About Temple College

Mission Statement

The mission of Temple College is to foster student success for our diverse community by providing quality lifelong learning and enrichment experiences that empower students to achieve their dreams and aspirations.

Values Statements

Learning - Temple College’s commitment to excellence in teaching and learning is foremost. Our endeavors support educational success and a lifetime of learning.

Opportunity - Temple College actively promotes education for all by providing affordable access to a variety of courses and programs through innovative and traditional approaches.

Integrity - Temple College demonstrates integrity by ethical decision making, excellent stewardship of our resources, and accountability to our constituents.

Community - Temple College cultivates collaborations that promote community partnerships, workforce development, and enrichment experiences. We foster an environment that promotes mutual respect, social responsibility, and open communication among students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Equity – Temple College creates a fair, impartial, and inclusive educational and work environment, so all individuals have the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential.

Strategic Goals and Objectives

Goal 1. Foster Student Success

Objectives:

1. Increase course completion with an earned grade of “C” or better.
2. Increase students’ attainment of recognized credentials.
3. Increase retention of credential-seeking students from term to term and year to year.
4. Increase the number of career and technical education students who are employed or continue in higher education within one year of graduation.
5. Increase the number of transfers to baccalaureate granting institutions.

Goal 2. Optimize Community Partnerships and Outreach

Objectives:

1. Develop new and strengthen existing partnerships to meet identified community needs.
2. Enhance marketing and communication to promote the college, its programs, functions, and services.

Goal 3. Manage Resources Effectively

Objectives:

1. Create a culture of professional excellence, innovation, and accountability
2. Optimize the utilization of resources.
3. Increase resources.

Statement of Nondiscrimination

Temple College is committed to nondiscrimination practices based upon race, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, age, religion, national origin, genetic information, or veteran status. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent amendments, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and subsequent amendments, the Vietnam Era Veterans Assistance Act of 1974; the Equal Pay act of 1963 and subsequent amendments, the Americans with Disabilities Act and subsequent amendments, Texas Statute 6252-14-V.T.C.S., Executive Orders 11246 and 11758, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 to students, employees, programs, activities, and applicants. Temple College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution.

History and Location

Temple Junior College was founded in 1926 in response to the need for a post-secondary institution in Temple. The College is a result of the joint efforts of civic, business, and educational leaders. In the early years, the College was operated by the public school system. Classes were held in the basement of the old Temple High School building. As the student body grew, so did the need for a permanent campus. A separate junior college district was established in 1955 enabling the college to build a new facility. The College moved to its present location in south Temple in 1957.

Temple College has traditionally offered pre-professional courses leading to degrees in medicine, law, education, engineering, and similar fields as well as more general academic courses that enable students to transfer to four-year institutions for baccalaureate degrees. The technical program of the College expanded with the opening of the Watson Technical Center in 1967. In recent years a wide variety of credit and non-credit classes, programs and workshops have been offered through Business and Continuing Education. Temple College became a leader in education for health professions with the opening of the Health Sciences Center and Clinical Simulation Center in 2004.

With an enrollment of more than 5,000 students, the College is large enough to maintain flexible and varied program offerings. It is, at the same time, small enough to provide students with opportunities for the development of leadership abilities. Small class size makes possible a close personal relationship between students and their instructors.

In 1996, the name of the College was changed to Temple College to reflect its role as a comprehensive college, offering transfer programs, technical education, community education, career and workforce training, and cultural activities. The college offers day and evening classes; technical and workforce training; on-campus, online, hybrid, and web-enhanced courses; and continuing education classes.

The main campus exceeds 108 acres, including 27 buildings. University Courtyard Apartments provide apartment-style student housing and Temple College Apartments provide housing for low-income student families. Both facilities are located on the east side of the main campus.

The Danny Scott Sports Complex includes a gymnasium, fitness center, baseball and softball fields, and an intramural field.

Temple College also operates at three off-campus locations. In the fall of 1997, the Temple College Taylor Center opened in the historic area of Taylor to serve the increasing educational and workforce training needs of east Williamson and surrounding counties. In fall 2007 Temple College, in partnership with Taylor Independent School District (ISD) and Hutto ISD, began operation of the Legacy Early College High School. In 2007 the Taylor Center became part of the East Williamson County Higher Education Center (EWCHEC), a multi-institutional teaching center of which Temple College is the lead institution. In the fall of 2013 EWCHEC opened a second facility in Hutto. The partnering institutions that form EWCHEC include Texas State Technical College Waco and Texas A&M – Central Texas.

The Cameron Education Center (CEC) opened in January 2000 to serve the educational and training needs of Milam County and surrounding areas. In July 2007, the CEC received a Middle College designation, which allows dual credit learners to be enrolled in more than two dual credit classes per semester. Operations at the center were suspended in 2015. Operations have now been closed.

The Temple College Downtown Center opened in May 2000 in the historic old Temple Post Office Building. The Downtown Center was home to Business and Continuing Education Division, which offers non-credit coursework, workshops, seminars, and workforce development programs for the public. In 2013, the Business and Continuing Education Division moved back to TC’s main campus and is now located in Berry Hall.

The Texas Bioscience Institute (TBI), located on the Scott and White West Campus, opened in the fall of 2006. As a partner with community, education and business interests, Temple College took a leadership role in developing the TBI’s innovative educational model involving area high schools, colleges and universities to bring new educational opportunities to Central Texas citizens. The Texas Bioscience Institute offers STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) based programs to promote a skilled and knowledgeable medical and biotechnology workforce in Central Texas. Texas Bioscience Institute programs serve high school students, transitioning military personnel, military dependents, displaced workers, and other certificate, associate or bachelor degree-seeking students. In January 2006, the TBI received a Middle College designation which allows dual credit learners to be enrolled in more than two dual credit classes per semester. In 2013, the TBI received the Star Award which recognizes exceptional contributions toward meeting one or more of the goals of Closing the Gaps by 2015, the Texas higher education plan adopted in 2000.

Temple College is located in Temple, Texas, a city of approximately 76,600 in the heart of Texas. Temple is recognized as a medical, education and research center. Within its boundaries are the Baylor Scott & White Healthcare System, the Central Texas Veterans’ Health Care System, Texas A&M College of Medicine, and USDA/Texas A&M University Blackland Research Center. Temple is 125 miles from Dallas and Fort Worth, 60 miles from Austin, 140 miles from San Antonio, and 165 miles from Houston. It is, therefore, well located with reference to commercial, cultural, and political centers of Texas.

Temple College: Your Best Choice

Temple College enjoys an excellent academic reputation and offers Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees, Certificate programs, as well as community education courses and public and corporate services. The AA and AS degrees offer the first two years of a four-year degree, and the AAS degree prepares students for employment in technical careers which require only two years of higher education. The College is friendly, convenient, and economical for students residing in Central Texas. Campus activities, which enhance college life, are varied and accessible. Attending Temple College is an excellent way to adjust to college life before going to a distant senior college or to prepare for one of the four-year colleges in Bell County: University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, or Texas A&M University - Central Texas in Killeen, Texas. Courses also are available to students at East Williamson County Higher Education Center (EWCHEC)-Taylor in Taylor, EWCHEC-Hutto in Hutto, or at the Texas Bioscience Institute in Temple.

Recognition and Accreditation

Temple College is a comprehensive two-year college, and the students are given full credit for their work in senior colleges and universities, provided it is done in keeping with requirements of those colleges and universities. Temple College graduates have successfully entered and completed work in senior colleges and universities throughout the United States. Temple College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Temple College. Also, the College is recognized and approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as a first-class two-year college. Temple College is an active member of the Texas Association of Community Colleges and the American Association of Community Colleges. For more information visit TC’s website www.templejc.edu.

Graduate Guarantee Program

Transfer Credit

Temple College guarantees to its Associate of Arts graduates who have met the requirements for the degree, beginning June 1992 and thereafter, that course credits will transfer to other public-supported Texas colleges or universities provided the following conditions are met:

1. Transferability means acceptance of credit toward a specific major and degree at a specific institution. These components must be identified by the student during the application for admission process prior to the first semester of enrollment at Temple College.
2. Limitations on total number of credits accepted in transfer, grades required, relevant grade point average, and duration of transferability apply as stated in the general undergraduate catalog of the receiving institution.
3. Transferability refers to courses in a written transfer/degree plan filed in a student’s file in the Admissions and Records Office at Temple College.
4. Only college-level courses with the Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual approved numbers are included in this guarantee.

If all the above conditions are met and a course or courses are not accepted by a receiving institution in transfer, the student must notify the Division Director of Student Enrollment Services at Temple College within 10 days of notice of transfer credit denial so the “Transfer Dispute Resolution” process can be initiated.

If course denial is not resolved, Temple College will allow the student to take tuition-free alternate courses, semester hour for semester hour, which are acceptable to the receiving institution within a one-year period from granting of a degree at Temple College. The graduate is responsible for payment of any fees, books or other course-related expenses associated with the alternate course or courses.

Temple College has articulation agreements locally with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton and Texas A&M University - Central Texas in Killeen as well as several other major universities in Texas which guarantee transferability of TC credits. Some agreements are program specific. Please consult the TC Advising office or the university for specific information.

Reverse Transfer

If a student transfers from Temple College to another college/university before completing their associate degree and has earned at least 25 percent of the hours required for the degree, Temple College may reverse transfer courses completed from the college/university back into their associate degree program at Temple College and award an associate degree if graduation requirements are met.

Guarantee for Job Competency

If a recipient of an Associate of Applied Science degree or Certificate of Completion is judged by his/her employer to be lacking in technical job skills identified as exit competencies for his/her specific degree program, the graduate will be provided up to 12 tuition-free credit hours of additional skill training by Temple College under the conditions of the guarantee policy. Special conditions, which apply to the guarantee, include the following:

1. The graduate must have earned the Associate of Applied Science degree or Certificate of Completion beginning June 1992 or thereafter in a technical, vocational or occupational program identified in the College’s general catalog.
2. The graduate must have completed requirements for the Associate of Applied Science degree or Certificate of Completion with the Temple College system, with a minimum 75 percent of credits earned at Temple College, and must have completed the degree or certificate within a five-year time span.
3. Graduate must be employed full-time in an area directly related to the area of program concentration as certified by the Division Director of Student Enrollment Services.
4. Employment must commence within 12 months of graduation.
5. The employer must certify in writing that the employee is lacking entry-level skills identified by Temple College as program exit competencies and must specify the areas of deficiency within 90 days of the graduate’s initial employment.
6. The employer, graduate, Division Director of Student Enrollment Services, Vice President of Educational Services, Division Director of Business and Community Education, job placement counselor, and appropriate faculty member will develop a written educational plan for retraining.
7. Retraining will be limited to 12 credit hours related to the identified skill deficiency and to those classes regularly scheduled during the period covered by the retraining plan.
8. All retraining must be completed within a calendar year from the time the educational plan is agreed upon.
9. The graduate and/or employer is responsible for the cost of books, insurance, uniforms, fees and other course-related expenses.
10. The guarantee does not imply that the graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career.

A student’s sole remedy against Temple College and its employees for skill deficiencies shall be limited to 12 credit hours of tuition-free education under the conditions described above. Activation of the “Graduate Guarantee Program” may be initiated by the graduate by contacting the Vice President of Educational Services within 90 days of the graduate’s initial employment.

Distance Education

Distance Education courses afford students the opportunity to continue attending college courses even with busy lifestyles. Many students attend a combination of online, hybrid, and on-campus classes while others choose to attend all online courses. Course standards, college credit, and transferability are the same as for courses offered on campus. Students have the same rights, privileges, and obligations as on-campus students. Online and hybrid courses are transcripted the same as on-campus courses.

Internet (Online) Courses

Online courses are courses that are completed entirely over the Internet. To take a course through the Internet, students will need access to a computer and a connection to the Internet. Students can use any of the computers in the open computer labs or the library to complete their course work. Class notes, assignments, and discussions are sent and returned through the computer. Students may need to come on campus for one to three proctored exams as determined by the course instructor. An online course may require certain minimum hardware and software configurations on a student’s machine. Those requirements are the responsibility of the student.

Hybrid Courses

Hybrid courses are courses where a majority of the course is taught over the Internet, while the remaining portion of the course meets on campus. The requirement for the number of on-campus sessions is determined by the course instructor. As with online courses, students will need access to a computer and a connection to the Internet. Students can use any of the computers in the open computer labs or the library to complete their course work. A hybrid course may require certain minimum hardware and software configurations on a student’s machine. Those requirements are the responsibility of the student.

Registration

The registration process for eLearning courses is the same as for all other Temple College courses, and Distance Education courses have the same Texas Success Initiative requirements.

Textbooks

Textbooks for some distance education courses may differ from textbooks used for on-campus sections of the same course. The Temple College Bookstore stocks all distance education textbooks.

Testing

Some online courses may require one to three proctored exams during the semester. Proctored exams may be accomplished in the Testing Center on the Main Campus, may be accomplished at any of our Satellite Centers, or at an off-campus testing site approved by the course instructor. Each instructor determines the need for a proctored exam or exams.

Orientation Sessions

Student Orientation to eLearning workshops are held usually the week prior to the start of the semester and again the first week of the semester. These workshops are mandatory and contain valuable information that can help increase the chance of success in online courses. Individual online course instructors may hold online orientations. Hybrid instructors may hold online or on-campus orientation workshops. Check the eLearning web site for more information.

On-Line Information

To see up-to-date information about specific Temple College eLearning courses, go to the Temple College web site (www.templejc.edu) and click the “eLearning” link.

Texas Bioscience Institute

The Texas Bioscience Institute offers STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Math) based programs to promote a skilled and knowledgeable medical and biotechnology workforce in Central Texas.

To allow students to interact with bioscience researchers, the Texas Bioscience Institute is located at Scott and White’s West Campus, alongside bioscience research and development facilities. The Texas Bioscience Institute offers state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms to support advanced courses in biology, chemistry, technology and technical communication. While coursework is taken at the Texas Bioscience Institute, internships and apprenticeships take place in working bioscience facilities in industry or government organizations. By integrating both theory and practice, Texas Bioscience Institute programs assist in supporting the creation of scientists specifically qualified to support established medical and emerging biotechnology industries in Central Texas and beyond.

Middle College Dual Credit Program

This component of the Texas Bioscience Institute allows high school juniors and seniors to focus their study in math, science, and/ or biotechnology and earn up to two years of college credit. This program makes college more accessible, and more affordable, and provides the strong student support needed for transitioning dual-credit high school students to be successful in a college setting.

Apprenticeships

For qualified individuals, paid apprenticeships in bioscience topics may be available. Apprenticeships provide formal on-the-job training with an employer as well as current related technical college level instruction at Temple College and/or the Texas Bioscience Institute.

University Partnerships and Corporate Training

The Texas Bioscience Institute is continually developing university partnerships and corporate training opportunities for students to go beyond the course of study at the associate level. An effort to establish affiliation agreements, which allow students to seamlessly transition from the associate to the bachelor level for medical and biotechnology majors at Texas Bioscience Institute and many other programs at Temple College, is ongoing.

FOR CONTACT INFORMATION RELATED TO ANY TEXAS BIOSCIENCE INSTITUTE PROGRAM, CONTACT THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR THE TEXAS BIOSCIENCE INSTITUTE AT (254) 298-8782.