HCC ofers Bachelor degrees

Defender News Service

For the frst time in the system’s history, Houston Community College will ofer bachelor’s-level degree programs starting in the fall. Te new four-year programs are Applied Technology in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and Applied Science in Healthcare Management.

“We are continually exploring ways to provide relevant programs and instruction that serve the needs of students and employers in our service area,” HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado said. “With these two inaugural bachelor’s degree programs, we give students an opportunity to start and complete their fouryear education on the same HCC campus.”

The college received state approval in December as a Level 2 baccalaureate-granting institution, allowing the college to grant bachelor’s-level degree programs. Te approval came fve years afer Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2118 into law in 2017, which allowed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to authorize public junior colleges to ofer bachelor’s degrees in applied science, applied technology and nursing.

According to HCC Director of Communications Zen Zheng, HCC was the frst college in Texas to ofer an associate degree in artifcial intelligence. Zheng said artifcial intelligence has gained a foothold across industries, stating that the 2021 National Security Commission on Artifcial Intelligence recognized AI as “already ubiquitous in everyday life” and claimed that AI is “turning once-fantastical ideas into realities across a range of disciplines.”

“Te new Bachelor of Applied Technology in Artifcial Intelligence and Robotics will address a growing and critical need for skilled workers in a rapidly evolving technical feld,” Zheng said in an April 12 news release.

He said graduates of the Artifcial Intelligence program will enter a profession with 2,586 annual job openings in the Gulf Coast region and a starting median annual salary of $97,200. Meanwhile, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Healthcare Management

Defender News Service

Te Texas A&M University System will supercharge the development of Prairie View A&M University’s new National Center for Infrastructure Transformation with a $500,000 boost for the next fve years.

Te investment refects the confdence in Prairie View A&M University’s leadership to fnd practical new ways to enhance the durability and extend the life of the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Prairie View A&M University was recently selected as the frst HBCU to lead a competitively awarded national-tier University Transportation Center by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Tis historic frst for Prairie View A&M University shows the power of its partnership with the A&M System, which made this success possible,” said John Sharp, chancellor of Te Texas A&M University System. “Prairie View A&M University’s alliance with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Texas A&M University is an example of how this kind of collaboration makes it possible for us to compete against the best research institutions in the country and win.”

Prairie View A&M University’s National Center for Infrastructure Transformation (NCIT) will receive $4 million per year for fve years and is one of only fve awarded national-tier centers. Its focus will be on practical research to improve the durability and resilience of the nation’s transportation infrastructure for the next century.

“Te Texas A&M System contribution will support the administration of NCIT, as well as its programs in education and technology transfer,” said Dr. Judy Perkins, director of the National Center for Infrastructure Transportation at Prairie View is intended to prepare students for career advancement or entry-level health care managerial positions.

HCC ofers a few health science programs, such as respiratory therapy, radiography and sonography. A Healthcare Management graduate will have access to about 1,700 annual openings and a starting median annual salary of about $64,000, Zheng said.

A&M University. “Tis will free up more assets to pursue research in better ways to design, construct and maintain transportation infrastructure.”

Joining Prairie View A&M University in the consortium, is Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Texas A&M University, Rutgers University, Michigan State University, Arizona State University and Blinn College District.

Specifications may be secured from The Harris Center website www.theharriscenter.org beginning Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The Harris Center utilizes Bonfire for their solicitations https://theharriscenter.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Proposals must be submitted by 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Historically Underutilized Businesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses are encouraged to participate. The Harris Center reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.