(a) The governing board of a community college district requesting authority to convert an out-of-district center/facility to a branch campus must submit a Letter of Application to the Commissioner.
(b) A self-study must be performed by the district to assess whether the proposed branch campus meets the criteria outlined below. The self-study and the extension center or extension facility shall be reviewed by a Board-appointed team, a majority of which should be community college presidents, for the purposes of documenting that it meets the following standards and criteria for quality instruction and support services, as required by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Coordinating Board rules and regulations:
(1) Role and Mission; Purpose. In its program aspects, a branch campus shall be equivalent to a public community college. Therefore, the branch campus must provide:
(2) Programs and Courses. All courses, programs, and degrees shall be offered in the name of the parent district, and shall be subject to the following criteria:
(3) Description of Staffing Plan. There must be sufficient academic and student support staff to meet the needs of faculty and students at the branch campus.
(4) Funding.
(5) Regional Higher Education Council Review and Certification. The Regional Higher Education Council within which the proposed branch campus is to be located must review the branch campus request only if the proposed branch campus is within a shared service area designated by statute. Member institutions must discuss the proposal with all Councils affected and the minutes shall reflect the discussions. If appropriate, a recommendation for approval or disapproval shall be submitted to the Commissioner, but shall not be binding on the Commissioner or the Board.
(c) The Board's Committee on Institutional Effectiveness and Excellence may conduct one or more public hearings on the proposed branch campus to:
(1) assess public sentiment regarding the proposed branch campus;
(2) determine whether programs in the proposed branch campus will create unnecessary duplication or seriously harm programs in existing community college districts or other institutions of higher education in the area; and
(3) assess the potential impact of the proposed branch campus on existing community colleges or other institutions of higher education in the area and on the State of Texas.
(d) After the self-study as outlined in subsection (b) of this section, has been reviewed and a site visit conducted by Board staff, a report from the Board staff shall be submitted to the Commissioner indicating whether the criteria as set out in subsection (b) of this section, have been met. The report shall include a recommendation for approval or denial of the request for the establishment of the proposed branch campus, but shall not be binding on the Commissioner or the Board.
Source Note: The provisions of this §8.74 adopted to be effective August 23, 1998, 23 TexReg 8427; amended to be effective May 25, 2004, 29 TexReg 5060