Statement of Rationale for Judgment of Compliance

The program length is appropriate for each of the education programs at Palo Alto College.

The case for compliance is structured as follows:

1. Program length for Associates of Arts, Associate of Arts In Teaching, and Associate of Science degree programs.
2. Program length for Associate of Applied Science and certificate programs.

For the 2016-2017 academic year, Palo Alto College offers 70 degrees and certificates.  The requirements for each of the degrees offered at the College are published in the online 2016-2017 College Catalog[1] (see document titled Sample Program Requirements[2]). The College complies with rules for program length for associate degrees and certificates as mandated by the Texas Education Code (see Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 9, Subchapter J, §9.183-Degree Titles, Program Length, and Program Content[3]). Program length requirements at the College are independent of modes of course delivery.

Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, and Associate of Science Degree Program Length

 The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) stipulates that academic associate degrees (Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, and Associate of Science degrees) must consist of 60 semester credit hours; such requirements are documented in the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 9, Subchapter J, §9.183-Degree Titles, Program Length, and Program Content[3]. Palo Alto College offers, in the 2016-2017 Catalog, the following academic transfer programs: Associate of Arts (A.A.) and two specializations of the Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.). These programs comply with Texas Administrative Code governing their length: all are limited to 60 semester credit hours and both include the 42 hour general education core curriculum (see Program Requirements[2]). As a note of explanation, the Associate of Arts in Teaching programs are listed in the Palo Alto College catalog under the heading “Field of Study.” However, these AAT programs are the only associate degrees in the field of study category. All other fields of study consist of discrete sets of courses accepted in transfer by Texas public institutions of higher education which will also be applied to a specific baccalaureate program (please see Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter B, Rule 4.32[4] for further information regarding fields of study). These, with the noted exception of the AAT curricula, are not associate degree programs and do not fall under rules which govern their length. 

Before the 2016-2017 academic year, Palo Alto College offered Associate of Arts and Associate of Science programs differentiated by major, as may be seen in the 2015-2016 Program List[5]. Each of these academic transfer programs required 60 semester credit hours to complete and adhered to the above cited Texas Administrative Code governing program length and core curriculum requirements.

Associate of Applied Science Degree and Certificate Program Length

The Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE 2015[6]), published by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, specify the semester credit hour requirements for workforce programs. GIPWE 2015, Chapter Three (pp 17-19)[7] states that the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is limited to 60 semester credit hours. The A.A.S. degree programs at Palo Alto College comply with this standard with each A.A.S. program requiring 60 semester credit hours. The GIPWE also mandates the semester credit hour requirements for workforce certificates. GIPWE 2015, Chapter Three (pp 19-21)[8] states that 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. Advance Technical Certificates (ATC) are beyond the A.A.S. degree and consist of 16-45 semester credit hours.  Please also note that before July 13, 2015, the Occupational Skills Award was labeled Marketable Skills Award (see footnote on page 21 of the [8]GIPWE 2015[8] and  Sample Program Requirements[2]).  

As articulated in Board Policy A.1.1[9], 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.