2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 261
BY SENATORS FIELDS, BARROW, BERNARD, BOUDREAUX, BOUIE, CARTER,
CLOUD, CONNICK, CORTEZ, FESI, FOIL, HARRIS, HEWITT,
JACKSON, LUNEAU, MCMATH, FRED MILLS, POPE, PRICE,
SMITH, TARVER, WARD, WHITE AND WOMACK AND
REPRESENTATIVE GAROFALO
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 * * *
18 C. The council shall, with appropriate faculty consultation:
19 * * *
20 (11) Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of
21 statewide transfer pathways.
22 (12) Develop statewide transfer agreements to govern the granting and
23 transfer of credit awarded through competency-based and prior learning
24 assessments.
ACT No. 308
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1 (11)(13) Establish an appeals process to resolve disagreements between
2 transferring students and receiving educational institutions regarding the transfer and
3 acceptance of credits earned at another institution.
4 (12)(14) Ensure that all articulation and transfer policies and practices
5 approved by the council are compliant with the rules and regulations established by
6 all appropriate institutional accrediting agencies as recognized by the United States
7 Department of Education.
8 (13)(15) Periodically, but at least annually, review articulation and transfer
9 policies and make recommendations to the commissioner of higher education who
10 shall then make recommendations to the legislature for needed revisions.
11 (14)(16) Perform such other duties as may be provided by law or the
12 commissioner of higher education.
13 * * *
14 §3163. Statewide Articulation and Transfer Agreement
15 * * *
16 B. The statewide articulation agreement shall, at a minimum:
17 (1) Guarantee the transfer of general education courses and common degree
18 program prerequisites.
19 (2) Guarantee the transfer of all courses contained in a transfer pathway,
20 established pursuant to R.S. 17:3164.1, as credit in courses that satisfy general
21 education or program requirements.
22 (3) Guarantee that every graduate of a community college awarded an
23 associate of arts or an associate of science degree approved by the council for
24 transfer to a four-year postsecondary educational institution shall be deemed to have
25 met all general education and other core curriculum requirements and must shall be
26 granted admission to the upper division of any state public four-year college or
27 university public postsecondary institution, in accordance with each institution's
28 general transfer admission requirements, except to a limited access program or a
29 program that has audition or other specialized admission requirements, as approved
30 by the Board of Regents.
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1 (3)(4) Provide that graduates awarded an associate of arts or an associate of
2 science degree approved by the council for transfer and who transfer to a four-year
3 college or university postsecondary institution shall not be required to take any
4 additional general education courses to fulfill baccalaureate degree requirements.
5 (4)(5) Provide that graduates awarded an associate of arts or an associate of
6 science degree approved by the council for transfer shall receive priority for
7 admission to a state four-year college or university public postsecondary institution
8 over out-of-state students.
9 (5)(6) Guarantee the statewide articulation of appropriate career and technical
10 education programs and workforce development programs and transfer of course
11 credits between secondary schools and technical and community colleges.
12 (6)(7) Provide for acceptance by postsecondary educational institutions of
13 credits earned in accelerated programs such as dual enrollment and the Advanced
14 Placement, International Baccalaureate, and College-Level Examination programs.
15 (8) Provide for acceptance by public postsecondary educational
16 institutions of credits earned through competency-based education and prior
17 learning assessments.
18 (7)(9) Guarantee the transfer of equivalent courses under the statewide course
19 numbering system.
20 (8)(10) Establish a common college transcript.
21 §3164. Common Course Numbering System
22 * * *
23 C.(1) Courses that have substantially the same academic content and are
24 taught by faculty with comparable credentials shall be considered equivalent courses
25 and shall be given the same course designation.
26 (2) Equivalent courses shall be guaranteed to transfer to any educational
27 institution participating in the statewide course numbering system.
28 (3) The Board of Regents, in consultation with the Statewide Articulation
29 and Transfer Council, shall define equivalency criteria to be used in the
30 common course numbering system.
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1 * * *
2 §3164.1. Transfer Pathways
3 A. The Board of Regents, in collaboration with the Statewide
4 Articulation and Transfer Council, shall develop, coordinate, and maintain
5 transfer pathways for baccalaureate programs that are highly demanded across
6 the state. The Board of Regents shall define and identify highly demanded
7 programs.
8 B. Each transfer pathway shall consist of sixty hours of instruction that
9 can be transferred and applied toward the requirements for a baccalaureate
10 degree in a highly demanded program at a four-year public postsecondary
11 institution.
12 C. Each transfer pathway shall contain courses from the common course
13 numbering system, developed pursuant to R.S. 17:3164, that satisfy graduation
14 requirements for an associate of art or an associate of science degree approved
15 by the council for transfer to a four-year postsecondary institution.
16 D. All courses in a transfer pathway shall transfer and apply toward the
17 general education requirements and requirements for graduation within the
18 highly demanded program offered at any four-year public postsecondary
19 institution.
20 E. A student who completes all of the requirements of a transfer pathway
21 and who transfers to a highly demanded program at a four-year public
22 postsecondary institution shall not be required to complete more than the total
23 credits required for the baccalaureate degree in the highly demanded program,
24 less the sixty hours of credit earned in the transfer pathway.
25 F. Credit for a course in a transfer pathway that is included in the
26 statewide common course numbering system may be earned through
27 accelerated programs such as dual enrollment, Advanced Placement,
28 International Baccalaureate, College-Level Examination Program, and
29 competency-based education, or prior learning assessment that have been
30 deemed equivalent by the Board of Regents.
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1 §3165. Common core curriculum; general education courses; common prerequisites;
2 other degree requirements
3 * * *
4 B. The postsecondary education management boards shall identify their core
5 curricula. The public technical colleges, community colleges, and four-year colleges
6 and universities postsecondary institutions shall work with the State Board of
7 Elementary and Secondary Education and public schools and school districts to
8 assure that high school curricula coordinate align with the core curricula and to
9 prepare students for postsecondary study.
10 * * *
11 Section 2. R.S. 17:3129.8 is hereby repealed.
12 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
13 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
14 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
15 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
16 effective on the day following such approval.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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