In the course of our research, we identified a number of supporting activities that the state could pursue to address some concerns about mission creep, counterproductive competition, and threats to quality. Some of these activities can be valuable even if there is no further expansion to community college baccalaureate programs. Others will be appropriate only if expansion occurs.
Clarify Different Degree Types
As Chapter 4 describes, there is substantial confusion about the distinction between the various types of applied baccalaureate degrees in Texas. In Washington and Florida, there is only one title for an applied baccalaureate program, the BAS, and this title is used to refer to all degree programs that provide baccalaureate training to applied students. In Texas, the state has generally allowed universities to determine the degree type and to define degree characteristics. This has resulted in three different types of degrees. Some function like BAS programs in other states, with a specific, advanced training focus. Others have little structure and simply allow students to complete a bachelor’s degree with any courses that meet requirements for general education and upper-division work. Some of these degrees include multiple tracks, whereas others conceive of these tracks as separate degrees. Although community colleges are limited to offering the BAT, their programs range from advanced technical education to management degrees with various specific tracks.
Stakeholders across all groups—state policymakers, institutional leaders, department-level staff, and employers—expressed some uncertainty about the different degree types and degree plans, including what workforce needs they served and how programs were similar to or different from other applied baccalaureate programs. Students and parents also are likely to be confused. Confusion about different applied baccalaureate degrees may contribute to several of the concerns raised about expansion of community college baccalaureate programs. When there is no clear accounting of the purpose of different applied baccalaureate programs and the workforce needs they are expected to meet, it is more difficult to determine whether workforce needs are being met. Lack of clear accounting also can lead to duplication of and
counterproductive competition among similar programs introduced under different names. Universities in Washington were particularly concerned about community college baccalaureate programs being given names identical to different university programs. Washington therefore asks institutions to collaborate to resolve any discrepancies about degree program titles. The state feels that this has been useful not only in avoiding duplication but also in ensuring “truth in advertising.”
A lack of clarity about degree types and about the purpose of degree programs also may diminish the quality of the applied baccalaureate. Institutions or departments with unclear conceptions of the degree program may confuse students and give them an unfocused
educational experience. If the programs are not targeted to meeting specific workforce needs, they may produce graduates who do not have the KSAs they need to obtain employment. An institution may not market the degree program appropriately, causing students to be confused about why they should enroll and employers to be unclear about what skills the degree signifies. Misinformation about degree types also could lead to negative perceptions of them.
To help address concerns about counterproductive competition and the quality of applied baccalaureates, the state could provide additional guidance about the purpose and structure of various applied degrees and set restrictions to ensure consistency across degree types. A clear taxonomy of degree types and statements of purpose for different areas of degree focus would help streamline the development of degrees and improve understanding among stakeholders.
Understanding the similarities and differences among these applied degrees is essential to identifying potential duplication of programs. A number of universities offer multidisciplinary BAAS degrees, while community colleges offer apparently more targeted BAT programs. Employers always would like programs that are as specifically targeted to their needs as possible, yet very specific programs have lower demand and are more difficult to sustain. The existing Texas community college BAT programs have become more like general organizational management programs targeted to students from a wide range of technical fields, so the
differences between these programs and general BAAS programs may be shrinking. If BAAS programs are not considered programs that can meet specific workforce needs, such as the management of technicians, then universities should be informed that these programs will not be considered to meet those needs, and perhaps they should be offered an opportunity to propose more specific applied baccalaureate programs.
Clearly Define Fields of Study
Community college stakeholders in our interviews expressed interest in several fields that were not included as applied science baccalaureate options in the preliminary THECB survey of community college leadership. There is a lack of clarity about what degree fields are applied science. If Texas decides to authorize additional community colleges to provide baccalaureate degrees, and if these degrees are limited to certain broad fields, such as the applied sciences, it will be important to clearly define the fields included to ensure that all institutions understand which fields will be open to community colleges and which will remain limited to universities. Stakeholders felt that additional transparency was needed to ensure that community colleges do not invest resources in developing programs that will not be approved; they also believed that universities can have a clear line of delineation to assuage their concerns about mission creep and duplication of programs.
We heard suggestions for two specific fields—respiratory therapy and radiology—to be defined as applied sciences. We also heard that interior design should be considered as a field for a baccalaureate degree, even though it is not considered an applied science. Each of these fields is experiencing strong upward pressure on entry-level requirements from associations and licensing agencies. The entry-level degrees for respiratory therapy and interior design are or will soon be at the baccalaureate level, and the entry-level degree for respiratory therapy is now the associate degree (Barnes et al., 2011; NCIDQ Examination, n.d.; Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, n.d.). Community colleges argued that their ability to serve students interested in these occupations would require a transition to baccalaureate-level programs.
Continue to Use THECB Criteria for Program Approval
The legislature specifically requested that the study identify a clear set of criteria for reviewing community college baccalaureate programs. All stakeholders we interviewed agreed that the existing criteria for program approval are sufficient and should remain unchanged. The
THECB’s approval process requires institutions to propose programs that are aligned with their role and mission, to meet a workforce need, to attract a critical mass of students, avoid
counterproductive duplication with other state institutions, follow a sound curriculum design, have adequate resources (e.g., faculty, program administration, financing, library, information technology, facilities, and equipment), and have access to appropriate clinical placements (where required). The THECB also requires that institutions meet accreditation requirements through SACS-COC (THECB, 2010b). Most of the university and community college interviewees emphasized that the highest priority should be placed on the unmet workforce need criterion in the approval process. Doing so might help alleviate concerns about competition, damage to existing partnerships, and program duplication.
Although the process and criteria for approval might look consistent for all institutions on paper, in practice community college stakeholders perceived that community colleges and universities were held to somewhat different standards. Several argued that existing approval processes for community college baccalaureate programs are not as fair and transparent as they should be, and community colleges face barriers to approval that universities are able to avoid. One community college stakeholder characterized the initial selection of pilot colleges as unfair and was skeptical that the decisionmaking process relating to the community college
baccalaureate expansion would be fair and transparent. Several reported concerns that colleges had less influence than universities in policymaking and that this has prevented colleges from offering programs to fill unmet needs in the workforce. Many stakeholders argued, therefore, that not only should the criteria remain the same but they should also be applied fairly and evenly to all institutions, including community colleges.
Coordinate Proposals Across Institutions When Demand Is Limited
or Resources Are Constrained
The THECB ordinarily expects institutions to propose programs they envision will meet the workforce needs of their service area, and the THECB reviews those proposals according to its own mandated criteria. In cases where student demand is limited across the state, however, or where there are resources that could be strained seriously by approving too many programs, it may be valuable to coordinate a process that invites multiple institutions to respond to identified workforce needs. Once the THECB receives proposals from all interested institutions, it could evaluate them against each other, as well as against the overall workforce need. This process could minimize duplication when demand is sufficient for only one or a few programs and also could reduce counterproductive competition for scarce resources.
On the other hand, in cases where demand is concentrated in a specific area, or the needs are widespread and sizeable, relying on institutions to make proposals through the THECB process may be sufficient. In these cases, there is much less value in having multiple alternative
proposals to evaluate simultaneously.
Provide Guidance and Mentoring to Community Colleges
Many interviewees at both community colleges and universities reported that it would be very helpful for community colleges to receive more guidance as they consider developing
baccalaureate programs, move through the SACS-COC substantive change process, and begin program development. This process can be time-consuming and difficult to navigate, and
community colleges could benefit from the experience of mentors that have been through it. This mentoring would help community colleges that are planning their first baccalaureate program to develop sustainable business and academic plans for new degrees and may help improve quality and provide consistency across programs.
There are a number of ways to provide guidance and mentoring to community colleges in the early stages of the transition to baccalaureate-level programs. In Florida and Washington, staff from a state agency work with community colleges to prepare institutions and help them navigate the process smoothly. Alternatively, institutional leadership at some or all of the three currently authorized community colleges in Texas may be willing to mentor new institutions. All three colleges have been forthcoming with information about their programs and have been willing to provide input on state processes. This rich source of information and guidance potentially could be compiled into a manual that is accessible to all institutions. Several universities also suggested that community colleges partner with universities to ensure the quality and rigor of programs. Another option is for newly authorized community colleges to join webinars or online,
telephone, or in-person discussion groups to address common barriers in the process. Outside of Texas, such organizations as the Community College Baccalaureate Association hold regular conferences, and institutions attending these conferences can learn about best practices and
innovative strategies from institutions in other states. Any of these strategies has the potential to improve the planning and approval process (thus reducing startup costs) and is likely to have positive effects on the ability of community colleges to provide high-quality baccalaureate programs. These types of collaborative activities also may promote strong partnerships among institutions.
Conduct More Empirical Analyses
More research is needed to determine whether institutions are shifting focus and resources away from associate-level programs. Students who enroll in these programs are distinctly different from traditional associate-level students and from university baccalaureate students: They often are older and employed prior to starting the degree program. Because these more experienced students would be expected to have high employment rates and earnings even without earning a bachelor’s degree, comparing their average earnings to less experienced graduates of university bachelor’s programs does not offer an estimate of the benefit that experienced students get from completing community college baccalaureate programs.
In nursing, much of the case for increased entry-level educational requirements was built on a few studies of safety outcomes. Yet there is little evidence to suggest that these findings can be generalized to the rapidly expanding RN-to-BSN programs or to programs offered by community colleges. In fact, two of the employers we spoke to suggested that the graduates of RN-to-BSN programs do not have the same KSAs as those from generic BSN programs. Understanding the outcomes associated with different pathways into nursing will be critical. If studies determine that the benefits of BSN nurses are driven by selection into these programs rather than by the benefits of the additional education, then setting higher entry-level standards may increase costs for students and reduce access to nursing careers while providing few benefits to patient care.
Another area of potential interest is the question of student access versus competition for students. As a means of limiting concerns that competition for students is becoming an issue, both Washington and Florida monitor the characteristics of community college baccalaureate degrees to ensure that the population being targeted is unique. Similar studies in Texas could identify areas of inefficient duplication and areas where Texas colleges are able to expand access to nontraditional students and better meet workforce needs.
Understanding the costs of program development and operation across different types of institutions may be particularly important in Texas. Such data could be used to guide financial policymaking at the state or local level, either by allowing institutions to identify sufficient local funding sources or by helping the state set appropriate funding rates for institutions.