Collin College to Expand Bachelors Degree Options

In 2017 Collin College entered a new frontier an educational landscape that includes bachelors degrees. In the 85^th legislative session, Senate Bill 2118 allowed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to authorize certain baccalaureate degree programs at eligible public community colleges. In 2017, Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill which allowed Collin College to offer up to three baccalaureate degrees.

In January 2020, the college began offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity degree. The colleges Board of Trustees approved a third bachelors degree in Construction Management with the intent to begin offering it in 2022. The college is in the process of initiating the next steps by seeking approvals from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, followed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Recently Collin College learned that its new frontier is expanding. House Bill 3348 amended the current law relating to the number of baccalaureate degree programs certain community colleges could offer. This June, Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill which allows Collin College to offer up to five total baccalaureate degrees.

According to Senator Angela Paxton, as Texas continues to rebuild its economy from the impact of the pandemic, community colleges will play an increasingly vital role in providing employers with an educated and trained workforce.

House Bill 3348 was authored by Senator Creighton, and I was eager to partner with him on it because I believe it is a great idea, Senator Paxton said. Collin College is an exemplary community college system and a model for how to pay attention to local needs. Because of HB 3348 it has the opportunity to create more diversity in what it can offer our local community.

With the new law, the eligible degree programs will remain the same as before, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will continue evaluating workforce need and institutional capacity when considering degree program approval.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to meet the needs of our community by offering bachelors degrees, said District President Dr. Neil Matkin. More than 25 students have already saved thousands of dollars by earning BSN degrees at Collin College, and this new law will allow the college to bring even more opportunities to our communities.

Additional bachelors degrees at affordable prices is great news for students like Lorenzo Lara. When Lara learned that Collin College was offering a BAT in cybersecurity he immediately applied to the program.

Before the BAT was approved, I was looking for a bachelors degree program, said Lara, who earned an AAS in Cybersecurity at Collin College. I wanted to continue my education at Collin because the professors are experts in the industry, and it is really affordable.

But students are not the only ones who are benefitting from the colleges bachelors degrees.

According to Dr. Katie Choy, regional director of Nursing Professional Development at Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH), it has become increasingly more common for many health care facilities to encourage nurses to obtain BSN degrees. There is a push by Magnet hospitals for RNs to hold BSN degrees.

Collin Colleges RN-to-BSN program offers licensed registered nurses with associate degrees or nursing diplomas to continue their educational pathway to pursue BSN degrees at the community college, making it affordable, Dr. Choy said. BSWH has a long-standing affiliation agreement with Collin College to provide clinical placements for its students to learn in the acute care units throughout various BSWH facilities in Collin County. BSWH nurse and hospital leaders also serve on Collin Colleges advisory board.

To watch a video featuring the colleges BSN alumni, click here. To read a story and watch videos about BAT students, click here.