Sam Houston State University (SHSU) has degree-granting authority from the appropriate government agency or agencies and the basis for this degree-granting authority has not changed since the last reaffirmation. As an institution of higher education with the State of Texas, SHSU receives degree-granting authority from both the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and The Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents. The THECB authorizes SHSU to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate degrees in a variety of academic areas. The TSUS Board of Regents authorizes the President of SHSU to award specific degrees to candidates who have been certified by the appropriate administrative authority as having met all degree requirements. Further, for online degree program offerings, SHSU secures the appropriate state authorizations for its out-of-state students.
The Texas Legislature granted formal authority to establish SHSU within Texas Education Code 96.61 [1]. Furthermore, Texas Education Code, Chapter 61 establishes and outlines the general powers and duties of the THECB [2], inclusive of the THECB’s authority to approve institutions’ degree programs [3]. A current Inventory of degree programs as authorized by the THECB for SHSU is provided [4].
The Texas Legislature authorized the Board of Regents of the TSUS in Chapter 95 of the Texas Education Code [5]. Section 95.24 of the Texas Education Code specifically authorizes the TSUS Board of Regents to determine “the conditions for the award of certificates and diplomas” [6]. Chapter 1, Section 2.31 of the TSUS Rules and Regulations formally “delegates to the president of each component authority to grant degrees, certificates and diplomas upon the recommendation of the respective faculty, deans, and provosts” [7].
As part of its authorized degree offerings, SHSU offers online degree programs and courses taken by out-of-state students. To ensure the appropriate state authorizations, SHSU participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) [8] [9]. NC-SARA pertains to approval of distance education courses and programs offered across state lines by postsecondary institutions that already have degree authorization in at least one state. State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARAs) centralize the authorization process for each institution by establishing state-level reciprocity agreements. SARA is a voluntary agreement among its member states and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offerings of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. Colleges or universities in a SARA state therefore only need their “Home State” authorization to offer distance education to students in any other SARA member state.