SLS 15RS-221 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 132
BY SENATOR NEVERS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
POSTSECONDARY ED. Provides for the reverse transfer of academic credits and the
award of certain credits to veterans and their spouses. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:3161.1, 3165.2 and 3168(6), relative to the articulation and transfer of
3 postsecondary academic credit; to provide relative to reverse transfer agreements;
4 to provide relative to awarding academic and workforce education credit to veterans
5 for military education, training, or experience; to provide relative to the transfer of
6 certain academic credits earned by veterans and their spouses; to provide for the
7 responsibilities of the Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council; to provide for
8 reports; and to provide for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 17:3161.1, 3165.2 and 3168(6) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 §3161.1. Reverse Transfer Agreements
12 A. Four-year colleges and universities and community colleges are
13 authorized and encouraged to enter into reverse articulation or reverse transfer
14 agreements to facilitate the transfer of academic credits earned by a student
15 while enrolled in a four-year postsecondary institution back to a community
16 college for the purpose of enabling a student to complete the requirements for
17 an associate degree from the community college.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 132
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1 B. The Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council shall establish
2 guidelines to govern the reverse transfer of academic credits between four-year
3 colleges and universities and community colleges.
4 * * *
5 §3165.2. College credit for military service; spouses of veterans
6 A.(1) Every articulation and transfer agreement developed and
7 implemented in accordance with this Chapter shall maximize the number of
8 academic or workforce education credits awarded to veterans of the United
9 States Armed Forces for their military education, training, or experience and
10 provide for their seamless transfer from one public postsecondary institution
11 to another.
12 (2) The council shall utilize the "Guide to the Evaluation of Educational
13 Experiences in the Armed Services" and the standards of the American Council
14 on Education to govern the award of academic or workforce credit for military
15 education, training, or experience.
16 B. Each Louisiana public postsecondary educational institution shall
17 enter into an articulation and transfer agreement with every postsecondary
18 institution that offers academic coursework to military personnel and their
19 spouses pursuant to a contract with the United States Department of Defense
20 to facilitate the transfer of academic credit hours earned by a veteran or the
21 spouse of a veteran from such schools to any Louisiana public postsecondary
22 educational institution.
23 C.(1) The Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council shall coordinate
24 and oversee the development of a military articulation matrix that shall be
25 adhered to by all public postsecondary education institutions that will:
26 (a) Recognize and align military education, training, or experience with
27 the appropriate postsecondary academic or workforce coursework.
28 (b) Recognize and align academic credit hours earned by a veteran or the
29 spouse of a veteran from a postsecondary educational institution that offers
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SLS 15RS-221 ORIGINAL
1 academic coursework to military personnel and their spouses pursuant to a
2 contract with the United States Department of Defense with the appropriate
3 postsecondary academic coursework, provided such institution is accredited by
4 the appropriate regional accrediting body.
5 (2) In developing the military articulation matrix, the council shall give
6 proper consideration to the admission standards and role, scope, and mission
7 of each Louisiana public postsecondary institution.
8 D. Each public postsecondary education management board shall ensure
9 that any policy adopted pursuant to R.S. 17:3351(E) conforms to the provisions
10 of this Section.
11 E.(1) The Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council shall meet not
12 later than September 15, 2015, to begin the process of implementing the
13 provisions of this Section.
14 (2) The provisions of this Section shall be fully implemented not later
15 than the beginning of the Spring semester of the 2015-2016 academic year.
16 * * *
17 §3168. Reporting
18 The Board of Regents shall submit a written report to the Senate and House
19 committees on education, not later than September thirtieth of each year, on the
20 status of statewide articulation and transfer of credit across all educational
21 institutions in Louisiana as provided in this Chapter. Such report shall, at a
22 minimum, include the following:
23 * * *
24 (6)(a) The number of academic or workforce education credits awarded
25 to veterans of the United States Armed Forces for their military education,
26 training, or experience.
27 (b)(i) The number of academic credits earned by veterans and spouses
28 of veterans from a postsecondary educational institution pursuant to a contract
29 with the United States Department of Defense that are transferred to a
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1 Louisiana public postsecondary educational institution.
2 (ii) A copy of every articulation and transfer agreement between a
3 Louisiana public postsecondary educational institution and a postsecondary
4 institution under contract with the United States Department of Defense shall
5 be included in the report required by this Section.
6 (c) The information required by this Paragraph shall be reported in
7 aggregate and by public postsecondary educational institution.
8 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
9 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
10 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
11 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
12 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
SB 132 Original 2015 Regular Session Nevers
Present law provides for the seamless transfer of credits between and among public
secondary and postsecondary educational institutions and charges the Statewide Articulation
and Transfer Council (SATC) with the responsibility to coordinate, oversee, and monitor
transfer and articulation activities.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law authorizes and encourages four-year colleges and universities and community
colleges to enter into reverse articulation or reverse transfer agreements to facilitate the
transfer of academic credits earned by a student while enrolled in a four-year postsecondary
institution back to a community college for the purpose of enabling a student to complete
the requirements for an associate degree from the community college. Requires the
Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council to establish guidelines to govern the reverse
transfer of academic credits between four-year colleges and universities and community
colleges.
Proposed law requires every articulation and transfer agreement developed and implemented
in accordance with present law to maximize the number of academic or workforce education
credits awarded to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces for their military education, training,
or experience and provide for their seamless transfer from one public postsecondary
institution to another.
Proposed law requires the SATC to utilize the "Guide to the Evaluation of Educational
Experiences in the Armed Services" and the standards of the American Council on
Education to govern the award or transfer of academic or workforce credit to veterans for
military education, training, or experience.
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 132
SLS 15RS-221 ORIGINAL
Proposed law requires each La. public postsecondary educational institution to enter into an
articulation and transfer agreement with every postsecondary institution that offers academic
coursework to military personnel and their spouses pursuant to a contract with the United
States Department of Defense (DOD) to facilitate the transfer of academic credit hours
earned by a veteran or the spouse of a veteran from such schools to any Louisiana public
postsecondary educational institution.
Proposed law requires the SATC to coordinate and oversee the development of a military
articulation matrix that shall be adhered to by all public postsecondary education institutions
that will:
(1)Recognize and align military education, training, or experience with the appropriate
academic or workforce coursework.
(2)Recognize and align academic credit hours earned by a veteran or the spouse of a
veteran from a postsecondary educational institution that offers academic
coursework to military personnel and their spouses pursuant to a contract with the
DOD with the appropriate academic coursework, provided such institution is
accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting body.
Proposed law requires the SATC to give proper consideration to the admissions standards
and role, scope, and mission of each public postsecondary institution in developing the
military articulation matrix.
Present law (R.S. 17:3351(E)) requires the public postsecondary education management
boards to adopt a policy requiring each postsecondary institution under their management
to award educational credits to veterans for courses that are part of the student's military
training or service that meets the standards of the American Council on Education or
equivalent standards for awarding academic credit if the award of such credit is based upon
the institution's admission standards and role, scope, and mission.
Proposed law retains present law but requires that any policy adopted by a postsecondary
education management board pursuant to present law must conform to the provisions of
proposed law.
Proposed law requires the SATC to meet not later than September 15, 2015, to begin the
process of implementing the provisions of proposed law. Further provides that the provisions
of proposed law shall be implemented not later than the beginning of the Spring semester
of the 2015-2016 academic year.
Present law requires the Board of Regents to annually report to the Senate and House
committees on education regarding the status of statewide articulation and transfer of credit
across all educational institutions in the state and specifies the data to be included in the
report.
Proposed law retains present law and additionally provides that such report include:
(1)The number of academic or workforce education credits awarded to veterans for their
military education, training, and experience.
(2)The number of academic credit hours earned by veterans and spouses of veterans
from a postsecondary educational institution pursuant to a contract with the U.S.
Dept. of Defense (DOD) that are transferred to a La. public postsecondary
institution. Requires that a copy of every articulation agreement between a La. public
postsecondary educational institution and a postsecondary educational institution
under contract with the DOD shall be included in the report required by present law.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 132
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Proposed law specifies that this information be reported in aggregate and by public
postsecondary educational institution.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:3161.1, 3165.2 and 3168(6))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.