Sam Houston State University (SHSU) requires the successful completion of a 42-hour general education component [1] at the collegiate level that (a) is based on coherent rationale, (b) is a substantial component of each undergraduate degree, and (c) ensures breadth of knowledge across the humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural sciences/mathematics.
The general education component at SHSU is embodied in the Texas Core Curriculum required of all undergraduate students, regardless of location or learning modality. SHSU’s core curriculum is congruent with the requirements of the State of Texas as mandated by the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter B, Rule 4.28 [2]. These rules were created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in response to Texas Senate Bill 148 [3].
The current SHSU core curriculum has been in effect since Fall 2014. Prior to its implementation, the core curriculum was approved by the Texas State University System (TSUS) Board of Regents [4] and the THECB [5]. This approval was the culmination of a process of faculty input and deliberations by an ad hoc Core Curriculum Committee, the University Curriculum Committee, the Academic Affairs Council, the Academic Policy Council, and the University administration.
Coherent Rationale
The core curriculum at SHSU is based on a coherent rationale and is designed to promote a breadth of student knowledge, promote student inquiry, reinforce student cognitive skills, and provide effective learning opportunities for students. Revising the State Core Curriculum: A Focus on 21st Century Competencies, a report published by the THECB in April 2011 [6], served as a template in developing SHSU’s core curriculum requirements. Accordingly, the SHSU core curriculum aligns with the THECB Statement of Purpose:
Through the Texas 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 world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.
To support this Statement of Purpose, the THECB established eight required (and one optional) Foundational Component Areas and six Core Curriculum Learning Objectives to serve as guidelines [7]:
Foundational Component Areas
Core Curriculum Learning Objectives
As identified above, these Foundational Component Areas also align with the guideline of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) that students take “at least one course from the following areas: humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural sciences/mathematics. SHSU used the THECB and SACSCOC general education guidelines to develop its current core curriculum. For inclusion in the core curriculum, a course must demonstrate that it meets the required content and curriculum objectives for its respective component areas as well as the required core learning objectives [8]. Courses also may include optional core curriculum objectives as well.
SHSU publishes its core curriculum requirements consistently in the University catalog [1] and on academic degree plans [9] [10] [11] [12]. The Registrar’s Office verifies that all requirements, including the core curriculum, are complete prior to a student’s graduation. For graduation purposes, the number of hours in the core curriculum cannot be reduced and substitutions cannot be made without administrative approval. By state law and in accordance with THECB Rules, transfer students who have completed some, or all, of the core curriculum at another state-supported institution (2- or 4-year) in Texas must receive credit for that portion of the core curriculum at SHSU [2] [13].
Revisions and/or additions to the core curriculum [14] comprise one component of SHSU’s annual curriculum review cycle. The content of a proposed core course is created by the departmental faculty and subsequently reviewed by the appropriate departmental curriculum committee, the appropriate college curriculum committee and dean, and the University Curriculum Committee prior to submission to the Academic Affairs Council, the Provost, the President, the TSUS Board of Regents, and the THECB. Proposals for core curriculum courses include a description of how the course content will address the requirements of the respective Foundational Component Area and how that content will be assessed. The Core Curriculum Committee at SHSU developed a rubric for each of the Foundational Component Areas against which each course is evaluated. Sample rubrics are provided [15] [16]. Sample core curriculum requests recently submitted by SHSU to the THECB for review and approval are also provided [17] [18]. The THECB’s review ensures each course’s alignment with the core’s stated purpose:
Through the Texas 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 world, and advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning. [2]
The process culminates with final approval by the THECB in a rigorous review of the course’s fit within the purpose and objectives of the Texas Core Curriculum [8].
Substantial Component
The core curriculum at SHSU represents a substantial component of the students’ undergraduate degree programs and exceeds SACSCOC minimum expectations of general education component length. The SHSU core curriculum consists of 42 semester credit hours, representing a substantial component of students’ 120-hour baccalaureate degree plans. At 42 semester credit hours, the SHSU core curriculum exceeds the SACSCOC recommended 30 semester credit hours minimum for baccalaureate programs. SHSU does not offer associate degree programs.
Breadth of Knowledge
SHSU’s core curriculum provides a wide breadth of knowledge that encompasses the SACSCOC recommended principle knowledge areas of humanities/fine arts (HFA), social/behavioral sciences (SBS), and natural sciences/mathematics (NSM). To complete the Component Area Option, students may take another course from Foundational Component Area 4, Language, Philosophy, and Culture, or choose from a menu of other approved courses [1]. In accordance with THECB guidelines (see page 17-18) [19], courses within SHSU’s core curriculum do not focus on skills development and instead provide students with a breadth of knowledge. The following chart illustrates how the SHSU core curriculum aligns with the SACSCOC guidelines regarding the principle areas of knowledge and with the general content knowledge areas required by the THECB:
| Foundational Component Area | # of required courses | # of required semester credit hours (SCH) | SACSCOC Principle Areas of Knowledge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | 2 | 6 | HFA |
| Mathematics | 1 | 3-4* | NSM |
| Life and Physical Sciences | 2 (4-hour courses with labs) | 8 | NSM |
| Language, Philosophy, and Culture | 1 | 3 | HFA |
| Creative Arts | 1 | 3 | HFA |
| American History | 2 | 6 | HFA |
| Government/Political Science | 2 | 6 | SBS |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 1 | 3 | SBS |
| Component Area Option | 1 | 3 | |
| Total | 13 | 42 |
*To earn the required 42 credits, students who fulfill the Mathematics Foundational Component Area with a 3-credit course must take one of several approved 1-hour courses.
Through the core curriculum course proposal process described previously, SHSU ensures appropriate breadth of knowledge within the core course options. With the exception of the Communication Component Area and the Institutional Option Component Area, students are given the option of selecting from a variety of courses that fulfill the criteria set by the THECB; however, all students are required to complete one course from each component area. This requirement ensures that students meet or exceed the SACSCOC’s requirement that students complete at least one course from each of the recommended principle areas of knowledge.