(a) All proposed baccalaureate and master's degree programs must meet the criteria set out in this subsection, in addition to the general criteria in Subchapter A, §2.5, of this chapter.
(b) Board Staff shall ensure that each institution certifies and provides required evidence that a proposed baccalaureate or master's degree meets the criteria in Subchapter A, §2.5, of this chapter and the following criteria in its proposal request:
  (1) Program Need. To meet the requirements of Subchapter A, §2.5(a)(1) and (2), the institution must be able to demonstrate present and future workforce need of the state and nation. There should be a ready job market for graduates of the program, or alternatively, the program should produce students for master's or doctoral-level programs in fields in which there is a demonstrated need for professionals.
  (2) Adequate Financing. In assessing whether the program meets the requirements of Subchapter A, §2.5(a)(4) and (5), the program must demonstrate that there is adequate financing available to initiate the proposed program without reducing funds for existing programs or weakening them in any way. The program must provide evidence demonstrating generation of sufficient semester credit hours under funding formulas and student tuition and fees to pay faculty salaries, departmental operating costs, and instructional administration costs for the program after the start-up period.
  (3) Faculty and Resources.
    (A) Faculty. In assessing the criteria under Subchapter A, §2.5(a)(6), Board Staff shall ensure that the faculty are adequate to provide high program quality. In reviewing faculty, Board Staff will review for the following minimum criteria:
      (i) With few exceptions, the master's degree should be the minimum educational attainment for faculty teaching in baccalaureate programs.
      (ii) In most disciplines, the doctorate should be the minimum educational attainment for faculty teaching in graduate programs.
      (iii) Faculty shall meet the qualitative and quantitative criteria of the institution's appropriate accrediting body.
      (iv) The institution must dedicate a sufficient number of qualified faculty to a new program. This number shall vary depending on the discipline, the nature of the program, and the anticipated number of students; however, there must be at least one full time equivalent faculty already in place for the program to begin enrolling students.
      (v) In evaluating faculty resources for proposed degree programs, Board Staff shall consider only those degrees held by faculty that were issued by:
        (I) United States institutions accredited by accrediting agencies recognized by the Board, or
        (II) institutions located outside the United States that have demonstrated that their degrees are equivalent to degrees issued from an institution in the United States accredited by accrediting agencies recognized by the Board.
    (B) Facilities and Other Resources. To meet the criteria in Subchapter A, §2.5(a)(6), each program must include adequate facilities and resources to accommodate the program, including:
      (i) Office space for the faculty, teaching assistants, and administrative and technical support staff; seminar rooms; computer and electronic resources; and other appropriate facilities such as laboratories; and
      (ii) Library and IT Resources. Library and information technology resources must be adequate for the proposed program and meet the standards of the appropriate accrediting agencies. Library resources should be strong in the appropriate program field and in related and supporting fields.
  (4) Quality of the Program and Alignment with the Long-Range Plan. To assess the quality of the program, the program must be able to demonstrate the quality of the program, including quality of curriculum design. In addition to meeting the criteria in Subchapter A, §2.5(a)(6) and (a)(8), the proposed program must offer high-quality curriculum, as evidenced by the following:
    (A) Professional programs and those resulting in licensure are designed to meet the standards of appropriate regulatory bodies;
    (B) The curricular structure and policies of the proposed program should promote students' timely completion of the program, including policies awarding:
      (i) transfer of credit, as required by Chapter 4, Subchapter B of this title (relating to Transfer of Credit, Core Curriculum and Field of Study Curricula);
      (ii) course credit by examination, credit for professional experience, placing out of courses, and any alternative learning strategies, such as competency-based education, which may increase efficiency in student progress in the proposed program; and
      (iii) Strong Related Programs. There must be high-quality programs in other related and supporting disciplines at the baccalaureate or master's levels, as evidenced by enrollments, numbers of graduates, and completion rates in those related and supporting programs, as appropriate.

Source Note: The provisions of this §2.117 adopted to be effective November 28, 2022, 47 TexReg 7891