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(a)Universities and health-related institutions are encouraged to develop upper-division and graduate certificate programs of less than degree length to meet the needs of students and the workforce. These rules are intended to provide a streamlined process for approval of those programs. (b)Certificate programs for which no academic credit is granted are exempt from the provisions of this section. (c)Certificate programs for which academic credit is granted at universities and health-related institutions must meet the following criteria: (1)They must meet identified workforce needs or provide the student with skills and/or knowledge that shall be useful for their lives or careers. (2)They must be consistent with the standards of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. (3)They must meet the standards of all relevant state agencies or licensing bodies which have oversight over the certificate program or graduate. (4)Adequate financing must be available to cover all new costs to the institution five years after the implementation of the program. (d)The following certificate programs do not require Board approval: (1)certificate programs for which no collegiate academic credit is given, (2)certificate programs in areas and at levels authorized by the table of programs of the institution with curricula of the following length: (A)at the undergraduate level of 20 semester credit hours or less, (B)at the graduate and professional level of 15 semester credit hours or less. (e)The following certificate programs require only Board notification and are automatically approved, subject to review: (1)upper-level undergraduate certificates of 21-36 hours in disciplinary areas where the institution already offers an undergraduate degree program. (2)graduate-level and professional certificates of 16 - 29 hours in disciplinary areas where the institution already offers a graduate program at the same level as the certificate. (f)Lower-division certificate programs. (1)One and two-year, post-secondary career technical/workforce education programs should be delivered primarily by community, state, and technical colleges. These institutions are uniquely suited by virtue of their specialized mission, local governance, and student support services to provide such opportunities in an efficient and economical manner. For that reason, new lower-division career technical/workforce certificate programs shall not generally be approved at public universities and health-related institutions. (2)Universities and health-related institutions should not develop certificate programs at the upper or graduate level that are equivalent to lower-division certificate programs offered at community, state, and technical colleges.
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 November 13, 2009
TRD-200905247 Bill Franz
General Counsel
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Effective date: December 3, 2009
Proposal publication date: August 7, 2009
For further information, please call: (512) 427-6114
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