Potential Del Mar College bachelor's degree program aimed at creating leaders
Del Mar College wants to offer a bachelor's level degree designed to allow community college graduates with associate's degree to pick up business and leadership skills.
The Del Mar College Board of Regents voted Tuesday afternoon to allow the college to create a bachelor of applied science degree in organizational management and leadership.
Before students can take advantage of the degree program, the college will need to get approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The college hopes to introduce the program by fall 2024.
This would not be Del Mar College's first foray into bachelor's level degrees. DMC currently offers a bachelor of science in nursing.
"Our administration and faculty look for opportunities to expand our programs," Board of Regents Chair Carol Scott said. "We don't have a specific goal around bachelor's programs, but where there is a need that is not being by institutions in the region, we look to see if it's within our capabilities."
Though community colleges are mostly known for associate's degrees, workforce development and continuing education, several Texas community colleges have introduced bachelor's degree programs.
According to state coordinating board data, Brazosport College, Laredo College, Odessa College and Weatherford College currently offer bachelor's programs in organizational leadership.
For a community college to offer a bachelor degree, it must show that there is a local workforce need and that it has the support of any institutions offering competing programs.
For the bachelor of science of nursing program, the college received a letter of support from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi because there is a need for more nurses in the area, Scott said.
At Del Mar College, the degree could stack upon an existing associate's degree. An associate's degree includes 15 hours of core classes and 45 hours of technical classes.
The bachelor's degree would add an additional 27 hours of core classes and 33 hours of organizational management and leadership-specific courses for a total of 120 credit hours.
DMC currently offers 55 associate's degrees.
"We have associate of applied science degrees here at Del Mar College now in everything from welding to fire science, accounting, management, process technology and many, many more," dean of business, entrepreneurship and health sciences Jennifer Sramek said. "This will allow them to get business skills that will complement their technical skills."
In a presentation to the regents Tuesday, DMC staff outlined how a bachelor's degree might benefit students by helping them move into higher-paying supervisory positions in their field or leading their own business.
The college surveyed 41 workforce partners, finding that 78% said the new bachelor's degree would be valuable to current and future employees and 63% said they offer tuition assistance for employees.
The degree would focus on helping students understand management and leadership principles, marketing, accounting and budgeting, ethics and operational and business law concepts.
The college estimates that in its first year, the program might serve 30 students. As it grows, it could serve 90 by year five.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Del Mar College working towards bachelor's degree program
