General Information

Vision of the Institution

Shaping future academic, workforce, cultural, and economic leaders by providing excellent instruction, resources, services, and innovative partnerships, for students and the community.

Mission of the Institution

Blinn College is building stronger communities by providing quality, comprehensive education, and empowering students to achieve excellence in their educational careers and personal goals.

Strategic Priorities and Goals (2017-2020)

Since Blinn College first opened its doors in 1883, it has been committed to being an educational leader, not only in Washington County and the Brazos Valley but throughout the state of Texas. Our commitment to building stronger communities and empowering students is reflected in our accomplishments over the past 130 years. To maintain our place as one of the premier community colleges in the nation, we must continue to plan for the future with both short- and long-term planning and a clear, streamlined vision for our College’s future. Through a process involving students, faculty, staff, and community, we have identified the following goals and objectives.

Strategic Priority 1: Student Success - Blinn College provides excellent learning experiences and services for students.

Goals and Objectives:

1. Ensure student progress towards degree completion.
2. Support student success through comprehensive and proactive advising.
3. Facilitate student success through availability of programs, which meet academic or workforce labor market needs reflecting community economic development initiatives.
4. Increase enrollment in academic, workforce, and applied sciences programs.
5. Expand data use and analysis for ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement.

Strategic Priority 2: Performance Excellence

Goals and Objectives:

1. Recognize faculty, staff and student excellence, and celebrate achievements.
2. Improve employee awareness of benefits.
3. Promote collaboration, mutual support, and professionalism at all levels to ensure a collegial work environment.
4. Structure transparent and timely communication to internal and external stakeholders.
5. Integrate consistent and equitable processes and services across campuses.
6. Develop continuous improvement through ongoing training and professional development.

Strategic Priority 3: Planned Growth

Goals and Objectives:

1. Enhance the culture of employee recognition.
2. Expand opportunities for ongoing professional development.
3. Improve communication between departments and across levels.

Historical Statement

Blinn College, the Junior College District of Washington County, is located in Brenham, Texas, and serves a thirteen-county service area with campuses in Bryan, Schulenburg and Sealy. The school was founded in 1883 by the Southern German Conference of the Methodist denomination under the name of Mission Institute. In 1889, the name was changed to Blinn Memorial College in honor of the Reverend Christian Blinn of New York who had donated a considerable sum of money to make the school possible. The institution was originally founded for the purpose of training young men for the ministry, but in the course of time, to meet the demands of the public, academic courses were added. After operating for five years as an institution for men only, Blinn College was made coeducational in 1888. Until 1927, the school was of academy rank. In 1927, the Board of Trustees, under the leadership of President Philip Deschner, organized a junior college. In 1930, the school was merged with Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas). In 1934, a new charter was procured by the citizens of Brenham, and a private nonsectarian junior college, under the name of Blinn College, was organized with nine regents as the board of control. In February 1937, all connection with Southwestern University and the Methodist denominations was severed. An election held in Washington County on June 8, 1937 for the purposes of creating a public junior college district and for levying a small tax was successful. Blinn thus became the first county-owned junior college district in Texas. The college continues to operate as one of the largest 50 public junior/community college districts in Texas.

Locations

The home campus of Blinn College is located at 902 College Avenue, Brenham 77833, Washington County, Texas. The A.W. Hodde Technical Education Center is located at 2910 S. Blue Bell Road, Brenham, Texas 77833. Brenham has a population of approximately 13,500. It lies in the south central part of the state about 90 miles east of Austin, Texas, and 70 miles west of Houston, Texas. It is the hub of three major highways: State Highway 105, U.S. Highway 290, and State Highway 36. Somerville Lake, about 12 miles north on Highway 36, affords excellent facilities for fishing, boating, and water sports. Independence, Washington-on-the-Brazos, and Brenham itself played major roles in the early development of Texas – politically, socially, and educationally.

Blinn College has offered a full schedule of classes in the Bryan/College Station area since 1970. The Bryan campus is located at 2423 Blinn Blvd., Bryan, Texas 77802. The Post Office Campus is located at 301 Post Office Street (off Texas Ave.), Bryan, Texas 77801, the Physical Fitness Building is located on 3608 Old College Road, Bryan,Texas 77801; the Workforce Education Center is located at 5303 Raymond Stotzer Parkway, College Station, Texas 77840; and the Texas A&M Health Science Center-Clinical Building I, is located at 8441 State Highway 47, Suite 2500, Bryan, Texas 77807.

A campus was opened in Schulenburg, Texas (Fayette County), in the fall of 1997. It is located at 100 Ranger Drive, Schulenburg, Texas 78956. A campus was opened in Sealy, Texas (Austin County), in the spring of 2005. It is located at 3701 Outlet Center Drive, Sealy, Texas 77474.

The Blinn College service area includes the following thirteen counties: Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Fayette, Grimes, Lee, Madison, Waller and Washington Counties and parts of Milam, Montgomery, Robertson and Walker Counties.

Advantages Offered by Blinn College

1. College Education at a Low Cost
   1. Blinn College is tax-supported both by the State of Texas and by Washington County. The student pays for only a part of the total cost of the college education.
   2. Tuition and fees are comparatively low.
   3. Room and board are comparatively low.
   4. Many students live at home.
   5. Scholarships and part-time jobs are available for many students and are based on need and ability. Student loans and grants are available to qualified students.
2. Various Types of College Programs Available
   1. Academic courses are offered leading toward a degree from a senior college or university.
   2. Preparatory courses are available for a vocation, business, or profession.
3. Immediate Leadership Development
   Blinn students may take part in the many extracurricular activities during their first year in college without having to compete with
   juniors and seniors. The students are encouraged to participate in religious, music, literary, speech, dramatics, journalism, civic,
   social, academic, and athletic activities.
    
4. Normal Step of Progression
   1. Blinn College is a normal step for progression in college-level work.
   2. Individual attention is available for those students who need additional help.
   3. The student has an opportunity for close acquaintance with and more guidance from the faculty.

Programs Available at Blinn

1. Academic courses leading toward a degree from a senior college or university
   Blinn students who plan to transfer to a senior college should carefully follow a curriculum at Blinn that will meet course and degree plan requirements of the senior college they plan to attend.
2. Dual Credit Course Credit
   Qualified high school juniors and seniors may enroll in college-level courses. Students must satisfy the Early Admissions Program requirements.
3. Career courses for vocations, businesses, or professions
   Blinn students who prefer to seek immediate employment upon graduation from Blinn College may select a program that will best prepare them for their chosen field of work.
4. Continuing Education Courses
   Blinn College provides a full complement of lifelong learning opportunities. Through continuing education and workforce education courses, a person can master a skill, learn a subject, or gain a level of professional competency without enrolling in college credit courses.

Summer Sessions/Minimester

Blinn College offers two summer terms. Classes are offered in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Course offerings are listed in the Summer Course Schedule usually available in late spring. Blinn College also offers winter and May minimester sessions.

Call or write the Office of Admissions and Records for information at (979) 830-4140 (Brenham), (979) 209-7220 (Bryan), (979) 743- 5200 (Schulenburg), or (979) 627-7997 (Sealy).

Library

Blinn College has libraries at its campuses in Brenham, Bryan, and Schulenburg. The library room at the Sealy Campus provides access to electronic resources as well as delivery of materials requested from the other libraries.

Each library provides books, periodicals, reference tools, movies, electronic resources, and Internet access for student assignments, research, and recreation. The library’s web site provides access to the library’s online catalog, electronic subscription databases and much more. A daily (Monday-Friday) delivery service generally assures that materials ordered from one library location in the morning will be available at the pickup location that afternoon. Students taking classes on any campus may check out materials at any library location. Items may be returned at any library location. Periodical articles requested from other campus libraries can be delivered directly to students via e-mail.

A valid Blinn I.D. card is required for most library services including checking out reserve materials, books, movies and using computer workstations. Fines are charged for overdue materials, and any student who neglects to pay library debts or return library materials will be placed on Blinn Administrative Hold at the end of the current semester. This blocks access to grades, registration, including adding or dropping classes, and issuance of official transcripts until the situation is resolved. Students must know their Blinn I.D. number and password to log on to computers on campus. When computers or study areas are at capacity, preference will be given to those students using library databases and materials.

Professional librarians and support staff are available to help students find and use materials. Students are also encouraged to participate in library instruction sessions offered each semester. Additional information is available on the library web site at http://www.blinn.edu/library.

Library Guidelines:

The following general usage guidelines apply for all Blinn libraries:

• Beverages are allowed in closed, spill-proof containers.
• Food items that do not disturb others with noise or odor and that do not leave crumbs or sticky residues are allowed.
• Cell phones and pagers must be set to silent.
• Tobacco products are not permitted.
• Blinn dress code and behavior expectations are enforced.

Library Hours and Locations:

Library hours vary by campus, and may also change for holidays, between semesters, and during the summer. See the library website (www.blinn.edu/library) for more information, or contact the individual library location.

Library Online Resources

The library website (www.blinn.edu/library) provides access to a wealth of resources and services, most of which are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on or off- campus. Resources available on the library website include the following:

• Research Help. Use links under Contact Us on the library homepage to get personal research help from librarians via Chat, email, and telephone whenever the library is open. Interactive tutorials and research guides are available 24/7.
• Library Catalog. Provides information on all books, ebooks, magazine and journal subscriptions, videos, and other items from all library locations. Links to electronic books and journals make many items accessible around the clock from any Internet- connected computer. The Request feature allows students to have materials delivered from one campus to another. By logging in the catalog with a Blinn I.D. number and password, students can renew items online and keep an eye on due dates, fines, and more.
• Databases. Over 60 databases to choose from, providing indexing and full-text articles from thousands of magazines, scholarly journals, newspapers, and other resources such as wire service reports, pamphlets, government documents, broadcast transcripts, maps, ebooks, encyclopedias, and photographs. General databases cover a broad range of research topics; subject-specific databases focus on narrower topic areas such as literature, careers, music, psychology, history, medicine, genealogy, and more.
• Reference Resources. Hundreds of reference books and encyclopedias are available online through Gale Virtual Reference Library, Credo Reference, and specialized databases such as StatRef for nursing.
• Useful links. Access to a variety of Internet search engines, online catalogs for nearby libraries, government resources, and other sites that librarians have found to be reliable sources of information.

Community Service and Outreach Activities

Department of Prospective Student Relations

The mission of the Department of Prospective Student Relations is to serve our communities, prospective students and K-12 schools through recruiting efforts and partnerships with community organizations. To accomplish this, we must strive to provide prospective students, parents, high schools and communities with the most accurate information regarding Blinn College programs, admissions procedures and the enrollment process.

Our responsibilities include:

• Recruiting Prospective Students to all 5 Campuses
• Advancing P-16 Initiatives
• Coordinating school relations in K-12
• Overseeing Blinn’s Mobile Go Center

We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of individuals who are passionate about Blinn College and the idea of increasing the College going culture in our service area communities. Prospective Student Advisors make personal visits to high schools throughout the state of Texas with particular emphasis on classroom presentations for service area schools each Spring. Ambassadors serve as tour guides on the Brenham and Bryan campuses. These student workers are official College spokespersons selected for their communications skills, composure, maturity and academic standing.

To contact the Department of Prospective Student Relations for Brenham, Schulenburg and Sealy contact (979) 830-4152 and for Bryan contact (979) 209- 7541. We look forward to great things in the future for our students and communities.

Blinn College Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Blinn College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is charged with the responsibility to provide economic outreach for Blinn College by helping businesses establish, grow, survive and succeed. To achieve this mission qualified professionals provide oneon- one confidential consulting at no charge and high quality, low cost non-credit business education classes and seminars listed on our website www.blinn.edu/sbdc.

The vision of Blinn College SBDC is to be a well-established, highly respected, and soundly funded small business development center recognized by public and private sector entities as the preeminent provider of professional quality business information, education and assistance.

Blinn College SBDC is a member of the University of Houston SBDC Network and one of 14-SBDC centers in the 32-county Gulf Coast Region. Our resource partners include the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The Blinn SBDC is located at 108 Blinn Boulevard, on the Brenham Campus. Contact information is: Phone: (979) 830-4137; Fax: (979) 830-4135. For more information on the Blinn College SBDC program and current training schedules go to: www.blinn.edu/sbdc.

Marketing and Communications

The Office of Marketing and Communications supports the mission and objectives of Blinn College through the development, management and implementation of the College’s marketing and media relations programs. Working in partnership with the college administration, faculty, staff and student organizations, the Office of Marketing and Communications creates and maintains a consistent, positive and dynamic public image for the College.

Star of the Republic Museum

The Star of the Republic Museum, located in the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park, was placed under the administration of Blinn College by the Texas Legislature in 1969, and officially opened on March 2, 1970. Its purpose is to collect and preserve the material culture of the Texas Republic (1836-1846) and to interpret the history, cultures, diversity and values of early Texans. The Museum strives to inspire interest, understanding and appreciation of Texas heritage for students, teachers, scholars, and the general public through exhibits, tours, programs, web activities and outreach. In addition to 10,000 square-feet of historical exhibitions, the Museum houses a four-thousand volume library and over 6,000 artifacts and documents for research. These combined resources provide students with a comprehensive history of the people, places, and events of the Republic of Texas. For information on the museum call (936) 878-2461 or visit the website at www.starmuseum.org

Prison Education Program

Blinn College provides educational services in the form of academic and technical courses at a correctional institution located in Brazos County. These courses allow offenders the opportunity to earn an Associate degree and several technical certificates.

The Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan, Texas, is a minimum security facility where Blinn College offers one Business Administration and Management Certificate: Entrepreneurship;, two Information Management Certificates: Medical Billing and Coding Specialist and Administrative Assistant Specialist; and an Accounting Technology Certificate.

Required Notices

Nondiscrimination & Annual Public Notice:

Blinn College, including its career and technical education programs, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, age, or any other basis prohibited by law. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in career and technical education programs.

Student Title IX Coordinators/Specialist:

Employee Title IX Coordinator:

Student ADA/Section 504 Coordinators:

Employee ADA/Section 504 Coordinator:

Student & Employee

College District Other Anti-Discrimination Coordinator: The District President or designee shall serve as coordinator for purposes of College District compliance with all other antidiscrimination laws.

Information regarding Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation can be found in Board Policy FFD(LOCAL) for students and in Board Policy DIA(LOCAL) for employees.

Blinn College’s Career and Technical programs of study, both credit and non-credit, are designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills they will need to immediately enter the workforce. Numerous degree and certificate programs prepare students for careers in fields such as health science, information technology, business management and administration, finance, public safety, hospitality, human services, transportation, and manufacturing.

Career and Technical applicants are required to meet the college’s general admission criteria as well as the individual program’s admission criteria. Applicants must contact the program director/coordinator to determine eligibility and qualifications for a specific program. Some programs, such as those in health science, are competitive entry and may have required minimum technical standards.

Avisos Necesarios

No discriminación y aviso público anual:

Blinn College, incluyendo su carrera y programas de educación técnica, no discrimina por raza, color, religión, género, origen nacional, discapacidad, edad o cualquier otra base prohibida por la ley. La falta de conocimientos del idioma inglés no será una barrera para la admisión y participación en programas de educación técnica y carrera.

Estudiante Título IX coordinadores/especialista:

Empleado Coordinador del Título IX:

Estudiantes coordinadores de ADA, sección 504:

Empleado Coordinador de ADA, sección 504 :

Estudiante y Empleado

Colegio otros antidiscriminación Coordinador de distrito: el Presidente de distrito o la persona designada servirá como Coordinador para los propósitos del distrito del Colegio Universitario cumplimiento de con todas las otras leyes antidiscriminación.

Puede encontrar información relativa a la libertad de la discriminación, acoso y venganza en Mesa directiva FFD(LOCAL) para los estudiantes y en Mesa directiva DIA(LOCAL) de empleados.

Carrera de Blinn College y técnicos programas de estudio, crédito y sin crédito, son diseñado para proporcionar a los estudiantes con los conocimientos y habilidades que se necesitan para entrar inmediatamente en la fuerza de trabajo. Numerosos programas de grado y certificado de preparan a los estudiantes para carreras en campos tales como ciencias de la salud, tecnologías de la información, gestión y administración, finanzas, seguridad pública, hospitalidad, servicios sociales, transporte y fabricación.

Carrera y los técnicos solicitantes están obligados a cumplir con los criterios de admisión general del colegio, así como criterios de admisión del programa individual. Los solicitantes deben póngase en contacto con el coordinador y director del programa para determinar elegibilidad y calificaciones para un programa específico. Algunos programas, como los de Ciencias de la salud, son entrada competitiva y requiera normas técnicas mínimas.

Blinn College District Notification of Rights under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) afford eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution.) These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the Blinn College District receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the school official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

   A student who wishes to ask the school to amend a record should write the school official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.

   If the school decides not to amend the record as requested, the school will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to provide written consent before the university discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

   The school discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the Blinn College District in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the Blinn College District who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the Blinn College District.

   Upon request, the school also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

   The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Blinn College District to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

Directory information shall be released to a qualified individual or organization that files a written request with the District President or designee.

The College District shall give public notice of the categories of information designated as directory information and of the period of time after such notice for a student to inform the College District that any or all of the directory information should not be released without prior consent.

The College District designates the following categories of student information as public or directory information. Such information may be disclosed by the institution:

Category I: Name, classification, major field of study, home address, and College District e-mail address.

Category II: Previous institutions attended, attendance status, awards, honors (including Distinguished and President’s lists), degree(s) conferred (including dates), past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities, and physical factors (height, weight of athletes).

Currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of either or both categories of information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. To withhold disclosures, written notification must be received in the office of admissions and records on the Brenham campus or Bryan campus within 12 calendar days from the first day of registration for each long term or four days for summer terms. Forms requesting the withholding of directory information shall be available in the offices listed above. The College District shall assume that failure on the part of any student to specifically request the withholding of directory information indicates individual approval for disclosure.

FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without consent of the student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in §99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the student, §99.32 of FERPA regulations requires the institution to record the disclosure. Eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A postsecondary institution may disclose PII from the education records without obtaining prior written consent of the student.

• To other school officials, including teachers, within the Blinn College District whom the school has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in §99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) - (a)(1)(i)(B)(2) are met. (§99.31(a)(1))
• To officials of another school where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer, subject to the requirements of §99.34. (§99.31(a)(2))
• To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U. S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as a State postsecondary authority that is responsible for supervising the university’s State-supported education programs. Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of §99.35, in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf. (§§99.31(a)(3) and 99.35)
• In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. (§99.31(a)(4))
• To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction. (§99.31(a)(6))
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. ((§99.31(a)(7))
• To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. (§99.31(a)(8))
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§99.31(a)(9))
• To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to §99.36. (§99.31(a)(10))
• Information the school has designated as “directory information” under §99.37. (§99.31(a)(11))
• To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense, subject to the requirements of §99.39. The disclosure may only include the final results of the disciplinary proceeding with respect to that alleged crime or offense, regardless of the finding. (§99.31(a)(13))
• To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, subject to the requirements of §99.39, if the school determines the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense and the student has committed a violation of the school’s rules or policies with respect to the allegation made against him or her. (§99.31(a)(14))
• To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the school, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the school determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21. (§99.31(a)(15))