(b) A self-study must be performed by the
district to assess whether the proposed branch campus meets the criteria
outlined below. The self-study and the extension center or extension facility
shall be reviewed by a Board-appointed team, a majority of which should be
community college presidents, for the purposes of documenting that it meets the
following standards and criteria for quality instruction and support services,
as required by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools and Coordinating Board rules and regulations:
(1) Role and Mission; Purpose. In its program
aspects, a branch campus shall be equivalent to a public community college.
Therefore, the branch campus must provide:
(A) technical programs up to two years in
length leading to associate degrees or certificates;
(B) vocational programs leading directly to
employment in semi-skilled and skilled occupations;
(C) freshman and sophomore courses in arts
and sciences, including the state-mandated core curriculum;
(D) continuing adult education programs for
occupational or cultural upgrading;
(E) compensatory education programs designed
to fulfill the commitment of an admissions policy allowing enrollment of
disadvantaged students;
(F) a
continuing program of counseling and guidance designed to assist students in
achieving their individual educational goals;
(G) work force development programs designed
to meet local and statewide needs;
(H) adult literacy and other basic skills
programs for adults; and
(I) such
other purposes as may be prescribed by the Coordinating Board or local
governing boards in the best interest of postsecondary education in
Texas.
(2) Programs and
Courses. All courses, programs, and degrees shall be offered in the name of the
parent district, and shall be subject to the following criteria:
(A) Courses and programs must meet the role,
mission, and purposes described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(B) Courses and programs must be developed
and operated with the on-going assistance and involvement of the parent
district faculty and staff.
(C)
Instructional faculty credentials, full-time/part-time faculty ratios, teaching
loads, faculty performance evaluation and effectiveness, student accessibility
to faculty, etc., must be reviewed to ensure that these elements contribute to
the quality of courses and programs offered.
(3) Description of Staffing Plan. There must
be sufficient academic and student support staff to meet the needs of faculty
and students at the branch campus.
(4) Funding.
(A) The branch campus shall be supported
either by means of a branch campus maintenance tax as set forth in Chapter 8,
Subchapter E, of this title (relating to Branch Campus Maintenance Tax), or by
local sources of community and/or economic support.
(B) If a local tax is not levied, local
sources of support must be furnished at a level sufficient to provide adequate
facilities needed at the proposed branch campus location. "Facilities" include
the operation and maintenance of the physical plant including any
rehabilitation and repairs. Local sources of support may be "in
kind."
(C) Appropriate accounts
which comply with generally accepted accounting principles for the branch
campus must be kept and financial reports submitted as required for community
college districts.
(D) State aid
shall be earned according to appropriated formula rates.
(5) Regional Higher Education Council Review
and Certification. The Regional Higher Education Council within which the
proposed branch campus is to be located must review the branch campus request
only if the proposed branch campus is within a shared service area designated
by statute. Member institutions must discuss the proposal with all Councils
affected and the minutes shall reflect the discussions. If appropriate, a
recommendation for approval or disapproval shall be submitted to the
Commissioner, but shall not be binding on the Commissioner or the
Board.
