REGULATIONS

[general][writing-enhanced courses][quality of work][who can enroll]
[teacher certification][teachers, businesses, sociologists]

General


This bulletin is intended to give general information about courses, fees, and regulations governing correspondence study. We reserve the right to change instructors, to discontinue courses and change textbooks, and to adjust fees listed in this catalog as circumstances warrant.

Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP).

In 1987, the Legislature passed House Bill 2182 requiring that any full-time or part-time student in a public college or university in Texas who has not earned at least three semester credit hours prior to the Fall 1989 semester or who is not exempt must take the TASP Test.
The TASP is an instructional program with a testing component which is designed to ensure that all students attending public colleges and universities in Texas have the reading, mathematics, and writing skills necessary to perform effectively in college-level course work. Remedial activities will be required for those students who do not pass the TASP Test.
Students at Sam Houston State University must take the TASP Test prior to enrolling in college-level semester credit hours. For further information and/or registration forms for the TASP Test, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Students wishing a complete, unabridged statement of the requirements of this law should consult Vernon's Texas Codes Annotated, Education Code, Sec. 51.306, a copy of which may be found in the Newton Gresham Library.

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Writing-Enhanced Courses.

Since the 1991 fall semester, all beginning freshman students are required to complete six writing-enhanced courses prior to their graduation. These six courses include ENG 164, ENG 165, two courses in the student's major, and two courses in any discipline.
At the present time, the following correspondence courses have been designated as writing-enhanced courses: AGR 461, ENG 265, ENG 275, ENG 295, ENG 330, ENG 360, ENG 361, ENG 362, ENG 381, ENG 382, ENG 384, ENG 385, ENG 472, ENG 476, FCS 167, FCS 369, GEO 330, GEO 369, HED 166, HIS 265, HIS 266, PHL 261, PHO 235, POL 261, POL 285, SOC 261, SOC 264, SOC 333.

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Quality of Work Submitted for Correspondence Courses.


The written answers to all lessons, tests or examinations submitted by each student for grading and/or credit in a correspondence course must be his/her own work. Failure to submit original work and/or to follow the aforementioned rules and regulations may result in disenrollment from the course without credit.
The use of abusive, indecent, profane or vulgar language, which by its very nature is offensive to others, will not be tolerated in any correspondence course work submitted by students. Any such occurrence may be grounds for disenrollment from a correspondence course without credit.

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Who can enroll in a correspondence course?


Students in academic good standing may register and begin work on a correspondence course at any time.
It is recommended that first time correspondence course students enroll in only one course at a time. Students who desire to enroll in two correspondence courses at the same time may petition the Coordinator of the Correspondence Course Division for permission to do so.
A student on suspension from any college or university will not be allowed to enroll in a correspondence course. A student who has received a D or F in a course may not repeat that course by a correspondence course unless written permission is obtained from the Coordinator of the Correspondence Course Division. Such permission may be granted only under very restricted circumstances.

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Do you plan to use a correspondence course to complete a degree from SHSU or obtain teacher certification?


Students who plan to complete degrees at Sam Houston State University should note the following:

a. To obtain a bachelor's degree from SHSU, a student must complete at least 25 percent of the semester credit hours in residence, of which 24 semester credit hours must be advanced hours. As mentioned earlier, semester credit hours earned in a correspondence course(s) are not considered "resident classroom instruction" hours and are not used in determining academic honors: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude, the Dean's List, and the President's Honor Roll. However, the semester credit hours and grade points earned for correspondence courses are included in the calculation of the overall SHSU grade point average.
b. A minimum of twelve semester hours of advanced work in a student's major field must be completed in residence at the University.
c. A minimum of six semester hours of advanced work in the minor must be completed in residence at the University.
d. A student will not be allowed to complete by extension and correspondence courses from all sources more than one-fourth (thirty semester hours) of the work required for a bachelor's degree. Of this thirty hours, a maximum of eighteen may be completed by correspondence courses.
e. Students desiring to obtain a degree from SHSU should ensure that correspondence courses are carefully integrated with overall degree requirements. It is recommended that each student interested in completing a degree obtain a degree plan through their major academic department at their early convenience.

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Teacher Certification? Business Major? Sociology Major/Minor at SHSU?


To complete deficiency plan or degree requirements for teacher certification, a maximum of six hours may apply to a degree with teacher certification. Any exceptions may be approved by the Dean of the College of Education and Applied Science. A correspondence course may not be used to improve grades for certification purposes.
Only students who have successfully completed sixty or more semester credit hours and are declared business majors will be permitted to take 300-400 level business courses by correspondence. MGT 474 Human Resource Management is not available to SHSU students who major or minor in Management or Human Resource Management.
Students who are Sociology majors or Sociology minors at Sam Houston State University must obtain written permission from the Sociology Department Chair prior to enrollment in a Sociology correspondence course.

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