Regionally, EPCC has ongoing partnerships with every ISD, as previously described with our dual enrollment programs. The college also has many strong partnerships with other institutions of higher education including the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC). This drives opportunities for students and faculty collaboration between institutions. For example, EPCC’s partnership with local ISDs and with UTEP is a nationally recognized model of a strong and seamless K-16 education pipeline. This ensures consistent messaging and facilitates transitions from elementary through post-secondary and graduate education.
The EPCC-UTEP Engineering Academy is a dual-enrollment program that allows students to simultaneously take classes at El Paso Community College (EPCC) and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). It allows students to take classes at both institutions, providing access to academic resources, financial aid, and extracurricular activities. Students progress as a cohort with aligned course schedules alongside a dedicated group of peers, while building strong academic and professional networks. Students also get hands-on experience in undergraduate research, industry apprenticeships, internships and specialized math enrichment boot camps. Through co-registration and co-advising, students receive coordinated academic support from faculty and advisors. This innovative program provides a streamlined, affordable pathway to a bachelor’s degree in civil, industrial, materials, electrical, or mechanical engineering. There are currently three cohorts with 32 students. The persistence rate is 73.9% and an average GPA of 3.30. Many of the students have completed their associates and are now enrolled full-time at UTEP and several are completing internships.
Another vibrant community partnership in higher education is between EPCC and Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC) El Paso. The two institutions have an innovative collaboration that brings dental hygiene and dental students together for an integrated approach to oral health care. EPCC Dental hygiene students provide vital preventive care, such as screenings and cleanings while TTUHSC El Paso’s third-year dental students stepped in to offer more comprehensive exams and restorative treatments to community patients. Not only does this give students required clinical experience, it provides important skills that prepare them for their career while improving regional healthcare. Blanca Castillo, who previously taught at EPCC before becoming a third-year dental student at Texas Tech, shared her insights into how the partnership is instrumental in bridging the gap between different aspects of patient care. “This partnership helps bridge the gap between preventive and restorative care,” Castillo said. She emphasized that working together not only enhances the learning experience but also fosters a greater understanding for students, faculty and the community. El Paso Community College (EPCC) and Texas Tech University (TTU) Architecture Program is a “2+2” collaborative pathway. Students spend two years earning an Associate of Science in Architecture at EPCC then seamlessly transition to TTU’s College of Architecture El Paso Campus to finish their Bachelor of Science in Architecture.