Organization of the Core

The THECB defines six objectives they consider central to a college education:

1. Critical Thinking (CT):  creative thinking; innovation; inquiry; and analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information
2. Communication (COM): effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
3. Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS): manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
4. Teamwork (TW): ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal
5. Social Responsibility (SR): intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities
6. Personal Responsibility (PR): ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making

The THECB then categorizes Core courses (largely) around more traditional disciplinary lines:  communication; creative arts; language, philosophy, and culture; life and physical sciences; mathematics; American history; government/political science; and social and behavioral sciences.  We refer to these categories as “foundational component areas” or FCAs.

Each  FCA is tied to four of the six objectives.  For example, classes that fall under the government/political science FCA are tied to the objectives of critical thinking, communication, personal responsibility, and social responsibility.  Absolutely all of the FCAs are tied to critical thinking and communication; they only differ with respect to which two of the remaining four objectives they must reflect.

As part of their curriculum, students must take a specified number of credit hours in each of the FCA categories for a total of 36 FCA credit hours: 

• Communication:  6 SCH
• Mathematics: 3 SCH
• Life and Physical Sciences: 6 SCH
• Language, Philosophy, and Culture: 3 SCH
• Creative Arts: 3 SCH
• American History: 6 SCH
• Government/Political Science: 6 SCH
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 SCH

It bears repeating that these requirements are mandated by the state, not by UNT.  Individual colleges may add program requirements, but these baseline degree requirements are imposed by the state.  For example, College X may decide that any student graduating with a degree in their college must have 6 SCH of Language, Philosophy, and Culture courses.  However, College X cannot decide to eliminate the Language, Philosophy, and Culture requirement altogether.  Colleges can add to the Core; they cannot reduce it.

In addition to the 36 FCA credit hours, the THECB requires students take an additional six credit hours designated as “Component Area Option” or CAO (at UNT  the catalog lists these courses as we call these “Core Option Courses” in the catalog to avoid confusion for students; “Component Area Option” is a fairly opaque term).  CAO courses fall into two categories:  CAO-A and CAO-B. Students can take two A courses or an A and a B.  They cannot take two B courses.

CAO-A courses appear, on the surface, to be FCA courses.  They must meet the definition of an FCA course and they must address the same four objectives as the FCA course.  Nevertheless, for administrative purposes, they are treated as distinct courses.  Think of them as clones of FCA courses:  they have the exact same DNA, but they are different entities.  Thus, while they look the same, CAO-A courses cannot be used to fulfill FCA requirements.

Because they look so much alike, it is not surprising that CAO-A courses and their related FCA counterparts could be moved back and forth.  For example, a course in the FCA that is Literature, Philosophy, and Culture, could be designated as a CAO-A course.  In fact, that process is relatively straightforward, and requires only a cursory administrative review by the THECB.  A course that is CAO-A which meets the definition and objectives of an LPC course could absolutely go through the process and likely, be designated as an FCA LPC course.  However, that process involves full THECB review; it is longer, more complicated, and the result is more uncertain.

Designating an existing CAO-A course as an FCA course would require full consideration by the THECB (as though it were a brand new course).

In contrast, UNT is taking steps to designate all FCA courses as CAO-A courses, so all classes that are part of the “regular” Core Curriculum can be used to fulfill this additional six-credit “CAO” requirement.  This process—designating and FCA as a CAO-A course—is administrative in nature and requires only minimal review by the THECB.  This is helpful for programs that are struggling to squeeze their program requirements and these additional six core hours into the 120 hour degree limit.  All FCA courses currently in the Core have been designated as CAO-A courses, and we will be asking for this dual designation as a matter of course moving forward.                   

CAO-B courses are “lighter” than either FCA or CAO-A courses.  They must meet the definition of one of the FCAs and address both communication and critical thinking.  However, instead of needing to address two additional objectives, B courses only need to address one.

When the dust settles, students must complete the 36 hours of FCA requirements.  In addition, they must complete an additional six hours in the Core.  Those six hours looks like this:

Course 1:       FCA    or         CAO-A            or         CAO-B

Course 2:       FCA    or         CAO-A