| At least 25 percent of the discipline course hours in each major at the baccalaureate level are taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree—usually the earned doctorate— in the discipline, or the equivalent of the terminal degree. (Terminal degrees of faculty) |
Judgment of Compliance
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Narrative
To determine compliance with this comprehensive standard, the degree plans for each baccalaureate program were reviewed to identify the required disciplinary hours within the program. The degree programs at SHSU are divided into categories designed to facilitate consistent and high quality advising and are tailored to the specific degree program. Within the degree program, the categories relating to disciplinary courses have titles such as: major, major foundation, major electives, major core requirements, disciplinary core, and certification. Examples of the terminology used to identify disciplinary courses are provided in the source documents [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. Within each of these categories are the disciplinary course requirements [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]. The percentage of sections taught by terminally-degreed faculty was computed for each unique disciplinary course offered in the fall 2007 semester (the spring 2008 semester was used if the course was not offered in the fall semester). A weighted average (using the number of required hours as the weighting factor) was used to determine the percentage of total disciplinary hours taught by faculty with terminal degrees. Example worksheets are provided to demonstrate the computations [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18].
The table below provides the percentage of the disciplinary hours taught by faculty with a terminal degree in the discipline or a degree-related discipline for each of the five colleges’ baccalaureate degree programs. The percentages range from a low of 34.5% to a high of 100%, with a majority of the programs exceeding 75%.
Table 1. Percentage of Disciplinary Hours Taught by Faculty with an Appropriate Terminal Degree, Academic Year 2007-2008 – College of Humanities & Social Sciences
| Degree Program | Percentage |
| English, BA | 89.0% |
| Philosophy, BA | 88.9% |
| Political Science, BS | 87.8% |
| Political Science, BA | 87.0% |
| Sociology, BA | 86.6% |
| Sociology, BS | 85.7% |
| Speech Communication, BA | 84.9% |
| Psychology, BS | 70.9% |
| History, BA | 63.2% |
| Spanish, BA | 58.5% |
| Family & Consumer Science, BA | 57.8% |
| Family & Consumer Science, BS | 57.8% |
| Mass Communication, BA | 34.5% |
Table 2. Percentage of Disciplinary Hours Taught by Faculty with an Appropriate Terminal Degree, Academic Year 2007-2008 – College of Arts & Sciences
| Degree Program | Percentage |
| Geography, BA | 100.0% |
| Geography, BS | 100.0% |
| Photography, BA | 100.0% |
| Photography, BS | 100.0% |
| Physics, BS | 100.0% |
| Theatre, BFA | 100.0% |
| Math, BS | 99.1% |
| Math, BA | 99.0% |
| Geology, BS | 96.1% |
| Composite Science, BS | 95.0% |
| Chemistry, BS | 93.8% |
| Computer Animation, BFA | 90.1% |
| Photography, BFA | 89.6% |
| Biology, BS | 89.3% |
| Biology, BA | 87.0% |
| Forensic Chemistry, BS | 85.1% |
| Advertising and Graphic Design, BFA | 84.1% |
| Studio Art, BFA | 82.5% |
| Musical Theatre, BFA | 81.7% |
| Computer Science, BS | 81.3% |
| Music, BA | 80.3% |
| Studio Art, BA | 76.7% |
| Environmental Science, BS | 76.5% |
| Music, BM | 72.6% |
| Industrial Technology, BS | 68.9% |
| Music Therapy, BM | 60.6% |
| Dance, BFA | 58.3% |
| Dance, BA | 52.8% |
| Agricultural Science, BS | 49.5% |
Table 3. Percentage of Disciplinary Hours Taught by Faculty with an Appropriate Terminal Degree, Academic Year 2007-2008 – College of Business Administration
| Degree Program | Percentage |
| Finance, BBA | 81.2% |
| Human Resources Management, BBA | 81.0% |
| Banking and Financial Institutions, BBA | 80.1% |
| Economics, BBA | 78.2% |
| International Business, BBA | 78.2% |
| Management, BBA | 77.7% |
| Marketing, BBA | 75.8% |
| General Business Administration, BBA | 73.7% |
| Management Information Systems, BBA | 71.5% |
| Accounting, BBA | 69.9% |
Table 4. Percentage of Disciplinary Hours Taught by Faculty with an Appropriate Terminal Degree, Academic Year 2007-2008 – College of Criminal Justice
| Degree Program | Percentage |
| Victim Studies, BA | 64.9% |
| Criminal Justice, BS | 54.2% |
| Criminal Justice, BA | 53.9% |
Table 5. Percentage of Disciplinary Hours Taught by Faculty with an Appropriate Terminal Degree, Academic Year 2007-2008 – College of Education
| Degree Program | Percentage |
| Academic Studies, BS | 71.3% |
| Kinesiology, BA | 57.0% |
| Academic Studies, BA | 54.5% |
| Health, BS | 41.7% |
| Kinesiology, BS | 39.6% |
The document entitled “Minimum Terminal Degrees Recognized by SHSU” lists the minimum degree recognized as terminal for each degree program [19]. For the vast majority of degree programs offered at Sam Houston State University, the earned doctorate is recognized as the terminal degree. However, the MFA in Dance, Theater, Studio Art, Photography, and Interior Design; the MM in Music; and the MLS in Library Science are also considered to be terminal degrees in those listed areas. The list is periodically reviewed and updated based on recommendations from the departmental chairs and academic deans, with final approval resting with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.