Core Curriculum Proposal Guidelines

1. The course should be a 1000- or 2000-level course. Proposals for upper-level courses are strongly discouraged and must be accompanied by a justification that explains why a lower-level course cannot be substituted for the upper-level one. Please note: the THECB strongly discourages the inclusion of upper-level courses in the core curriculum.
2. Programs are urged to limit the number of courses submitted for any Foundational Component Area of the core curriculum. Before submitting a proposal, review the courses your program already has in the relevant component area of the core.
3. The course must be designed for any student to take as part of his or her general university education (as opposed to courses designed primarily for a major or specialization). Core curriculum courses may comprise part of a major/minor program, but they must meet the core curriculum requirements.
4. The course must not have any prerequisites unless there is a clear sequence of courses in the component area such as MATH 1300 and Math 2300 or CHEM 1307 and CHEM 1308. In the case of sequenced courses, both courses must be submitted together and approved concurrently. The prerequisite relationship must be stated clearly (i.e., course A must be completed before a student may enroll in course B).
5. The course must address all required Core Curriculum Objectives specified by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for that Foundational Component Area.
6. The course must address the Foundational Component Area's College-Level Competency Statement and the Texas Tech University Student Learning Outcomes. The course should also address any additional course-level student learning outcomes.
7. The course must provide assessment strategies or practices that link to each of the following: the THECB Core Curriculum Objectives, the College-Level Competency Statement, the Texas Tech University Student Learning Outcomes, and any course-level student learning outcomes.
8. No course may satisfy more than one Foundational Component Area in the Core Curriculum.
9. A course that satisfies a Foundational Component Area requirement in the Core Curriculum may also be submitted to satisfy Texas Tech University's Multicultural requirement. This requires the following:
   1. Composition of a syllabus that meets and publishes all criteria for Core Curriculum submissions and all criteria for Multicultural requirement submissions. Please note that these criteria are very different; the purpose of the Multicultural requirement is to augment student learning in areas primarily outside of those addressed by Core Curriculum objectives.
   2. Submission of the course for consideration in both areas: the Foundational Component Area (Core Curriculum) and the Multicultural Area (TTU Graduation Requirement). The course may well be approved for one but not the other area; or for both; or for neither.
   3. Use of a lower division course number OR use of an upper division course number with a narrative justification for that choice. The Core Curriculum Committee will assess whether the justification adequately supports use of an upper division number. The course may be approved for the Core Curriculum or for the Multicultural Area, or both, even if the upper division number is not approved. Please note: the THECB strongly discourages the inclusion of upper division courses in the Core.