82R8178 KSD-F
By: Patrick S.B. No. 1396
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to measures to increase cost efficiency at public
institutions of higher education and the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board, including the elimination of certain reporting
and other requirements imposed on institutions or the coordinating
board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to establish:
(1) strategies by which public institutions of higher
education can:
(A) achieve higher levels of cost efficiency in
producing degrees, with special emphasis on undergraduate degrees;
and
(B) become more accountable, efficient, and
innovative stewards of state resources in producing better outcomes
for students; and
(2) other measures for increasing the cost efficiency
of public institutions of higher education or the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board.
SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.305 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.305. COMPLETION OF COURSES THROUGH ALTERNATIVE
METHODS REQUIRED. (a) At least 10 percent of the cumulative total
number of semester credit hours successfully completed by a student
of an institution of higher education at any institution during the
student's undergraduate academic career must be taken through
methods other than an on-campus lecture course or seminar taken
during peak hours during a fall or spring semester, including by the
following alternative methods:
(1) courses or seminars offered during off-peak hours
or during a term or session other than a spring or fall semester;
(2) dual credit courses;
(3) online courses;
(4) internships for course credit; or
(5) course credits awarded for student demonstration
of specific competencies as determined by the institution.
(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt
rules as necessary for the administration of this section.
SECTION 3. Section 51.3062(n), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(n) Each institution of higher education, other than a
medical and dental unit, shall report annually to the board on the
success of its students and the effectiveness of its Success
Initiative.
SECTION 4. Subchapter G, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.359 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.359. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION WORKLOAD FOR FACULTY
MEMBERS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board.
(2) "Faculty member" means a person who is employed by
an institution of higher education as a member of the faculty whose
primary duties include teaching, research, academic service, or
administration, except that the term does not include a person
holding faculty rank who spends a majority of the person's time for
the institution engaged in managerial or supervisory activities,
including a chancellor, vice chancellor, president, vice
president, provost, associate or assistant provost, or dean.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) the average faculty member classroom instruction
workload of an institution of higher education for an academic year
is computed by dividing the total number of semester credit hours
taken by all students of the institution during that academic year
by the total number of full-time or full-time equivalent faculty
members at the institution for that academic year; and
(2) the average faculty member classroom instruction
workload of an institutional grouping for an academic year is
computed by dividing the sum of the average faculty member
classroom instruction workloads of all institutions of higher
education assigned to the institutional grouping under the
coordinating board's accountability system for that academic year
by the number of institutions assigned to that institutional
grouping.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 51.402, the governing board of
each institution of higher education shall ensure that for the
2013-2014 and each subsequent academic year, the average faculty
member classroom instruction workload of the institution is at
least 10 percent greater than the average faculty member classroom
instruction workload of the institutional grouping to which the
institution is assigned under the coordinating board's
accountability system for the 2010-2011 academic year.
(d) Not later than January 15 of each year, the coordinating
board shall submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
house of representatives, the presiding officer of each legislative
standing committee with primary jurisdiction over higher
education, and each governing board of an institution of higher
education a written report detailing the percentage by which the
average faculty member classroom instruction workload of each
institution of higher education has changed compared to the
2010-2011 academic year.
(e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules for the
administration of this section.
(f) This section does not apply to an academic year after
the 2014-2015 academic year. This section expires January 1, 2016.
SECTION 5. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.9685 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.9685. REQUIRED FILING OF DEGREE PLAN. (a) In this
section:
(1) "Degree plan" means a statement of the course of
study requirements that an undergraduate student at an institution
of higher education must complete in order to be awarded an
associate's or bachelor's degree from the institution, established
through collaboration between the student and an academic advisor
for the student's degree program and approved by the academic
advisor.
(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
assigned by Section 61.003.
(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each
student enrolled in an associate's or bachelor's degree program at
an institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the
institution not later than the semester or term immediately
following the semester or term in which the student earned a
cumulative total of 30 or more semester credit hours for course work
successfully completed by the student, including transfer courses,
international baccalaureate courses, dual credit courses, and any
other course for which the institution the student attends has
awarded the student college course credit, including by
examination.
(c) A student to whom this section applies who begins the
student's first semester or term at an institution of higher
education with 30 or more semester credit hours of course credit for
courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree plan with
the institution during the student's first semester at the
institution.
(d) A student to whom this section applies may not register
for any course offered by the institution of higher education for a
semester or term succeeding the semester or term in which the
student is required to file a degree plan under this section unless
the student has filed a degree plan with the institution.
(e) After filing a degree plan with an institution of higher
education as required by this section, a student to whom this
section applies may not change the student's degree plan or enroll
in a course that is not included in the student's degree plan unless
the student has consulted with the student's academic advisor and
satisfied any applicable prerequisite or other requirement imposed
by the institution regarding that degree plan change or course
enrollment, as applicable.
(f) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt
rules as necessary for the administration of this section.
SECTION 6. Section 61.086(b), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) Each institution of higher education shall implement
the uniform strategy developed under Subsection (a). [Each
institution shall report to the board as part of the annual report
submitted under Section 51.4032 the manner in which the institution
has implemented the uniform strategy.]
SECTION 7. The following laws are repealed:
(1) Section 61.9685, Education Code;
(2) Section 2056.011, Government Code; and
(3) Section 303.004, Labor Code.
SECTION 8. Section 51.305, Education Code, as added by this
Act, applies only to undergraduate students at public institutions
of higher education who, at the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic
year, have accrued a cumulative total of fewer than 60 semester
credit hours for course work successfully completed by the student
at any institution.
SECTION 9. Section 51.9685, Education Code, as added by
this Act, applies beginning with undergraduate students who
initially enroll in an institution of higher education for the 2011
fall semester.
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it
receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011.