Frequently Asked Questions About Cooperative Alliances Between Public Higher Education Institutions and Technology Centers
The purpose of this FAQ is to distribute information regarding the Cooperative Alliance initiative. The FAQ will be updated as needed to incorporate information distributed and discussed via e-mail and at meetings. Contact Dr. Debra L. Stuart at dstuart@osrhe.edu or 405.225.9121 with additional questions and clarifications.
What is the purpose of a cooperative alliance?
When did the cooperative alliance initiative begin?
What is included in a cooperative alliance agreement?
What is the approval process for a cooperative alliance?
What is required to retain a cooperative alliance?
How can a high school student earn college credit for a course that is part of a cooperative agreement?
What is the cost to a high school student who takes a technical course for college credit that is taught by a technology center?
How are students enrolled in technical courses reported to the State Regents?
What are the roles of the higher education partners in a cooperative alliance?
What is the relationship of a cooperative alliance to a Tech Prep Consortium or a Perkins Postsecondary Consortium?
How are courses at technology centers equivalent to college courses?
What marketing efforts support the cooperative alliance?
What degrees and certificates are included in the cooperative alliance?
What is the role of faculty?
What is the purpose of a cooperative alliance?
A cooperative alliance has multiple goals: (1) get more high school students into college, (2) get more adults to continue their education or begin college, (3) expand access to postsecondary education, and (4) efficiently use federal, state and local resources. The driving principle is to be student-centered, not institution-centered.
When did the cooperative alliance initiative begin?
The cooperative alliance initiative began in spring 2004 with statewide discussions and the designation of three pilot sites representing urban and rural parts of Oklahoma. The cooperative alliance agreements for these pilot sites were approved in March 2005 to begin enrolling students in fall 2005. Based on the work of the pilot sites, additional agreements were approved in December 2005 and February 2006 to begin enrolling students in fall 2006.
What is included in a cooperative alliance agreement?
As described in the April 28, 2004, document, Concept and Process for Cooperative Alliances, the cooperative alliance agreement must address the following:
- Student-centered philosophy, including how this partnership will address the missions.
- Curriculum, including the specific cooperative agreements, how they will become more integrated and workforce-friendly.
- Process for addressing future student and community needs, the identification of “signature” programs and the involvement of advisory groups.
- Student support services that will maximize learning and seamlessness.
- Measures of quality, such as faculty credentials, student assessment and external reviews.
- Resources needed, including a business plan for identifying and covering costs.
- Joint marketing to students, parents and counselors.
- Reporting system.
A “generic version” of the cooperative alliance agreements developed by the three pilot sites was distributed, so that future alliances could benefit from their work. However, the document does not contain many specifics that may apply to other alliance partners, nor does it contain refinements and improvements identified since that document was written.
What is the approval process for a cooperative alliance?
Because the concept underlying a cooperative alliance is fundamentally different from the practice of implementing cooperative agreements on a case-by-case basis, staff and faculty from the higher education institution and the technology center need to form a close working relationship. Therefore, many meetings, communications processes and procedures need to be in place while drafting the cooperative alliance agreement. The following are steps required for approval:
- Write a draft agreement that incorporates the eight points listed under “What is included in a Cooperative Alliance Agreement?”
- Include State Regents and CareerTech staff in at least one meeting with higher education and technology center staff and faculty to discuss the draft agreement.
- Receive approval of higher education institution governing board.
- Receive approval of technology center governing board.
- Receive approval of the State Regents.
- Receive approval of the state CareerTech board.
What is required to retain a cooperative alliance?
Cooperative alliance agreements include the obligation to develop a strategic plan for review by the State Regents and to submit annual reports.
How can a high school student earn college credit for a course that is part of a cooperative agreement?
A high school student must meet the college admission requirements approved by the State Regents. An exception for concurrent enrollment in the “Policy Statement on Admission To, Retention In, and Transfer Among Colleges and Universities of the State System” was adopted. An 11th- or 12th-grade student enrolled in an accredited high school or a student who is at least 16 years of age and receiving high school-level instruction at home or from an unaccredited high school may, if s/he meets the requirements set forth below, be admitted to a college or university in The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education that offers technical AAS and certificate programs and enroll in technical courses only. Minimum standards for State System institutions are an ACT score of 19, a PLAN score of 15 or a high school GPA of 2.5. Institutions may request higher standards. In addition to meeting these requirements, students must provide a letter of support from the high school counselor and written permission from a parent or legal guardian. All other concurrent admission policy requirements remain in effect for technical students, including retention standards of a 2.0 college cumulative GPA. Higher education institutions may acquire ACT and PLAN scores from the State Regents’ office.
What is the cost to a high school student who takes a technical course for college credit that is taught by a technology center?
No college tuition is charged to high school students for enrolling in courses taught by the technology center. An academic service fee of $8 per credit hour will be charged to cover the costs of services delivered by the college or university.
How are students enrolled in technical courses reported to the State Regents?
The Unitized Data System (UDS) coordinator at the higher education institution will submit a student record at the end of each semester. This record will identify the student as a concurrently enrolled high school student enrolled in technical courses (Record 1, Element 21, Code W) or as a first-time entering student in a cooperative agreement program (Record 1, Element 21, Code V). Courses taught at the technology centers will be reported by where they were taught (Record 0, Element 22, Code 10 and Elements 18A-21A identifying the appropriate city/county/state). Faculty teaching these courses also will be reported to UDS.
What are the roles of the higher education partners in a cooperative alliance?
The principal partner in the cooperative alliance is the higher education institution that serves the coordinating function for all other colleges or universities offering cooperative agreements or general education courses at the technology center. Consistent with the student-centered approach of the alliance, students should not be expected to contact staff at multiple institutions. The exception to this may be when student and parents are gathering information about programs from different institutions; they should be able to collect information. The higher education partners will confirm that high school students meet college admission requirements and transcribe grades. Other partners, whether called co-partners, secondary partners, contributing partners or participating partners, should collaborate with the principal partner as needed to facilitate communication with students and technology centers.
What is the relationship of a cooperative alliance to a Tech Prep Consortium or a Perkins Postsecondary Consortium?
A cooperative alliance does not override existing consortia. There may be some benefit to evaluate the roles and functions in light of alliance agreements in order to better serve students.
How are courses at technology centers equivalent to college courses?
All cooperative alliance agreements acknowledge the need to participate in a statewide course equivalency project. The State Regents’ staff is organizing this effort to begin in March 2006, based on the Course Equivalency Project used by the higher education institutions in order to facilitate general education course transfer. College and technology center faculty will meet to discuss the competencies and content of courses to determine the credit and transferability into specific AAS degrees or college-level certificates.
What marketing efforts support the cooperative alliance?
As stated in the cooperative alliance agreements, the principal partner and the technology center will collaborate on marketing efforts to insure that they are student-centered, effective and efficient. In addition, the State Regents and CareerTech will develop consistent messages about the cooperative alliance initiative for use by higher education institutions and technology centers. These materials include a (1) communications guide, (2) information fact sheet, and (3) training DVD.
What degrees and certificates are included in the cooperative alliance?
At this time, the cooperative alliance agreements include only Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees and college-level certificates.
What is the role of faculty?
Technology center faculty teaching college-level courses must qualify as adjunct faculty at the principal partner higher education institution. Their credentials will be reviewed and recorded by the principal partner for purposes of regional accreditation. The faculty at the principal partner college, the other participating higher education institutions and the technology center will collaborate on course content and their work with advisory boards.
