The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board proposes amendments to §4.28 and §4.30, concerning the Texas core curriculum. Specifically, two changes are proposed. First, the staff has received a number of questions during the past year regarding appropriate courses to fulfill the Mathematics Component Area requirement. The change specifies that the first college-level mathematics course, including but not limited to introductory statistics, logic, college algebra, or any more advanced math course for which the student is qualified upon enrollment, should be allowed to fulfill the component area requirement. Second, the Coordinating Board is charged to specify a reporting period for the submission of institutional reports regarding the effectiveness of the core curriculum at the institution. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) has recently increased its interest in and attention to this portion of the undergraduate curriculum as part of its revisions to the accreditation reaffirmation process, and requires essentially the same information that has been required in these institutional reports to the Board. The Coordinating Board's reporting period should be changed so that it can be aligned with that of SACS in order to eliminate unnecessary duplication of reporting requirements.

Dr. Joseph Stafford, Assistant Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Research has determined that for each year of the first five years the sections are in effect the fiscal implications to state or local government as a result of this rule change would be that there would be minimal cost saving to each college and university because the reporting period alignment with that already required as part of the SACS accreditation reaffirmation process would allow institutions to use similar reports for both purposes.

Dr. Stafford has also determined that for each year of the first five years the section is in effect, the public benefit anticipated as a result of administering the section would be in ensuring that unnecessary duplication of efforts for reporting to the Coordinating Board as well as to SACS is reduced. There is no effect on small businesses. There are no anticipated economic costs to persons who are required to comply with the section as proposed. There is no impact on local employment.

Comments on the proposal may be submitted to Joe Stafford, Assistant Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Research, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, P.O. Box 12788, Austin, Texas 78711 or joe.stafford@thecb.state.tx.us. Comments will be accepted for 30 days following publication of the proposal in the Texas Register.

The amendments are proposed under Texas Education Code, §61.827, which authorized the Coordinating Board to adopt rules to implement the provisions of the subchapter, including those in Texas Education Code, §61.822(a), requiring the Coordinating Board to adopt a statement of the content, component areas, and objectives of the core curriculum, and in Texas Education Code, §61.824 regarding the evaluation of the institution's core curriculum and reporting of the evaluations to the Board.

The amendments will contribute to the ongoing implementation of the provisions of Texas Education Code §61.822(a) and §61.824.