Laser & Optics Technology Program Policies & Procedures

Non-Discrimination Statement

To view the full Non-Discrimination Statement, please visit the College Catalog & Student Handbook or the college website.

Disability Services/Accommodations

Individuals with disabilities who require accommodations for special services should contact the IHCC Disability Services office for assistance. Services are available to students who need classroom accommodations, interpreters and/or specialized equipment.

Students who are requesting accommodations must document their disability by providing a written statement signed by a school counselor, physician, psychologist or other health care professional. Statements must include: (a) a description of the disability, (b) a statement of how the disability prohibits one or more major life activities and is a barrier to the student’s full participation in the program, and (c) a description of the specific accommodations to be provided. (Requested accommodations must be related to the individual’s specific disability.)

All requests for accommodations should be made prior to enrollment.

Students should make their requests for accommodations to the Disability Services office at the time they are applying for admission and, preferably, no later than six weeks prior to the beginning of each academic term. All student requests are dealt with in a confidential manner. Students should contact Disability Services by calling (641) 683-5749 (Ottumwa) or (641) 856-2143, ext. 2214 (Centerville) or by email at disabilityservices@indianhills.edu.

Accreditation

Indian Hills Community College is a public post-secondary institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the Higher Learning Commission, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, and (800)621-7440.

Indian Hills Community College is also accredited by the State of Iowa, Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, Des Moines, IA 50319-0146, (515)281-8260.

Student Services

To view the full listing of Student Services, please visit the College Catalog & Student Handbook.

Program Learning Outcomes

The following list of program learning outcomes describes the knowledge and skills the student should be able to demonstrate upon completion of the program.  Please visit the College Catalog & Student Handbook to view the Program Learning Outcomes.

Cancellations

Indian Hills Alert is the emergency notification system of Indian Hills Community College. Indian Hills Alert allows the college to communicate timely emergency information quickly to students, faculty, staff and interested members of the community.  To sign up to receive alerts, go to http://www.indianhills.edu/about/alert.php and create an account to receive information via phone, email, and/or text message about college–related emergencies, college closings or delayed openings due to inclement weather, or other urgent campus communications.  Indian Hills Alert will only be used to send you messages related to college emergencies or safety issues, never to send you advertisements.

Attendance and Punctuality

Mandatory Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance is mandatory in all Advanced Technologies Division courses. Student attendance will be recorded each day this class meets. A student missing class should immediately contact the instructor or a fellow student to find out what material was covered in class and if any assignments have been missed. The instructor will decide to accept late work or not. Communication between the student and instructor is most important, but it is the student’s responsibility to initiate such communication. Contacting the instructor before the missed class session is preferable whenever possible.

A student missing 16% (approximately 7.5 hours) of scheduled class meetings without excuse will be withdrawn from this course. This withdrawal may have academic or financial effects. Students missing class because of a college-sanctioned event will be excused from attendance but not excused from completing assignments. They should contact their instructor for further guidance. Based on the instructor’s discretion, students may also be excused for the following reasons: bereavement, illness (more than two days), jury duty, court appearance, or military service. Students should give access to the appropriate documents in order to establish an absence as excused. Instructors will decide on the validity of such an excuse.

The number of actual class days a student may miss before being withdrawn varies depending on how often a course meets in a week. Students will receive warnings via email when they are nearing or have reached the 16% threshold. Consult the chart below to establish how many unexcused absences are permitted in this class:

Showing up for class on time is also mandatory. On the first day of class, the instructor will announce guidelines for tardiness such as establishing a time limit for when a tardy becomes an absence. Four incidents of tardiness equals one absence, and the guidelines above apply.

Professionalism

Through your IHCC Laser & Optics Technology Program, you will experience an environment of professionalism. Proper conduct and safety awareness are emphasized. Attendance for on-campus meetings and online courses, as well as in-person courses, is expected and required. 

Laboratory Procedures

• Lab coat required whenever inside the laser & optics technology lab.
• Students are to follow proper start-up & shutdown procedures for all lasers.
• Students are to follow laser & optics safety policies at all times.
• Students are to follow the ANSI z136.1 document when working with any laser.
• Before handling any optics, a new pair of gloves must be donned.
• All proper PPE must be worn while working with hazardous solvents in lab.
• Instructor must be present while students operate class 3b & class 4 lasers.
• All class 4 lasers required at least two people in the room to operate laser.

Laboratory Safety

• Exclude unnecessary personnel from the laser area during alignment.
• Where possible, use low-power visible lasers for path simulation of high power visible or invisible lasers.
• Wear protective eyewear during alignment.  Use special alignment eyewear when circumstances require.
• Aligning invisible beams, to locate beams use image converter viewers or phosphor cards.
• Perform alignment tasks using high-power lasers at the lowest possible power level.
• Use a shutter or beam-block to block high-power beams at their source except during the alignment process.
• Use a laser rated beam block to terminate high-power beams downstream of the optics being aligned.
• Beam blocks and/or laser protective barriers are required where alignment beams could stray into areas with uninvolved personnel.
• Place beam blocks behind optics to terminate beams that might miss mirrors during alignment.
• Locate and block all stray reflections before proceeding to the next optical component or section.
• Be sure all beams and reflections are properly terminated before high-power operation.
• Post appropriate area warning signs during alignment procedures where lasers are normally class 1.
• Alignments should be done only by those who have received laser safety training.
• Never intentionally look directly into a laser.  Do not stare at the light from any laser.  Allow yourself to blink if the light is too bright.
• Do not view a Class 3a (or any higher power) laser with optical instruments.
• Never direct the beam toward other people.
• Operate lasers only in the area designed for their use and be certain the beam is terminated at the end of its path. 
• Never allow a laser beam to escape its designated area of use.
• Position the laser so that it is well above or below eye level.
• Always block the beam with a diffuse reflecting beam block.
• Remove all unnecessary reflective objects from the area near the beam’s path.  This may include items of jewelry and tools.
• Do not enter a designated Class 3b or Class 4 laser area (posted with a DANGER sign) without approval from a qualified laser operator.  Eye protection is required in these areas.
• Always wear laser safety eyewear if a class 4 invisible beam is exposed.

Required Tools

• Core Electronics Parts Kit
• Digital Multimeter: Amprobe AM-270 or equivalent.
• Safety glasses or goggles.
• Soldering Iron: Weller WP25 or equivalent.
• Wire strippers.
• Breadboard
• Tools required for second year of the program are available for use in the laboratory.

Placement

The ability of a student to obtain employment in his/her career field upon graduation is a very important part of the educational process. The Academic Program and Career/Work-Based Office, working cooperatively with each student, will do everything possible to see that this objective is met.

• The student is responsible for actively seeking employment.
• The program will make students aware of job opportunities by written and/or verbal communication, as well as posting the information in the lab area and social media.
• The student will be responsible for completing the IHCC Graduate Survey sent 6 months after graduation providing the program with vital employment data.
• IHCC hosts a career fair each year in March for all programs.