This fall, Beeville high school students began taking a college-level geospatial engineering and land survey course through Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
The partnership between the Beeville Independent School District and the university’s Islander Academy program offers students the opportunity to take dual credit courses.
“This program is not just about offering courses, but it’s also about expanding the horizon of our students and ensuring that our students see themselves as college students,” Beeville ISD Superintendent Travis Fanning said.
Many Beeville students are from low-income families, and if they continue to a college or university after high school, they are sometimes the first in their family to do so.
“Partnerships like this allow us to prove to them while still in that safety net of high school that it is indeed possible if they put forth the hard work and know that they are able to do college-level work,” Fanning said.
Four other Texas school districts currently partner with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for dual credit programs, though most focus on core classes.
In total, 365 high school students are taking Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi dual credit courses this fall. The Islander Academy courses are offered at no cost to the students.
“We think it’s critical to have students engaging in higher education and wanting to see themselves as college students,” said Brenda Harms, university vice president for enrollment management.
Other than Beeville ISD, only one other school district, the Klein Independent School District, has partnered to offer geospatial engineering and land survey courses.
“With this partnership, we’ll have the opportunity to have our students work towards a GIS, geographic information system, certification that will allow them to access career opportunities within urban planning, environmental management, transportation, natural resource management,” Beeville ISD Career and Technical Education Director Matthew Esqueda said.
Twenty-two Beeville students are currently enrolled, but Esqueda said that he expects the program to grow.
“This collaboration addresses a need in this area of geospatial engineering, surveying,” Esqueda said. “How do we fill those gaps? Us having this program could help our students become professionals filling those jobs as people retire.”
MORE EDUCATION COVERAGE
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi expands dual credit partnership
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
