7-5 Unique Need Courses
Approval for a course that is not available under an approval number in the Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) or a course with credit and/or contact hours in excess of the limits prescribed in ACGM must be approved by THECB according to THECB Rules and Regulations, Section 5.172. These may be found in ACGM and should be reviewed prior to developing a unique need course.
When applying for a unique need course, submit a request for approval and a data entry form to THECB. THECB forms for unique need courses and internal forms can be found in Section B of Appendix A of this manual.
Prior to development of such a course, the idea should be discussed with the department chair, associate dean, as well as the following persons: vice president of instruction and academic dean (C), vice president of instruction (N), vice president of instruction and dean of instruction (S).
The steps in the curriculum process are the same as those used in the development of a new academic course, with one exception. Because a unique need course requires THECB approval, it goes to the district curriculum committee as an action item, rather than an information item.
