3. Technical and Workforce Courses
B.3.01 Workforce Educational Program:
The Board shall be authorized and empowered to finance, provide and supervise career and technical courses for students in the System.
B.3.02 Definitions:
"Certificate program" means workforce programs designed for entry-level employment or for upgrading skills and knowledge within an occupation. Certificate programs serve as building blocks and exit points for AAS degree programs.
"Workforce continuing education course" means a course offered for continuing education units with an occupationally specific objective and supported by state funding. A workforce continuing education course differs from a community service course, which is offered for recreational or avocation purposes and is not supported by state funding.
"Workforce education" means technical courses and programs for which semester credit hours are awarded and vocational courses and programs for which continuing education units are awarded. Workforce education courses and programs prepare students for immediate employment or job upgrade within specific occupational categories.
B.3.03 General Provisions:
The System may classify workforce continuing education and other courses as earning semester/quarter credit hours or continuing education units (CEUs) based on THECB rules. Contact hours reported for workforce education courses which result in either credit hours or CEUs shall be eligible for formula funding. A course or program that meets or exceeds 360 hours in length must be approved as a technical certificate program except by special justification and approval by Coordinating Board staff. A course or program that meets or exceeds 780 hours in length must result in the award of appropriate semester/quarter credit hours and be applicable to a certificate or an applied associate degree program.
B.3.04 Approval of Programs:
In accordance with the Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE) as approved by the Coordinating Board, if the System wishes to offer a new certificate or applied associate degree program it must meet the following requirements:
a. Completed application forms and a statement of assurances must be approved by the Board and the Chancellor, and then forwarded to the Coordinating Board's Community and Technical Colleges Division.
b. The statement of assurances must certify that the Coordinating Board's criteria for new programs have been met.
B.3.05 Review Process:
Once the program requirements have been met, the Coordinating Board staff may schedule the program for formal program review. This review process shall be conducted by representatives from the System, the Coordinating Board staff, and other appropriate agencies and institutions of higher education.
B.3.06 Procedures to Revise Program:
If the System wishes to revise an existing certificate or applied associate degree program, it must complete the procedures as outlined in the Coordinating Board-approved Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE), as follows:
a. All programs must be under the direction of an administrator having appropriate authority to ensure that quality is maintained, and that programs are conducted in compliance with all applicable laws and rules. Administrative officers must possess credentials, work experience, and/or demonstrated competence appropriate to their areas of responsibility, as specified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ("SACS").
b. Faculty and staff must be approved by the post-secondary institution. Each individual must meet the minimum qualifications established by the Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS).
LSCS Policy Manual Section adopted by the Board of Trustees on August 7, 2008