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This chapter contains a review of EPCC's educational service delivery and student performance in six sections.

A. Student Performance
B. Program Offerings and New Program Development
C. Developmental Education
D. Articulation
E. Literacy and English as a Second Language
F. Distance Education

The Texas Education Code requires each public community college to provide a variety of offerings, including technical programs up to two years in length leading to associate degrees or certificates, vocational programs leading directly to employment in semi-skilled and skilled occupations, freshman and sophomore courses in arts and sciences, adult education programs for occupational or cultural upgrading, and compensatory education programs to fulfill the commitment of an admissions policy allowing the enrollment of disadvantaged students, counseling and guidance to assist students in achieving their individual educational goals, workforce development programs to meet local and statewide needs and, adult and basic literacy programs for adults.

The district's Board of Trustees recently approved a reorganization of EPCC's administrative structure. Under the new organization, all academic programs are the responsibility of a vice president of Instruction who directs an associate vice-president for Instructional Support, six instructional deans, and two campus deans.

The associate vice president directs all instructional support programs; the center for instructional telecommunications; all student activities, such as student government, honor society, and honors programs, and the National Issues Forum where the college hosts teleconferences on critical issues that affect higher education; the faculty development office; service learning, where students provide community service in their areas of study and earn credit; and the curriculum office.

Exhibit 2-1 illustrates the EPCC organization for instructional services.

The instructional deans have district-wide responsibilities for all instructional programs in their areas of expertise. Campus deans' responsibilities include the day-to-day oversight for the district's five campuses and its libraries, instructional service centers, cafeteria and bookstore operations, and day-to-day facilities' operations.

Exhibit 2-1
El Paso Community College
Instructional Services

picture

Source: EPCC, September 1999.

Technical education and workforce programs, continuing education programs, adult education, and literacy programs are under the vice president of Workforce Development, Technical Education & Lifelong Learning.

Exhibit 2-2 illustrates EPCC organization for technical and continuing education services.

Exhibit 2-2
El Paso Community College
Workforce Development, Technical Education,
and Lifelong Learning Services

Picture

Source: EPCC, September 1999.

Exhibit 2-3 shows the percentage of students who were enrolled in academic, technical, and continuing education courses during 1997-1998 in EPCC and its five peer districts. At EPCC, the percentage of students enrolled in academic courses was lower than at any of the peer districts except San Jacinto Community College. The percentage of EPCC students enrolled in technical and tech-prep courses was the second highest of the six districts. The percentage of students enrolled in continuing education courses was approximately the same as those enrolled at North Harris, San Jacinto and Tarrant.

Exhibit 2-3
Percentage of Students Enrolled in Academic, Technical,
and Continuing Education Courses
EPCC and Peer Districts
1997-98
Enrollment Category Alamo Austin El
Paso		 North Harris San
Jacinto		 Tarrant
Academic 61.6% 67.7% 45.0% 54.6% 39.2% 55.3%
Technical 25.1% 24.7% 33.5% 21.5% 38.6% 24.2%
Continuing Education 13.3% 7.6% 21.5% 23.9% 22.2% 20.5%
Source: THECB 1999 Annual Data Profile.

EPCC offers instructional programs for academic and technical credit as well as workforce training and continuing education. The two-year academic program, which leads to the Associate of Arts and Sciences degree, is designed to feed into four-year baccalaureate programs for students pursuing professional careers in medicine, law, engineering, teaching, business, and other arts and sciences requiring higher education.

Two-year occupational/technical programs lead to the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and are offered in a wide range of fields, such as computer information systems, allied health, criminal justice, and construction trades. Although designed primarily to provide extensive training for employment, some technical programs also lead to Associate degrees, and the credits transfer into baccalaureate programs, providing students access to additional education and career advancement. Programs of study requiring fewer than 60 credit-hours lead to Certificates of Completion. Tech-Prep Enhanced Skills Certificates provide advanced studies in specific AAS programs.

Exhibit 2-4 presents data on the number of degrees, certificates, and total awards conferred by EPCC and its peer districts. The data show that EPCC conferred the lowest number of awards among the six districts. EPCC conferred a greater number of technical awards than academic awards, the same as at its peer community colleges.

Exhibit 2-4
College Degrees/Certificates Conferred
EPCC and Peer Districts
1997-98
College Degrees Certificates Total Awards Total
Academic Technical Academic Technical Academic Technical
Alamo 472 741 0 581 472 1,322 1,794
Austin 326 526 0 232 326 758 1,084
El Paso 196 494 0 221 196 715 911
North Harris 524 450 0 784 524 1,234 1,758
San Jacinto 498 548 0 678 498 1,226 1,724
Tarrant 918 672 0 349 918 1,021 1,939
Source: THECB 1999 Annual Data Profile.

EPCC's budgeted expenditures for educational services increased between 1992 and 1998. As indicated in Exhibit 2-5, the percentage increase was greatest for expenditures on scholarships (41.6 percent). The smallest percentage increase was for academic support which includes expenditures for libraries, and administrative and technical support. (5 percent). As a percentage of total revenue, however, expenditures for educational services has actually declined 7.2 percent during the six-year period reviewed.

Exhibit 2-5
Expenditures Related To Educational Service Delivery
El Paso Community College
1992-98
Fiscal
Year		 Instructional
Expenditures		 Academic Support Expen-ditures Scholarship Expen-ditures Total Educational Services Expenditures Total Revenue Educational Services Expenditures as a Percent of Total Revenues
1992 $25,600,690 $7,913,406 $16,530,789 $50,044,885 $72,496,987 69.0%
1993 27,594,021 7,460,955 17,124,340 52,179,316 77,337,077 67.5
1994 30,345,383 7,203,435 18,902,059 56,450,877 88,614,654 63.7
1995 35,957,891 5126,712 20,291,349 61,375,952 90,660,395 67.7
1996 32,410,952 8,389,694 21,165,303 61,965,949 96,642,800 64.1
1997 33,409,866 8,569,547 21,204,533 63,183,946 98,392,111 64.2
1998 35,426,876 8,310,210 23,412,461 67,149,547 104,893,589 64.0
6 Yr. % Increase (Decrease)

38.4%

5.0%

41.6%

34.2%

44.7%

(7.2%)
Source: The Texas Public Community College Database System, FY 1998
Instructional Expenditure includes salaries and benefits of faculty and capital expenditures.
Academic Support Expenditures include libraries, museums, galleries, deans' salaries and office expenses, and technical support.
Scholarship Expenditures include student scholarships and fellowships including tuition remissions and exemptions.
Total Revenue includes state appropriations, property taxes, endowments, and federal funds. Auxiliary fund revenue is not included.

Expenditures devoted to educational services based on each full-time equivalent (FTE) student and faculty member are provided in Exhibit 2-6. For the years 1992 through 1998, total expenditures for educational services increased 34.2 percent, while expenditures for each FTE student increased 24 percent, and those for each FTE faculty increased 34.1 percent.

Exhibit 2-6
Expenditures for Educational Services Per
FTE Student and Faculty
El Paso Community College
1992-98
Fiscal
Year		 Total Educational Services Expenditure Percent Increase (Decrease) from Previous Year FTE Students Expenditure Per FTE Student FTE Faculty Expenditure Per FTE Faculty
1992 $50,044,885   12,572 $3,981 547.10 $91,473
1993 52,179,316 4.3% 13,616 3,832 528.84 98,667
1994 56,450,877 8.2% 13,030 4,332 613.85 91,962
1995 61,375,952 8.7% 14,044 4,370 808.68 75,896
1996 61,965,949 1.0% 13,746 4,508 549.46 112,776
1997 63,183,946 2.0% 13,533 4,669 545.20 115,891
1998 67,149,547 6.3% 13,607 4,935 547.43 122,663
Six-Year Percent Increase (Decrease) 34.2%   8.2% 24.0% <0.1% 34.1%
Source: State Auditor's Office. The Texas Public Community College Database System, FY 1998.

All community colleges must now report information on their faculty's qualifications to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Over 56 percent of EPCC's faculty have a master's degree, and 9.2 percent have a doctorate. Comparative data on the qualifications of the faculty at EPCC and of its peer districts are presented in Exhibit 2-7.

Exhibit 2-7
Percentage of Faculty by Level of Education
EPCC and Peer Districts
1997-98
Highest Degree Held Alamo Austin El Paso North Harris San Jacinto Tarrant
No degree 0 0 0 0 0.3 2.4
Certificate Only 0.3 4.4 4.6 0 2.8 0
Associate's Degree 3.0 3.2 7.0 2.6 14.0 2.4
Bachelor's Degree 12.9 18.5 22.9 26.3 19.5 10.3
Master's Degree 73.9 55.0 56.3 57.9 53.5 67.2
Doctoral Degree 9.9 18.9 9.2 13.2 9.9 17.7
Source: THECB 1999 Annual Data Profile.