4.2  

 The institution maintains a curriculum that is directly related and appropriate to its purpose and goals and to diplomas, certificates or degrees awarded.

RATIONALE FOR COMPLIANCE JUDGMENT

“The mission of Nashville State Technical Community College is to provide comprehensive educational programs and partnerships, exemplary services, an accessible, progressive learning environment, and responsible leadership to improve the quality of life for the community it serves.”  The curriculum offered by Nashville State is directly related to, and appropriate for, achieving this mission. 

The college existed from 1970 until 2002 as a technical institute which offered only the A.A.S. degree and certificates.  In 2002 the college mission expanded to that of a comprehensive community college and the A.A. and A.S. transfer degrees were added.  As a technical institute, the college offered degrees primarily in engineering technology, information technology, business, and social service areas that prepared students for employment in the Nashville area.  Those continue as strong programs.  In addition, the College offers career programs in a wide range of business, service and limited health science areas. The Catalog includes a list of the 19 A.A.S. and 13 certificate programs offered by the College [1]. 

Program Advisory Committees and employment surveys document the appropriateness of career/technical program curricula.  Every A.A.S. degree and certificate program has an Advisory Committee composed of business/industry personnel, students, and program graduates.  These Advisory Committees, which meet at least twice a year, review proposed curriculum changes and give advice on curriculum changes that should be implemented.  In addition, the college annually monitors the rates at which all A.A.S. and certificate graduates find employment related to their field of training.  The employment survey documents that the overall related employment rate of 495 NSCC graduates was 75% [2].  This compares positively to the national average of 66% (National Community College Benchmark Project).  An additional 24% of NSCC completers were pursuing additional education.  

The A.A. and A.S. degrees, designed for transfer into baccalaureate programs, have been awarded only since 2002.  There is, therefore, not much data tracking the success that graduates of these degrees will have in earning their baccalaureate degrees.  It is, however, possible to assess the appropriateness of the curriculum of these two degrees.  Forty-one of the required 60 semester hours in the transfer degrees are general education courses that are part of the common core of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) [3].  The appropriateness of each of these courses for transfer has been reviewed and approved by the NSCC faculty and by a General Education Committee of faculty members from throughout the TBR system.  During 2006-07, NSCC will complete an Academic Audit of the A.S. and A.A. degrees.  This process will provide five-year assessment information and identify areas of existing strength and needed improvement [4].