The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
(1) Academic credit course--A college-level course
that, if successfully completed, can be applied toward the number
of courses required for achieving a degree, diploma, certificate,
or other formal award.
(2) Area Institution--A university, health-related
institution, independent institution, or legislatively established
or Board-approved higher education center which is within a 50-mile
radius of a proposed off-campus instruction site.
(3) Board--The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board.
(4) Clinical course--An academic credit course that
is a health-related, work-based learning experience that enables the
student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills, and concepts.
(5) Clinical facility--A health care facility which
provides learning experiences for students.
(6) Commissioner--The Commissioner of Higher Education;
as used in this subchapter, "Commissioner" means the agency acting
through its executive, and his or her designees, staff, or agents.
(7) Community College--Any public community college
as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003 and §130.005,
and whose role, mission, and purpose is outlined in Texas Education
Code, §130.0011 and §130.003.
(8) Continuing Education Course--A non-credit higher
education technical course offered for continuing education units,
has specific occupational and/or apprenticeship training objectives,
and provides a quick and flexible response to business, industry,
and student needs for intensive preparatory, supplemental, or upgrade
training and education.
(9) Continuing Education Unit or CEU--Ten contact hours
of participation in an organized educational experience under responsible
sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction and not
offered for academic credit.
(10) Degree--Any title or designation, mark, abbreviation,
appellation, or series of letters or words, including "associate",
"bachelor's", "master's", and "doctor's" and their equivalents and
foreign cognates, which signifies satisfactory completion of the requirements
of a program of study which is generally regarded and accepted as
an academic degree-level program by accrediting agencies recognized
by the Board.
(11) Doctoral Degree--An academic degree beyond the
level of a master's degree that typically represents the highest level
of formal study or research in a given field.
(12) First-Professional Degree--An award that requires
completion of a program that meets all of the following criteria:
(A) completion of the academic requirements to begin
practice in the profession;
(B) at least two years of college work prior to entering
the program; and
(C) a total of at least six academic years of college
work to complete the degree program, including prior required college
work plus the length of the professional program itself. First-Professional
degrees are discipline-specific, including, but not limited to, degrees
such as: Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.); Medicine (M.D.); Veterinary
Medicine (D.V.M.); Law (L.L.B, J.D.); and Pharmacy (Pharm.D).
(13) Formula Funding--The method used to allocate appropriated
sources of funds among institutions of higher education.
(14) Formula-funded Course--An academic credit course
delivered face-to-face or by distance education, including correspondence,
whose semester credit hours are submitted for formula funding.
(15) Institution of Higher Education or Institution--Any
public technical institute, public community college, public senior
college or university, medical or dental unit, Lamar state college
(public state college), or other agency of higher education as defined
in Texas Education Code, §61.003.
(16) Main Campus--The primary campus or campuses of
an institution of higher education supplying instruction and supported
by on-site administration, also referred to as on-campus.
(17) Non-credit course--A course that results in the
award of continuing education units (CEU) as specified by International
Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) criteria.
Only courses that result in the award of CEUs may be submitted for
state funding.
(18) Off-Campus Course--A course in which a majority
(more than 50 percent) of the instruction occurs when the students
and instructor(s) are in the same physical location and which meets
one of the following criteria: for public senior colleges and universities,
Lamar state colleges, or public technical colleges, off-campus locations
are locations away from the main campus; for public community colleges,
off-campus locations are sites outside the service area.
(19) Off-Campus Degree or Certificate Program--A program
in which a student may complete a majority (more than 50 percent)
of the credit hours required for the program through off-campus courses.
(20) Off-Campus Instruction--The formal educational
process in which a majority (more than 50 percent) of the instruction
occurs when the students and instructor(s) are in the same physical
location and which meets one of the following criteria: for public
senior colleges and universities, Lamar state colleges, or public
technical colleges, off-campus locations are locations away from the
main campus; for public community colleges, off-campus locations are
sites outside the service area.
(21) Out-of-State/Out-of-Country Courses and Programs--Academic
credit courses and programs delivered outside Texas/United States
to individuals or groups who are not regularly enrolled on-campus
students. Out-of-state and out-of-country courses do not receive formula
funding.
(22) Public Health-Related Institution or Health-Related
Institution--A medical or dental unit as defined by Texas Education
Code, §61.003(5).
(23) Public Technical Institute or College--The Lamar
Institute of Technology or any campus of the Texas State Technical
College System.
(24) Public University or University--A general academic
teaching institution as defined by Texas Education Code, §61.003(3).
(25) Regional Council--A cooperative arrangement among
representatives of all public, private or independent institutions
of higher education within a Uniform State Service Region, as established
under Texas Education Code, §51.662.
(26) Regular On-Campus Student--A student who is admitted
to an institution, the majority of whose semester credit hours are
reported for formula funding and more than 50 percent of coursework
is primarily taken at an institution's main campus or on one or more
of the campuses within a multi-campus community college system.
(27) Self-Supporting Courses and Programs--Academic
credit courses and programs whose semester credit hours are not submitted
for formula funding.
(28) Semester Credit Hour--A unit of measure of instruction
consisting of sixty (60) minutes, of which fifty (50) minutes must
be direct instruction, over a fifteen-week period in a semester system.
(29) Service Area--The territory served by a community
college district as defined in Texas Education Code, §130.161.
(30) Study-in-America Courses--Off-campus, academic
credit instruction which is delivered outside Texas but in the United
States primarily to regular on-campus students.
(31) Study-Abroad Courses--Off-campus, academic credit
instruction which is delivered outside the United States primarily
to regular on-campus students.
(32) Workforce continuing education course--A course
offered for continuing education units (CEUs) with an occupationally
specific objective and supported by state funding. A career technical/workforce
continuing education course differs from a community service course
offered for recreational or avocational purposes which is not supported
by state funding.
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