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TSSB Recognizes GIS Program at Lee College

October, 2009 - The Texas Skill Standards Board (TSSB) granted program recognition to the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree at Lee College. Lee College received program recognition under the TSSB’s replication policy by adopting the common technical core curriculum of the TSSB-recognized programs at Brookhaven and Del Mar Colleges. All three college programs are integrated with the GIS Technician skill standards.

The skill standards enhanced program, which was endorsed by its industry advisory committee, will benefit both employers and graduates. Graduates will gain the work competencies—skills and knowledge—that employers have agreed are required for success in GIS technician positions. Employers in turn will gain a more qualified workforce. The common, skill standards-based GIS curriculum, which includes agreement on the courses in which the competencies will be assessed, provides employers with the added confidence that regardless of the college they recruit from—whether in Dallas, Corpus Christi or Baytown—program graduates will be prepared with the same skills and knowledge required by the industry.

The GIS Technician Skill Standards were developed from an original skills analysis conducted in San Diego, California, by a panel of GIS analysts, specialists, and coordinators, engineering aide, and senior regional planner, and validated by subject matter experts from California and Texas. Texas participants included representation from private industry, education, and government. The skill standards may be viewed on the TSSB website at www.tssb.org.

Computer Information Systems/GIS faculty member Odus Shoemake was responsible for integrating the skill standards into the GIS AAS Degree program, for which Lee College received a $1,500 Type 3 Skill Standards-Based Curriculum Development Incentive Project award. The award was administered by Del Mar College out of Perkins State Leadership funds from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Mr. Shoemake took advantage of TSSB resources and technical assistance to integrate the skill standards into the curriculum. He followed the TSSB’s recommended six-step process in the guidance document, A User’s Guide: Incorporating Skill Standards into Community and Technical College Curriculum, which is available to download from this website.

Examples of the program recognition application materials submitted by Lee College for TSSB recognition are available in the Community and Technical Colleges and Employers and Industry Groups sections of this web site under the TSSB-Recognized Programs link.

For more information, please contact Anne Dorsey at TSSB at (512) 936-8100.