Student Handbook and Catalog 2021-22 V2

College Catalog and Student Handbook | 49
experiences earn up to 12 credit hours working offcampus
at jobs related to their fields of study. This phase
of training is a cooperative effort between the student,
industry and TSTC to provide valuable work experience.
Cooperative education is competitive, enabling some
qualified students to earn income to help support their
education. Students who are interested in participating in
cooperative experiences should discuss the opportunities
with their department chairpersons.
Performance-Based Education (PBE)
Some programs of study offer performance-based
education (PBE) ), the name of TSTC's course-based
competency based-education (CBE) initiative. In these
programs, students may complete course requirements
without attending regularly scheduled lectures or
laboratory sessions. Students enroll in an agreed-upon
number of contact hours and are awarded credit when
course objectives are met. This allows students to advance
through program requirements at a comfortable speed,
which may be slower or faster than the more traditional
approach.
Performance-Based Education (PBE) programs are pending
approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Enrollment
Registration
Returning students and new students who have completed
admission process should contact their local TSTC campus
for specific registration information. Students must
register for classes prior to the beginning of the semester
of attendance. Students may register for classes during
the scheduled registration period. Students must clear all
holds or restrictions prior to registration.
Program enrollment coaches will assist students in the
Business Management Technology, Computer Networking
& Systems Administration, Cybersecurity, Digital Media
Design, Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Technology and Web Design & Development PBE
programs with registration and schedule changes.
Note: Attending class or doing course work for a course
in which they are not properly registered (which includes
paying fees) is prohibited and grounds for dismissal from
the College.
Online Learning
TSTC offers instruction through a variety of modalities.
Online classes offer students the opportunity to complete
college courses using personal computers and internet
connections. Each TSTC program that offers online learning
courses has requirements specific to that program.
Online courses do have deadlines for completion of course
requirements. Depending on the nature of instructional
modality, students may have the opportunity to work
through some course requirements in a self-guided
manner. Students who take online learning courses
complete course requirements and communicate with
instructors through the College’s Learning Management
System (LMS). A proctored exam is taken on campus or at
an approved proctored testing center and monitored by a
Proctor. Please follow testing instructions indicated on the
course syllabus and for proctored testing requirements and
arrangements. Virtual tutoring for some online programs is
available.
Prior to beginning a fully online course, students must
complete the Student Online Learning Orientation (SOLO)
course to demonstrate ability to succeed in TSTC’s online
learning environment. Contact the Office of Online
Learning for information on the SOLO course. Failure to
complete the SOLO course may result in the student being
withdrawn from the online course(s).
In most cases, tuition for online learning courses is the
same as on campus courses. The Tuition and Fees section
of this catalog provides more details. Students planning to
take only online learning courses should notify the TSTC
Enrollment Center so that the appropriate information and
advising can be arranged.
Day, Evening and Weekend Courses
The majority of college credit courses are taught on
weekdays during the day, with selected courses offered
during the evenings and/or on weekends. Workforce
Training and Continuing Education courses are scheduled
throughout these time periods. Contact the Workforce
Training Office for details.
Dual Enrollment Courses
The TSTC Dual Enrollment program provides an
opportunity for high school students to earn college
and high school credit simultaneously while still in
high school. High School Partners must have an official
Partnership with TSTC by way of a Memorandum
of Understanding and meet applicable eligibility
requirements for students to enroll in courses. Active
Dual Enrollment students are to abide by the rules and
regulations set forth in the TSTC Catalog and Student
Handbook. Contact the Dual Enrollment Office for more
information.
Texas State Technical College
tstc.edu