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Core Curriculum

Given the rapid evolution of necessary knowledge and skills the core curriculum ensures students will develop the essential knowledge and skills needed to be successful in college, in a career, in their communities, and in life. Through the assessment of the core curriculum Texas A&M University is able to collect information about students’ ability to demonstrate this knowledge and skills and use that information to continuously improve the core curriculum learning experience.


Assessment & Recertification Cycle

Core Curriculum Recertification is the process by which the Faculty Senate's Core Curriculum Council reviews core courses for inclusion in the core based on a variety of characteristics including: appropriateness of the course for the Foundational Component Area, enrollment, and explanations of how students are informed of the core objectives, how the course fosters student development of the core objectives, and how each mandatory core objective is evaluated in the context of the course.

Recertification is a two year process, with all core courses rotating through as members of four cohorts.
 During the first year of recertification, courses collect evidence of student learning demonstrating the required core learning objectives and submit to OIEE for assessment using the Core Curriculum Assessment rubrics. During the second year of recertification, courses complete the curricular review requirements defined by the Core Curriculum Council of the Faculty Senate.

The Core Curriculum Objectives are assessed on a three-year assessment schedule rotation according to the following schedule.
 
Rotation 1
(AYs 19-20, 22-23, 25-26)
Rotation 2
(AYs 20-21, 23-24, 26-27)
Rotation 3
(AYs 21-22, 24-25, 27-28)
Visual Communication 
Oral Communication 
Teamwork 
Critical Thinking 
Social Responsibility
Written Communication 
Personal Responsibility
Empirical & Quantitative Skills



 
    Cycle          Academic    Year    Core Objectives Assessed for Recertification Cohort
A1 2019-2020
Course List
  • Visual Communication
B2 2020-2021
Course List
  • Critical Thinking
  • Social Responsibility 
  RESULTS REPORT
C3
 
2021-2022
Course List
  • Written Communication
  • Personal Responsibility
  • Empirical & Quantitative Skills
  RESULTS REPORT
D1 2022-2023
Course List
  • Oral Communication
  • Visual Communication
  • Teamwork
ARTIFACT SUBMISSION DEADLINES:
  • Fall 2022: Monday, December 19
  • Spring 2023: Monday, May 15
A2 2023-2024
  • Critical Thinking
  • Social Responsibility 

Core Objectives by FCA


Core Curriculum Assessment

Each Component Area has a set of identified core objectives (indicated in maroon in the table below). Each core objective has a specified rubric which will be used for assessment purposes. 

Definitions of Component Areas and core objectives can be found either in the Undergraduate Catalog or in the Texas Administrative Code

 

Core Objectives by Foundational Component Area (FCA)

Common scoring rubrics are linked to each core objective below.

Foundational
Component Area
Critical Thinking Communication: Oral 
Visual - (Interpretation or Creation)
Empirical and Quantitative Skills
(Computational or Other)
Teamwork Social Responsibility Personal Responsibility
Communication            
Mathematics            
Life and Physical Sciences            
Language, Philosophy, & Culture             
Creative Arts            
American History            
Government/ Political Sciences            
Social and Behavioral Sciences            


Core Courses by Foundational Component Area (FCA)

Texas A&M University Catalog

Resources

For more information about Core Curriculum at Texas A&M, visit https://us.tamu.edu/core.