RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
Act 233 (SB 132) 2015 Regular Session Nevers
New law retains prior law which 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.
New 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 SATC to
establish guidelines to govern the reverse transfer of academic credits between four-year
colleges and universities and community colleges.
New law requires each articulation and transfer agreement developed and implemented 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 education institution to another.
New law requires the SATC to use 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.
New law requires each public postsecondary education institution to assist veterans and their
spouses in pursuing their educational goals by providing expedited transcript analysis, prior
learning assessment, portfolio analysis, advising, and testing.
New law requires each postsecondary education institution, at the request of an entering
student who is a veteran or the spouse of a veteran, to evaluate any transcript of prior earned
postsecondary academic credit and accept the transfer of any credit earned from a regionally
accredited postsecondary institution, provided that the credit aligns with the course and
program requirements of the receiving institution.
New law requires the SATC to coordinate and oversee the development of a military
articulation and transfer process 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)Provide for the transfer of 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, provided such institution is
accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting body and the credit to be
transferred is aligned with the course and program requirements of the receiving
institution.
New law requires the SATC to give proper consideration to the admissions standards and
role, scope, and mission of each public postsecondary education institution in developing the
military articulation and transfer process.
Prior law (R.S. 17:3351(E)) required 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.
New law retains prior law but requires that any policy adopted by a postsecondary education
management board conform to new law. New law requires the SATC to meet not later than September 15, 2015, to begin the process
of implementing the provisions of new law. Further provides that new law shall be
implemented not later than the beginning of the Spring semester of the 2015-2016 academic
year. New law does not apply to a former member of the U.S. armed forces who receives a
dishonorable discharge but it does apply to the former members' spouse.
Prior law required 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.
New law retains these provisions but requires that the 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 education institution that are transferred to a La. public
postsecondary education institution.
New law specifies that this information be reported in aggregate and by public postsecondary
education institution.
Effective upon signature of the governor (June 26, 2015).
(Adds R.S. 17:3161.1, 3165.2 and 3168(6))