| 1 | 1 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1801 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to orientation programs for new students at public |
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| 7 | 7 | | institutions of higher education. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 51.978 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 51.978. ORIENTATION PROGRAM. (a) In this section, |
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| 12 | 12 | | "institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 13 | 13 | | Section 61.003. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) An institution of higher education shall provide an |
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| 15 | 15 | | orientation program for each student, including a student |
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| 16 | 16 | | transferring to the institution, before or during the first |
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| 17 | 17 | | semester or other academic term in which the student is enrolled at |
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| 18 | 18 | | the institution. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) Each institution of higher education may determine the |
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| 20 | 20 | | format and length of and attendance requirements for the |
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| 21 | 21 | | orientation program that the institution provides under this |
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| 22 | 22 | | section, except that the program must include advising regarding: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) the degree and professional programs offered by |
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| 24 | 24 | | the institution; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) the student's postgraduation goals, including |
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| 26 | 26 | | career planning and graduate school; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) transferring to a four-year institution, if the |
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| 28 | 28 | | institution offers only lower-division courses. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (d) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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| 30 | 30 | | provide online resources to assist an institution of higher |
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| 31 | 31 | | education in the development and implementation of an orientation |
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| 32 | 32 | | program. The resources must focus on programs that have proven |
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| 33 | 33 | | successful in improving the retention of students at institutions |
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| 34 | 34 | | of higher education. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. Section 51.978, Education Code, as added by this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act, applies beginning with students admitted to an institution of |
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| 37 | 37 | | higher education for the 2010 fall semester. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 39 | 39 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 40 | 40 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 41 | 41 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 42 | 42 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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