Section 2 CORE REQUIREMENTS

Trinity Valley Community College was founded by a group of Athens civic leaders in 1946.  Since that time, TVCC has grown to serve Henderson, Anderson, Kaufman, Rains, and portions of Van Zandt counties as well as the state correctional facilities near Tennessee Colony in Anderson County.  The College’s Board of Trustees, the State of Texas, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board have granted the TVCC Board the authority to grant the Associate of Arts degree, the Associate of Science degree, the Associate of Applied Science degree, and Certificates of Completion.  The degree granting authority is governed by the rules and regulations outlined in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Rules (Chapter 9; Degree Granting Authority (Section 9.181, Section 9.182), which specify the structure of academic degree programs in public community colleges. Section 9.182 describes the authority given to the Coordinating Board to implement regulations and policies and establish rules for postsecondary programs granting associate degrees and certificates in Texas. Texas Education Code 130.151, Subchapter I: Educational Opportunities for Disadvantaged Students describes this specific authority of TVCC to offer educational programs, and Texas Education Code 130.161, Subchapter J: Junior College District Service Areas describes our approved service area.

The College was first accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1952 and was last reaffirmed for accreditation in 1996 to award the Associate of Arts degree, Associate of Science degree, and Associate of Applied Science degree. Currently, TVCC does not award the Associate of Science degree.

DOCUMENTATION:

2.2. The institution has a governing board of at least five members that is the legal body with specific authority over the institution. The board is an active policy-making body for the institution and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting members of the board have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.   A military institution authorized and operated by the federal government to award degrees has a public board in which neither the presiding officer nor a majority of the other members are civilian employees of the military or active/retired military. The board has broad and significant influence upon the institution's programs and operations, plays an active role in policy-making, and ensures that the financial resources of the institution are used to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from the board except as specified by the authorizing legislation. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting board members have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution. (Governing Board)

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NARRATIVE:

Trinity Valley Community College is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees that is elected from single member districts as specified in TVCC Board Policy BBB (Legal) under the topic “Number and Term” in the Board Policy Manual. The current Board of Trustees are listed in the TVCC Catalog (p. 10). TVCC Board Policy BA (Legal) states, "The Board is a body corporate and has the exclusive power to manage and govern the College District.” The Board is an active policy making body as specified in TVCC Board Policies BAA (Legal), BBE (Local), and BE (Local) under the headings “Governance,” “Board Authority,” and “Policy and Bylaw Development,” respectively. Further evidence that the Board adopts policy is contained in the TVCC Board Minutes (June 27, 2005, item 9) and TVCC Board Minutes (July 25, 2005, item 5) that indicate board adoption of the proposed policy changes and proposed new policies.

The Board is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of TVCC are adequate to provide sound educational programs. To accomplish this, the Board has the authority to levy and collect taxes, approve the annual institutional budget, and fix and collect rental, rates, charges, or fees from students and others. This authority is specified in TVCC Board Policy BAA (Legal) under the headings "Assessing and Collecting,” "Annual Budget," and “Rental, Rates, and Charges.” Item 24 of TVCC Board Policy BAA (Legal) also states that the board shall “[a]ct as a fiduciary in the management of funds under the control of the institutions subject to the Board's control and management.”

The Board is not controlled by a minority of Board members or by organizations or separate interests. TVCC Board Policy BBE (Local), under the headings “Transacting Business” and "Individual Authority for Committing the Board" requires that "official Board action shall be taken only in meetings that comply with the Open Meetings Act.  The affirmative vote of a majority of all Board members shall be required to transact business."  The scope of individual authority of Board members is described within the same policy under the heading “Individual Authority for Committing the Board," which states that individual board members "shall not exercise authority over the District, its property, or its employees."  Item 6 of TVCC Board Policy BBF (Local) describes the responsibilities of a Board member and states that members are to “render all decisions based on the available facts and . . . independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups.” 

Neither Board members, including the presiding officer of the Board, nor their family members have contractual, employment, or personal or financial interests in the College. Item 6 (p. 5) of TVCC Board Policy BBFA (Legal) specifically prohibits employment of or contracting with relatives of a Board member related within the third degree by blood and the second degree by marriage.  Furthermore, a TVCC employee may not serve as a member of the Board of the college at which he is employed [TVCC  Board Policy DBD (Legal); Employment Requirements and Restrictions; Holding Public Office].  TVCC is also prohibited from contracting with a Board member for one year following the date the individual ceases to be a member of the Board of Trustees [TVCC  Board Policy DC (Legal); Hiring Practices, "Trustee Employment"].

DOCUMENTATION:

2.3 The institution has a chief executive officer whose primary responsibility is to the institution and who is not the presiding officer of the board. (Chief Executive Officer)  

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NARRATIVE:

The president of Trinity Valley Community College, Ronald C. "Ron" Baugh, serves as the chief executive officer and has primary responsibility to the College as specified in the "Qualification and Duties" enumerated in TVCC Board Policy BFA (Local). He has served as president of TVCC since he was appointed to that position on August 31, 1987.

The Board of Trustees is presided over by the president of the Board, Mr. Bob J. McDonald, as required in TVCC Board Policy BCAB (Legal).  TVCC Board Policy DBD (Legal), under the heading “Holding Public Office," prohibits the college president from serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. The minutes of the Board of Trustees reflect that the president is not the presiding officer of the Board (TVCC Board Meeting Minutes). The TVCC Organizational Chart delineates the reporting relationship between the Board of Trustees and the president.

DOCUMENTATION:

2.4 The institution has a clearly defined and published mission statement specific to the institution and appropriate to an institution of higher education, addressing teaching and learning and, where applicable, research and public service. (Institutional Mission)

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NARRATIVE:

Trinity Valley Community College's mission statement is as follows: 

To assist the public in better understanding our mission, TVCC has developed its Statement of Purpose which aids in demonstrating that teaching and learning are important parts of the College's mission. The mission and purpose statements are published in the TVCC Catalog (p. 11).The mission statement and purpose statement were last reviewed, amended, and approved by the Board of Trustees at the April 25, 2005 meeting as evidenced in Item 10 of the minutes (TVCC Board Minutes, April 25, 2005). The process of this revision is documented on the Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Website, Mission Revision.

DOCUMENTATION

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NARRATIVE:

Trinity Valley Community College has ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and assessment process which involve faculty, staff and administrators and result in the enhancement of the College’s ability to achieve its mission. Through an annual strategic planning process, the College's human, physical, and fiscal resources are organized to carry out the mission of the College. TVCC's strategic planning activities occur at all levels of the College, providing for participation of faculty, administration, and staff in determining program directions, establishing desired outcomes, and shaping College goals. The planning process links administrative outcomes and learning outcomes with College goals.

Strategic Planning Processes & Accomplishment of the Mission:

TVCC Board Policy BI (Local) describes the planning and institutional effectiveness proccess as "a long-term, future-oriented process of goal-setting, assessment, decision-making, and action that maps an explicit path between the present and a vision of the future that relies on careful consideration of an organization's capabilities and environment and leads to priority-based resource allocation." To facilitate this process, TVCC has developed an integrated system that allows for multiple sources of feedback from College stakeholders. The initial component of this process involves the Strategic Planning Committee, which is charged with advising the administration on the effectiveness of the College. This body recommends a preferred vision for TVCC that has measurable outcomes so that progress can be monitored, provides a formal annual evaluation of progress toward the accomplishment of strategic planning goals, and serves as a liaison with campus stakeholders for the continuous assessment of the strategic plan. As an advisory body, the Committee recommends changes in College goals and/or priorities. At least once every four years the Committee reworks the strategic plan for recommendation to the Committee on College Planning, the president, and the Board of Trustees.

Analysis of progress on the strategic plan was discussed during the College's annual Administrative Retreat for members of the Committee on College Planning (Committee on College Planning Minutes, April 7-8, 2005 and Committee on College Planning Minutes, July 7, 2005 ). See Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1 for a detailed description of this process. The Strategic Planning Committee has been active this past year revising the strategic plan. The activities of the Committee are contained in the Strategic Planning Committee minutes and on the Strategic Plan Website. As a result of their work, a draft of the strategic plan will be submitted to the TVCC Board of Trustees later this spring (2007-2010 Strategic Plan Draft). This plan was revised after careful consideration of the College's mission, which was approved in April 2005 [TVCC Board Minutes (April 25, 2005)]. The College's mission as a learning-centered community college is embedded in the revision of the strategic plan, the processes for annual planning and institutional effectiveness, and in the implementation of the College's day-to-day activities.

Implementation of the strategic plan begins with the administration.  Each spring, the Committee on College Planning, which includes 11 deans, three vice presidents, the president, selected directors, and the administrative intern take part in an administrative retreat held at an off-campus location. The group spends two days reviewing current needs of the College and making plans for future activities. In the fall, a one-day retreat is held at one of the four campus locations where current topics are discussed.  During these intensive fall planning sessions, the president, vice presidents, deans, and a cross-section of professional staff members discuss, decide, and make plans for improvement in all areas of campus life.

Administrative and academic planning units establish goals for college-wide planning through the annual institutional effectiveness, planning, and budgeting processes described below. Prior to the 2005-2006 academic year, the annual planning process involved the creation, use, and assessment of goals and objectives by all administrative and academic planning units. These plans include the desired objective, assessment criteria, an assignment of responsibility, timeline, and resources, as well as a link to the appropriate TVCC goal. As an example, view these documents for the Health Science Center, 2004-2005 (administrative planning unit) and Surgical Technology, 2004-2005 (academic planning unit). The Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Website includes a copy of these plans dating back to the 2002-2003 academic year. For further description of these processes and documentation of TVCC's practices, See Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1.

Improvement of the Planning Process

To further highlight TVCC's desire to improve, the College conducted an informal analysis of its needs in order to mature its planning and institutional effectiveness processes. The process was changed to encompass a more complex understanding of student learning as a key component of the annual planning process. The dean of planning and institutional effectiveness facilitated informal campus-wide discussions regarding the administrative and academic planning needs of TVCC. These discussions centered around the need for the College to elevate its level of understanding regarding learning outcomes. Key linkages between the planning process, the budgeting cycles, and instructional cycles led the dean of planning and institutional effectiveness to recommend a system that separated administrative and academic outcome processes formally and through the language used to describe each [Committee on College Planning Minutes (April 2005)]. The formal recognition of student learning outcomes led to the creation of Learning Outcomes Enhancement Annual Plans (LEAPs), a name developed to emphasize learning outcomes and set it apart from administrative outcomes.

Administrative outcomes include, and are very similar to, what was formerly called goals and objectives. Administrative Outcomes were aligned with the budgeting process and linked to overall strategic planning goals in a similar way as goals and objectives had been in prior years. (ex. Administrative Outcome, Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, see item 7).

Linking Planning to the Budget

Administrative outcomes are considered at the time of budget construction through the recommendation of the vice president of fiscal affairs (Budget Letter from Vice President of Fiscal Services, February 20, 2006), and the dean of planning and institutional effectiveness (Budget Letter from Dean of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, March 6, 2006). Initial budget requests are due in April, and budgets are considered throughout the summer [see Comprehensive Standard 2.11(c) for a discussion of budgeting processes]. On June 15th of each year, all administrative planning units submit administrative outcomes, which include formal delineation of operational, equipment, or personnel budget requirements for each outcome (ex. Administrative Outcome, Division of Business, see items 8, 9, & 10 ). Realizing that the budgeting process is a true process, administrative outcomes for the upcoming academic year may be revised through September 15th in the event that the approved budget is greater or less than the requested budget. This process is in line with TVCC Board Policies BI (Local) and BIA (Legal).

Institutional Research and Assessment

The office of planning and institutional effectiveness provides a comprehensive evaluation program that includes the initiation, design, and implementation of assessment activities. Such activities include conducting workshops for learning outcomes enhancement, facilitating the development of administrative outcomes and learning outcomes, designing and administering numerous paper and web-based surveys to faculty, staff, and students (Institutional Research Surveys Website), and coordinating the student evaluation of courses and instructors.  The surveys gather information about perceptions, opinions, and needs of those being surveyed. Additional information regarding the institutional research activities of the College may be viewed on the Planning and Institutional Effectiveness Website and the Instituional Research Website. Further discussion of Institutional Research is included in Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1.

DOCUMENTATION:

2.6 The institution is in operation and has students enrolled in degree programs. (Continuous Operation)

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NARRATIVE:

Trinity Valley Community College is currently in operation and has been in continuous operation since 1946.  The College began operation with 256 students enrolled in the summer semester of 1946.  In the fall of 2005, 5,660 students were enrolled. TVCC was first accredited in 1952, with the latest reaffirmation of accreditation occurring in 1996 (SACS Accreditation Status).

In the 2003-2004 academic year, 5,794 students were enrolled in degree programs leading to an Associate of Arts degree,  1,767 students declared a major leading to the Associate of Applied Science degree, and 1,575 students were enrolled in certificate programs (THECB 2005 Academic Data Profile). In the same academic year, 385 graduates received Associate of Arts degrees, 145 graduates received Associate of Applied Science degrees, and 762 students received Certificates of Completion. For information on enrollment and graduates from each of these programs by CIP code, see the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Annual Data Profile and the TVCC Fact Book.

DOCUMENTATION:

2.7.1 The institution offers one or more degree programs based on at least 60 semester credit hours or the equivalent at the associate level. The institution provides a written justification and rationale for program equivalency. (Program Length)

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NARRATIVE:

Trinity Valley Community College awards the Associate of Arts degree, the Associate of Applied Science degree, and Certificates of Completion (SACS Accreditation Status).  The requirements for each degree are listed on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Degree and Program Inventory are based on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Rules (Chapter 4; Rules Applying to All Public Institutions of Higher Education in Texas, Subchapter A; General Provisions). The TVCC Catalog (pp. 64-74) and the TDCJ Guidebook (pp.13-20) provide details of TVCC programs. The TVCC Catalog is the guiding document for policies and procedures that has been approved by the TVCC Board of Trustees.

The university transfer curricula leading to an Associate of Arts degree are designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university.  There are 28 areas of emphasis for the Associate of Arts degree.  These areas of emphasis have a range of 64 to 72 semester hours in each suggested degree plan. The degree plans are only a suggested pathway to assist students in their preparation for some of the most common baccalaureate programs but are not designed for transfer to any particular college or university.  However, the Associate of Arts degree allows flexibility to design a plan for a specific receiving college or university. 

Two Associate of Arts degree plans, the Associate of Arts in Music and the Associate of Arts in Teaching, meet the Field of Study requirements approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.  The Fields of Study, as designated by the Coordinating Board, are blocks of courses that transfer in total to a Texas public university [TVCC Catalog (p. 77); AA in Teaching Field of Study and TVCC Catalog (pp. 84-86); AA in Music Field of Study].  The Field of Study block must be accepted by the receiving institution as that institution’s lower division requirements for the particular Field of Study program.

To receive the Associate of Arts degree, the student must complete a minimum of 64 semester hours of credit, including 44 hours of core curriculum courses.  The content of the core curriculum is based upon guidelines established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.  TVCC's core curriculum includes courses in the following areas:  communication, mathematics, natural science, humanities and visual and performing arts, social and behavioral sciences, and computer science (a locally designated option) [THECB Core Components and Related Exemplary Education Objectives].

Students seeking an Associate of Arts degree must meet specific degree requirements, including (a) completing a minimum of 18 hours in residence prior to graduation, (b) completing the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements, and (c) having at least a 2.0 grade point average on all courses attempted to graduate.  The TSI is a college-readiness program mandated by Texas legislation that requires all students enrolling in public higher education in Texas to be tested for placement in appropriate college-level course work and to complete a remediation program in cases where deficiencies are identified in reading, writing, or mathematics [TVCC Board Policy EI (Legal), TVCC Catalog (p. 22)].  

There are 13 majors in workforce education in which a student can earn the Associate of Applied Science degree (TVCC Catalog (pp. 92-121). The Associate of Applied Science degree requires the student to complete 64 to 71 semester credit hours (depending upon the program), a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in a major field, and at least 15 semester credit hours in general education from the designated core curriculum (AAS General Education Curriculum). This requirement specifies that the student complete at least one course from each of the following areas: humanities and visual and performing arts, social and behavioral sciences, and mathematics/natural sciences.  In addition, the student must complete the Texas Success Initiative requirements, have at least a 2.0 grade point average in all courses attempted, and complete a minimum of 18 hours in residence prior to graduation.

Trinity Valley Community college provides 40 Certificate of Completion programs including nine at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. [TVCC Catalog (pp. 92-121), TDCJ Guidebook (pp. 21-31)]. To earn the Certificate of Completion, the student must complete a prescribed curriculum between 16 and 58 hours, have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in courses to be applied to the certificate, and in select programs, complete the Texas Success Initiative requirements [TVCC Catalog, (p. 22)]. 

The justification and rationale for program equivalency are included in the TVCC Catalog (pp. 24-27).  A more thorough description of these policies and procedures is available in Comprehensive Standard 3.4.1.  

DOCUMENTATION:

2.7.2 The institution offers degree programs that embody a coherent course of study that is compatible with its stated purpose and is based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education. (Program Content)

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NARRATIVE:

The mission statement for Trinity Valley Community College emphasizes the importance TVCC places on the quality of its educational programs. 

TVCC's mission statement is as follows: 

Trinity Valley Community College is a learning-centered college that provides quality academic, workforce, and community service programs to meet the educational needs of our students and the citizens of our service area [TVCC Catalog (p. 11)]. 

TVCC's Statement of Purpose conveys the College's commitment to prepare students for transfer to upper-level institutions or to prepare students for employment in the workforce [TVCC Catalog (p.11)].  TVCC's Goals 5 and 6 also address this commitment to prepare students for earning advanced degrees or to successfully enter the workforce [TVCC Catalog (pp.11-12)]. The College has a variety of curricular pathways that lead to the intended outcomes of these two goals, with Associate of Arts degrees leading to transfer and Associate of Applied Science degrees leading to employment.  Curricular selections, course development, and program pathways are based on the guidelines published in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual and the Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education.  All programs that TVCC has developed are aligned with the College mission as an open-door community college. Each program is based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education.

The Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) includes the official list of academic transfer courses that can be offered by public community colleges for state funding.  The Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS), identified in the ACGM, facilitates the transfer of lower-division courses among Texas community colleges and universities.  All courses are assigned a TCCNS number prior to being included in the ACGM. Institutions approved to offer transfer programs are authorized to offer courses and programs that conform to the guidelines without seeking further approval from the Coordinating Board.  Courses are listed alphabetically by discipline within the ACGM.  Further instructions on how to use the ACGM are located in How to Read and Use the ACGM (p. 2).

Courses in the Associate of Arts degree and Associate of Applied Science degree plans are sequentially placed in a continuum to develop skills and a knowledge base to succeed at each level of progression through the degrees' specified curriculum [TVCC Catalog (pp. 75-121);TDCJ Guidebook (pp.13-20)]. Of the 64 hours required to earn the Associate of Arts degree at TVCC, 44 hours must consist of required core curriculum courses [TVCC Catalog (p.64-65);TDCJ Guidebook (pp 13-14)].  Every public institution of higher education in Texas is required by legislative mandate to adopt a core curriculum consisting of a minimum of 42 hours.  Each institution’s undergraduate core curriculum must be approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. If a student completes the approved core curriculum courses at a public Texas institution of higher education, the courses transfer as a block and must be accepted as the core curriculum of the receiving Texas public institution. The courses in TVCC’s core curriculum are designed to provide students with competencies in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, critical thinking, and computer literacy.  

In addition to the 44-hour core curriculum requirement, each program of emphasis leading to the Associate of Arts degree includes suggested courses that complete the 64 hour requirement for graduation. These recommended courses are selected specifically to give the student a foundation for the area of emphasis the student has chosen. However, the student has the option of selecting alternative credit courses instead of the designated courses. Optional courses can be applied toward the completion of the Associate of Arts degree. An example of a recommended Associate of Arts degree with suggested courses and six hours of electives is the history and government program of study in the TVCC Catalog (p. 83; Example of Electives).

Developmental courses are available for students who are required to participate in remedial reading, writing, or math, based on their scores on a Texas Success Initiative approved test [TVCC Catalog (p. 22)].  These students are not permitted to enroll in designated courses until they have completed the prescribed remediation [TVCC Catalog (pp. 29-30); TDCJ Guidebook (p. 9)].  Developmental courses prepare students to progress to college-level courses.

Course sequence in the recommended areas of emphasis for the Associate of Arts degree follows a progression that prepares the student to proceed from one semester to the next.  Courses that require prerequisites are included in the semesters following the required courses.  The recommended liberal arts emphasis is an example of a coherent course of study.   English 1301 and Math 1314 are courses suggested in the first semester of the liberal arts degree.  These courses are prerequisites for English 1302 and Math 1342, respectively, which are listed in the second semester's requirements.  This curriculum also suggests History 1301 in the first semester of study, while English 1302 is suggested for the second semester. Courses recommended for the third and fourth semesters often require students to have sophomore standing or to have completed prerequisite courses prior to enrolling [TVCC Catalog (p.75)].

Statutory requirements authorize Texas public institutions to offer Fields of Study curricula. TVCC offers two Fields of Study, including teaching and music.  If a student completes the Field of Study curriculum approved by the Coordinating Board, a receiving public institution in Texas must accept the block of courses.  The receiving institution must substitute the block of courses for its lower-division requirements toward the Field of Study degree program into which the student transfers [Academic Course Guide Manual (4.22; 4.23; 4.24; 4.25); TVCC Catalog (p. 77); TVCC Catalog (pp. 84-86)].

TVCC has a Graduate Guarantee Policy that assures Associate of Arts graduates that courses and degrees successfully completed with a grade acceptable to the receiving institution will transfer to a public Texas institution in fulfillment of the lower-division requirements for the Bachelor’s degree.  Graduates must meet all conditions of the Graduate Guarantee Policy as described in the TVCC Catalog (pp. 67-69) to be eligible for benefits under this policy. 

Public universities in the state of Texas must accept course credit from another Texas institution based upon the guidelines established in the ACGM (p. 197-201) and the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS Website). The Resolution of Transfer Disputes for Lower-Division Courses provides an appeal procedure if a Texas public institution of higher education refuses to accept course credit from another Texas public institution of higher education [TVCC Catalog (p.73)].

Workforce Education Programs

Workforce education programs offered at public higher education institutions in Texas must follow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Guidelines for Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE) Manual. The GIPWE (Chapter 3, p. 2), includes guidelines for developing credit and non-credit courses and programs and specifically charges institutions to ensure that each workforce education program “consists of a coherent sequence of courses designed to prepare students for employment in a career field.”

The Associate of Applied Science degree is awarded upon the completion of the prescribed curriculum as outlined in the TVCC Catalog. Substitutions may be made for the prescribed major courses, but the student is required to take a minimum of 15 hours of general education courses and 12 hours of courses in a major field. Some AAS degrees include an optional elective of the student’s choice. Certificate programs have designated clusters of approved electives from which the student must choose. The Certificate in Legal Assistant Technology [TVCC Catalog (p. 98)] is an example of a program that has designated electives.

Each degree program in workforce education leading to the Associate of Applied Science degree is approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board prior to program implementation [THECB Rules (Chapter 4, p. 3)]. To obtain approval, the institution must document regional workforce demand and provide an enrollment management plan. Additionally, the institution must ensure the curriculum includes basic workforce competencies and that all applicable SACS requirements are incorporated.  The approval process requires verification of adequate funding and an institutional effectiveness plan for any programs that are not meeting Coordinating Board standards. 

The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program and the Vocational Nursing program incorporate curriculum topics and experiences required by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas. The ADN program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and adheres to the principles of the NLNAC Standards.  The Surgical Technology program, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology, incorporates requirements specified by this Commission.  The Emergency Medical Services curriculum follows guidelines set forth by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Certified Nurse Aide training curriculum follows the guidelines of the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services. 

Associate of Applied Science degree and Certificate graduates are guaranteed they will achieve the competencies identified for their specific workforce education program. Graduates must meet all conditions of the Graduate Guarantee Policy as described in the TVCC Catalog (pp. 67-69) to be eligible for benefits under this policy. 

Distance Learning

TVCC utilizes a variety of distance learning options for students, including distance learning instruction provided by TVCC instructors via the Internet, interactive television, or telecourses. Additionally, students may take core courses, required courses, or electives through the Virtual College of Texas (VCT).  The Virtual College of Texas, using the provider-host model, provides access to a variety of courses if local institutions are unable to offer specific courses to their students (VCT Website, VCT Memorandum of Understanding, VCT Form). Access to VCT r