Curriculum Design: Degrees and Certificates

Definitions

Academic Associate Degree

An “academic associate degree” is 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 (AA), Associate of Science (AS), or Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degrees.

19 TAC 2.3(1

Applied Associate Degree

An “applied associate degree” is 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 (AAA) or Associate of Applied Science (AAS). 19 TAC 2.3(5)

Certificate Program

“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 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2, certificate includes a post-baccalaureate certificate and excludes an associate’s degree unless otherwise provided. 19 TAC 2.3(12)

Degree Program

A "degree program” is any grouping of subject matter courses, which when satisfactorily completed by a student, will entitle that student to an associate's or bachelor's degree. 19 TAC 2.3(18)

Degree Program

Funding Model

A “degree program funding model” is the mechanism by which an institution acquires funding to support a new or existing academic degree program. Typically, degree programs are funded through student fees only (self-supported) or a combination of student fees and state funding (formula funded). 19 TAC 2.352(a)

Self-Supporting Courses

and Programs

“Self-supporting courses and programs” are for credit courses, certificates, and degree programs whose semester credit hours are not submitted for formula funding, and which are funded through the assessment of student fees by the institution. 19 TAC 2.352(d)

Self-Supporting

Degree Program

A “self-supporting degree program” is a degree program or track within a degree program for which the institution does not receive formula funding and which are funded through the assessment of student fees by the institution. 19 TAC 2.352(e)

Texas Classification of Instructional Programs

Coding System

The “Texas Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Coding System” is 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 eight-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. 19 TAC 2.3(35)

Transparency in

Certificate and

Degree Program

Requirements

The Coordinating Board, in consultation with institutions of higher education, shall adopt rules requiring institutions of higher education, including college districts, to provide transparency in certificate and degree program requirements for students enrolling at or transferring to the institution. The rules must require each institution of higher education to ensure that the requirements for each certificate or degree program offered by the institution:

1. Are current, accessible to students enrolled at the institution and members of the public through the following sources, as applicable, and uniform at each of the following sources:

a. The institution's internal internet website for students;

b. The institution's internet website; and

c. The internet website of the department at the institution that offers the certificate or degree program; and

2. State:

a. The prerequisites for each course required as part of the certificate or degree program; and

b. Any non-course requirements for the certificate or degree program and, if the institution offers different tracks for completing the program, those requirements for each track.

Education Code 61.07771(a)-(b)(1)

Website Posting

The rules must require each institution of higher education to post

on the institution's internet website the minimum requirements to

be accepted as a transfer student at the institution.

Education Code 61.07771(b)(2)

Degree-Seeking

Students

A student who is concurrently enrolled at more than one institution of higher education may be classified as a degree-seeking student at only one institution.

If a student maintains continuous enrollment from a spring semester to the subsequent fall semester at an institution at which the student has declared to be seeking a degree, the student remains a degree-seeking student at that institution regardless of the student’s enrollment during the intervening summer session(s) at another

institution.

19 TAC 4.28(d)(2)-(3)

Program Planning

Prior to an institution, including a college district, seeking approval for a new degree program from its governing board, each institution's chief academic officer, or delegate, shall provide notification to board staff of the institution's intent to engage in planning for a new degree program. The planning notification shall contain the following information:

1. The proposed title of the degree;

2. The proposed degree designation;

3. The proposed CIP code; and

4. Anticipated date of submission.

Not later than 60 days after Coordinating Board staff receives the planning notification, Coordinating Board staff shall provide the institution a report including available labor market information and other relevant data to inform the institution's planning for the proposed program.

19 TAC 2.41

Program Approval

Types

The Coordinating Board requires each institution, including each college district, to obtain one of the types of approval for a certificate or degree program described below. No approval is required for new tracks of study in an existing degree program, and tracks of study are not listed as separate degree programs in the program inventory. 19 TAC 2.4

Notification Only

Notification Only approval is obtained when the institution of higher education successfully submits and receives confirmation of its submission to Coordinating Board staff. 19 TAC 2.4(1)

Assistant Commissioner Approval

A proposed program subject to assistant commissioner approval may be approved by the assistant commissioner if the program is administratively complete as described in 19 Administrative Code 2.6 and meets all the requirements established by rule as determined by the assistant commissioner.

There are two types of assistant commissioner approval depending on the type of action the institution requests:

1. A proposed program subject to assistant commissioner approval shall receive regular review unless the institution's request is eligible for expedited review.

2. An institution submits for review and approval the information required by rule and obtains approval from Coordinating Board staff once staff confirms that the institution's request is administratively complete, and the assistant commissioner confirms that the institution's request qualifies for expedited review. This type of review is authorized only where expressly indicated in rules under 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2.

If the assistant commissioner recommends denial of a program or does not take action to approve the program within six months of Coordinating Board staff's determination that the program proposal is administratively complete, then the program approval will be subject to the process for commissioner approval.

19 TAC 2.4(2)

Commissioner Approval

The assistant commissioner designated to approve academic programs under 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2 will forward a program subject to commissioner approval to the commissioner for review and approval. A proposed program subject to commissioner approval may be approved by the commissioner if the program is administratively complete as described in 19 Administrative Code 2.6 and meets all the requirements established by rule as determined

by the commissioner. This type of approval will include a Coordinating Board staff recommendation about whether the program meets all the requirements established by rule.

If the commissioner does not approve or deny the proposal within nine months of Coordinating Board staff's determination that the proposal is administratively complete, the proposal will move to Coordinating Board approval.

At the commissioner's sole discretion, the commissioner may elect to require board approval of the proposed program. Board approval must occur not later than one year after the institution's application was administratively complete.

19 TAC 2.4(3)

Board Approval

A program that is subject to board approval as indicated in rules under 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2 will be considered at a Coordinating Board meeting not later than the first anniversary of Coordinating Board staff's determination that the application for the proposed program is administratively complete. This type of approval will include a recommendation from the commissioner about whether the program satisfies the requirements of statute and rule for approval.

Coordinating Board staff shall review the required criteria for each proposed program and provide a recommendation to the commissioner. Coordinating Board staff's recommendation shall include a summary and analysis of whether the proposed program meets each of the required criteria for approval.

The commissioner shall review Coordinating Board staff's recommendation and make a determination about whether to recommend approval of the proposed program to the Coordinating Board. Coordinating Board staff shall notify the institution of the commissioner's decision about whether to recommend the program.

If the commissioner recommends denial of the program, Coordinating Board staff shall notify the institution and provide 10 business days in which the institution may request in writing final consideration from the Coordinating Board. If the institution requests final consideration from the Coordinating Board, Coordinating Board staff shall place the proposed program on the Coordinating Board agenda for consideration at the next Coordinating Board meeting

not later than one year later than the program is determined administratively complete.

If Coordinating Board staff does not receive a request for Coordinating Board consideration within 10 business days from the date the institution was notified of the commissioner's recommendation for denial of the program, the application shall be considered withdrawn.

The Coordinating Board shall consider the proposal at a Coordinating Board meeting not later than the first anniversary of Coordinating Board staff's determination that the application for the proposed program is administratively complete. The Coordinating Board's decision to approve or deny the proposed program is final and may not be appealed. If the Coordinating Board denies approval, an institution may resubmit a request for approval of the proposed program not sooner than one year from the date of the Coordinating Board's decision. If the Coordinating Board fails to approve or deny the program by the first anniversary after Coordinating Board staff deems the proposal administratively complete, the program is considered approved by operation of law.

19 TAC 2.4(4)

Completed Application

An institution must submit a fully completed application for each proposed program for which approval is required that includes:

1. Each element or item of information required by 19 Administrative

Code Chapter 2, Subchapter A;

2. Each element or item of information required by the provisions

in 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2 governing the type

of program approval required;

3. The required Coordinating Board form for the type of program

approval required; and

4. Fully executed certifications.

Coordinating Board staff shall determine whether an application is

administratively complete and notify the institution not later than

the fifth business day after receipt.

If Coordinating Board staff determines that the application is incomplete

or additional information or documentation is needed, the

institution must respond with all of the requested information or

documentation within 10 business days or the request will be

deemed incomplete and returned to the institution.

An institution may resubmit an application that was returned as incomplete

as soon as it has obtained the requested information or

documentation. This submission will be considered a new application.

19 TAC 2.6

Opportunity to Comment

As soon as practicable, but not later than the 60th day after an institution submits an administratively complete application for approval, the Coordinating Board shall provide informal notice and opportunity for comment to institutions of higher education that offer substantially similar programs in the region, as defined by the Coordinating Board, where the program will be delivered. When considering whether to approve a program requiring approval, the

assistant commissioner, commissioner, or Coordinating Board shall consider the comments that the noticed institutions provide to the Coordinating Board.

An institution may submit a Public Information Request to receive a copy of all institutional comments received during the 30-day comment period.

19 TAC 2.7(a), (c)-(d)

Criteria for Approval

In addition to any criteria specified in statute or 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2 for a specific program approval, the assistant commissioner, commissioner, or Coordinating Board, as applicable, shall consider the following factors:

1. Evidence that the program is needed by the state and the local community, as demonstrated by student demand for similar programs, labor market information, and value of the credential;

2. Whether the program unnecessarily duplicates programs offered by other institutions of higher education or private or independent institutions of higher education, as demonstrated by capacity of existing programs and need for additional graduates in the field;

3. Comments provided to the Coordinating Board from institutions noticed under 19 Administrative Code 2.7;

4. Whether the program has adequate financing from legislative appropriation, funds allocated by the Coordinating Board, or funds from other sources;

5. Whether the program's cost is reasonable and provides a value to students and the state when considering the cost of tuition, source(s) of funding, availability of other similar programs, and the earnings of students or graduates of similar credential programs in the state to ensure the efficient and effective use of higher education resources;

6. Whether the program provides a credential of value as defined in 19 Administrative Code Chapter 13, Subchapter S;

7. Whether and how the program aligns with the metrics and objectives of the Coordinating Board's Long-Range Master Plan for Higher Education;

8. Whether the program has necessary faculty and other resources including support staff to ensure student success;

9. Whether the program meets academic standards specified by law or prescribed by Coordinating Board rule or skill standards recognized by the Texas Workforce Investment Council, if they exist for the discipline; and

10. Past compliance history and program quality of the same or similar programs, where applicable.

In the event of conflict between these provisions and a more specific provision regarding program approval, the more specific provision shall control.

A request for approval of a joint degree program that does not have one or more existing degree programs that previously has been approved is considered a new degree program and is subject to new degree program approval requirements.

19 TAC 2.5

Revisions and Modifications

Substantive

Substantive revisions and modifications that materially alter the nature of the program, physical location, or modality of delivery, as determined by the commissioner, include, but are not limited to:

1. Closing the program in one location and moving it to a second location;

2. Changing the funding from self-supported, as defined in 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2, Subchapter O, relating to self-supporting programs, to formula-funded or vice versa;

3. Adding a new formula-funded or self-supported track to an existing program; and

4. Creating a joint program that includes one or more existing approved degree programs.

Substantive revisions to bachelor's programs approved by the Coordinating Board on or after September 1, 2023, require Coordinating Board approval under 19 Administrative Code 2.4. Substantive revisions to bachelor's programs approved by the Coordinating Board, commissioner, or assistant commissioner before September 1, 2023, may be approved by the assistant commissioner.

19 TAC 2.9(a)-(b)

Nonsubstantive

Nonsubstantive revisions and modifications that do not materially alter the nature of the program, location, or modality of delivery, as determined by the assistant commissioner, include, but are not limited to:

1. Increasing the number of semester credit hours of a program for reasons other than a change in programmatic accreditation requirements;

2. Consolidating a program with one or more existing programs;

3. Offering a program in an off-campus face-to-face format;

4. Altering any condition listed in the program approval notification;

5. Changing the CIP code of the program;

6. Increasing the number of semester credit hours if the increase is due to a change in programmatic accreditation requirements;

7. Reducing the number of semester credit hours, so long as the reduction does not reduce the number of required hours below the minimum requirements of the institutional accreditor,

program accreditors, and licensing bodies, if applicable;

8. Changing the degree title or designation; and

9. Other nonsubstantive revisions that do not materially alter the nature of the program, location, or modality of delivery, as determined by the assistant commissioner.

The nonsubstantive revisions and modifications in items 1 to 5 are subject to assistant commissioner approval regular review under 19 Administrative Code 2.4. All other nonsubstantive revisions and modifications are subject to assistant commissioner approval expedited review under 19 Administrative Code 2.4(a)(2)(B).

19 TAC 2.9(c)-(d)

Implementation Deadline

Unless otherwise stipulated at the time of approval, if an approved new degree program does not enroll students within two years of approval, that approval is no longer valid. An institution may submit a request to the assistant commissioner for approval to lengthen that time limit by up to five years from the approval date. The request must include a description of the good cause or compelling academic reason for extending the program implementation timeline. The commissioner has discretion to approve or deny the request if the commissioner determines there is good cause for the extension, and it is in the best interest of the students to be served by the program.

Unless otherwise stipulated at the time of approval, if the institution does not implement the approved program revision or modification within two years of approval, that approval is no longer valid.

19 TAC 2.8

Program Audit and Noncompliance

Coordinating Board staff reserves the right to audit an institution's program at any time to ensure compliance with the provisions of 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2.

If Coordinating Board staff determines that any institution is in noncompliance with the terms of its approval; has otherwise failed to seek required approval for a revision or modification; or is in violation of statute or Coordinating Board rule governing program operation or approval, Coordinating Board staff shall:

1. Provide notice to the institution of alleged non-compliance related to the program at issue;

2. Provide the institution not more than one year to remedy the violation by achieving compliance with the approval, statute, or rule, by means acceptable to the commissioner; and

3. At the end of one year, if the institution has not achieved compliance acceptable to the commissioner, Coordinating Board staff shall request that the Coordinating Board authorize issuance of a show cause letter to the institution requiring the institution to show cause why the Coordinating Board shall not recommend closure of the program and teach out.

If Coordinating Board staff determines that a program is in noncompliance or fails to satisfy all contingencies and conditions of its approval after responding to the show cause notice, Coordinating Board staff may notify the institution of the actions necessary for the institution to receive the required approvals or meet the conditions or that Coordinating Board staff recommends closure of the program.

If the institution where the program is located wishes to close the program, the institution shall follow the procedures in 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2, Subchapter H, below.

If the institution chooses not to follow the recommendation, the Coordinating Board may request that Coordinating Board staff send the recommendation for closure to the governing board of the institution.

19 TAC 2.10

Self-Supporting

Degree Programs

An institution of higher education enrolling students in a self-supporting course or program shall:

1. Comply with the standards and criteria of one of the Coordinating Board-recognized regional accrediting organizations;

2. Ensure each instructional site for a self-supporting program be of sufficient quality for the programs and courses offered;

3. Provide each student with equivalent academic support services as a student enrolled in a formula-funded course or program;

4. Select and evaluate faculty by equivalent standards, review, and approval procedures used by the institution to select and evaluate faculty responsible for formula-funded courses and programs; and

5. Charge tuition and fees for self-supporting courses, degree programs, and program tracks not less than required by Education Code Chapter 54.

19 TAC 2.353

Requests for New

Programs Under Self-Supporting Status

A public community college may request Coordinating Board approval to offer a degree program or track under self-supporting status in its application materials for the proposed program. The determination of self-supporting status will be approved according to the same approval levels required for the proposed new program approval outlined in 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2 and any applicable criteria under 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2, Subchapter O.

Coordinating Board staff will evaluate the request for self-supporting status according to:

1. Program Approval. A proposed new program, including one that is self-supported or has a proposed self-supporting track, is subject to approval according to the criteria listed in 19 Administrative Code 2.5.

2. Self-Supporting Status. An institution that proposes to offer a degree program as self-supporting is subject to the additional criteria and approval under 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2, Subchapter O.

If the request for self-supporting status is approved for the new degree program, Coordinating Board staff will add the program to the institutions' inventory of programs maintained and publicly available for each public institution.

19 TAC 2.354

Requests for Changes

to a Degree Program

Funding Model

An institution may request a change in the degree program funding model of an approved program. A request to change the degree program funding model for an existing approved degree program must follow the approval procedures outlined in 19 Administrative Code 2.9(a)-(b), outlining the requirements to process and approve substantive revisions and modifications.

Changes to degree program funding models include, but are not limited to:

1. Changing the degree program funding model from self-supporting to formula funding, or vice versa.

2. The addition of a new or removal of an existing self-supporting or formula-funded degree program track.

An institution seeking a substantive revision to a degree program funding model shall demonstrate how the proposed revision aligns to the criteria in 19 Administrative Code 2.5, and approval is subject to Section 2.5.

An institution shall seek approval using the forms developed by the Coordinating Board.

An institution shall certify the program has not otherwise been substantially revised since its initial approval but is not required to obtain additional approval for the program under the current rules.

19 TAC 2.355

Modifications

An institution seeking to modify an existing approved self-supporting degree program, except for a funding model change as outlined in 19 Administrative Code 2.355, must follow substantive and nonsubstantive degree program revisions as outlined in 19 Administrative Code 2.9. 19 TAC 2.356(a)

Phase-Out

An institution seeking to phase-out a degree program that is self-supporting must follow the policies outlined under 19 Administrative Code Chapter 2, Subchapter H. 19 TAC 2.356(b)

Reporting

Each institution shall report the following to the Coordinating Board in the manner prescribed by the CBM 00X Reporting Manual:

1. Enrollments, courses, number of semester credit hours, and graduates associated with each self-supporting course, certificate, degree program, or degree program track offered by the institution; and

2. Fees charged to students for self-supporting courses in accordance with general institutional accounting practices.

19 TAC 2.357

Recommended

Course Sequence

Each institution of higher education, including each college district, must develop at least one recommended course sequence for each undergraduate certificate or degree program offered by the institution. Each course sequence developed by the institution of higher education must:

1. Identify all required lower-division courses for each certificate or degree program, if applicable;

2. Include for each course, if applicable:

a. The Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) course number; and

b. The course equivalent in the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM);

3. Be designed to enable a full-time student to obtain a certificate or degree, as applicable, within two years for a 60-hour degree or certificate program, four years for a 120-hour degree program, or a comparable time frame, for an approved certificate or degree program that requires credit hours other than those specified in this item; and

4. Include at least one specific sequence in which courses should be taken to ensure completion of the applicable program within the time frame described by item 3.

Education Code 51.96852(b); 19 TAC 4.362(7)-(8), .363(a)-(b)

Submission to

Coordinating Board

Each institution of higher education shall provide to the Coordinating Board a recommended course sequence for each undergraduate certificate and degree program offered by the institution.

The Coordinating Board will provide institutions of higher education a template and instructions1 for submitting the recommended course sequences of undergraduate certificate and degree programs. Institutions must submit the recommended course sequences of undergraduate certificate and degree programs annually in accordance with the instructions and template and must include the following information, if applicable:

1. Recommended course sequences must identify all courses required for completion by a student to attain each undergraduate certificate or degree; and

2. For all courses that an institution includes in a recommended course sequence, the institution must identify the ACGM courses, as appropriate, using the TCCNS course numbers and rubrics.

On an annual basis, institutions shall review course sequences for accuracy and submit any revisions or changes to the Coordinating Board during the designated time period.

Education Code 51.96852; 19 TAC 4.364

Publication

Each institution shall publish the recommended course sequences in the institution’s course catalog. Each institution shall publish recommended course sequences on the institution’s website not later than August 1 of each year. Education Code 51.96852(c); 19 TAC 4.363(c)

Compensatory

Courses

Courses designated as compensatory in the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual may not be used to satisfy degree requirements. Such courses may be used as co-requisites or prerequisites for degree courses as determined by local institutions. 19 TAC 9.76

Alternative Methods

of Program Mastery

for Military Members

The Coordinating Board may approve an institution of higher education recognized by the Coordinating Board to offer a degree in coordination with the Texas Military Department that uses alternative methods of determining mastery of program content, including competency-based education.

To be eligible for a degree approved under this section, a person must:

1. Have graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma;

2. Satisfy the minimum active military service obligation to the Texas military forces for a degree plan as follows:

a. For an associate degree, two years of service;

b. For a baccalaureate degree, four years of service; and

c. For a graduate degree, six years of service; and

3. Complete and meet the standards of the degree plan.

Education Code 61.0521(b)-(c)

Program Phase-Out

If an institution, including a college district, where a program is located wishes to close the program, the institution shall:

1. Develop and execute a teach-out plan;

2. Give appropriate notification to the federally recognized institutional accreditor and the program's accreditor, as applicable;

3. Cease to admit new students to the program;

4. Ensure that all courses necessary to complete the program are offered on a timely basis; and

5. Close the program when the last student enrolled in the program has graduated or the teach-out period has lapsed.

Public institutions of higher education must notify Coordinating Board staff of intent to phase out a degree or certificate program prior to closure of the program. The institution shall provide the information required in this section by submitting the Phase-Out Notification Form on the Coordinating Board's website. The notification form will require the institution to submit the following information:

1. The name, designation, and CIP code of the degree or program, as listed in the institution's program inventory; and

2. The anticipated closure date of the program.

Upon receiving the Phase-Out Notification Form, Coordinating Board staff will update the institution's program inventory to reflect the phase-out date of the program. Coordinating Board staff will remove the program from the program inventory at the time of the date of closure, as reported by the institution. If the institution chooses not to phase a program out after providing prior notification to the Coordinating Board of intent to phase out the program,

the institution must submit an update that the program will continue to Coordinating Board staff.

19 TAC 2.171

Low-Producing

Degree Programs

The Coordinating Board may review the number of degrees or certificates awarded through a degree or certificate program every four years or more frequently, at the Coordinating Board's discretion. The Coordinating Board shall review each degree or certificate program offered by an institution of higher education at least every 10 years after a new program is established using the criteria prescribed by Education Code 61.0512(c). Education Code 61.0512(d)-(e); 19 TAC Ch. 4, Subch. R

Definition

A “low-producing degree program” is a degree program that does not meet the minimum standard for degrees awarded in the program. For career technical certificates, associate, and bachelor’s programs, the minimum standard is an average of five degrees awarded per academic year, to total not fewer than 25 degrees awarded for any five-year period.

Completers of career technical certificate programs that are reported under the same CIP code as an existing applied associate's degree program will be counted as completers of the corresponding applied associate's degree program for purposes of determining low-producing status. Academic associate degree programs are not considered to be low producing if they lead to transfer into four-year programs.

19 TAC 4.287(4), 288(c)-(d)

Consequences

The Coordinating Board may not order the consolidation or elimination of any degree or certificate program offered by an institution of higher education. Coordinating Board staff may recommend to the institution's governing board the closure of any non-exempt degree program which has been on the annual list of low-producing programs for three or more consecutive years. If the governing board does not accept the recommendation to close the program, then the university system or, where a system does not exist, the institution, must identify the program recommended for closure on the next legislative appropriations request submitted by the system or institution. If a system or institution is required to identify a degree program on its legislative appropriations request, the system or institution should also develop a plan to allow the degree program to achieve the minimum standard for the degree awarded, or if the standard is not attainable, provide a rationale describing the merits of continuing the degree program. Education Code

61.0512(f); 19 TAC 4.290

Low-Enrollment

Minor Degree and

Certificate Programs

The president or chief executive officer of an institution of higher education, including a college district, shall adopt and implement a process for reviewing minor degree and certificate programs offered by the institution to identify programs with low enrollment that may require consolidation or elimination and shall conduct a review under this section once every five years. The criteria for review must require that minor degree and certificate programs have specific industry data to substantiate workforce demand to avoid consideration for consolidation or elimination. Education Code 51.989(b)-(c), (f)

Exception

A minor degree or certificate program that has operated less than five years at the time the president or chief executive officer of an institution of higher education conducts the review is exempt from that review. Education Code 51.989(d)

Board Approval

The governing board of an institution of higher education shall approve or deny any decision made by the president or chief executive officer of the institution to consolidate or eliminate a minor degree or certificate program as a result of the review. Education Code 51.989(e)

1 Coordinating Board, Recommended Course Sequence:

https://www.highered.texas.gov/data-submission-reporting/recommendedcourse-sequence/