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2022 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 261
BY SENATOR FIELDS
POSTSECONDARY ED. Provides for public postsecondary education transfer pathways.
(gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3162(C)(11) through (14), 3163(B), 3164(C), and 3165(B),
3 to enact R.S. 17:3162(C)(15) and (16) and 3164.1, and to repeal R.S. 17:3129.8,
4 relative to transfer pathways; to provide for a comprehensive system of articulation
5 and transfer of credit between and among secondary and postsecondary education;
6 to provide relative to the duties of the statewide articulation and transfer council; to
7 provide relative to the guarantees in statewide articulation agreements; to provide
8 relative to the Board of Regents' duties in the common course numbering system; to
9 provide for the creation of statewide transfer pathways in major programs; and to
10 provide for related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 17:3162(C)(11) through (14), 3163(B), 3164(C), and 3165(B) are
13 hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 17:3162(C)(15) and (16) and 3164.1 are hereby
14 enacted to read as follows:
15 §3162. Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council; creation; purpose; membership;
16 duties and responsibilities
17 * * *
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1 C. The council shall, with appropriate faculty consultation:
2 * * *
3 (11) Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of
4 statewide transfer pathways.
5 (12) Develop statewide transfer agreements to govern the granting and
6 transfer of credit awarded through competency-based and prior learning
7 assessments.
8 (11)(13) Establish an appeals process to resolve disagreements between
9 transferring students and receiving educational institutions regarding the transfer and
10 acceptance of credits earned at another institution.
11 (12)(14) Ensure that all articulation and transfer policies and practices
12 approved by the council are compliant with the rules and regulations established by
13 all appropriate institutional accrediting agencies as recognized by the United States
14 Department of Education.
15 (13)(15) Periodically, but at least annually, review articulation and transfer
16 policies and make recommendations to the commissioner of higher education who
17 shall then make recommendations to the legislature for needed revisions.
18 (14)(16) Perform such other duties as may be provided by law or the
19 commissioner of higher education.
20 * * *
21 §3163. Statewide Articulation and Transfer Agreement
22 * * *
23 B. The statewide articulation agreement shall, at a minimum:
24 (1) Guarantee the transfer of general education courses and common degree
25 program prerequisites.
26 (2) Guarantee the transfer of all courses contained in a transfer pathway,
27 established pursuant to R.S. 17:3164.1, as credit in courses that satisfy general
28 education or program requirements.
29 (3) Guarantee that every graduate of a community college awarded an
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1 associate of arts or an associate of science degree approved by the council for
2 transfer to a four-year postsecondary educational institution shall be deemed to have
3 met all general education and other core curriculum requirements and must be
4 granted admission to the upper division of any state public four-year college or
5 university public postsecondary institution, in accordance with each institution's
6 general transfer admission requirements, except to a limited access program or a
7 program that has audition or other specialized admission requirements, as approved
8 by the Board of Regents.
9 (3)(4) Provide that graduates awarded an associate of arts or an associate of
10 science degree approved by the council for transfer and who transfer to a four-year
11 college or university postsecondary institution shall not be required to take any
12 additional general education courses to fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements.
13 (4)(5) Provide that graduates awarded an associate of arts or an associate of
14 science degree approved by the council for transfer shall receive priority for
15 admission to a state four-year college or university public postsecondary institution
16 over out-of-state students.
17 (5)(6) Guarantee the statewide articulation of appropriate career and technical
18 education programs and workforce development programs and transfer of course
19 credits between secondary schools and technical and community colleges.
20 (6)(7) Provide for acceptance by postsecondary educational institutions of
21 credits earned in accelerated programs such as dual enrollment and the Advanced
22 Placement, International Baccalaureate, and College-Level Examination programs.
23 (8) Provide for acceptance by public postsecondary educational
24 institutions of credits earned through competency-based education and prior
25 learning assessments.
26 (7)(9) Guarantee the transfer of equivalent courses under the statewide course
27 numbering system.
28 (8)(10) Establish a common college transcript.
29 §3164. Common Course Numbering System
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1 * * *
2 C.(1) Courses that have substantially the same academic content and are
3 taught by faculty with comparable credentials shall be considered equivalent courses
4 and shall be given the same course designation.
5 (2) Equivalent courses shall be guaranteed to transfer to any educational
6 institution participating in the statewide course numbering system.
7 (3) The Board of Regents, in consultation with the Statewide Articulation
8 and Transfer Council, shall define equivalency criteria to be used in the
9 common course numbering system.
10 * * *
11 §3164.1. Transfer Pathways
12 A. The Board of Regents, in collaboration with the Statewide
13 Articulation and Transfer Council, shall develop, coordinate, and maintain
14 transfer pathways for baccalaureate programs that are highly demanded across
15 the state. The Board of Regents shall define and identify highly demanded
16 programs.
17 B. Each transfer pathway shall consist of sixty hours of instruction that
18 can be transferred and applied toward the requirements for a baccalaureate
19 degree in a highly demanded program at a four-year public postsecondary
20 institution.
21 C. Each transfer pathway shall contain courses from the common course
22 numbering system, developed pursuant to R.S. 17:3164, that satisfy graduation
23 requirements for an associate of art or an associate of science degree approved
24 by the council for transfer to a four-year postsecondary institution.
25 D. All courses in a transfer pathway shall transfer and apply toward the
26 general education requirements and requirements for graduation within the
27 highly demanded program offered at any four-year public postsecondary
28 institution.
29 E. A student who completes all of the requirements of a transfer pathway
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1 and who transfers to a highly demanded program at a four-year public
2 postsecondary institution shall not be required to complete more than the total
3 credits required for the baccalaureate degree in the highly demanded program,
4 less the sixty hours of credit earned in the transfer pathway.
5 F. Credit for a course in a transfer pathway that is included in the
6 statewide common course numbering system may be earned through
7 accelerated programs such as dual enrollment, Advanced Placement,
8 International Baccalaureate, College-Level Examination Program, and
9 competency-based education, or prior learning assessment that have been
10 deemed equivalent by the Board of Regents.
11 §3165. Common core curriculum; general education courses; common prerequisites;
12 other degree requirements
13 * * *
14 B. The postsecondary education management boards shall identify their core
15 curricula. The public technical colleges, community colleges, and four-year colleges
16 and universities postsecondary institutions shall work with the State Board of
17 Elementary and Secondary Education and public schools and school districts to
18 assure that high school curricula coordinate aligns with the core curricula and to
19 prepare students for postsecondary study.
20 * * *
21 Section 2. R.S. 17:3129.8 is hereby repealed.
22 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
23 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
24 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
25 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
26 effective on the day following such approval.
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 261 Engrossed 2022 Regular Session Fields
Present law provides statewide articulation and transfer of certain courses between public
secondary and postsecondary education institutions. Provides for the Statewide Articulation
and Transfer Council (council), statewide articulation and transfer agreements, a common
course numbering system, common core curriculum, academic transfer modules, college
credit for military service, implementation and funding, and reporting.
Proposed law retains present law and additionally requires the Board of Regents to develop,
coordinate, and maintain transfer pathways for highly demanded baccalaureate programs at
four-year public postsecondary institutions.
Proposed law provides relative to the duties of the council in the development of the transfer
pathways. Also requires the council to develop statewide transfer agreements concerning
credits earned through competency-based and prior learning assessments.
Proposed law requires the statewide transfer agreements to guarantee the transfer of all
courses in the transfer pathways. Requires the transfer agreements to provide for acceptance
of credits earned through competency-based education and prior learning assessments.
Proposed law requires the Board of Regents, in consultation with the council, to define
equivalency criteria used in the common course numbering system.
Proposed law clarifies that a purpose of the common core curriculum is to align high school
curricula with curricula in public postsecondary.
Proposed law repeals an outdated section of present law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:3162(C)(11) - (14), 3163(B), 3164(C), 3165(B); adds R.S. 17:3162(C)(15)
and (16) and 3164.1; repeals R.S. 17:3129.8)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
original bill
1. Requires the Board of Regents to consult with the council when defining
equivalencies.
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