Sam Houston State University (SHSU) offers degree programs that embody coherent courses of study, are compatible with the stated mission and goals of the institution, and are based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education.
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. SHSU’s curriculum serves the needs of the state, region, and nation. The curriculum at SHSU is directly related to the mission and goals of the University [1] and appropriately reflects the degrees awarded. Institutional curriculum processes and periodic review of the programs and mission ensure SHSU degree programs embody coherent courses of study and continued alignment among the curriculum offered, the degrees awarded, and the institution’s mission.
SHSU offers 91 baccalaureate degrees, 72 master’s degrees, and 10 doctoral degrees spanning such disciplines as business, criminal justice, fine arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, education, and health sciences. The reader is referred to the Institutional Summary Form within this report, the Undergraduate [2] and Graduate Catalogs [3], or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Inventory of Degree Programs [4] for a full listing of programs offered.
Each of SHSU’s degree programs is required to adhere to the THECB’s Texas Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) taxonomy [5], as derived from the United States Department of Education Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) taxonomy [6]. The CIP taxonomy for post-secondary disciplines, originally developed by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 1980, provides a taxonomic scheme to support the accurate tracking, assessment, and reporting of fields of study and program completion activity. The first six digits of the Texas CIP taxonomy codes are identical to those in the CIP taxonomy published by the NCES. The seventh and eighth digits, when they are not zeroes, are Texas suffixes intended to better specify the diversity of courses and program offerings in Texas. The CIP codes of each of the degree programs at SHSU are reflected on the institution’s Program Inventory as published by the THECB [4]. To assure adherence to standard academic expectations, all programs offered by SHSU are approved according to the rules and regulations of the Texas State University System (TSUS) [7] and the THECB [8], inclusive of the review and approval of CIP code designation.
Coherence of the Course of Study
Section 96.61 of the Texas Education Code identifies SHSU as “a coeducational institution of higher education” [9]. The 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 the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), which mandates the curriculum for new baccalaureate and master’s degrees be “up-to-date and consistent with current educational theory” [10]. Similarly, for doctoral programs, the TAC requires that “there should be a carefully planned and systematic program of study and a degree plan which is clear, comprehensive, and generally uniform but which permits sufficient flexibility to meet the legitimate professional interests and special needs of doctoral-level degree candidates” [11].
Internal Review Process
Each degree program must undergo an annual review of its curriculum to ensure relevance, timeliness, coherence, and adherence to the mission. The University’s curriculum review cycle, described in the Faculty Handbook [12] and Academic Planning and Assessment website [13] and initiated by a letter from the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs to the academic deans [14], includes an annual review of courses and programs by departmental committees. Each department committee makes recommendations for new courses and degree programs, as well as changes or deletions to existing courses or programs, to the respective college curriculum committees. For new programs and substantive changes to degree programs, the University follows the THECB rules as set out in the TAC Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 5, Subchapter B, §5.25 [15].
New courses [16] and degree programs [17] are submitted to SHSU’s University Curriculum Committee [18] for review and approval. As part of the review process, the proposal must demonstrate that the proposed program is properly sequenced and that the various subcomponents (e.g., core requirements, course prerequisites) are coherently linked together. Undergraduate degrees are comprised of the General Education Core Curriculum, degree-specific requirements, a major core, major electives (if applicable), and minor coursework (if applicable). Within the Undergraduate Catalog Glossary of Terms [19], the following definitions are provided:
Coursework within the degree plan is further differentiated by course level, as indicated by SHSU’s course numbering sequence. At SHSU course numbers consist of four digits. The first digit in the sequence indicates the course level and suggests the academic year in which the course is typically taken. Lower-level undergraduate courses have a “1” or “2” as the first digit; upper-level undergraduate courses have a “3” or “4” as the first digit; and graduate courses have a “5” or greater number as the first digit. The second digit in the sequence indicates the number of semester credit hours. When a new course is proposed, particular attention is given to the appropriateness of the course level and credit value in comparison to the proposed content [20]. Appropriate course sequencing is monitored and communicated to students through both the course numbers and the degree sequence recommendations provided within the Undergraduate Catalog. As evidenced in the example degree plans [21] [22] [23], recommended course sequence adheres to designed course levels, as well as required course prerequisites. Course prerequisites are programmatically enforced through the registration system to ensure that students proceed in an efficient and progressively complex sequence. Requests to change course numbers (i.e., course level, credit hour, or recommended sequence) are submitted through the curriculum review cycle in the same manner as are new course proposals and must be accompanied by appropriate justification [24]. All such requests are reviewed by the curriculum committees at all levels. Following review and approval at the department, college, and university curriculum committee levels, all proposed changes are submitted to the Provost and the Academic Affairs Council [25] for endorsement before submission to the President, the TSUS Board of Regents, and the THECB.
Graduate Programs
As a result of the diversity and nature of graduate programs in the various disciplines, requirements vary for degrees at the graduate level. The graduate faculty in each of the disciplines are responsible for the graduate curriculum and must follow the procedure outlined in the Internal Review Processes section of this narrative. General degree requirements are described in the respective academic program sections of the Graduate Catalog [26]. The Graduate Council, chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies, is responsible for providing guidance pertaining to the graduate programs in the form of policy and procedure recommendations [27]. The Graduate Council provides the Graduate Dean with advice on graduate faculty status reviews as presented by the deans of the various colleges [28].
External Review
Undergraduate and graduate programs at SHSU accredited by specialized accrediting agencies undergo regular reviews by their external agencies, which further ensure the coherence of their courses of study and the quality of their academic programs [29].
Compatibility With University Mission and Goals
Mission Review
SHSU periodically reviews its mission statement. In November 2014, SHSU requested an update to its mission statement, and, as required by the THECB [30], approval was sought and received from the TSUS Board of Regents [31] and the THECB [32]. The current mission statement is available to the public on the THECB’s website [33]. 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 [1] conveys that the university “provides 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:
The University’s curricula relate directly to accomplishing the following strategies:
New Program Review
SHSU recognizes the need to coordinate the University strategic plan with curricular planning [34]. 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. As an initial step in the curriculum process, faculty initiate white papers to document job market demand, enrollment projections, and budget needs for new programs [35] 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. By intricately connecting curricular planning to the University Strategic Plan and budget priorities, the University seeks to ensure that its curricula are aligned with the purpose and goals of the institution and the needs of the workforce but also appropriately funded.
An overview of the University’s curriculum cycle, with responsibilities, deadlines, and procedures as described above, is communicated each year to the academic and associate deans [36] [37]. 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 levels. The degree proposals, regardless of curricular modality, require thorough descriptions of the program and its curriculum, 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” [38]. Doctoral program proposals require the “New Doctoral Degree Proposal” [39] and must adhere to the Guidelines for Institutions Submitting Proposals for New Doctoral Programs [40]. Following the internal review and approval actions as described previously, all degree proposals are forwarded to the Board of Regents for review and approval. All doctoral proposals, bachelor’s and master’s proposals in engineering, and other bachelor’s and master’s proposals with costs exceeding $2 million during the first five years of operation are subject to full review by the THECB [41]. For bachelor’s and master’s degree program proposals not requiring full THECB review, the University and the TSUS conduct a full review of the proposal, and SHSU forwards only the Certification Form for New Baccalaureate and Master’s Programs [42] to the THECB.
The Texas Administrative Code, which governs THECB review, requires 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” [10]. Similarly, for doctoral programs, it requires that “proposed programs should build on existing strengths at the institution, should fit into the institution's strategic plan, and should align with the state strategic plan” [11]. Furthermore, “professional programs and those resulting in licensure must also be designed to meet the standards of appropriate regulatory bodies” [10]. As part of the curriculum cycle, curricular content of all proposed degrees 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 TSUS Board of Regents and the THECB.
Ongoing Review of Existing Programs
Currency of the University’s curriculum is maintained through the annual curriculum cycle and the annual review of the undergraduate and graduate catalogs. The academic sections of the catalog are forwarded to the respective departments (program coordinators and chairs) for initial review and curricular revisions [43]. Catalog content and revisions are subsequently reviewed and approved by an associate dean, the academic dean, and the office of the Associate Vice President for Academic Planning and Assessment. Changes are also made between cycles for accreditation requirements or legislative actions.
Graduate Program Reviews and Institutional Mission
The Texas Administrative Code requires that all master’s and doctoral programs offered by public universities must undergo a formal review at least once every ten years [44]. Programs may submit reviews performed for licensure or accreditation or conduct a formal review involving subject matter experts “who are employed by institutions of higher education outside of Texas,” who are “part of a program that is nationally recognized for excellence in the discipline,” and who possess no conflicts of interest with respect to the program under review. Review criteria for these programs must include “alignment of program with stated program and institutional goals and purposes,” among other items. The University is required to submit the outcomes of each review, including a plan for improvement of the program, to the Workforce, Academic Affairs, and Research Division of the THECB. The THECB reviews all reports and may require additional actions based on its review. An example external review report has been provided [45].
Appropriateness of Fields of Study for Higher Education
The appropriateness of all degree programs and courses is ensured by a combination of the internal and external review processes previously described. The Texas Administrative Code prohibits public universities from offering “courses at levels or in programs not approved by the [THECB]” [15]. Section 61.0512 of the Texas Education Code dictates that “a new degree or certificate program may be added at an institution of higher education only with specific prior approval of the [THECB]” [46].
Graduate Program Review and Appropriateness of Fields of Study
As stated above, all master’s and doctoral programs are required to submit the results of a graduate program review to the THECB at least once every ten years. For master’s programs not submitting reviews performed for licensure or accreditation, reviews must include 19 criteria stipulated by the Texas Administrative Code [44]. The University submits the results of each graduate program review to the THECB accompanied by the external reviewer reports and the actions the University has taken or will take to improve the quality of the program. The THECB reviews these submissions and may require additional actions to improve the program.
General Program Review
Texas Administrative Code dictates that “each public institution of higher education shall have a process to review the quality and effectiveness of existing degree programs and for continuous improvement” [44]. In addition to the curriculum review cycle, the University’s assessment process provides an internal review of each degree program’s learning outcomes. All departments are required to assess the effectiveness of their respective degree programs. The assessment process at SHSU includes the creation of goals, objectives, indicators, criteria, findings, and actions. The University uses CampusLabs Planning software to document assessment efforts and the resultant data-driven actions academic programs take to ensure continuous improvement of their offerings. CampusLabs provides a venue to summarize assessment results and accompanying changes as well as allows departments to share assessment best practices. Please refer to Standard 8.2.a for details regarding educational program assessments.