Recommendation to the Academic Course Guide Manual Advisory Committee
Regarding Government Sequences GOVT 2301/2302 and GOVT 2305/2306
UEAC 4.8.2011
Background:
Public institutions of higher education in Texas have long offered the legislatively
mandated six hours of American and Texas Government in two different sequences of courses:
GOVT 2301/2302 and GOVT 2305/2306. The legislative mandate requires that students have
studied both the U. S. and the Texas Constitutions upon completion of the mandatory six hours.
The GOVT 2301/02 sequence combines both constitutions in GOVT 2301, while the GOVT
2305/06 sequence divides the two (U. S. in GOVT 2305, Texas in GOVT 2306). When a student
transfers between institutions offering different sequences, they are often confused and end up
taking nine hours instead of the required six.
Recommendation:
To reduce the number of excess hours taken by students confounded by the different
sequences of Government, the Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee recommends the
single sequence of GOVT 2301 and GOVT 2302 be deleted.
Rationale:
There is no particular pedagogical reason for adopting one sequence rather than the
other. To best serve Texas students in public institutions, the adoption of either sequence
would, over the long term, suffice. Regardless of which sequence was adopted, all students
would eventually be on the same track. (Caveat: This assumes that all institutions adopt the
sequence in the ACGM. While all community colleges would have to, four year schools could
choose not to.) The GOVT 2305/2306 sequence best serves students transferring to public
institutions from out of state and from private colleges. Virtually all of these institutions offer,
and most require an introductory U. S. Government course. If students have taken one of those
courses, then they have satisfied the U. S. Constitution requirement, but still need the Texas
Constitution. Under the GOVT 2301/2302 sequence they would have to take GOVT 2301 to
satisfy the legislative requirement. They would also be repeating a lot of material they had all
ready had. The GOVT 2305/2306 sequence would provide for less redundancy of subject
matter, thus broadening the student’s knowledge of state and local government. While the
focus would be on Texas, much of the material is relevant to all state and local government in
the nation.