Statement of Rationale for Judgment of Compliance

The curriculum of Palo Alto College is directly related and appropriate to its mission and goals, and to the diplomas, certificates, or degrees awarded. 

The case for compliance is structured as follows:

1. Alignment with College mission and goals.
2. Appropriateness of curriculum in academic degrees.
3. Appropriateness of curriculum in workforce degrees.

Role and Mission of the College

Texas Education Code, Section 130.0011 - Public Junior Colleges: Role and Mission[1] defines the role and mission of community colleges as two-year institutions primarily serving their local taxing districts and service areas in Texas and offering vocational, technical, and academic courses for certification or associate degrees. In fulfillment of this mission, Palo Alto College awards diplomas, certificates, or degrees that are approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Specifically, the THECB has authorized the College to award Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Arts in Teaching, and Associate of Applied Science degrees as well as certificates of completion; this authorization is documented in the THECB rules currently in effect (Texas Administrative Code, Title 19: Education, Part 1: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Chapter 8. Subchapter B.RULE §8.25- Provisions Applicable to Each Type of District[2]). In addition, the College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees.

As stated in the College’s Strategic Plan[3], the Palo Alto College Mission is “to inspire, empower, and educate our community for leadership and success,” and its first strategic direction under this mission is “Empowering Students for Success.” The degrees, certificates, and curricula outlined in the College Catalog 2016-2017 Program List[4] demonstrate the College's commitment to its mission, providing essential educational services and opportunities to the diverse community it serves. The course descriptions and requirements for each of the degrees and certificates offered at Palo Alto College are published in the College Catalog 2016-201[5]7[5]  (see documents titled Sample Course Descriptions[6] and Sample Program Requirements[7]).

Program Approval and Alignment with the College's Mission

Program approval at the College requires an assessment of the program’s alignment with the College’s Mission. This assessment is the initial step in specific procedures for course and program development as delineated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Guidelines for Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE) Chapter 5.[8] The process, entitled Workforce Program Development 2016,[9] illustrates this program approval process.

Appropriateness of Curriculum to Degrees and Certificates

The purpose of the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees at Palo Alto College is to promote successful transfer into baccalaureate programs offered at four-year institutions and universities. The alignment of curriculum to successful transfer is accomplished through compliance with the applicable rules and regulations.

Texas Administrative Code establishes the following requirements for Texas higher education institutions (see Chapter 9, Subchapter J, RULE §9.183-Degree Titles, Program Length, and Program Content[10] and Subchapter B. §4.28-Core Curriculum[11]):

•  Academic Associate degrees must consist of 60 semester credit hours;

• A general education core curriculum includes 42 lower-division semester credit hours;
• Each institution of higher education that offers an undergraduate academic degree program shall develop its core curriculum by using the Board-approved purpose, core objectives, and foundational component areas of the Texas Core Curriculum.
• Students must complete the general education core as part of their degree requirements.

In keeping with these requirements, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees at Palo Alto College are comprised of 42 general education core curriculum semester credit hours and 18 additional academic transfer semester credit hours.

The College’s core curriculum and the academic transfer courses within its discipline-specific concentrations are listed in the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM)[12] published by the THECB. As stated on page 5 of the publication, “the ACGM is the official list of courses approved for general academic transfer that may be offered by public community and technical colleges in Texas for state funding." A standing committee of representatives from community colleges and universities reviews the appropriateness of the courses in the manual. The College maintains compliance with the courses in the ACGM (see document titled Sample Course Compliance[13]).

In addition, approved fields of study[14] curricula for Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees have been developed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and are published on the THECB website. Palo Alto College has implemented seven of these approved fields of study curricula: Business, Communication, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Engineering, Mexican-American Studies, and Music. The College has the approval of the THECB to offer the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees.

Workforce Programs

 The Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE)[15], published by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, establishes the semester credit hour and other degree requirements for workforce associate degrees (Associate of Applied Science [A.A.S.] degrees) and certificates. The GIPWE, page 6[16], limits the A.A.S. degree to 60 semester credit hours. The College’s A.A.S. degree programs are in compliance with this limit of 60 semester credit hours. 

In accordance with guidelines identified in GIPWE, pages 18-19[17], A.A.S. degree graduates from Palo Alto College are required to complete a minimum of 15 semester credit hours in general education coursework. These 15 hours must include at least one course in each of the following core curriculum areas: Humanities/Fine Arts, Social/Behavioral Sciences, and Mathematics/Natural Sciences. In addition, A.A.S. students must complete a general education course in English Composition. Three additional hours in general education are required and specified by discipline.

The remaining semester credit hours required in the College's Associate of Applied Science degrees consist of specified workforce courses.  Program Advisory Committees[18] are consulted in the design of the curriculum for the workforce programs thus ensuring that the course competencies align with job skills vital to the business/industry in question and that required licensure or certification standards are incorporated into the curriculum. Program Advisory Committees are comprised of community and business representatives within the respective industry; these Committees are listed in the 2016-2017 College Catalog description of the program (see document titled Sample AAS Program Descriptions[19]). College faculty collaborate with Program Advisory Committees to select courses from the Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) to fulfill the workforce component of the A.A.S. degrees. The WECM, published by the THECB, is the online inventory of current workforce education courses deemed appropriate for A.A.S degree programs (please see the GIPWE Chapter Four[20] for the role and function of the WECM in workforce programs).

The College offers A.A.S. degrees that comply with all THECB guidelines for workforce programs; the College also follows the new program approval process[21] developed by the THECB and outlined in GIPWE Chapter Five[8].The GIPWE also mandates the requirements for workforce certificates[9]. According to GIPWE Chapter Three[22] pp 19-21[23], an Occupational Skills Award (OSA) is limited to 9-14 semester credit hours or 144-359 contact hours for continuing education courses; a Level One Certificate is limited to 15-42 semester credit hours; a Career Foundation Core (CFC) Certificate is a Level One or Level Two Certificate created through a statewide curriculum process and may contain ACGM courses; a Level Two Certificate is limited to 30-51 semester credit hours. Advanced Technical Certificates (ATC) are beyond the A.A.S. degree and consists of 16-45 semester credit hours. The Certificates at Palo Alto College meet these semester hour requirements. As with the workforce component of the College's A.A.S. degrees, faculty and Program Advisory Committees collaborate to select the appropriate workforce courses to be included in the certificate programs.

As articulated in Board Policy A.1.1[24], the College District is known by the assumed names of “Alamo Colleges” and “Alamo Colleges District” or the “Alamo Community College District.” References to these assumed names in the narrative and any supporting documentation are equivalent.