Best Practices Defined
 | General Definition
Best Practices are often defined in an absolute, global manner. However, to identify Best Practices that function independent of the type of academic organizational structure that underlies them would be misleading. That is to say, differences in the nature, purpose, constituents and number of institutions in a university/community college- transfer relationships cannot be ignored or minimized when evaluating various approaches to articulation or when considering information which could impact upon articulation.
| | VITA's Operational Definition
VITA's conception of best practices of articulation is a pragmatic, relative one. What works best for any given group of universities and community colleges is dependent upon many of the contextual factors mentioned above. One size does not, and cannot, fit all. Best practices are relative and local to any given set of 'feeding' and 'receiving' institutions and should be measured and judged according to the results that the articulation agreements and processes breed (i.e. the effectiveness of transferability vis a vis academic performance, retention and the progression toward graduation). |
Texas AMP History Phase I-The Early Years
During the early years of Phase I of the AMP Program, transfer and articulation were not given a very high priority in terms of data collection and examination of this process. Texas AMP’s partner institutions were asked to report students who transferred from community colleges to the System’s senior institutions. Those numbers were only examined in the context of potential graduates entering the senior institutions. Institutions were also asked to provide each year a list of all articulation agreements. Phase I-Continuous Improvements
In the middle to latter years of Phase I, Texas AMP determined it would be prudent to assign a higher priority to transfers, as the Alliance began looking at outcomes and vastly improved its evaluation process. Subsequently, greater care was taken to require AMP institutions to report transfer students more accurately. A dialogue began to open at campus coordinators’ meetings regarding the process of transfer and articulation, and accordingly, the barriers also opened to successful transfer of their students. Phase II-Individual Partnership Plan
The following events have occurred since the completion of the VITA web site: | AMP Central began investigating how this site could be utilized to assist its partner institutions. | | The Advisory Board was planned to be the forerunner of a "Brain Trust". The Alliance would build on the Board's knowledge by interviewing the experts in the field and would make that information available on the Web database. |
| In early 1999 a meeting was called of the Texas AMP Governing Board in Austin. This Governing Board is comprised of the Presidents or Chief Academic Officers of each institution, many new to AMP. At the 1999 meeting, transfer and articulation was discussed at great length. Board members were made aware of how they might provide assistance to the AMP campus coordinators at each Board member's institution. Discussion topics included techniques for Board members and coordinators in working together to improve the process of transfer. |
Collaborations with Other Institutions AMP Central has taken an active role in assisting in several collaborations with our partner institutions. 
Getting Results
Texas AMP has achieved successful results in the areas of transfer and articulation by applying the following strategies. In depth descriptions are available by clicking on each link.  | AMP Leadership Institute
TAMU-College Station | | AMP Leadership Workshop at SAC
San Antonio College | | AMP Leadership Workshop
El Centro College | | Student Workshop
TAMU-College Station
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| FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education) | | Curriculum Integration/Collaborative Learning Workshop
San Antonio College | | Active-Collaborative learning workshop
TAMU-College Station
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| Transfer Information Day
TAMU-College Station
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| Academic Advising
Richland College | | Mentorship
Palo Alto Community College | | Counseling/Advising
Laredo Community College | | Mentoring
Houston Community College System | | Mentoring
El Centro College | | Counseling
Blinn College
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| Student Support Services
Richland College |
Administrative Conferences Governing Board Coordination Board ASSIST NAMEPA Region D | November 6-7, 1998, Strengthening the Links in the Educational Pipeline
NAMEPA Region D Fall Regional Conference -Austin, TX |
College Board | December 8-9, 1997, College Board Conference Orlando, FL - Developing Effective Partnerships between Two-Year & Four-Year Colleges |
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