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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to measures to facilitate the transfer of students within |
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the public higher education system and the timely graduation of |
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students from public institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.05135 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.05135. STATEWIDE TRANSFER COMPACTS. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Career school or college" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 132.001. |
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(2) "Qualified degree-granting career school or |
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college" means a career school or college determined by the board |
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under Subsection (c) to be qualified to participate in a statewide |
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transfer compact developed under this section. |
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(b) The board, in collaboration with institutions of higher |
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education, shall develop transfer compacts that identify learning |
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objectives for coursework in major degree fields that are |
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acceptable across institutions offering coursework or degrees in |
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those fields in an effort to facilitate the universal articulation |
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of specific courses completed at public junior colleges, public |
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state colleges, public technical institutes, general academic |
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teaching institutions, and qualified degree-granting career |
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schools or colleges and transferred to general academic teaching |
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institutions. |
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(c) A career school or college may apply to the board to |
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participate in a statewide transfer compact developed under this |
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section. On application by a career school or college, the board |
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shall review the school's or college's curriculum for the purpose of |
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determining whether the school or college is qualified to |
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participate in the compact. The board may determine that the career |
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school or college is qualified to participate in the compact only if |
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the board finds that the school or college: |
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(1) is authorized to grant degrees in this state; |
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(2) has adopted and implemented a core curriculum |
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described by Section 61.822, applying the same assumptions and |
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defining characteristics applicable to institutions of higher |
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education; and |
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(3) has appropriately identified for each of its core |
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curriculum courses the equivalent course number under the common |
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course numbering system approved by the board under Section 61.832. |
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(d) An institution of higher education or qualified |
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degree-granting career school or college shall comply with any |
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applicable compact under Subsection (b) entered into by the |
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institution, school, or college and the board. |
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(e) A general academic teaching institution designated as a |
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research institution under the board's higher education |
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accountability system that elects not to participate in an |
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applicable transfer compact developed under this section shall: |
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(1) publish on the institution's website for use by |
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prospective undergraduate students a detailed description, |
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developed by the institution's faculty, of the learning objectives, |
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content, and prior knowledge requirements for at least 12 courses |
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for which credit is frequently transferred to the institution from |
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lower-division institutions of higher education; and |
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(2) establish honors articulation agreements with at |
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least two public junior colleges designed to strengthen the |
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lower-division course offerings of those public junior colleges and |
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to improve the persistence and success rates of students who |
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transfer to the institution from public junior colleges. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.0515(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To earn a baccalaureate degree, a student may not be |
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required by a general academic teaching institution to complete |
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more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for |
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the degree by the institution's board-recognized accrediting |
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agency [Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its
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successor] unless academic accreditation or professional licensure |
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requirements require the [the institution determines that there is
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a compelling academic reason for requiring] completion of |
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additional semester credit hours for the degree. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.05151 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.05151. SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED FOR ASSOCIATE |
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DEGREE. (a) To earn an associate degree, a student may not be |
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required by an institution of higher education to complete more |
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than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the |
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degree by the institution's board-recognized accrediting agency |
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unless academic accreditation or professional licensure |
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requirements require the completion of additional semester credit |
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hours for the degree. |
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(b) The board may review one or more of an institution's |
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associate degree programs to ensure compliance with this section. |
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(c) Subsection (a) does not apply to an associate degree |
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awarded by an institution to a student enrolled in the institution |
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before the 2015 fall semester. |
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SECTION 4. Section 61.052, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Each governing board shall submit to the board once each |
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year on dates designated by the board a comprehensive list by |
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department, division, and school of all courses, together with a |
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description of content, scope, and prerequisites of all these |
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courses, that will be offered by each institution under the |
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supervision of that governing board during the following academic |
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year. The list for each institution must also specifically |
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identify any course included in the common course numbering system |
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under Section 61.832 that has been added to or removed from the |
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institution's list for the current academic year, and the board |
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shall distribute that information as necessary to accomplish the |
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purposes of Section 61.832. |
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(b) After the comprehensive list of courses is submitted by |
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a governing board under Subsection (a) [of this section], the |
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governing board shall submit on dates designated by the board any |
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changes in the comprehensive list of courses to be offered, |
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including any changes relating to offering a course included in the |
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common course numbering system. |
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(b-1) Each governing board must certify at the time of |
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submission under Subsection (a) that the institution does not: |
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(1) prohibit the acceptance of transfer credit based |
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solely on the accreditation of the sending institution; or |
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(2) include language in any materials published by the |
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institution, whether in printed or electronic form, suggesting that |
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such a prohibition exists. |
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SECTION 5. Section 61.822, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) The board, with the assistance of advisory committees |
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composed of representatives of institutions of higher education, |
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shall develop a recommended core curriculum of at least 42 semester |
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credit hours, including a statement of the content, component |
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areas, and objectives of the core curriculum. At least a majority |
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of the members of any advisory committee named under this section |
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shall be administrators or faculty members of an institution of |
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higher education. An institution shall consult with the faculty of |
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the institution before nominating or recommending a person to the |
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board as the institution's representative on an advisory committee. |
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(f) In an effort to facilitate the transfer of major-related |
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coursework beyond the general education core curriculum, the board, |
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with the assistance of the advisory committees described by |
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Subsection (a), shall: |
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(1) develop a course-specific core curriculum for each |
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broad academic discipline within the general core curriculum; and |
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(2) identify those degree programs offered at |
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institutions of higher education to which the course-specific core |
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curriculum, if successfully completed by a student at another |
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institution of higher education or at a qualified degree-granting |
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career school or college, as defined by Section 61.05135, is fully |
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transferable. |
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SECTION 6. Section 61.832, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) A student who transfers from one institution of higher |
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education to another shall receive academic credit from the |
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receiving institution for each course that the student has |
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successfully completed that serves as an equivalent course under |
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the common course numbering system at the institution from which |
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the student transfers. |
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SECTION 7. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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61.0515(a), Education Code, applies beginning with undergraduate |
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students who initially enroll in a general academic teaching |
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institution for the 2015 fall semester. An undergraduate student |
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who initially enrolls in a general academic teaching institution |
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before that semester is covered by the law in effect before the |
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effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. |
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SECTION 8. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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61.052, Education Code, apply to the comprehensive lists of courses |
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offered by public institutions of higher education beginning with |
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lists required to be submitted for the 2014-2015 academic year. |
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Course lists for an academic year before that academic year are |
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covered by the law in effect before the effective date of this Act, |
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and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 9. Not later than May 31, 2014, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall develop core curricula for broad |
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academic disciplines included within the general core curriculum |
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that conform to the requirements of Section 61.822, Education Code, |
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as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 10. Section 61.832(e), Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2013 fall semester. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |