Texas State Technical College Harlingen offers 32 Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree awards based on at least 60 semester credit hours [Ref 1]. No Associate of Arts degree awards are offered.
The TSTC Harlingen administrator primarily responsible for Core Requirements 2.7.1 is the Vice President for Student Learning, Pat Hobbs [Ref 2]. The instructional staff member reporting to the Vice President for Student Learning also associated with responsibilities for this Principle is the Curriculum Coordinator.
TSTC Harlingen COP 3.20, Application and Approval of New Technical Programs [Ref 3], states that all programs awarding the Associate of Applied Science degree must be developed "in compliance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board THECB) guidelines and institutional standards." The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's publication, Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE) [Ref 4], requires that "AAS degrees must be limited to a total of 60-72 semester credit hours." The 2002-2004 College Catalog outlines a course sequence for each of the Associate of Applied Science degree programs offered [Ref 5]. Each degree program outlines the total semester credit hours and total clock hours required for program completion. The credits for each AAS degree program range from 68 to 72 hours.
As stated in COP 3.78, Curriculum Committee [Ref 6], all degree programs are reviewed for compliance with SACS and THECB guidelines by the college's Curriculum Committee during the process of approval. The President, the Chancellor, the Board of Regents, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board then approve new programs.
Except for a very small number of local needs or special topics courses approved individually by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, TSTC Harlingen workforce education courses in technical program curricula are found in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM). This manual provides the course description, learning outcomes, and length of all state-approved workforce courses available for state funding under the state's common course numbering system. This system ensures transferability of course credits among all public community and technical colleges, thus regulating program equivalency among Texas public institutions.
All general education courses are taught from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) to ensure program equivalency in the general education core component of each technical program.
TSTC Harlingen's policy on program equivalency is to award academic credit for transfer and substituted courses as outlined in COP 3.61, Transfer and Substitution [Ref 7], for credit by examination as outlined in COP 3.64, Awarding Credit by Examination [Ref 8], for credit earned in the Armed Forces and Services schools as outlined in COP 3.63, Credit Assignment for Armed Forces and Services Schools [Ref 9], by articulation in COP 3.62, Articulation Credit [Ref 10] and for continuing education hours as outlined in COP 3.38, Substitution of Continuing Education Courses for Courses Taken for Credit [Ref 11].
