INSTRUCTION
ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
OFF CAMPUS INSTRUCTION

Procedure

OFF CAMPUS INSTRUCTION

An institution of higher education, including a college district, may offer off-campus courses for credit within the state or distance learning courses only with specific prior approval of the Coordinating Board. An institution must certify to the Coordinating Board that a course offered for credit outside the state meets the Coordinating Board's academic criteria. An institution shall include the certification in submitting any other reports required by the Coordinating Board. Education Code 61.0512(g)

DEFINITIONS

Off-Campus Course

An “off-campus course” means a course in which a majority (more than 50 percent) of the instruction occurs when the students and instructor(s) are in the same physical location and off-campus locations are outside the service area. 19 TAC 4.272(18)

Off-Campus Degree or Certificate Program

An “off-campus degree or certificate program” is a program in which a student may complete a majority (more than 50 percent) of the credit hours required for the program through off-campus courses. 19 TAC 4.272(19)

Off-Campus Instruction

“Off-campus instruction” is the formal educational process in which a majority (more than 50 percent) of the instruction occurs when the students and instructor(s) are in the same physical location and off-campus locations are sites outside of the service area. 19 TAC 4.272(20)

Out-Of-State / Out-Of-Country Courses and Programs

“Out-of-state/out-of-country courses and programs” are academic credit courses and programs delivered outside Texas/United States to individuals or groups who are not regularly enrolled on-campus students. Out-of-state and out-of-country courses do not receive formula funding. 19 TAC 4.272(21)

Self-Supporting Courses and Programs

“Self-supporting courses and programs” are academic credit courses and programs whose semester credit hours are not submitted for formula funding. 19 TAC 4.272(27)

Study-In-America Courses

“Study-in-America courses” are off-campus, academic credit instruction, which is delivered outside Texas but in the United States primarily to regular on-campus students. 19 TAC 4.272(30)

Study-Abroad Courses

“Study-abroad courses” are off-campus, academic credit instruction, which is delivered outside the United States primarily to regular on-campus students. 19 TAC 4.272(31)

Workforce Continuing Education Courses

“Workforce continuing education course” is a course offered for CEUs with an occupationally specific objective and supported by state funding. A career technical/workforce continuing education course differs from a community service course offered for recreational or avocational purposes which is not supported by state funding. 19 TAC 4.272(32)

Clinical Course

A “clinical course” is an academic credit course that is a health-related, work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills, and concepts. 19 TAC 4.272(4)

Clinical Facility

A “clinical facility” is a health-care facility that provides learning experiences for students. 19 TAC 4.272(5)

APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER Q

Administrative Code Title 19, Chapter 4, Subchapter Q governs the following types of instruction offered by institutions of higher education: academic credit courses, clinical courses, degree and certificate programs, and formula-funded workforce continuing education provided by a community college outside the boundaries of its service area through off-campus instruction; academic credit courses and programs offered by any public institution of higher education outside of Texas, including Study-Abroad, Study-in-America, out-of-state, and out-of-country courses; and self-supporting courses and programs that are offered through off-campus instruction. Administrative Code Title 19, Chapter 4, Subchapter Q does not apply to continuing education, except for formula-funded workforce continuing education, provided by public two-year colleges. 19 TAC 4.273

STANDARDS OF CRITERIA

The following provisions apply to all institutions, including college districts, covered under 19 Administrative Code Chapter 4, Subchapter Q, unless otherwise specified:

  1. Institutions shall comply with the standards and criteria of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
  2. For off-campus programs and self-supporting programs, the parent institution shall notify all potentially affected area institutions in accordance with Coordinating Board policy and procedures
  3. Institutions shall report enrollments, courses, and graduates associated with self-supporting offerings as required by the commissioner.
  4. Institutions shall report fees received for self-supporting and out-of-state/country courses in accordance with general institutional accounting practices.
  5. Students shall be provided academic support services appropriate for off-campus instruction such as academic advising, career counseling, library, and other learning resources.
  6. Off-campus instruction sites shall be of sufficient quality for the delivery methods and courses offered.

OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAMS

The following standards and criteria apply to programs offered under the provisions of 19 Administrative Code, Chapter 4, Subchapter Q:

  1. Each program shall be within the role and mission of the institution responsible for offering the instruction and shall be on the inventory of approved programs.
  2. Prior Coordinating Board approval may be required before an institution may offer programs in certain subject area disciplines or under other conditions specified by the Coordinating Board or the commissioner.
  3. An institution offering an off-campus degree or certificate program shall comply with the standards and criteria of any specialized accrediting agency or professional certification board. 
  4. Each degree program offered off-campus will be approved by the institution's governing Board or the board's institutional designee. Certification of approval shall be submitted to the Coordinating Board upon request.
  5. Institutions shall require that students (except for students in out-of-country programs) enrolled in a distance education degree program satisfy the same requirements for admission to the College and the program as required of regular on-campus students. Students in degree programs to be offered collaboratively shall meet the admission standards of their home institution. Out-of-country students shall meet equivalent standards for admission into programs.

19 TAC 4.275

OFF-CAMPUS COURSES

The following standards and criteria apply to programs offered under the provisions of 19 Administrative Code, Chapter 4, Subchapter Q, unless otherwise specified:

  1. Each course shall be within the role and mission of the institution responsible and shall be on its inventory of approved courses.
  2. Prior Coordinating Board approval may be required before an institution may offer courses in certain subject area disciplines or under other conditions specified by the Coordinating Board or the commissioner.
  3. Study-in-America and Study-Abroad courses offered by Navarro College, or by an approved consortium composed of Texas public institutions, must be reported to the Coordinating Board in the manner prescribed by the commissioner in order for the semester credit hours or contact hours generated in those courses to receive formula funding.
  4. All courses shall meet the quality standards applicable to on-campus courses.
  5. Institutions shall report to the Coordinating Board and shall notify all potentially affected area institutions of all off-campus courses and programs in accordance with Coordinating Board policy and procedures.
  6. Except for students in out-of-country courses, students shall satisfy the same requirements for enrollment in an academic credit course as required of on-campus students. Out-of-country students shall be assessed for academic guidance purposes.
  7. The instructor of record shall bear responsibility for the delivery of instruction and for evaluation of student progress.

19 TAC 4.276

OFF-CAMPUS PROGRAM AND COURSE FACULTY

The following standards and criteria apply to faculty teaching in programs offered under the provisions of 19 Administrative Code, Chapter 4, Subchapter Q:

  1. Faculty shall be selected and evaluated by equivalent standards, review, and approval procedures used by the institution to select and evaluate faculty responsible for on-campus courses.
  2. Institutions shall provide training and support to enhance the added skills required of the faculty teaching off-campus or self-supporting courses.
  3. The supervising, monitoring, and evaluating processes for faculty shall be equivalent to those for on-campus courses.

19 TAC 4.277

REGIONAL COUNCILS

Public community colleges shall submit for the appropriate Regional Council’s review all off-campus lower-division courses proposed for delivery to sites outside their service areas. All institutions of higher education, including community colleges shall provide notice to the Higher Education Regional Councils when planning to offer requested off-campus and/or electronic to groups dual credit courses in the council’s service area. 19 TAC 4.278(f), (j)

With the exception of 19 Administrative Code 4.278(e), (i), and (j), regional councils in each of the ten uniform state service regions shall make recommendations to the commissioner and shall resolve disputes regarding plans for lower-division courses and programs proposed by public institutions. 19 TAC 4.278(b)

Each regional council shall make recommendations to the commissioner regarding off-campus courses and programs proposed for delivery within its uniform state service region in accordance with the consensus views of council members, except for courses and programs proposed to be offered by public community colleges in their designated service areas and courses and programs governed by the provisions of 19 Administrative Code 4.278(e), (i), and (j). 19 TAC 4.278(d)

A public community college may enter into an agreement to offer dual credit courses with a high school located in the service area of another public community college without additional regional council approval. [For more information on dual credit, see GH] 19 TAC 4.278(e)

CLINICAL COURSES

Universities, health-related institutions, public community and technical college, and Lamar state college may offer clinical courses at clinical facilities without regional council approval if each of the following criteria is met:

  1. The student(s) enrolled in the clinical course is already employed by the clinical facility;
  2. The institution receives written verification from the clinical facility that there will be no reduction in the number of clinical opportunities available for use by area institutions; and
  3. The institution of higher education notifies the appropriate Regional Council(s) of the clinical course and provides the Regional Council(s) with written verification from the clinical facility that the course will not reduce the number of clinical opportunities available for use by area institutions.

19 TAC 4.278(h)

FORMULA FUNDING

Institutions, including college districts, shall report off-campus courses submitted for formula funding in accordance with the Coordinating Board’s uniform reporting system and the provision of 19 Administrative Code Chapter 4, Subchapter Q.

Institutions shall not submit for formula-funding courses in out-of-state or out-of-country programs, nor shall they submit self-supporting courses for formula funding.

Institutions shall not submit non-state-funded, lower-division credit courses to Regional Councils.

Institutions shall not jeopardize or diminish the status of formula-funded, on-campus courses and programs in order to offer self-supporting courses. Self-supporting courses shall not be a substitute for offering a sufficient number of formula-funded on-campus courses.

For courses not submitted for formula funding, institutions shall charge fees that are equal to or greater than Texas resident tuition and applicable fees and that are sufficient to cover the total cost of instruction and overhead, including administrative costs, benefits, computers and equipment, and other related costs.

FEE REPORTS

Institutions shall report fees received for self-supporting and out-of-state/country courses in accordance with general institutional accounting practices. 19 TAC 4.279

 

UPDATED: March 31, 2020