Texas Register

TITLE 19 EDUCATION
PART 1TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD
CHAPTER 4RULES APPLYING TO ALL PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN TEXAS
SUBCHAPTER BTRANSFER OF CREDIT, CORE CURRICULUM AND FIELD OF STUDY CURRICULA
RULE §4.28Core Curriculum
ISSUE 02/15/2008
ACTION Final/Adopted
Preamble Texas Admin Code Rule

(a)General. In accordance with Texas Education Code, §§61.821 - 61.831, each general academic institution, community college, and health-related institution shall design and implement a core curriculum, including specific courses composing the curriculum, of no less than 42 lower-division semester credit hours. Health-related institutions should encourage their students to complete their core curriculum requirement at a general academic institution or community college.

(b)Component Areas. Each institution's core curriculum must be designed to satisfy the exemplary educational objectives specified for the component areas of the "Core Curriculum: Assumptions and Defining Characteristics" adopted by the Board; all lower-division courses included in the core curriculum must be consistent with the "Texas Common Course Numbering System," and must be consistent with the framework identified in Charts I and II of this subsection. Chart I specifies the minimum number of semester credit hours required in each of five major component areas that a core curriculum must include (with sub-areas noted in parentheses). Chart II specifies options available to institutions for the remaining 6 - 12 semester credit hours.

Attached Graphic

(c)Transfer of Credit--Completed Core Curriculum. If a student successfully completes the 42 semester credit hour core curriculum at a Texas public institution of higher education, that block of courses may be transferred to any other Texas public institution of higher education and must be substituted for the receiving institution's core curriculum. A student shall receive academic credit for each of the courses transferred and may not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution unless the Board has approved a larger core curriculum at that institution.

(d)Concurrent Enrollment.

  (1)A student concurrently enrolled at more than one institution of higher education shall follow the core curriculum requirements in effect for the institution at which the student is classified as a degree-seeking student.

  (2)A student who is concurrently enrolled at more than one institution of higher education may be classified as a degree-seeking student at only one institution.

  (3)If a student maintains continuous enrollment from a spring semester to the subsequent fall semester at an institution at which the student has declared to be seeking a degree, the student remains a degree-seeking student at that institution regardless of the student's enrollment during the intervening summer session(s) at another institution.

(e)Transfer of Credit--Core Curriculum Not Completed. Except as specified in subsection (f) of this section, a student who transfers from one institution of higher education to another without completing the core curriculum of the sending institution shall receive academic credit within the core curriculum of the receiving institution for each of the courses that the student has successfully completed in the core curriculum of the sending institution. Following receipt of credit for these courses, the student may be required to satisfy the remaining course requirements in the core curriculum of the receiving institution.

(f)Satisfaction of Component Areas. Each student must meet the minimum number of semester credit hours in each component area; however, an institution receiving a student in transfer is not required to accept component core course semester credit hours beyond the maximum specified in a core component area.

(g)Exemplary Educational Objectives From More Than One Component Area. An institution may include within its core curriculum a course or courses that combine exemplary educational objectives from two or more component areas of the exemplary educational objectives defined in this section.

(h)Transcripts. Each institution must note core courses on student transcripts as recommended by the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO).

(i)Notice. Each institution must publish and make readily available to students its core curriculum requirements stated in terms consistent with the "Texas Common Course Numbering System."

(j)Substitutions and Waivers. No institution or institutional representative may approve course substitutions or waivers of the institution's core curriculum requirements for any currently enrolled student. For students who transfer to a public institution from a college or university that is not a Texas public institution of higher education, evaluation of the courses the student completed prior to admission should apply to the fulfillment of the core curriculum component areas only those courses the institution has accepted for transfer that can demonstrate fulfillment of the exemplary educational objectives for the appropriate component area or areas.

(k)Accommodations.

  (1)The Commissioner or the Commissioner's designated staff representative may, on a case-by-case basis, approve an accommodation of a specific core curriculum component area requirement for a student with a medically-documented learning disability, including but not limited to dyslexia, dysgraphia, or Asperger's Syndrome.

  (2)Accommodation shall not include a waiver or exemption of any core curriculum requirement.

  (3)In requesting an accommodation under this subsection, an institution may request approval of core curriculum applicability for a course the institution offers but that is not approved as a part of that institution's core curriculum, if the institution demonstrates that the course has been approved to fulfill the same specific core curriculum component area requirement at five or more other Texas public colleges or universities. The Texas Common Course Numbering System course number may be used as evidence of the suitability of the course under this subsection.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on January 29, 2008

TRD-200800494

Bill Franz

General Counsel

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Effective date: February 18, 2008

Proposal publication date: November 9, 2007

For further information, please call: (512) 427-6114



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