We propose here a 17-18-credit certificate in Captive Primate Care.

Background. Since 1998, Central has offered the only BS degree in Primate Behavior and Ecology in the Western Hemisphere. In 2008, Central began offering an MS degree in Primate Behavior, and in 2009 joined those included in the Western Regional Graduate Research Programs. Through these two academic programs, a strong curriculum in primatology exists at Central, along with faculty expertise in caring for and studying primates. In 2013, a Memorandum of Understanding linked Central and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest (CSNW), a sanctuary in Cle Elum that houses seven chimpanzees. The MOU facilitates student internships at CSNW[1]. There is infrastructure to support formal linkage of academic coursework at CWU to hands-on training at CSNW through the creation of the proposed certificate. The proposed certificate enhances the PBE curriculum by formalizing the professional training of CWU students. Additionally, no captive care academic program exists in the United States, which strengthens CWU’s reputation as the premier institution for the non-invasive study and care of nonhuman primates.

Professional Demand for Skilled Caregivers. In years past, captive primates outside of biomedical laboratories were cared for by people with little or no higher education. Skills were acquired on the job, and sometimes poorly informed by an understanding of the captive species’ biology or behavior. Now, the demand for captive primate care is expected to both increase and to become professionalized. This job market will grow over the next 10 years as a moratorium on chimpanzee biomedical research is enacted in the United States, and chimpanzees used in research are retired to private-sector facilities to live out their natural lives. This law is having an effect on biomedical research on monkeys: prior common practice of euthanizing research monkeys is giving way to retiring them to sanctuary. Monkeys can live for 30+ years, and the fact that they will continue to be used in biomedical research means that there will be thousands of them needing housing and care in the private sector for decades to come. Simultaneously, USDA housing and caregiving standards recognize the unique needs of primates and require enrichment protocols, social housing, and regular measurement of psychological well-being. Some primates used in biomedical research have been exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases, while others suffer psychological trauma from years of restrictive captivity. The burgeoning need for professionally-trained caregivers was addressed at a symposium at the 2015 American Society of Primatologists meetings in Bend, OR[2]. Simultaneously, here in Washington, CSNW directors plan in 2016 to increase the number of chimpanzees they house, and in future to purchase property adjacent to the sanctuary to create a facility for macaques (the monkey taxon most commonly used in biomedical research). They are reliant on CWU to provide student interns to meet their caregiving needs.

Currently, there is a dearth of programs (academic or otherwise) to prepare students for primate caregiving. The American Society of Primatologists lists on its webpage eight workshops that teach caregivers how to train captive primates[3] and two training certification programs (one certificate program listed is actually for dogs)[4]. Despite the lack of training programs, there are professional standards for primate caregivers. The International Primatological Society published a list of skills and experiences that primate caregivers should have at beginning (Animal Technician) and more advanced (Senior Animal Technician, Facility Manager)[5] career stages, which provides a starting point for designing a certificate program that meets global industry standards.

Student Interest in a Caregiving Certificate Program. Student demand for the proposed certificate program exists at Central. Program director Lori Sheeran designed an informal survey that she distributed to 50 PBE existing and prospective students. Twenty-two were interested in receiving training that specifically prepares them to care for primates living in zoo, sanctuary, and laboratory settings, particularly if some or all of the certificate coursework overlapped with CWU’s current degree program(s). Students currently enrolled in the PBE BS program could easily earn a certificate through careful selection of required and applied field elective courses. Students who are majoring in other disciplines such as psychology or biology could add the certificate into their Central coursework without earning the entire PBE BS degree, which might be of interest to students on pre-veterinary tracks, for example. Because the courses in the certificate are already being offered, expansion in that dimension is possible with few additional resources. We thus anticipate serving current undergraduate students AND attracting additional students through the creation of the certificate program. Because nearly all certificate courses can be double counted toward other degrees, students can also easily shift between tracks as their plans change (for example, a student could change from the PBE BS to the certificate track, or a non-matriculated student could upon admission to the university switch to the PBE BS track). Because the curriculum that supports the proposed certificate already exists at Central, the program will be cost-effective to offer.

Currently, individuals interested in primates’ captive care can find an academic program, or can gain hands-on experience at a sanctuary, but they cannot do both. The proposed certificate program would enable CWU students to do both, which will likely increase their future employability.

Student Learning Outcome Assessment Plan

Department: [Program] Primate Behavior and Ecology                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Degree Program: Certificate—Captive Primate Care—Primate Behavior and Ecology Program

*Method(s) of assessment should include those that are both direct (tests, essays, presentations, projects) and indirect (surveys, interviews) in nature                                                                                                                   

**Data needs to be collected and differentiated by location (Ellensburg campus vs University Centers) and modality (face-to-face, online)

***Timing of assessment should ideally be at different transition points of program (i.e., admission, mid-point, end-of-program, post-program)                                                                                              

Please note that certificate students also enrolled in the PBE BS degree plan will also be assessed through that program.

[5]http://www.internationalprimatologicalsociety.org/docs/IPS_International_Guidelines_for_the_Acquisition_Care_and_Breeding_of_Nonhuman_Primates_Second_Edition_2007.pdf