The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Coordinating Board) proposes amendments to §§4.23, 4.25, 4.28 - 4.31 and 4.35, concerning Transfer of Credit, Core Curriculum, and Field of Study Curricula. Specifically, these amendments work together to update and change the requirements for the statewide, fully transferable, undergraduate general education core curriculum.

Section 4.23 modifies definitions to accord with the new core curriculum and deletes a definition of "compliant with the Texas Common Course Numbering System" as part of this update.

Section 4.25 modifies several general provisions to update errors or inconsistent language, but no substantive changes are made.

Section 4.28, the section that lays out the fully-transferable Texas Core Curriculum, is amended to reflect the recommendations of the Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee (UEAC). The UEAC was asked to study and make recommendations to improve the existing statewide Core Curriculum. That currently existing statewide Core Curriculum has not been modified since 1997. The new curriculum puts in place a Purpose Statement, Core Objectives, and Foundational Component Areas with descriptions and semester credit hour requirements, as required in Texas Education Code, §61.822. The amendments will bring the Texas Core Curriculum into better alignment with current best practices around the United States. These changes are intended to improve consistency in transfer practices and to improve opportunities for students to increase their learning through the acquisition of knowledge and skills they will need for work and life. Related provisions in this section are amended to reflect additional recommendations pertaining to implementation of the new Texas Core Curriculum.

Section 4.29 deletes the option of institutions requesting a core curriculum of more than 42 SCH.

Section 4.30 revises the provisions pertaining to the assessment and reporting of core curriculum objectives, as required in Texas Education Code, §61.824. The revisions reflect changes in terminology and organization of the Texas Core Curriculum reflected in the amendments to §4.28 above and implements recommendations from the UEAC.

Section 4.31 adds the new core curriculum implementation process and revises existing rules relating to institutional revisions of previously approved core curricula. Institutions would be limited to submitting changes to the institutional core curriculum once per academic year. This policy would allow for better efficiency in implementing requirements, including the timely publication of all the courses approved for use in the core curriculum in any academic year. A subsection on procedure in handling institutional requests is updated to reflect current electronic submission practices.

Section 4.35 amends the language relating to the use of the Texas Common Course Numbering System to identify the system by name rather than by acronym the first time it is cited.

Dr. MacGregor M. Stephenson, Assistant Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Research, has determined that for the first five years the sections are in effect there will be no fiscal implications for state or local governments as a result of enforcing or administering the rules.

Dr. Stephenson has also determined that each year of the first five years the amendments are in effect, the public benefit anticipated as a result of administering the sections will be an improvement in the general education core curriculum offered at each public institution of higher education that offers academic undergraduate degree programs, including increased student learning via enhanced knowledge and skills acquisition, and more current and best-practices-oriented assessment. There is no effect on small businesses. There are no anticipated economic costs to persons who are required to comply with the sections as proposed. There is no impact on local employment.

Comments on the proposal may be submitted by mail to MacGregor M. Stephenson, Assistant Commissioner, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, P.O. Box 12788, Austin, Texas 78711 or via email at macgregor.stephenson@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, §61.051(g) which describes the Board's role in developing and implementing policies to provide for the free transferability of lower division course credit among institutions of higher education, and §61.822 which describes the Board's responsibilities to implement a statewide fully-transferable core curriculum.

The amendments affect the Texas Education Code, Subchapter C, §§61.821 - 61.832.