The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

1. (1) Preliminary Authority--Permission from the State of Texas to propose new degree programs in a given disciplinary area at a given level of instruction. The Table of Programs, defined in paragraph (9) of this section, prescribes the academic areas and levels that are approved by the Board as being appropriate for an institution's existing role and mission.
2. (2) Board--The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
3. (3) Commissioner--The Commissioner of Higher Education.
4. (4) Mission Statement--A narrative description of the general mission of each institution prepared by the institution and approved by its Board of Regents and the Board. The statement should address the fundamental purpose of the institution with respect to its teaching, research, and public service responsibilities. The institution's special concerns for quality and access, liberal arts, admissions, career-oriented programming, extension and articulation with community colleges and public schools, traditional and nontraditional education, and similar issues also may be described. The mission statement must be consistent with the approved Table of Programs and any statutory mission description.
5. (5) Organized classes--Classes whose primary mode of instruction is lecture, laboratory, or seminar.
6. (6) Program Inventory--The official list of all approved degree and certificate programs approved for a public university or health-related institution.
7. (7) Role and Mission or Role and Scope--Equivalent phrases used to refer to the overall purpose of an institution, including its role within the overall system of Texas higher education. The Board-approved role and mission documents for a university or health-related institution are its Mission Statement and Table of Programs.
8. (8) Small classes--Undergraduate level classes with less than 10 registrations, and graduate level classes with less than five registrations.
9. (9) Table of Programs--A table that describes the range of degree and certificate programs currently authorized for an institution using the Texas-CIP classification system. For each category and degree program level, authorization shall be designated by a code. The codes shall indicate whether or not degree programs in a particular subject matter category have been approved for the institution and whether or not they fall within its approved mission.
10. (10) Texas CIP Classification System--The Texas adaptation of the Classification of Instructional Programs taxonomy developed by the National Center for Education Statistics and used nationally to classify instructional programs and report educational data.
11. (11) Selected Public Colleges--Those public colleges authorized to offer baccalaureate degrees in Texas.
12. (12) Statutory mission description--A statement of an institution's mission or purpose that is established directly in statute.

Source Note:The provisions of this §5.23 adopted to be effective May 28, 2003, 28 TexReg 4124; amended to be effective May 12, 2005, 30 TexReg 2661; amended to be effective November 28, 2007, 32 TexReg 8490.