New Program Request Form for

Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees 3/31/08

Page 28

New Program Request Form for Bachelor and Master’s Degrees

Directions: An institution shall use this form to propose a new bachelor’s or master’s degree program. In completing the form, the institution should refer to the document Standards for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs, which prescribes specific requirements for new degree programs. Note: This form requires signatures of (1) the Chief Executive Officer, certifying adequacy of funding for the new program; (2) a member of the Board of Regents (or designee), certifying Board approval, and (3) if applicable, a member of the Board of Regents or (designee), certifying that criteria have been met for staff-level approval. Note: An institution which does not have preliminary authority for the proposed program shall submit a separate request for preliminary authority. That request shall address criteria set in Coordinating Board rules Section 5.24 (a).
Information: Contact the Division of Academic Affairs and Research at 512/427-6200 for more information.
Administrative Information
1. Institution: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
2. Program Name – Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
3. Proposed CIP Code: 30.9999.40
4. Brief Program Description
The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) builds on knowledge and skills students with formal training in a vocational-technical studies area from accredited institutions and/or graduates of an Associate in Applied Science program* have acquired. The program consists of three components: first, the transfer of vocational/technical credit hours (maximum of 33 hours); second, the completion of the University Core Curriculum Program (45 hours); and third, the completion of a professional core (18-27 hours), which affords both academic and professional depth to individuals who possess recognized competence in an occupational or technical field. Students will select one from among eleven different tracks to enhance their career goals. These tracks include Applied Leadership, Child Development/ Early Childhood Education, Community and Mental Health, Criminal Justice, Digital Information Mapping, Emergency Response, Environmental and Occupational Safety, Industrial Electronics and Manufacturing, Information Technology, Legal Studies, and Technical Communication.
Students with a BAAS degree will
·  demonstrate an understanding of concepts and community-accepted practices relevant to each track;
·  demonstrate teamwork and communication skills to develop successful careers in their fields;
·  demonstrate professional and ethical awareness in the practices of their fields.
* or other applied associate degree program from an accredited institution
5. Administrative Unit
The College of Liberal Arts is the lead administrative unit for the program. There will be a council with representation from all involved colleges.
6. Proposed Implementation Date – Fall 2008
7. Contact Person
Name: Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak
Title: Professor of English and Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts
E-mail:
Phone: 361-825-5990

Program Information

I. Need

A. Job Market Need –This degree does not coincide with a single job market. The request is based instead first on local and regional (private and public) employers’ increasing need for qualified workers holding bachelor’s degrees. This need is both short-term, as large employers such as CHRISTUS Spohn Hospitals, Tor Minerals, and the Corpus Christi Army Depot have already begun to require additional qualifications, and long-term, as other employers, as well as state and federal agencies are considering similar moves. Secondly, the degree is designed to meet the needs of current employees to advance their careers and of students in Associate in Applied Science degree programs (or other applied associate degree programs) to gain additional qualifications in their chosen field without the significant loss of credit that usually accompanies the transfer to a traditional bachelor’s program.

Applied Leadership

This track is designed for employees in any field who seek to advance their careers by taking on supervisory positions and for those whose employers ask for additional qualifications.

Large employers such as CHRISTUS Spohn Hospitals require that by 2008, all physical plant workers have associate’s degrees, and professional employees/ managers have bachelor’s degrees (source: Director of Education, Spohn Hospitals). Other employers who have a demand for graduates of this track include Citgo Refining, Corpus Christi Army Depot, Texas Department of Transportation, City of Corpus Christi, AEP, APAC, Flint Hills Refining, Corpus Christi Airport, Frost Bank, IBC Bank, American Bank, First Commerce Bank, Driscoll Children's Hospital, Nueces County, Omni Hotel, Holiday Inn, Cingular, The Blood Bank, Coca Cola, Stripes/ Circle K, Susser Corporations, Frito Lay, and Sikorsky Aircraft.

Child Development

This track is designed for graduates of Applied Arts and Science programs in Child Development, as well as child care providers who seek additional qualifications.

Federally-and state-funded programs such as Head Start await legislation in 2008 that at least 50% of their employees must hold bachelor’s degrees (see www.acf.hhs.gov and www.nhsa.org; sources: Director of Driscoll Children’s Hospital Learning Center, Director of Nueces County Community Action Agency Head Start Program, and Interim Superintendent, Corpus Christi State School).

Community and Mental Health

This track is designed for graduates of the Addiction Option/Human Services or the Intergenerational/Human services degrees and others who seek entry level positions in social services agencies such as Child Protective Services or Child/Elderly care facilities.

Local employment opportunities include: American Red Cross; Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi; Charles McKenzie HCS; Charlie’s Place; Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation; Communities in Schools; Corpus Christi ISD, Special Education Services; Corpus Christi ISD Adult Learning Center; Corpus Christi Metro Ministries; Corpus Christi State School; Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Family Outreach; Family Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Center of South Texas (Women’s Shelter); Head Start, Nueces County Community Action Agency; Nueces County Juvenile Justice Center; Nueces County Mental Health and Mental Retardation; Palmer Drug Abuse Program; Paramount Therapy Center; Planned Parenthood; reality Ranch; Senior Community Services, Corpus Christi; Shoreline, Inc.; S.T.A.R.S. South Texas Substance Abuse Recovery Services; Texas Department of Family and Protective Services; Community Services/Inland Parks; Nueces County Department of Human Services; Bokencamp Children’s Center.

Criminal Justice

This track is designed for graduates of associate’s programs in law enforcement or corrections.

Local employment opportunities include: peace officer, corrections officer, detention counselor, probation officer, corrections officer, game warden, attendance officer, probation officer, corrections officer, claims investigator, fraud investigator, and intake officer.

Employers include: Corpus Christi and other police departments, Nueces and other counties’ Sheriff’s departments, Nueces and other counties’ constables, Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, Texas Department of Public Safety, Corpus Christi and other independent school districts, Nueces and other counties’ Juvenile Justice Centers, Nueces and other counties’ community Supervision and Corrections Departments, Crime Victims Services, The Women’s Shelter, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Planned Parenthood, private security companies such as Allied Barton Security Services or Crowne Solutions, insurance companies, Texas Youth Commission.

Digital Information Mapping

This track prepares students for a variety of careers in land surveying, geographic information systems, and hydrographic and digital mapping and will provide classes acceptable by the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying (TBPLS) for credit toward the requirement to take the state board exam.

In 2003, the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, administered by the Department of Labor, identified geospatial technology as one of the 12-14 growing sectors of the economy (see www.doleta.gove/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/)

A job ad survey demonstrates that companies that will hire graduates in this track include Digital Mapping Services and Frontier Surveying, San Patricio Municipal Water District, American Electric Power Company, Edminster, Hinshaw, Russ and Associates, Corpus Christi and other locations; Advanced Acoustics Concepts; Corpus Christi Independent School District; Layer One Networks; Sam Inc., Austin Texas; Bohannan Houston, Dallas, Texas; Fugro Chance, Houston, Texas; BP America, Houston, Texas; Century Sub Sea, Houston, Texas.

Emergency Response

This track prepares students planning careers in professions such as firefighter, police officer, emergency management planner, or incident response officer in the management of emergency situations such as natural disasters or major industrial incidents.

Employers include local government, regional intergovernmental organizations such as Councils of Governments (CoG); independent school districts, universities and colleges, refineries, chemical manufacturers and other industry; local emergency planning committees, hospitals, industrial emergency-response organizations, the military, and state and federal agencies which address incident response.

Specific local and area employers include the cities of Corpus Christi, Robstown, Portland, and Rockport; the Coastal Bend Council of Governments (COG); the independent school districts of Corpus Christi, Gregory Portland, Tuloso-Midway, Calallen, London, and Flour Bluff; refineries; chemical manufacturers and other industry; hospitals; Refinery Terminal Fire Company; Corpus Christi Army Depot; Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Del Mar College; Texas General Land Office (Spill Response); Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ); Texas General Land Office (Spill Response); U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, US EPA, Federal Emergency Management Administration, other industry, local emergency planning committees (LEPC).

Environmental and Occupational Safety

This track prepares students planning a variety of careers in professions such as environmental safety officer, firefighter, and police officer in the management of workplace safety issues.

Potential employers include local government, independent school districts, universities and colleges, chemical manufacturers and other industry, industrial emergency-response organizations, waste-management industries, electrical utilities, hospitals, the U.S. military, and large commercial manufacturing, service and retail companies.

Specific local and area employers include the cities of Corpus Christi, Robstown, Portland, and Rockport; the independent school districts of Corpus Christi, Gregory Portland, Tuloso-Midway, Calallen, London, and Flour Bluff; refineries, chemical manufacturers and other industry; hospitals, Refinery Terminal Fire Company; Corpus Christi Army Depot; TAMUCC and Del Mar College; U.S. Navy, waste-management industries, electrical utilities, large commercial operations such as Stripes, IT Electronics, etc.

Industrial Electronics and Manufacturing

This track prepares students for a variety of technical/professional careers such as industrial safety inspector, control systems technician, manufacturing specialist, manufacturing technologist and electronics technician.

Local and area employers that will hire graduates with this degree include Shell Machine works, Gulf Coast Machine Shop, CC Coating and Machine Inc, IRC Advanced Film Division, Industrial Electric Company, Grainger Industrial, Flint Hills Resources. In addition, a telephone/ email survey of area employers (TOR Minerals, Valero, and Corpus Christi Army Depot) indicates that maintenance departments will hire graduates with this degree who understand life cycle machinery, cost analysis, and rules dictating types of equipment that can be used.

Information Technology

This track prepares students for a variety of careers such as personal computer technician, network administrator, database manager, information security technician and computer technology manager within commercial, industrial, educational and government organizations.

Local employers interested in hiring students in the Information Technology track: Corpus Christi Independent School District (and other local ISDs); Naval Air Station – Corpus Christi; Nueces County Offices: District and County Court Departments, Police Department, and Tax Assessor- Collector’s Department; Christus Spohn Health System, Citgo Petroleum Corp. Alcoa Aluminum Corp Corpus Christi Caller Times, Corpus Christi Convention Bureau.

Legal Studies

This track is designed for graduates of Court Reporting, Legal Secretarial, and Paralegal specialties who seek advancement in private law firms, federal or state governmental agencies, legal departments of corporations, banks, insurance companies, mortgage companies, law libraries, legal services/legal aid offices, and law departments of special interest groups or associations.

Local employment opportunities include Texas Southern District Court, Nueces County Administrative Office of the Courts, City or Corpus Christi Legal Office, Nueces Country District Clerk, Nueces County District Attorney, United States Attorney, Law Offices of Thomas J. Henry, Perry Haas Group, Watts Law Firm.

Technical Communication

This track is designed for graduates from a variety of Applied Arts and Sciences programs who seek preparation for career tracks that demand good communication skills. It provides entry into a fast-growing, in-demand field.

In 2004 the National Commission on Writing issued a report, entitled “Writing: A Ticket to Work … Or a Ticket Out: A Survey of Business Leaders.” Based on a survey of 120 major American corporations, the report concludes that “in today’s workplace writing is a ‘threshold skill’ for hiring and promotion among salaried (i.e., professional) employees” (3). Other findings indicate that two-thirds of salaried employees in large American companies have writing responsibilities. Consequently, eighty percent or more of the companies in the service and finance, insurance and real estate sectors, the areas with the greatest employment-growth potential, assess writing during hiring. In addition, half of all companies take writing into account when making promotion decisions.

(Source: http://www.writingcommission.org/prod_downloads/writingcom/ writing-ticket-to-work.pdf)

In 2000 the Technical and Professional Writing Program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi conducted a survey of area businesses focusing on skills required for hiring. 64% of the participants responded that background in technical writing makes students more attractive to employers. Responses also noted that this was a new area for most organizations, which indicates that students trained in network and internet environments will be well sought after by employees in the coming years. (Source: http://critical.tamucc.edu/~loudermilk/twpro/tw_survey_report.htm)

Local employers interested in hiring graduates include RSI Consulting, Corpus Christi Army Depot, Port of Corpus Christi.

B.  Student Demand –

Due to increased enrollment and the addition of new programs over the past ten years, the number of students graduating with an Associate in Applied Science degree from Del Mar College, Texas AM University- Corpus Christi’s most important feeder institution, has increased by 32.7%, as figures 1 and 2 indicate.

FIGURE 1: AAS Graduates, Del Mar College

95-96 / 96-97 / 97-98 / 98-99 / 99-00 / 00-01 / 01-02 / 02-03 / 03-04 / 04-05 / 05-06
AAS / 379 / 377 / 431 / 408 / 472 / 429 / 435 / 450 / 495 / 484 / 563

FIGURE 2: AAS Graduates, Del Mar College

Faculty and administrators from Del Mar College have requested a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts and Sciences from us for several years. Typically, students entering a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences program are already working in their chosen fields. Currently, their only options are to complete the degree at Texas AM University-Kingsville, or through an online program offered by Incarnate Word University. However, offerings at Texas AM University-Kingsville and at Incarnate Word University are limited. The proposed program is unique in offering students tracks with a variety of professional cores. In addition, since they are employed full-time, and because of the travel time, a significant number of students have not been able to take advantage of the degree offering at Texas AM University-Kingsville, which, in 2006-07, enrolled 28 students in its BAAS program. For these reasons, Del Mar College faculty predict that 50-60% of graduates with an Associate in Applied Science degree will enroll in a BAAS program. The number of students enrolled in BAAS programs at other Texas institutions (2006-07) supports these projections: