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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

ARTICULATION

Articulation is a way to provide high school students opportunities to obtain community college credit for skills mastered or work completed while they are in high school. The major objective of such arrangements is to eliminate duplication in a student's program of study.

There are a number of terms used to describe the articulation process, the most common of which is vertical articulation. In its simplest form, a student may receive college credit for specific courses taken in high school if the appropriate skills or knowledge can be demonstrated. More recently, however, the terms Tech-Prep and 2+2 or 2+2+2 are used to describe a means of formally managing the curricular bridge between secondary and post-secondary education. Tech-Prep programs are usually designed around a specific program of study over the course of a student's four high school years extending into two years of post-secondary education. The 2+2 and 2+2+2 arrangements begin with the junior and senior years in high school and extend for two or four years at the post-secondary level.

Articulation agreements also exist between community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. In these situations, the agreement is usually with a department or college within the university and involves a specific course or courses.

The formal articulation agreement can take many forms but usually a brief document is signed by the appropriate representatives of the participating institutions that outlines the conditions of the articulation. The agreements may be for any length of time, although documents with a "notice to void" provision are the most common.

FINDING

The first official articulation agreements in EPCC were signed with four area public school districts in the mid-1980s. By the spring of 1999, EPCC had agreements with 15 school districts covering more than 50 courses. In addition, agreements exist with 18 to 20 universities and other entities concerning the transfer of 6 to 80 hours.

EPCC has a well defined process for administering the articulation process. EPCC developed an Articulation Handbook in 1988, and it has been in use since that time. The handbook contents include definitions and general information about articulation, an overview of the process used at EPCC, and copies of all the forms used in the program. The handbook is updated periodically.

Articulation committees in various program areas meet and develop plans for the future. For example, the Health Occupations Committee met in April 1999 and developed an Articulation Plan of Action for the 1999-2000 academic year that contained 10 recommendations concerning articulation with secondary schools and four with post-secondary institutions. In both areas, the recommendations included start-up, continuation and evaluation efforts.

COMMENDATION

EPCC has developed and is implementing articulation agreements with secondary and post-secondary institutions.

FINDING

Some concern was expressed in interviews and focus groups about difficulties in transferring credits from EPCC to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The UTEP Admissions Office has published a Course Equivalency Guide listing "courses transferable" from EPCC to UTEP effective September 1998 through spring 2000. In addition to stating that up to 66 semester hours can be transferred from a community college to a UTEP degree program, the guide lists 204 EPCC courses with UTEP equivalents. Another 396 EPCC courses are listed as transferable for elective credit.

The Community and Technical Colleges Division of THECB made a site visit to the district in January 1997. One recommendation in its report was that "EPCC should adopt measures to ensure successful transfer of its students to other universities, including UTEP." EPCCD responded with the creation of a transfer office; the development and implementation of procedures to promote transfers; and the formation of a joint post-secondary articulation committee with UTEP.

Most recently, EPCC and UTEP have reached an agreement under which UTEP will accept in toto the 62 hours required for an associate's degree at EPCC. To facilitate this arrangement, EPCC has restructured its degree requirements by reducing the number of hours it has required for the two-year associate degree-hours that UTEP was not accepting-allowing for a more "seamless" transfer of course work between the two institutions.

COMMENDATION

EPCC has worked cooperatively with the University of Texas at El Paso to provide a more user-friendly process for transferring credits.

FINDING

Research indicates that centralizing all developmental education services tends to be more effective than decentralized programs. A centralized organization allows for improved course coordination and integration, the development of a set of goals and objectives, and regular and systematic program evaluation.

Under the previous organizational structure, the administration of EPCC's articulation efforts was divided among three offices. Secondary articulation was assigned to one provost, articulation related to post-secondary institutions was the responsibility of a second provost, and all Tech-Prep efforts were assigned to an executive dean. Such division of labor made administration and coordination difficult. The recently approved organizational structure places the responsibility for all articulation efforts under the vice president of Instruction.

COMMENDATION

EPCC has combined all administrative-related articulation functions under a single authority.