Judgment of Compliance

Narrative

Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is primarily a regional university, with a large array of baccalaureate and master’s degrees and a limited number of doctoral degrees in select areas.  Approximately 85% of the student body is undergraduate, with the vast majority of students from within a 100-mile radius of the main campus.  SHSU was created in 1879 to prepare teachers.  Over the years, its curriculum has changed to serve the needs of the state, region, and nation.  The curriculum at SHSU is directly related to the mission and goals [1] of the institution and appropriately reflects the degrees awarded.  Institutional curriculum processes and periodic review of the mission ensure a continued alignment among the curriculum offered, the degrees awarded, and the institution’s mission.

Curriculum Development, Approval, and Review

 Section 96.61 of the Texas Statutes Education Code (TEC) identifies SHSU as “a coeducational institution of higher education” [2].  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) authorizes SHSU to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees in a variety of academic areas.  Degrees at SHSU, regardless of modality, are developed in accordance with Chapter 5, Subchapter C, Section 5.45 [3] of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), which mandates that “The program must be within the existing role and mission of the institution as indicated by its table of programs or the Board must make the determination that the program is appropriate for the mission of the institution.”  In addition, Chapter 5, Subchapter C, Section 5.46 [4] requires that there be a “demonstrated and well-documented need for doctorally prepared professionals in the discipline of the proposed program both in Texas and in the nation.”

Currency of the university’s curriculum is maintained through the annual curriculum cycle and the biennial review of the undergraduate and graduate catalogs.  As part of the annual curriculum cycle, curricular content of proposed degrees, regardless of curricular modality (i.e., face-to-face or online), is developed by the departmental faculty and subsequently reviewed internally, with accompanying recommendations by departmental, college, and university curriculum committees; the Academic Affairs Council; the Provost; and the President.  Proposals are then reviewed externally for approval or denial by The Texas State University System Board of Regents and the THECB.  An overview of the university’s curriculum cycle, with responsibilities, deadlines, and procedures, is communicated each year to the academic deans and has been provided [5].

The university utilizes the THECB’s degree program request forms for internal review and consideration of all proposed degree programs at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral level.  The degree proposals, regardless of curricular modality, require thorough descriptions of the program and its curricula, as well as documentation of student demand, market need, and institutional resources.  New bachelor’s and master’s degree program proposals are submitted using the THECB’s “New Program Request Form for Bachelor and Master’s Degrees” [6].  Doctoral program proposals require the “New Doctoral Degree Proposal” [7] and must adhere to the Guidelines for Institutions Submitting Proposals for New Doctoral Programs [8].  Following the internal review and approval actions as described previously, all degree proposals are forwarded to the Board of Regents for review and approval; however, only the following are forwarded to the THECB for full review and approval: (a) doctoral proposals, (b) bachelor’s and master’s degree proposals in engineering, and (c) proposals with costs exceeding $2 million dollars for the first five years of operation.  The university forwards only the Certification Form for New Baccalaureate and Master Programs to the THECB for review and approval [9] for bachelor’s and master’s degree program proposals in non-engineering fields with costs not exceeding $2 million dollars for the first five years of operation.  Example documentation of program proposals have been provided for a bachelor’s degree program and a doctoral degree program [10], [11].

Additional THECB review and approvals are required for online and doctoral degree program proposals.  All online degree program proposals are reviewed internally by SHSU Online, a unit to support students, faculty, and staff in distance education and learning technologies, and externally by the THECB’s Learning Technology Advisory Committee (LTAC).  Similarly, doctoral programs are initially reviewed by a THECB staff member and then must gain approval from the THECB Committee on Academic and Workforce Success (CAWS) before full Board consideration.  THECB approval requires that the curriculum be “up-to-date and consistent with current educational theory” [12].  Furthermore, “[P]rofessional programs and those resulting in licensure must also be designed to meet the standards of appropriate regulatory bodies.” The THECB requires that doctoral program proposals undergo additional review and a site visit from an external team of peers [12].

After proposed programs are approved by all relevant entities, the program’s curriculum is published within the academic catalog and communicated to the Office of the Registrar, academic advising staff, the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment, deans, chairs, and other university administrators. 

The undergraduate and graduate catalogs are reviewed and revised on 2-year cycles.  The undergraduate catalog is reviewed for publication in even-numbered years, and the graduate catalog is reviewed for publication in odd-numbered years.  The academic sections of the catalog are forwarded to the respective departments for the initial review and curricular revisions [13].  The sections are subsequently reviewed by a university committee comprised of an associate dean from each college, the executive director of the advising center, and a representative from the office of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Changes are also made between cycles for accreditation or legislative decisions.  The catalogs are published electronically [14], [15].

Additionally, SHSU recognizes the need to coordinate the university strategic plan with curricular planning [16].  Coordination requires at least two years advance planning for bachelor’s and master’s programs and at least three years advance planning for doctoral programs.  Faculty initiate white papers to document job market demand, enrollment projection, and budget needs for new programs [17] in advance of full proposal submission through the annual curriculum cycle.  Administrative review of this data allows the university to plan for pre-implementation impacts and the resources needed during program implementation, thus ensuring adequate budgetary support [18].  By intricately connecting curricular planning to the University Strategic Plan and budget priorities, the university seeks to ensure that its curricula are not only appropriately aligned with the purpose and goals of the institution and the needs of the workforce but also appropriately funded.

In 2009, the Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee (UEAC), comprised of representatives from Texas universities and community colleges, presented the following recommendation as a Core Curriculum Mission:  “Through the general education core curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world; develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse global world; and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning” [19], [20].  In 2012 and 2013, the university acted upon recommendations by UEAC and the THECB for revising the university’s core curriculum.  Following the recommended procedures and timeline, the university was charged with establishing a 42-semester-credit-hour (SCH) core curriculum comprised in a framework of eight component areas (Communication; Mathematics; Life and Physical Sciences; Language, Philosophy and Culture; Creative Arts; American History; Government/Political Science; and Social and Behavioral Science), with six SCHs designated and defined by the university.  Additionally, six core “skill” objectives (i.e., Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative, Teamwork, Social Responsibility, and Personal Responsibility) were to be embedded into the collective core curriculum with an expectation that attainment of those objectives would be assessed.  Institutional subcommittees for each component area met to establish criteria and evaluate applications for courses proposed for the new Core Curriculum [21].  This Core Curriculum was approved by the THECB and went into effect with the start of the fall 2014 semester [22].  

Mission Review

The mission of SHSU is reviewed and approved periodically by the Texas State University System Board of Regents and subsequently recorded by the THECB [23], [24].  All university courses, degrees, and programs are also reviewed and approved by these governing bodies, helping to ensure that the activities of the university conform to its stated mission.

The university’s mission statement conveys that the university shall provide “high quality education, scholarship, and service to qualified students for the benefit of regional, state, national, and international constituencies.” Deriving goals from this mission, the university seeks to accomplish the following:

• Promote students’ intellectual, social, ethical, and leadership growth
• Pursue continuous improvement
• Recruit and retain qualified, dedicated faculty and staff
• Recruit, motivate, and retain qualified student
• Provide the necessary library, technology, and other facilities to support quality instruction, research, and public service
• Promote scholarly and research activities that contribute to knowledge and understanding
• Promote and support diversity and provide equitable opportunities for underrepresented groups
• Offer a wide range of pre-professional, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs
• Promote cooperation with educational institutions, government and non-profit agencies, and the private sector

The university’s curricula relate directly to accomplishing the following goals:

• Promoting students’ intellectual, social, ethical, and leadership growth
• Pursuing continuous improvement
• Recruiting, motivating, and retaining qualified students
• Promoting scholarly and research activities that contribute to knowledge and understanding
• Promoting and supporting diversity and providing equitable opportunities for underrepresented groups
• Offering a wide range of pre-professional, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs
• Promoting cooperation with educational institutions, government and non-profit agencies, and the private sector

Supporting Documentation