Texas State Technical College Harlingen offers continuing education instruction, conducts outreach activities, and provides service programs that are consistent with the institution's mission.
The TSTC Harlingen administrator primarily responsible for Comprehensive Standards-Educational Programs 3.4.2 is the Vice President for Student Learning, Pat Hobbs [Ref 1]. Instructional administrative staff reporting to the Vice President for Student Learning also associated with continuing education and outreach responsibilities for this Principle includes the Associate Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development, Stephen Vassberg, the Director of Continuing Education Hector Pena, and the Director of Special Projects, Javier de Leon. Faculty, staff and students at TSTC Harlingen are involved in the delivery of community service projects.
Mission
The continuing education, outreach, and service programs are consistent with the TSTC mission [Ref 2], which states that TSTC "shall contribute to the educational and economic development of the State of Texas .... through close collaboration with business, industry, governmental agencies and communities..." This extracted statement from the Mission Statement summarizes the philosophy and intent of TSTC to be responsive to the economic and training needs of the state through its continuing education, outreach, and service programs.
Continuing Education
TSTC Harlingen offers continuing education (CE) courses to respond to the needs of the general public, business and industry, and external agencies.
CE courses are designed to provide entry-level or upgraded skill training in a wide variety of technologies. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded in accordance with TSTC policy [Ref 3], the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) [Ref 4] and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board guidelines [Ref 5]. The Office of Continuing Education [Ref 6] is responsible for the development and offering of continuing education courses and activities, including online continuing education courses. For a list of these courses, see [Ref 7].
Contract training classes are provided for business and industry to meet a particular need to train new or incumbent workers. These classes are coordinated through the Coordinator of Contract Training.
Apprenticeship-related instruction [Ref 8] is also provided by the TSTC Economic and Workforce Development Division for carpenters, plumbers, electricians, firefighters, pipe fitters, plastic process technicians, industrial maintenance technicians, and industrial maintenance technicians for local apprenticeship and training committees. These courses are coordinated through the Coordinator of Industrial Training.
The assessment of continuing education and contract courses [Ref 9] is conducted by the Director of Continuing Education and the Coordinator of Industrial Training. The most recent report of results is found in [Ref 10]. The summary of improvements brought about by assessment is found in [Ref 11].
Outreach
Outreach activities at TSTC Harlingen are conducted through a variety of grant-sponsored programs. The Educational Outreach Center (EOC) program is funded to make contact with 1,000 adults who are in need of services to enter higher education and who are first-time-in-college students. The Upward Bound program serves 50 at-risk, disadvantaged, and first-time-in-college high school students with advisement, tutoring, and other activities that will enable them to enter higher education after finishing school. Outreach activities are also conducted by the Office of Special Projects, the High School Equivalency Program (HEP), College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), and Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM) program to recruit and identify potential students who can benefit by entering TSTC regular or non-credit programs and activities. See [Ref 12] for additional information about TSTC Harlingen outreach programs.
The Special Projects Departmental Assessment Plan is found in [Ref 13]. The report of results is found in [Ref 14], and the summary of improvments brought about by assessment is found in [Ref 15].
The Upward Bound Departmental Assessment Plan is found in [Ref 16]. The department has not been in existence long enough to have data to report. The Educational Outreach Center (EOC) Assessment Plan is found in [Ref 17]. The EOC report of results is found in [Ref 18].
Service
TSTC Harlingen provides a number of programs and activities that contribute to the mission of the college by providing specialized instructional and student support services. The TSTC Special Projects Office assists with student financial aid and special programs for disadvantaged persons or displaced workers who qualify under Workforce Investment Act (WIA) guidelines. WIA-sponsored students enroll in regular college, work towards learning English, or study to obtain their General Equivalency Diploma (GED) in the TEAM program. The TEAM program provides ESL, basic skills, and GED preparation classes for those persons who lost their jobs as defined in the Trade Adjustment Act or North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). HEP provides classes for migrants and farm workers who dropped out of school prior to graduation. Farm workers and migrants who are first-time-in-college students are provided counseling, tutoring, and other support services through CAMP.
TSTC Harlingen faculty, staff, and students are also involved in a wide range of community service activities. Results of a Community Involvement questionnaire completed in 2003 reflect the wide variety of service commitments among the TSTC Harlingen faculty and staff [Ref 19].
The report Departmental Community Service Projects describes the many service projects undertaken by TSTC Harlingen student clubs in 2002-3 [Ref 20].
