SECTION 2.3. Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings:

(1) Academic Associate Degree--A type of degree program generally intended to transfer to an upper-level baccalaureate program that will satisfy the lower-division requirements for a baccalaureate degree in a specific discipline. The Academic Associate Degree includes, but is not limited to, the Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.). or Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.) degrees.

(2) Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM)--The manual that provides the official list of approved courses for general academic transfer to public universities offered for funding by public community, state, and technical colleges in Texas.

(3) Academic Program or Programs--A type of credential primarily consisting of course content intended to prepare students for study at the bachelor's degree or higher.

(4) Administrative Unit--A department, college, school, or other unit at an institution of higher education, which has administrative authority over degree or certificate programs.

(5) Applied Associate Degree--A type of degree program designed to lead the individual directly to employment in a specific career. The Applied Associate Degree Program includes, but is not limited to, the Associate of Applied Arts (A.A.A.) or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.).

(6) Applied Baccalaureate Degree Program--Builds on an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, combined with enough additional core curriculum courses and upper-level college courses to meet the minimum semester credit hour requirements for a bachelor's degree. The degree program is designed to grow professional management skills of the learner and meet the demand for leadership of highly technical professionals in the workplace. May be called a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science (B.A.A.S.), Bachelor of Applied Technology (B.A.T.) or Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.).

(7) Board--The governing body of the agency known as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

(8) Board Staff--Staff of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board who perform the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's administrative functions and services.

(9) Career Technical/Workforce Program--An applied associate degree program or a certificate program for which semester credit hours, quarter credit hours, or continuing education units are awarded, and which is intended to prepare students for immediate employment or a job upgrade in a specific occupation.

(10) Certificate program--Unless otherwise specified in these rules for the purpose of this chapter, certificate means a grouping of subject-matter courses which, when satisfactorily completed by a student, will entitle the student to a certificate or documentary evidence, other than a degree, of completion of a course of study at the postsecondary level. Under this chapter, certificate includes a post-baccalaureate certificate, and excludes an associate degree unless otherwise provided.

(11) CIP Codes--See "Texas Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Coding System."

(12) Commissioner--The Commissioner of Higher Education.

(13) Contact hour--A time unit of instruction used by community, technical, and state colleges consisting of 60 minutes, of which 50 minutes must be direct instruction.

(14) Continuing Education Unit (CEU)--Basic unit for continuing education courses. One continuing education unit (CEU) is 10 contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.

(15) Credential--A grouping of subject matter courses or demonstrated mastery of specified content which entitles a student to documentary evidence of completion. This term encompasses certificate programs, degree programs, and other kinds of formal recognitions such as short-term workforce credentials or a combination thereof.

(16) Degree Program--Any grouping of subject matter courses which, when satisfactorily completed by a student, will entitle that student to an associate's, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, or professional degree.

(17) Degree Title--Name of the degree and discipline under which one or more degree programs may be offered. A degree title usually consists of the degree designation (e.g., Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts) and the discipline specialty (e.g., History, Psychology).

(18) Doctoral Degree--An academic degree beyond the level of a master's degree that typically represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field.

(19) Embedded Credential--A course of study enabling a student to earn a credential that is wholly embedded within a degree program.

(20) Field of Study Curriculum--A set of courses that will satisfy lower-division requirements for an academic major at a general academic teaching institution, as defined in chapter 4, subchapter B, §4.23(7) of this title (relating to Definitions).

(21) Master's Degree Program--The first graduate level degree, intermediate between a Baccalaureate degree program and Doctoral degree program.

(22) New Content--As determined by the institution, content that the institution does not currently offer at the same instructional level as the proposed program. A program with sufficient new content to constitute a 'significant departure' from existing offerings under 34 CFR §602.22(a)(1)(ii)(C) meets the 50% new content threshold.

(23) Pilot Institution--Public junior colleges initially authorized to offer baccalaureate degrees through the pilot initiative established by SB 286 (78R - 2003). Specifically, the four pilot institutions are Midland College, South Texas College, Brazosport College, and Tyler Junior College.

(24) Planning Notification--Formal notification that an institution intends to develop a plan and submit a degree program proposal or otherwise notify the Board of intent to offer a new degree program.

(25) Professional Degree--Certain degree programs that prepare students for a career as a practitioner in a particular profession, including certain credential types that are required for professional licensure. For the purpose of this chapter, the term refers specifically to the following degrees: Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.), Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.), Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) and Juris Doctor (J.D.).

(26) Program Inventory--The official list of all degree and certificate programs offered by a public community college, university, or health-related institution, as maintained by Board Staff.

(27) Public Health-Related Institution--Public health-related institutions that are supported by state funds.

(28) Public Junior College--A public institution of higher education as defined in Tex. Educ. Code §61.003(2).

(29) Public Two-year College--Any public junior college, public community college, public technical institute, or public state college as defined in Tex. Educ. Code §61.003(16).

(30) Public University--A general academic teaching institution as defined by Tex. Educ. Code §61.003(3).

(31) Semester Credit Hour, or Credit Hour--A unit of measure of instruction consisting of 60 minutes, of which 50 minutes must be direct instruction, over a 15-week period in a semester system or a 10-week period in a quarter system.

(32) Texas Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Coding System--The Texas adaptation of the federal Classification of Instructional Programs taxonomy developed by the National Center for Education Statistics and used nationally to classify instructional programs and report educational data. The 8-digit CIP codes define the authorized teaching field of the specified program, based upon the occupation(s) for which the program is designed to prepare its graduates.

(33) Texas Core Curriculum--Curriculum required at each institution of higher education students are required to complete as required by 19 TAC §4.23(3).

(34) Texas Success Initiative (TSI)--A comprehensive program of assessment, advising, developmental education, and other strategies to ensure college readiness. The TSI Assessment shall be the sole assessment instrument as specified in 19 TAC §4.56 of this title (relating to Assessment Instrument). The passing standards for the authorized TSI Assessment are established in 19 TAC §4.57 of this title (relating to College Ready Standards).

(35) Tracks of Study--Specialized areas of study within a single degree program.

(36) Transcriptable Minor--A transcriptable minor is a group of courses around a specific subject matter marked on the student's transcript. The student must declare a minor for the minor to be included on the student's transcript. The student cannot declare a minor without also being enrolled in a major course of study as part of a baccalaureate degree program.

(37) Workforce Education Course Guide Manual (WECM)--An online database composed of the Board's official statewide inventory of career technical/workforce education courses available for two-year public colleges to use in certificate and associate degree programs.

Source Note: The provisions of this §2.3 adopted to be effective November 28, 2022, 47 TexReg 7875; amended to be effective May 18, 2023, 48 TexReg 2490