Executive Summary

Options Report (pdf)

Strategic Areas

Benchmark Colleges

References

• NHMCCD is the second fastest growing district in Texas, with a service area covering 1400 square miles north of Houston. There are five colleges and seven centers with student enrollment of 39,000 in for credit programs and 13,000 in continuing education. The colleges are accredited as a district so that a common catalog is used.
• Recent Trends

• NHMCCD offers full online courses (no campus visit necessary), online courses (students come to campus for orientation and testing), hybrid courses, web enhanced courses, and telecourses (from the Dallas Community College District). Between 11% and 20% of instruction is offered through a distance mode. The most recent enrollments (with a few days left to register) indicate Fall 2004 enrollments of 2919 in flexible scheduled courses (classes convening face to face less than 50% of that of a traditionally scheduled class) and 7844 distance learning courses (including those in which students are required to have proctored testing and/or a mandatory orientation).
• The five NHMCCD colleges schedule their distance learning options independently. The enrollment patterns for these courses do not indicate that the colleges are competing with one another for distance learning students.
• There are online degrees and certificates available for an Associates of Arts degree, Associate of Science degree, and Associate of Applied Science degree with specializations in computer science and office administration areas. Certificates are available in a number of computer science and office administration areas. The Council for Educational and Student Development (CESD) makes final decisions about courses, degrees, schedules and other instructional aspects of distance learning.
• Over 99% of students taking NHMCCD distance learning classes come from the NHMCCD service area. The district has responded to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board mandate for faster degree completion potential by highlighting distance learning options.
• There is a district run Center for Teaching and Learning that provides staff and faculty training and certification, runs the help desk, and operates the courses management system (WebCT).
• Student Services are offered online as well as face to face including admissions, online registration, new student orientation, and advising (also by telephone), as well as online tutoring.

• The district is developing an intellectual properties policy so that faculty who develop a distance learning course that is adopted by other faculty will get a small stipend per student. Faculty will be expected to maintain the course.
• Each college has a testing center that is available to students from all of the colleges.
• NHMCCD is involved in a partnership with a number of 4 year institutions in Texas (The University Center) so that students can seamlessly move from NHMCCD to 4 year institutions. Additionally masters level programs are run through the University Center, which is co-located with Montgomery College. University Center coursework is offered through ITV and distance learning modes.