The Development of Community Junior Colleges in Texas and the Core Curricula for Public Junior Colleges in Texas.

The Texas concept of higher education is 3-part, each part with a legal relation to the others, each with a specific role, and all interlocking under central coordination. The divisions are community junior colleges, senior colleges with first-level graduate offerings, and universities offering doctorate-level work and graduate education for the professions. This policy statement covers the purpose of the junior college (to give general, technical/occupational, and continuing education programs), the criteria for establishing new colleges (size of enrollment, commuting distance, etc.), and determination of college financing methods. This same paper also describes the core curricula for the state's public junior colleges. Most important, the curricula must seek as much common content as possible so that the courses are "freely transferable" among all institutions. This should not interfere with a university's privilege of innovation and experiment or with a junior college's decision to offer additional courses. General provisions for credits and transfer are listed and charts show the relationship of courses in the major core curricula (Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Engineering). (HH)