Seven community colleges in South Texas are planning for the development of the South Texas Advanced Technological Education Center in order to implement a new paradigm for teaching and learning. The project is ensuring an environment which fosters inventive curricular revision and faculty development; increasing the productivity of education and training by using computer-based multimedia and telelearning systems; expanding resources for innovations; empowering all faculty and students to learn how to learn, and expanding collaboration between regional alliances. The application of the paradigm is being accomplished through a long-term, comprehensive, systematic restructuring process which involves secondary school teachers; two-year and four-year college and university faculty; administrators; practicing scientists and engineers; business and industry representatives; community and governmental agencies; and professional organizations. The following goals form the core initiatives of the South Texas Advanced Technological Education Center: (a) develop of model curricula which reflect both integration and application of concepts within the real-life/work-related context of a dynamic global society; (b) establish a faculty enhancement program which provides faculty with development options so that they can become the force behind curricular changes and innovations; (c) create a student outreach and support program which recruits, retains, and supports underrepresented populations for science, mathematics, and technological careers; (d) broaden collaborative endeavors with present partners and increase efforts to forge new regional partnerships; and (e) support a teaching and learning environment which incorporates state-of-the-art equipment for laboratories and multimedia and telelearning technology in the classroom.
