board of Regents purchasing policies and procedures (No. 4.02.10.00).
      2. In cases where competitive bidding is not feasible, appropriate documentation shall be maintained for audit purposes.
   2. The sale of completed school projects shall be in accordance with the Tennessee Board of Regents policy on disposal of surplus personal property (No. 4.02.20.00).
4. Individual Projects
   1. An approved service agreement must be prepared by the appropriate instructor prior to initiating work on any individual project. The school shall retain a completed copy of the service agreement.
   2. In general, the patron/owner of the project shall be responsible for providing the parts, supplies and materials for individual projects.
      1. The school may recommend sources where parts, supplies and materials may be acquired.
      2. The school should avoid recommending sole sources except in cases where other sources are not readily available.
   3. There are instances, however, where it is more feasible for the school to provide parts, supplies, and materials for individual projects; for example, weights for wheel balancing, refrigerant gas, etc.
      1. In such instances, the acquisition of the parts, supplies, and materials by the school shall be in accordance with TBR policy (No. 4.02.10.00), and the project owner shall be assessed a fee to recover the school’s expenses.
         1. The fee shall be consistent with a fee schedule approved by the Board.
         2. The fee schedule shall be made available to patrons/project owners prior to completion of the service agreement.
         3. Prior to release of the project, required fees must be paid.
         4. Fee payments will be received by authorized school staff, properly receipted, and deposited in accordance with the TBR policy on deposit and investment of funds (No. 4.01.01.10).
5. Form Service Agreements
   1.  Exhibit A is a model service agreement that schools are permitted, but not required, to use for live work projects.
   2. If a school uses a service agreement other than Exhibit A, then the waiver/disclaimer of liability language in Exhibit B must be included in the service agreement.
   3. The patron/project owner should sign the service agreement.  Neither students nor employees of TBR institutions are authorized to enter into contractual agreements for live work on behalf of the school, and thus neither students nor employees of TBR institutions should sign service agreements on behalf of the institution.  Students and employees of TBR institutions should sign a service agreement when they are a patron/project owner.