The Texas Legislature approved a bill on Monday that would allow more community colleges in the state to offer four-year degree programs.
“We think that that will provide a pathway for some of the poorest students in the state to achieve baccalaureate degrees,” commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Dr. Raymund A. Paredes said in a call with the press on Tuesday.
Three community colleges in the state already offer four-year degree programs. Midland College, South Texas College and Brazosport College have been offering baccalaureate degree programs since 2003. The success of these programs helped precipitate the Texas Legislature’s decision to pass the bill, Paredes said.
Although those three schools are authorized to offer up to five bachelor’s programs, none have hit that upper limit so far. South Texas offers four baccalaureate programs, Midland offers one, and Brazosport recently proposed a second degree.
“That shows that in fourteen years, none of the three institutions have reached their maximum allotment of programs,” Paredes said. “We think that indicates that community colleges understand that it is difficult to mount these programs. It indicates that community colleges want to stick to their core mission of associate’s degrees and certificates.”
All of this, Paredes said, is a good sign, since it shows that community colleges are unlikely to rush to offer four-year degrees. The current bill is designed to ensure that four-year degree programs at community colleges will not compete with similar academic programs at public universities in the state.
So far, 10 community colleges have indicated interest in submitting proposals that would allow them to develop a four-year degree program.
