ADVISORY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES
A
HANDBOOK
FOR
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
El Paso Community College
P.O. Box 20500
El Paso, TX 79998
Members Edition
Revised: 2015-2016
Academic Year
El Paso County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender,
age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I.
Mission and Goals of the College …………………………………………
2
II.
Career and Technical Education at El Paso Community College…………….
3
III.
Advisory Committees………………………………………………………………
3
Why Advisory Committees?
Definition of Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee
IV
Advisory Committee Member Selection…………………………………………
4
Membership
Qualifications and Composition
Term of Office
Reimbursement
V.
General Functions of Advisory Committees……………………………………
5
VI.
Scope of Committee Activities…………………………………………………..
6
Community Surveys
Program Support
Curriculum Advisement
Public Relations/Recruitment
Equipment and Facilities
Staffing
Program Evaluation
VII. Advisory Committee Meetings/Minutes
VIII.
Advisory Committee References………………………………………………..
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EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT MISSION
The mission of El Paso County Community College District is to provide educational
opportunities and support services that prepare individuals to improve their personal quality of
life and to contribute to their economically and culturally diverse community.
EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT VISION
The El Paso County Community College District will be the progressive leader in high-quality,
innovative, educational opportunities in response to our border community.
EL PASO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT STRATEGIC GOALS
 Provide Quality Education
 Provide Quality Student Services
 Demonstrate Continuous Improvement
 Strengthen Institutional Resources
 Increase Technological Capability
 Enhance the Image of the College
 Provide Personal Enrichment
 Promote Economic Development Initiatives
EL PASO COMMUNITY COLLEGE CORE VALUES
Communication: We value and encourage the open, interactive exchange of thoughts and
ideas.
Competence: We value excellence as our standard in teaching and learning.
Integrity: We value honesty, ethical behavior, and professionalism in meeting our mission.
Personal Growth: We value the journey of faculty, staff, and students in becoming more
conscious, productive, and contributing members of the community.
Respect: We honor and value each other in our diversity.
Student Success: We value a learning environment that enables students to succeed.
Trust: We value relationships based on honesty, reliability, and compassion.
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CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AT EPCC
Career and Technical Education programs and courses at El Paso Community College are
designed for those students who desire employment in a specific occupational field. Multiple
programs (including A.A.S., Certificate and Continuing Education/Workforce Programs) have
been designated to meet specific employment opportunities that will exist when students
complete their studies. Thus, students’ goals and ambitions are matched to the community’s
needs.
With this realistic approach, El Paso Community College has become a leading educator of
skilled manpower of the West Texas-New Mexico region. The College’s success was made
possible through the excellent cooperation of local industry, business and healthcare/public
service institutions who increasingly turn to the College for skilled employees.
El Paso Community College believes every student should participate in the community as a
culturally aware citizen. Therefore, Career and Technical Education curricula also include
general education courses in the Humanities, Communication, Math/Science and
Social/Behavioral Sciences in addition to specialty courses. Exposure to, and knowledge of,
computer skills are also emphasized, since the role of technology in all fields is increasing.
Another feature of the College’s Career and Technical Education programs is commitment to
continuing education and lifelong learning with programs designated to help students to stay
abreast of changes in their chosen careers.
Advisory committees are an indispensable part of meeting the College’s mission and goals
which relate to Career and Technical Education.
ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Why Advisory Committees?
Career and Technical Education programs are unique because they recognize the need for input
from business, industrial and public service communities to assure that programs meet the needs
of the community. Career and Technical Education faculty and staff at El Paso Community
College actively support and endorse advisory committees. Career and Technical Education
programs prepare students to work in a highly technical, industrialized society that is
characterized by continuous and accelerated changes. Advisory committees are indispensable
in identifying current and future occupational skills, knowledge and goals. Such continual input
ensures that graduates’ knowledge and skills are not obsolete. Furthermore, advisory
committees assure that graduates have the necessary skills that the labor market demands for
success in a chosen field.
The broad purposes of the advisory committee as defined by the 2014 Guidelines for
Instructional Programs in Workforce Education include:
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1. To help the college document the need for the workforce education program.
2. To ensure that the program has both adequate resources and a well-designed curriculum
to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for employment.
Definition of Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee
A Career and Technical Education advisory committee is a group of persons who are selected
from the community to advise the College regarding specific Career and Technical Education
programs and courses. Advisory committee members primarily include practitioners,
employers and supervisors within that occupation. Students, graduates and consumers may also
be represented on the committee. Members of the College faculty and staff may serve as
liaisons or ex-officio (non-voting) members of the committee.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER SELECTION
Membership
While most advisory committees consist of five or more members, an effort is made to include a
diverse group of advisory committee members who are representative of the community. The
advisory committee will elect a chair who must be a community member. The chair will serve
in this capacity for one year.
El Paso Community College is represented on each committee by the Dean(s), the Instructional
Program Coordinator(s) and appropriate Continuing Education Director(s). Counselors may
also participate in some Advisory Committees. Full-time college employees serve only as exofficio (non-voting) members of advisory committees.
Qualifications and Composition
The College establishes separate program advisory committees for each career and technical
education program or cluster of closely related programs. The following are descriptions of
member qualifications:
1. The advisory committee is composed of persons who represent the demographics of the
College’s service area, as well as the occupational field, and who are knowledgeable
about skills used in occupations for which training is being provided.
2. Members are drawn from the public and private sectors, with emphasis on business,
industry and labor membership. Membership also represents the needs of special
population students.
3. Career & Technical education program advisory committee members may represent
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secondary education and higher education, as well as business and industry.
4. Full-time faculty and staff of the College serve only as ex-officer members of the
committee. Part-time faculty who hold full-time positions within the career field may be
members of the committee. College employees may not serve as committee chairs.
5. Each program advisory committee member advises in curriculum development and
program revisions relative to current and future trends in the field, equipment
acquisition, external learning experiences and student employment and placement.
6. Other characteristics desirable in a committee member include:
A. Interest in the specific goals of the program as an employer, consumer or
practitioner;
B. Competency and experience in the career area;
C. Adequate time available to participate in the advisory committee activities;
D. Willingness to share advice and concerns with College personnel.
7. Students and consumers may also be represented on advisory committees.
Term of Office
Members are selected for two-year terms with the option of reappointment.
Reimbursement
Advisory committee members serve without pay.
GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Advisory committee members are representatives from the community who volunteer their time
and energy to assure quality instructional programs. This outline of general functions is presented
with the understanding that requests for time and effort from the advisory committee members are
reasonable in nature. Following are some specific functions:
o Serve as a communication liaison between College and community groups to relate
instruction to the current and future needs of the community.
o Review current curriculum, recommend changes and approve recommended changes
suggested by instructional staff. Changes in curriculum may include changes in
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curriculum organization, course revisions, and new courses and /or changes in degrees
offered.
o Assist in new program development and program revisions.
o Validate the specific skills/workplace competencies required of graduates and suggest
related information and general education content for the course/program.
o Offer suggestions for the selection of equipment, software and other instructional
materials.
o Assist in the selection and acquisition of equipment, supplies and other donations from the
community.
o Recommend potential instructors.
o Assist in relaying information about current job openings to students and graduates of the
program.
o Identify local business/industry leaders who will provide students with external learning
experiences, employment and placement opportunities.
o Inform the College of changes in the labor market: specific needs, surplus/shortages of personnel,
national/regional trends, etc.
o Evaluate goals and objectives of the program curriculum.
o Evaluate the adequacy of existing college facilities and equipment.
o Assist in professional development of faculty.
o Assist in promoting and publicizing the program to the community, business and industry.
o Advisory committees may perform additional duties and functions in accordance with guidelines
from specialized accrediting agencies.
SCOPE OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
Each Career & Technical Education Advisory Committee at El Paso Community College provides advice
on the development, operation and evaluation of the program for which it was appointed.
The following committee functions outline the scope of committee activities and are presented so that
individual members of the advisory committee understand how they might best serve the college.
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Community Surveys
The advisory committee assists the College in determining:
1.
The jobs for which an educational program or course is needed.
2.
The need for expanded education for those already employed.
3.
New areas in which courses should be developed.
4.
Whether or not programs should be established, expanded or eliminated.
Program Support
The advisory committee can support the program by:
5.
Notifying faculty of job opportunities for students and graduates.
6.
Employing graduates and cooperative education students.
Curriculum Advisement
The advisory committee deliberates on appropriate curricular concerns to include the following:
7.
Identifies competencies needed for employment.
8.
Examines the relationship between the occupational courses and other college courses/programs.
9.
Emphasizes the development of human relations skills and positive attitudes toward work within
the program.
10.
Determines the appropriateness of instructional materials.
11.
Examines the performance of program graduates.
Public Relations/Recruitment
The advisory committee assists in:
12.
Developing community awareness of College faculty, facilities, programs and equipment.
13.
Suggesting ways to promote the College through speaking engagements, television, radio and
other media.
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14.
Participating in awards programs for outstanding students and alumni.
15.
Suggesting a public relations calendar for the academic year.
Equipment and Facilities
Primary work activities of this function include inspection, evaluation, and providing assistance in
obtaining equipment, facilities and instructional resources. Members can give advice and assistance in
purchasing equipment or they can assist the College in obtaining equipment and materials via donations
or on consignment.
Staffing
The advisory committee assists in:
1.
Recommending the number of faculty needed for a course/program.
2.
Recommending adjunct faculty.
3.
Referring potential faculty for employment.
4.
Recommending changes in faculty workload and salary.
Program Evaluation
The Career and Technical Education advisory committee assists in institutional evaluation, specialized
accreditation self-studies and site visits as appropriate.
Note: The section, A Scope of Committee Activities, has been adapted from materials prepared by Seminole Community
College.
Advisory Committee Meetings/ Minutes
Advisory committees must meet in person a minimum of one time a year and should, if possible, have a
quorum present; however, it is recommended that contact with committees be maintained throughout the year
via e-mail, fax phone, or video conference. During the development of new programs, advisory committees
should meet frequently.
All meetings of the advisory committee must be recorded in official minutes. The minutes must include:
 Identification of committee members (name, title, and affiliation);
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
An indication of the committee members' presence or absence from the meeting;

The names and titles of others present at the meeting;

The signature of the recorder and elected chair;

Evidence of that industry partners have taken an active role in making decisions that affect the program.
Minutes must be maintained in college files and made available to the Coordinating Board staff upon request.
Attached is a sample for recording advisory committee minutes recommended by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board.
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
CHAIRPERSON:
MEETING DATE:
MEETING TIME:
MEETING PLACE:
RECORDER:
PREVIOUS MEETING:
MEMBERS: (P=Present)
P
OTHERS Present:
Name and Title
Agenda Item
Business Affiliation
Name and Title
Action, Discussion, Information
Responsibility
Approve Minutes from Last
Meeting
Old Business:
New Business:
Curriculum Decisions:
Other:
MINUTES
Key Discussion Points
Discussion
Old Business:
New Business:
Curriculum Decisions:
Other:
CHAIRPERSON SIGNATURE (or designee)
DATE:
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NEXT MEETING:
El Paso Community College
Advisory Committee Membership
Academic Year:
Program/Discipline:
Number
Name
Title
Employer
Street/PO Box
Mailing
Address
City
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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12
13
14
15
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17
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State
Zip
Business
Phone
Cell
Phone
Email
Address
Comments
Term of
Appointmen
t
ADVISORY COMMITTEE REFERENCES
Affeldt, H. The Development of a Rationale and Guidelines for Effective Utilization of Advisory
Committees in the North Carolina Community College System. Doctoral Dissertation.
Nova, University, 1981.
Armfield, G. A Study of Local North Carolina Community College Vocational Curriculum Advisory
Committees: Their Organization, Practices, and Functions. Doctoral Dissertation.
Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1981.
Basualdo, E. Advisory Committees in Vocational-Technical Programs. Memphis State Technical Institute
at Memphis, 1976.
Brooking, W. An Advisory Committees - Now More than Ever. Technical Education News, 21, Winter
1983.
Cochran and Others. Advisory Committees in Action. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1980.
Garrity, R. AThe Role of the Advisory Committee: Curricular Excellence. @ AACJC Journal, 40-41,
October 1984.
Griffin, W. BIC (Business/Industry Council): A Concept Paper for Administrative Discussion. ERIC ED
229 068, 1983.
Johnson, R. The Care and Feeding of Your Advisory Committee. Community Services Catalyst. Light,
J. A Practitioner’s Guide to Using and Meeting with Advisory Groups. ERIC ED 237 140, 1982.
Reindeau, A. Advisory Committees for Occupational Education: A Guide to Organization and Operation.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1977.
Rockmarker, G. and Gail Modlin. Updating Your Training Programs. Technician Education News. 1118, Fall 1988.
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Guidelines for Instructional Programs, 2014.
Wenrich, R. and Others. Administration of Vocational Education. American Technical Publishers, 1988.
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