Texas A&M University-Commerce is has long-time been known for its teaching program. The University now has a partnership with the Dallas County Community College District, including Eastfield College.
Renda Garner is the director of the Texas A&M-Commerce Teacher Center at Eastfield College in Mesquite.
The purpose of the center is to advise, register and nurture students while they are at the community college, and assist them in their transition to the University. While the students are at Eastfield, or any DCCCD school, they receive services through its office.
When it is time for them to transfer, they apply to A&M-Commerce through their office at Eastfield, which takes care of all the steps.
“I think our students feel more comfortable and prepared because the director of the program is an A&M-Commerce employee who is housed full-time at Eastfield,” Garner said.
This program began as part of the Regent’s Initiative within the Texas A&M University System. It was developed at Eastfield in June of 2002.
The purpose of the grant was to increase the quality and numbers of teachers in Texas. Part of the grant also focused on community colleges and partnerships with the universities. Each university within the A&M System established a partnership with a community college that feeds students into their university.
“Because of the location and relationship, it was natural that A&M-Commerce chose Eastfield College as their partner,” Garner said.
This component of the Regent’s Initiative is now complete, but because of the success of the program at Eastfield, the partnership has continued and has now become an ongoing program.
The focus has now become recruiting all students who are interested in attending A&M-Commerce, not just teacher education students. So, any student at Eastfield, or any other DCCCD school, who is interested in transferring to A&M-Commerce is served through this program.
Garner has been the director of the program since it began in 2002. She and others at the center conduct many activities. “Throughout the semester we are advising and registering students,” Garner said. “We also conduct the following sessions for our transfer students: Admissions Day, when Commerce comes to Eastfield and evaluates and admits students on the spot; New Student Orientation at Commerce, when the Eastfield staff goes with the students to provide support and guidance.”
According to Garner, students feel confident knowing a university employee is guiding them and making sure the courses they take at the community college will transfer to the university for their particular major. Also, for a lot of these students, cost and convenience is a big factor in their education. It allows them to take up to 70 hours at the community college level before transferring to the university
“There are so many aspects of teaching that are appealing to students and the fact that they can complete about 60-70 hours of their course work at the community college is even more appealing,” Garner said.