House Study Bill 63 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON COLLINS) A BILL FOR An Act providing for general education requirements for 1 undergraduate students at regents institutions and including 2 applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1212YC (3) 91 je/jh
H.F. _____ Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known and may be 1 cited as the Core Curriculum Act. 2 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 262C.1 Definitions. 3 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise 4 requires: 5 1. Board means the state board of regents. 6 2. Institution means an institution of higher learning 7 governed by the board. 8 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 262C.2 General education requirements. 9 The board shall develop and adopt a policy establishing 10 general education requirements for undergraduate students. The 11 policy must include all of the following: 12 1. Each institution shall establish all of the following 13 general education requirements that must be completed for a 14 student to receive an undergraduate degree: 15 a. Six semester credit hours of English composition. 16 b. Six semester credit hours of a world language. 17 c. Six semester credit hours of mathematics and statistics. 18 d. Six semester credit hours of natural sciences. 19 e. Six semester credit hours of social sciences. 20 f. Six semester credit hours of the humanities. 21 g. Three semester credit hours of western heritage. 22 Coursework satisfying this requirement shall consist of 23 introductory survey courses concerning western heritage such as 24 western civilization, British literature, or Greek philosophy. 25 Coursework for western heritage shall also satisfy the required 26 semester hours for either social studies or the humanities, as 27 designated by the institution. 28 h. Three semester credit hours of American heritage. 29 Coursework satisfying this requirement shall consist of 30 introductory survey courses concerning American heritage, such 31 as American history, Iowa history, American government, or 32 American literature. If the institution offers or requires a 33 course on American history and civil government, semester hours 34 for that course shall satisfy this requirement. Coursework 35 -1- LSB 1212YC (3) 91 je/jh 1/ 5
H.F. _____ for American heritage shall also satisfy the required 1 semester hours for either social studies or the humanities, as 2 designated by the institution. 3 2. An institution shall not establish more than forty 4 semester credit hours of general education requirements. An 5 institution may increase the number of semester hours for any 6 of the requirements of subsection 1, provided that the total 7 number of required semester hours of general education shall 8 not exceed forty. 9 3. An institution or a school or other component of 10 an institution shall not establish any general education 11 requirement not specifically authorized in this section. 12 4. An institution shall designate up to ten semester-length 13 introductory or survey courses that will satisfy the 14 requirements of subsection 1, which the exception of subsection 15 1, paragraph b , for which an institution may designate any 16 number of introductory courses. 17 5. Except as provided in subsection 1, an institution shall 18 not designate any course as satisfying more than one of the 19 general education requirements provided in subsection 1. 20 6. An institution shall provide equivalent credit toward 21 the requirements of subsection 1 to a student transferring 22 to the institution for previous coursework completed by the 23 student that is substantially similar to a requirement of 24 subsection 1. 25 7. If the board or an institution has established a school 26 of intellectual freedom or a center for civic education, the 27 school or center shall annually designate the courses that will 28 satisfy the requirements of subsection 1, paragraphs g and 29 h . 30 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 262C.3 Standards for course content. 31 The board shall adopt a policy to ensure that courses that 32 satisfy the general education requirements established pursuant 33 to section 262C.2 do not distort significant historical events 34 or include any curriculum or other material that teaches 35 -2- LSB 1212YC (3) 91 je/jh 2/ 5
H.F. _____ identity politics or is based on theories that systemic 1 racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the 2 institutions of the United States of America or the state of 3 Iowa. The policy shall not limit the academic freedom of 4 any course instructor to direct the instruction within the 5 instructors course or limit the free discussion of ideas in a 6 classroom setting. 7 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 262C.4 Exceptions waiver. 8 1. The general education requirements established pursuant 9 to section 262C.2 shall not apply to a student completing a 10 degree program that is designated by an institution as a degree 11 program of three years or less in duration. 12 2. The board may waive one or more requirements of section 13 262.2 for a degree program if the board determines the program 14 is in a complex field or requires an increased amount of focus 15 on the courses related to a students major. 16 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 262C.5 Enforcement. 17 Any person may notify the attorney general of an 18 institutions potential violation of this chapter. The 19 attorney general may bring an action against an institution for 20 a writ of mandamus to compel the institution to comply with 21 this chapter. 22 Sec. 7. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to students 23 beginning enrollment at institutions of higher learning 24 governed by the state board of regents in academic years 25 beginning on or after July 1, 2027. 26 EXPLANATION 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 28 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 29 This bill requires the state board of regents (board) to 30 develop and adopt a policy establishing general education 31 requirements for undergraduate students. The bill provides 32 required content of the policy. 33 The general education requirements shall include required 34 coursework in English composition, a world language, 35 -3- LSB 1212YC (3) 91 je/jh 3/ 5
H.F. _____ mathematics and statistics, natural sciences, social sciences, 1 the humanities, western heritage, and American heritage. The 2 bill provides minimum semester hours for each subject and 3 specifies additional requirements for certain subjects. The 4 general education requirements shall not exceed 40 total 5 semester hours. The bill prohibits a regents institution or 6 a school or other component of a regents institution from 7 establishing any general education requirement not specifically 8 authorized in the bill. The bill provides additional standards 9 for the general education requirements , including standards 10 for transfer students. 11 The bill requires the board to adopt a policy to ensure 12 that courses that satisfy the general education requirements 13 do not distort significant historical events or include any 14 curriculum or other material that teaches identity politics or 15 is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, 16 or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United 17 States of America or the state of Iowa. The policy shall not 18 limit the academic freedom of any course instructor to direct 19 the instruction within the instructors course or limit the 20 free discussion of ideas in a classroom setting. 21 The bill provides that the general education requirements 22 shall not apply to a student completing a degree program that 23 is designated by a regents institution as a degree program 24 of three years or less in duration. The bill authorizes the 25 board to waive one or more general education requirements for 26 a degree program if the board determines the program is in a 27 complex field or requires an increased amount of focus on the 28 courses related to a students major. 29 The bill authorizes any person to notify the attorney 30 general of a regents institutions potential violation of the 31 requirements of the bill. The attorney general may bring an 32 action against an institution for a writ of mandamus to compel 33 the institution to comply. 34 The bill applies to students beginning enrollment at regents 35 -4- LSB 1212YC (3) 91 je/jh 4/ 5
H.F. _____ institutions in academic years beginning on or after July 1, 1 2027. 2 -5- LSB 1212YC (3) 91 je/jh 5/ 5