AUSTIN — Alamo Colleges officials said Friday they want to seek authority to offer at least two four-year degrees as part of a push by other Texas community colleges to begin baccalaureate degree programs to meet specific workforce needs.

The Texas Legislature will consider a bill in 2015 to allow community colleges to propose four-year degrees to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Only three community colleges in Texas now offer a limited number of four-year degrees under a pilot program approved in 2003 — Midland College, South Texas College in McAllen and Brazosport College in Lake Jackson.

Alamo Colleges is considering two four-year degree programs, one in fire science to train future firefighters and another in American sign language, said Federico Zaragoza, vice chancellor for economic and workforce development.

The college district can document needs in those areas, and they do not duplicate degrees offered elsewhere in the San Antonio area, Zaragoza said.

Word of Alamo Colleges' plans came as a district trustee, Roberto Zarate, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications Leo Zuniga attended a roundtable discussion at the Capitol led by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, on the subject of four-year degree programs at community colleges.

“Our focus is, what are the workforce needs?” Zuniga said

Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Raymund Paredes told the roundtable that the board will recommend to the 2015 Legislature that additional communities be allowed to propose four-year degree programs under a narrow set of circumstances.

The recommendation is based on findings in a recent study performed for the board by the Rand Corp.

The coordinating board wants to limit the four-year degree programs to nursing and applied sciences that would not compete with existing four-year university degree programs in the area. Proposals must document the short-term and long-term demand for degree programs by employers.

Ellis will sponsor a bill allowing new four-year degree programs at community colleges in the 2015 session, Paredes said.

The cost of community colleges' four-year degree programs would be about half that of a four-year university degree — or $10,000 to $12,000 at the community colleges, estimated Susan Brown, assistant coordinating board commissioner.

Community colleges must be able to afford the approximate $500,000 in startup costs for four-year degrees without taking money from existing two-year degree programs, Brown added. Costs include hiring faculty and library materials.

Some community college students would be able to earn four-year degrees in less than four years, especially if they graduate from high school with college credits, Zarate said.

Houston Community College Chancellor Cesar Moldonado said his college would like to seek four-year degree programs in nursing and operational engineering.

“There won't be a flood of proposals if the legislature opens the doors,” said Rey Garcia, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Colleges. “It will be a measured response. This is something you don't do lightly. It's not a cheap thing to do.”

dhendricks@express-news.net