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The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
www.utb.edu
Career Center
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22, Oct.
200923, 2008
Virtual University
Programs of Study
Offered Online
UTB/TSC offers four undergraduate
and two graduate programs of study
completely online.
Undergraduate:
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Applied Technology
• Work Force Leadership and Supervision
• Computer Information Systems Technology
• Health Services Technology
• Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
• Interdisciplinary Subject Areas
• Applied Business Technology
Graduate:
• Master of Education in Educational
Technology
• Master of Business Administration
http://myutbtsc.blackboard.com
Financial Aid Checklist
Francisco Garcia, manager for the UTB/TSC Distance Education and Instructional Technologies Department, works on an online course
through MyUTBTSC Blackboard. Garcia earned his master’s in educational technology online from UTB/TSC in 2005.
UTB/TSC provides distance education
manager with ‘tools needed to succeed’
T
o Francisco Garcia, it all happened
in the blink of an eye.
He remembers enrolling at Texas
Southmost College in 1987 and taking
English as a second language classes to
improve his English skills.
Born in Brownsville, Garcia completed
his elementary and secondary education in
Matamoros.
“That’s what started it all,” Garcia said. “I
wanted to learn English, and TSC offered
that opportunity.”
In 1988, Garcia enrolled in remedial
courses and started work toward his
associate degree.
“I had to take remedial courses in
reading and writing. I was able to forgo the
math and jump straight to college algebra,”
he said, adding that in 1988, he took a job
as a work study in the Computer Science
Department.
In 1993, Garcia earned his associate
degree in computer information systems
and began working on his bachelor’s degree
in applied arts and sciences.
At the same time, his journey to
technology would take him to the
Brownsville Independent School District
where he worked for three years as a
computer user specialist.
In 1996, he made the trip back to The
University of Texas at Brownsville and
Texas Southmost College to work in what
is now known as the Distance Education
and Instructional Technology Department.
“We were known as Educational
Technologies,” he said. “Those were the
early stages of distance learning through
videoconferencing.”
Garcia and two colleagues were the
founders of the department that started in
a small office in Tandy Hall.
Fast forward to 2000, the then-Office
of Distance Education continued to grow,
and the need for change came in a spur of
a moment.
“That’s when online courses were first
offered at UTB,” he said of the milestone
reached at the turn of the century. “Distance
learning started in collaboration with
the UT TeleCampus. The first programs
of study offered were the master’s in
educational technology, master’s in business
administration and bachelor’s of science in
criminal justice.”
When the Office of Distance Education
launched MyUTBTSC Blackboard, Garcia
was tapped to be the system administrator
while he worked on his master’s degree in
educational technology offered online at
UTB/TSC, which he earned in 2005.
“That’s when I learned about pedagogy,
instructional design and the development
of online course,” Garcia said. “That’s what
helped (in my master’s program) that I
had a background in technology, and the
master’s helped me a lot.”
While working on his master’s, he and
fellow staff members designed a professional
development project to assist UTB/TSC
professors interested in designing online
courses. The implementation of this pilot
program began shortly after the acquisition
of MyUTBTSC Blackboard in 2003.
“I began to work with faculty to ensure
high quality online courses were being
developed,” he said.
But it was not over, or as Garcia likes to
explain, “it had just begun.”
Then came the implementation of
multidisciplinary groups, composed of an
instructional designer, a graphic designer,
video editor and course reviewer.
“My role changed to coordinate all
these efforts and resources so they could
function,” Garcia said. “Our goal was to
produce high quality online courses, which
is something we continue to do and expand
on.”
Twenty classes were offered in the early
statges of distance learning at UTB/TSC.
Currently, more than 500 online course
sections are offered per year.
Garcia, who is currently the manager of
the Distance Education and Instructional
Technologies Department, explained how
UTB/TSC guided him on the right path.
“UTB/TSC has provided me with the
tools needed to succeed,” he said, adding he
is planning to begin work on his doctoral
degree in instructional design through
distance learning.
At the same time, Garcia also continues
to explore the future of distance learning at
UTB/TSC.
“In fact, UTB/TSC has the most
sophisticated online tools integrated in
MyUTBTSC Blackboard such as webcasts,
class video capture, audio and video chat,
podcasting and more.”
To learn more about online courses, call the
Distance Education and Instructional Technologies
Department at (956) 882-6696 or
e-mail [email protected].
Promising Careers
The earning potential for UTB/TSC graduates who have taken online
courses, include:
Applying for
Financial Aid:
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Apply for financial aid using Free
Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) online in order to apply for federal
and state grant, work-study, and loan
programs (www.fasfa.ed.gov). Parents and
students should apply for pin number at
www.pin.ed.gov.
Students must apply for admission to UTB/
TSC and make sure all official transcripts
are sent to the Office of Admissions.
Transfers students must request evaluation
of transcripts.
Take the Compass/e-Write exam or other
Texas Success Initiative (TSI) test. Check
with the Testing Office at (956) 882-8875.
Students will receive either a Student
Aid Report (SAR) or a Student Aid
Acknowledgement and must review the
information for accuracy.
A financial aid adviser will review the
application and may need to request
additional documentation from the student.
Comply with all Financial Aid Office
requests for verification of information.
Once the file is completed and cleared, the
student will receive a letter stating his/her
eligibility status and/or award offer via
e-mail.
Register for classes before the designated
deadlines as indicated in the course schedule
and pay balance at Business Office before
payment deadline. Six credit hours are
required for most financial aid programs.
E-mail your financial aid questions to
[email protected].
• Registered Nurse: $57,280
• Health Administrator: $73,340
• Instructional Designer/Coordinator: $52,790
• Computer Support Specialist: $41,470
• Computer Programmer: $65,510
• Computer System Analyst: $69,760
• Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer: $47,460
• Police and Detective Supervisor: $69,310
• Business Management Analyst: $68,050
Source: The U.S. Department of Labor’s “Occupational Outlook
Handbook: 2008-09”
The last day for early registration is Dec. 18. The last day for
late registration is Jan. 11. Classes start Jan. 12.
With more than 130 undergraduate and 22 graduate programs, UTB/
TSC has what you are looking for.
For more information, call New Student Relations at (956) 882-8860.
Apply online at www.utb.edu