Mar 23, 2018
Dr. Steve Sewell at Dickinson Rotary Club
Dr. Steve Sewell, COM's Dean of Academic programs, spoke to the Dickinson Rotary Club regarding the college's Academic Master Plan.

Getting feedback from the community is key aspect of formulating the College of the Mainland’s long-range Academic Master Plan and Dr. Steve Sewell, COM’s Dean of Academic programs, sought more feedback on Wednesday, March 21.

Speaking to the Dickinson Rotary Club, Sewell explained how the college has been gathering information from stakeholders to determine the direction the college should take over the next 10 years. The meeting was just one of many which have been held.

COM’s Academic Master Plan will guide how instruction will evolve at the college and also will drive development of the facilities master plan. The plan includes recommendations on program offerings based on the labor market needs of the Texas Gulf Coast and beyond. 

The Rotarians were interested in the college offering courses in HVAC and also asked about the Math Pathways initiative, which will offer students math pathways other than algebra, which is often a stumbling block for many students.

Sewell was able to share COM’s proactive approach by offering co-requisite math and English courses, which allows students to take a developmental course and a credit course during the same semester. This development course acts as a “tutor” to the credit course.

Another approach to receiving an associate degree in less time is the Guided Pathways project, Sewell said. Guided Pathways keeps students on track to strategically take courses that align with a student’s degree plan. Doing so will assure students stay on track to complete their required course work on time and earn an associate degree without taking any unnecessary coursework.