STC to offer new 4yr degree... pending approval

South Texas College continues to pioneer the area of technical degrees. In recent months STC put together a curriculum for a new specialized program called Bachelors of Applied Technology in Computer Information Technology. Students that received their AAS could easily transfer into this program to continue their technical training. The program looked great and had tremendous support. Even before it went to the coordinating board for approval it had over 150 students ready to enroll. The degree plan consisted primarily of advanced computer classes that covered topics such as: advanced networking, network security, advanced web design, database management and digital imaging. There is no other degree plan in the area that offers these types of advanced classes. Unfortunately for the 150+ students that were ready to enroll, the coordinating board rejected the degree. The board didn't think this area needed this type of degree. Though it is currently being contested, the BAT - CIT has an uncertain future. So what do you think, do the companies here need a highly skilled and technical workforce? Would this degree be a major benefit to the students and the local industry? Is STC the right institution to offer this highly specialized and technical degree? I'm interested to see what the community thinks.