1. (a) The stated program objectives should clearly communicate the specific concepts and skills the program will transfer to persons completing it.
2. (b) All programs must clearly identify what prerequisites are necessary for enrollment, so a potential participant can determine whether they are qualified to participate in and benefit from the program. If no prerequisite is necessary, a statement to this effect should be made.
3. (c) A program developer must be prepared to demonstrate satisfactorily their competence to design the program at a high quality level.
4. (d) The program developer must review the course materials periodically to assure that they are accurate and consistent with currently accepted standards relating to the program's subject matter. Between these reviews, errata sheets should be issued where appropriate and obsolete materials should be deleted. Between the time a new pronouncement is issued and the issuance of errata sheets or removal of obsolete materials, the instructor is responsible for informing participants of changes.
5. (e) Course material should be reviewed by a qualified person(s) other than the preparer(s) to ensure compliance with the provisions of these sections and with high standards of content and instructional design. In the case of short or once only programs, more reliance may be placed on the competence of the presenter.
6. (f) Participants should be informed in advance of objectives, prerequisites, experience level, content, advance preparation, teaching method(s), and recommended credit hours. After January 1, 2005, an ethics course not approved by the board under §523.131 of this title (relating to Board Approval of Ethics Course Content after January 1, 2005) must clearly state in the course materials, registration materials and any advertisements related to the course that it is not approved for ethics credit pursuant to §523.131 of this title and the course will not satisfy the ethics course requirements of §523.130 of this title (relating to Board Rules and Ethics Course). Sponsors are responsible for distributing accurate information about their programs.
7. (g) Instructors must be qualified both with respect to program content and teaching methods used. Sponsors should evaluate the performance of instructors at the conclusion of each program to determine their suitability for continuing to serve as instructors. After January 1, 2005, the sponsor of an ethics course taught by an instructor who is not under contract with the board pursuant to §523.132 of this title (relating to Board Contracted Ethics Instructors after January 1, 2005) must clearly state in the course materials, registration materials and any advertisements related to the course that the instructor is not a board contracted ethics instructor under §523.132 of this title and the course will not satisfy the ethics course requirements of §523.130 of this title (relating to Board Rules and Ethics Course).

8. (h) Sponsors should comply with the standard by encouraging:

   1. (1) enrollment only by eligible participants;
   2. (2) timely distribution of materials;
   3. (3) completion of any advance preparation; and
   4. (4) assigning the appropriate number of credit hours for participants who arrive late or leave before a program is completed.
9. (i) The number of participants and physical facilities should be consistent with the teaching method(s) specified. The learning environment is affected by the number of participants and by the quality of the physical facilities. Sponsors have an obligation to pay serious attention to these two factors. The maximum number of participants for a case-oriented discussion program should be considerably less than for a lecture program. Class size, quality of facilities, and seating arrangements are integral and important aspects of the educational environment and should be carefully controlled.

Source Note:The provisions of this §523.140 adopted to be effective April 7, 2004, 29 TexReg 3482.