(a) An institution may request the Commissioner to
approve alternative Discipline Foundation Courses based upon the following
criteria:
(1) The institution demonstrates that approved Discipline
Foundation Courses significantly vary from the institution's lower-division
curriculum for a given major; or
(2) The institution demonstrates based on evidence
that students completing approved Discipline Foundation Courses are
not successful in the institution's upper-division curriculum.
(b) The Chief Academic Officer of an institution that
requests alternative Discipline Foundation Courses based on the criteria
in this rule must submit a petition for alternative Discipline Foundation
Courses in writing to the Commissioner, along with a written, evidence-based
rationale. The Commissioner shall promptly notify the Texas Transfer
Advisory Committee of the request for alternative Discipline Foundation
Courses.
(c) Upon notification by the Commissioner, the Texas
Transfer Advisory Committee shall evaluate the institution's request
for alternative Discipline Foundation Courses based upon the number
of students affected, how the alternative Discipline Foundation Courses
would impact transfer, and any other criteria as decided by a majority
vote of public junior college representative members and general academic
teaching institution members present and voting.
(d) After review of the criteria, the Texas Transfer
Advisory Committee shall vote on whether to recommend the alternative
DFC to the Commissioner. A majority of the public junior college sector
representatives and a majority of the general academic teaching institution
sector representatives who are present and voting must both vote in
favor for the alternative DFC to advance to the Commissioner for approval.
(e) No more than 30 days after its vote on the petition,
the Texas Transfer Advisory Committee shall provide a written report
to the Commissioner explaining the rationale for the action taken
by the Texas Transfer Advisory Committee on the request for alternative
Discipline Foundation Courses.
(f) No more than 30 days after receiving the written
report from the Texas Transfer Advisory Committee, the Commissioner
shall consider the Texas Transfer Advisory Committee report and make
a final determination whether to approve the alternative DFC. The
Commissioner's decision is final and may not be appealed.
(g) The Commissioner shall inform the Board at the
next quarterly meeting of all decisions to approve or deny petitions
for alternative DFC.
(h) The Coordinating Board shall maintain a public
website that includes a list of all alternative Discipline Foundation
Courses approved by the Commissioner.
|