In 2010, the Persian Gulf country of Qatar formed a partnership with Houston Community College to establish the Community College of Qatar, the country’s first such institution. Texas A&M has a university there as well. According to Reeve Hamilton in the Texas Tribune, the relationship has been rocky at times, but has now produced graduates with plans to advance to higher degrees elsewhere.
Graduates of 2012 have the option of converting their CCQ degrees into HCC degrees by taking extra courses online in the summer. "Credit transfers are evaluated on a case-by-case basis," the article reports. "HCC was chosen in part because it has been one of the most active community colleges internationally, aiding the accreditation efforts of institutions in Vietnam, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia."
"To date, HCC officials said, they have made $923,414 on the deal," by charging for the necessary expertise in setting up the program.
Issues that still need to be worked out include SACS accreditation and Title IX, which bars descrimination based on gender. Typically, in that part of the world, males and females attend classes in separate locations.
Comments