Members Present
Wayne Oswald (Chair), Bruce Aumack, Gary Blagg, Andy Ellard, Jeanne Hatfield, Iria Ganious, Jr., Beth Rogers, Linda Stegall and Doris Taylor.

Members Absent
Roy Olivo and Erma Palmer

Call to Order/Welcome and Announcements
Chair Wayne Oswald called the meeting to order at 10:35 a.m.  He welcomed the members and guests, including Linda Jones-Zbranek (Lee College, NSF Project Coordinator, Center for Digital and Fieldbus Technological Education), Bob Kosar (Co-Principal Investigator, Center for Digital and Fieldbus Technological Education), Dorian Patton (Public Relations Committee Chair, Industrial Instrumentation & Controls Technology Alliance--IICTA) and Clemon Prevost (President, IICTA), and from Brookhaven College in the Dallas County Community College District: Marilyn Lynch, Executive Dean of Career Resources; and Sharon Burton, Professor of New Program Development.

Public Comments
There was no public comment.

Approval of Minutes
Chair Oswald asked for a motion to approve the July 13, 2004 minutes.  Gary Blagg so moved and Iria Ganious, Jr. seconded the motion.  There was no discussion.  The minutes were approved unanimously by voice vote.

Recognition of Industrial Instrumentation and Controls Technician Skill Standards (Action)
Pamela Rogers, TSSB Director, presented the Industrial Instrumentation and Controls Technician skill standards for recognition consideration.  She noted that the standards were developed by the Industrial Instrumentation and Controls Technology Alliance (IICTA), an industry-driven alliance of employers and educators of instrumentation technicians, with the collaboration of Lee College’s Center for Digital and Fieldbus Technological Education and funding from the National Science Foundation.

Ms. Rogers noted that the IICTA developed the standards because of the current  shortage of skilled entry-level industrial instrumentation and controls instrumentation technicians as the result of retirement, attrition and lower new-hire skill levels.

Chair Oswald invited comments from the IICTA representatives.  Dorian Patton (IICTA Public Relations Committee Chair) stated that the skill standards respond to industry needs and provide a baseline for the employee’s work.  

Ms. Rogers reported that staff, after reviewing the standards for adherence with criteria set forth in the TSSB’s Guidelines for the Development, Recognition and Usage of Skill Standards, recommended recognition.

Chair Oswald called for a motion.  Bruce Aumack moved to approve the skill standards.  Andy Ellard seconded the motion.  Chair Oswald asked for any discussion.

Lee Rector (Texas Workforce Investment Council Deputy Director and TSSB Advisor) noted a technical error on Lee College’s Application for Skill Standards Recognition.  Ms. Rector recommended that Lee College clarify if it represented a national or Texas industry group.  Chair Oswald recommended that this be done.  Bob Kosar (Co-Principal Investigator) read into the record that the IICTA is a Texas industry group and authorized that the change be made on the application.

Chair Oswald called for a vote on the motion.  The motion passed unanimously by voice vote

Conditional Recognition of Machining Level I and Level II Skill (Action)
Ms. Pamela Rogers presented to the TSSB the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc. (NIMS), Machining Level I and Level II Skill Standards for conditional recognition.  Ms. Rogers reminded the TSSB that the NIMS Machining Level I and Level II skills standards were recognized by the TSSB in 1999 in the TSSB format.  In 2001, the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc. (NIMS) updated the 1999 standards, which were the basis for the TSSB-recognized standards.

The South Texas Manufacturers Association and the National Tooling and Machining Association-North Texas recommended conditional recognition of the standards.

Ms. Rogers reported that given the national acceptance of the NIMS format by industry and educators staff recommended conditional recognition of the 2001 national skill standards. The skill standards were reviewed for adherence with criteria set forth in the Guidelines for Development, Recognition and Usage of Skill Standards.

Chair Oswald commented that TSSB Member Andy Ellard assisted in the creation of Machining Level I and II skill standards in 1999.  Mr. Ellard informed the TSSB of the new NIMS pilot apprenticeship for metalworking funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to use industry proficiency standards for skills credentialing rather than time-based requirements. The pilot program will take place at five different sites.

Chair Oswald called for a motion.  Andy Ellard so moved.  Linda Stegall seconded.  Chair Oswald asked for discussion.  After hearing none, he called for a vote on the motion.  The motion passed unanimously by voice vote.

FY04 Skills Standards - Curriculum Development Incentive Awards (Briefing)
Anne Dorsey, TSSB Planner, presented to the TSSB the outcomes of the Skill Standards-Curriculum Development Incentive Awards granted to two colleges to integrate skill standards into their workforce education programs.  Ms. Dorsey reminded the Board that Brookhaven College (Customer Service Representative Certificate 2 Program) and Lamar State College (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration AAS Degree Program) were selected to pursue the awards at the $5,000 level by the Texas State Leadership Consortium for Curriculum Development (TSLCCD).

Ms. Dorsey noted that the incentive awards are granted upon completion of three deliverables:  

1. New or revised workforce education Level 2 Certificate or Associate Degree
2. Successful THECB approval, as required, of revised or new program by August 25, 2004
3. Successful application to TSSB for Program Recognition
   

Both colleges submitted all grant requirements by the fiscal year deadline and TSSB staff recommended that the TSLCCD award the incentive grants to both programs.

Program Recognition Consideration: Customer Service Representative Certificate 2 Program at Brookhaven College (Action)
Ms. Dorsey presented to the TSSB Program Recognition Consideration for Brookhaven College’s Customer Service Representative Certificate 2 Program.  Referring to the previous briefing item, Ms. Dorsey reminded the members that Brookhaven College had met all Program Recognition requirements as one of the deliverables for their Skill Standards-Curriculum Development Incentive Award.  She referred them to the required Program Recognition documents in the briefing book.  In addition, Ms. Dorsey distributed a binder of additional non-mandatory documentation that Brookhaven College had submitted as a Skill Standards-Curriculum Development Incentive Award recipient.  

Referring to the TSSB staff evaluation in the briefing book, she mentioned that staff had reviewed Brookhaven College’s application and recommended that TSSB recognize Brookhaven College’s Customer Service Representative Certificate 2 Program.

Chair Oswald asked if there were any comments from the Brookhaven College representatives in attendance.  Marilyn Lynch, Executive Dean of Career Resources at Brookhaven College, thanked TSSB, TSLCCD, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) for the incentive to integrate the Customer Service and Sales skill standards into their program, which they had been considering for some time.  She publicly recognized Marilyn Sullivan, Brookhaven College Marketing Faculty Member, who she said had done the bulk of the skill standards integration work.  

Mr. Aumack asked whether the TSSB’s recommended integration process could be improved upon.  Sharon Burton, Professor of New Program Development, stated that their staff walked through every step in the process to ensure that they would be thorough.  She commented that the process could be reviewed for efficiency.  Ms. Dorsey said that she would solicit both Brookhaven College’s and Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s comments on the TSSB’s User’s Guide as she reviews it for revisions this year.  

Ms. Dorsey asked the members if in the future they wanted to see all the Program Recognition documentation in advance, either on a website or in printed version a few hours early on the day of the Board meeting.  Members indicated their preference for the latter option.  

Chair Oswald asked for a motion to approve.  Dr. Stegall so moved.  Mr. Aumack seconded the motion.  Chair Oswald asked for discussion.  He called for a vote on the motion.  The motion was approved unanimously by voice vote.

Program Recognition Consideration: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration AAS Degree Program at Lamar State College-Port Arthur (Action)
Ms. Dorsey introduced the next program recognition consideration.  She mentioned that like Brookhaven College, Lamar State College-Port Arthur had met all the Program Recognition requirements as one of their Skill Standards-Curriculum Development Incentive Award deliverables.  Ms. Dorsey referred Members to the briefing book attachments of Lamar College’s Program Recognition application documents.  She distributed a binder of additional, non-mandatory documentation that Lamar College submitted as an incentive award recipient.    

Ms. Dorsey mentioned that staff had reviewed Lamar College’s application and per the TSSB staff evaluation in the briefing book, recommended that TSSB recognize Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration AAS Degree Program.

Chair Oswald asked for a motion.  Mr. Ellard so moved.  Ms. Doris Taylor seconded the motion.  Chair Oswald asked for any discussion on the item.  He called for a vote on the motion.  The motion was approved by a unanimous vote.  

Program Recognition Policy Amendments (Action)
Ms. Dorsey presented to the TSSB two program recognition policy amendments.  She reported that the policy amendments resulted from the Skill Standards-Curriculum Development Incentive Award outcomes, which piloted the Program Recognition requirements.  Those outcomes included the following discoveries:
1) Staff had difficulty evaluating whether the Key Activities were being taught as course learning outcomes when the Key Activities were not explicitly stated on the syllabi but were encompassed within the broader THECB-required minimum learning outcomes.  
2) A two-month gap between evaluation of the Program Recognition applications and approval by TSSB at its meeting would delay full implementation and publicizing of the program’s Recognized status.  

Ms. Dorsey stated that staff recommended two modifications to the Program Recognition Policy:  1) Add two requirements to the Program Recognition application to enable staff to more accurately evaluate future Program Recognition applications; and 2) Delegate authority to the Chair to recognize programs that complete all application requirements between TSSB meetings.

Chair Oswald asked for a motion to approve.  Mr. Aumack so moved.  Mr. Iria Ganious, Jr. seconded the motion.  Chair Oswald asked for discussion.  Ms. Hatfield commented that transferring authority to the Chair to recognize community and technical college programs would mean a slight redirection for the TSSB.  She noted that the members would be utilized more for their expertise in advising and promoting the use of skill standards, both by colleges and by employers in hiring graduates from programs integrated with skill standards.  Chair Oswald called for a vote on the motion.  The motion was approved.  

Chair Oswald then introduced Ron Congleton, Commissioner Representing Labor at the Texas Workforce Commission, who had joined the audience.

FY04 Annual Report Draft (Action)
Ms. Dorsey presented TSSB with the proposed FY04 Annual Report draft.  She stated that the report would cover the time frame from September 1, 2003 through August 31, 2004.  Ms. Dorsey mentioned that the content corresponded with the bulleted points in TSSB’s approved outline.  She presented a mock-up of the Annual Report brochure, showing members how it would be formatted.  Ms. Dorsey noted that staff would work with the print shop on the brochure design.  She said that the wording might change slightly to fit the text to the document but that the content wouldn’t change.  

Ms. Dorsey said that staff recommended that the Board approve the content of the FY04 Annual Report draft and give the Chair authority to approve the final formatted copy.  

Chair Oswald called for a motion.  Mr. Blagg so moved.  Ms. Rogers seconded the motion.  Chair Oswald called for discussion.  Members suggested that the TSSB’s contact information, especially the web address, be more prominently displayed on the brochure.  

The motion carried by voice vote.  

Other Business
Chair Oswald recommended postponing Briefing Items 10-12 and proposed the following 2005 TSSB meeting dates:  Tuesday, March 1, Tuesday, July 26, and Tuesday, November 8.

Adjourn
Chair Oswald entertained a motion to adjourn.  Mr. Ganious so moved.  Ms. Rogers seconded the motion.  The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m.