Feb. 19, 2020 – Collin College’s Collin Higher Education Center has served the residents of Collin County for 10 years, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree options in selected fields much closer to residents’ homes. January 2020 marked the tenth anniversary of the campus’ opening in the same year that Collin College celebrates its 35th anniversary.
“The university partnerships at the Collin Higher Education Center have opened up new opportunities for Collin College students and others who want to continue their higher education journey without pulling up their roots from Collin County,” Collin College District President Dr. Neil Matkin said. “The Collin Higher Education Center provides options that did not exist in Collin County prior to its opening. The district continually evaluates the center’s operations and plans to provide more opportunities in the future in line with the district’s strategic plan, which is currently in development.”
Collin College has partnerships with Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Tech University, Texas Woman’s University, University of North Texas, and The University of Texas at Dallas, providing space at the Collin Higher Education Center (CHEC) for each university to teach classes and to advise current and prospective students. Students who attend classes at CHEC are considered students of the university offering their classes and can earn a degree from that school while attending classes primarily or completely at the CHEC.
The college’s university partners currently offer classes that apply to 14 baccalaureate degree programs, 10 master’s degree programs, and two doctoral programs. CHEC enrollment has grown significantly in the past decade. University partners reported an enrollment of 3,333 in the 2018-2019 academic year, compared to 2,004 in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Home to Collin College’s administrative offices and Board of Trustees meetings, the CHEC also plays host to numerous outside agencies for conferences, training, and special events. In 2019, the CHEC hosted 70 such events including McKinney ISD conferences, local church services, Rotary Club meetings, workshops, law school testing, political gatherings, and more.
The Collin Higher Education Center is located at 3452 Spur 399 in McKinney. An open house event will be held for community members and potential students on March 6. For more information about the open house and the university partners’ programs at the CHEC, visit www.collin.edu/chec/openhouse.html. For general information about the CHEC, call 972.599.3100.
Collin College serves more than 59,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity (BAT) degrees. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, which has an enrollment of more than 3,300 each year in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Tech University and the University of North Texas. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.