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Issues to Consider in Deciding Whether to Expand Community College Baccalaureate Programs in Texas

• There is significant need in Texas for some applied science occupations.
• There is significant need for more baccalaureate nurses, although rapidly growing distance learning programs may be able to meet this need.
• Potential benefits of community college baccalaureate expansion include the ability to help meet workforce needs, the potential for increased student access and degree attainment, greater experience with applied education, and a small, supportive environment for students.
• Potential drawbacks of community college baccalaureate expansion include mission creep at community colleges, counterproductive competition between community colleges and universities, and a decline in the overall quality of a Texas baccalaureate.
• There are already ongoing efforts between community colleges and universities to partner to meet workforce needs.
• More detailed analysis of the full costs of expansion, including indirect costs, is needed to ensure that expansion of baccalaureate programs occurs at the institutions that can meet workforce needs most efficiently.

Recommendations for Processes and Supporting Activities

• Clarify the different types of applied baccalaureate degrees currently available in Texas.
• Clearly define applied science fields.
• Continue to use the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board criteria for program approval.
• Coordinate proposals across institutions when demand is limited or resources are constrained.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to community colleges if expansion of baccalaureates is approved.
• Conduct more empirical analyses of costs, outcomes, and potential mission creep.