| 1 | 1 | | 84R922 KEL-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Taylor of Galveston S.B. No. 1770 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a single common course numbering system for public |
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| 8 | 8 | | institutions of higher education in this state. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 61.822(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core |
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| 13 | 13 | | curriculum of not [no] less than 42 semester credit hours, |
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| 14 | 14 | | including specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core |
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| 15 | 15 | | curriculum shall be consistent with the single common course |
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| 16 | 16 | | numbering system approved by the board under Section 61.832(a) and |
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| 17 | 17 | | with the statement, recommendations, and rules issued by the board. |
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| 18 | 18 | | An institution may have a core curriculum of other than 42 semester |
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| 19 | 19 | | credit hours only if approved by the board. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.830, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 21 | 21 | | read as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 61.830. PUBLICATION OF GUIDELINES ADDRESSING TRANSFER |
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| 23 | 23 | | PRACTICES. In its course catalogs and on its website, each |
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| 24 | 24 | | institution of higher education shall publish guidelines |
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| 25 | 25 | | addressing the practices of the institution regarding the transfer |
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| 26 | 26 | | of course credit. In the guidelines, the institution must identify |
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| 27 | 27 | | a course by using the single common course numbering system |
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| 28 | 28 | | approved by the board under Section 61.832(a). |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. Section 61.832, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 30 | 30 | | read as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 61.832. COMMON COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM. (a) The board |
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| 32 | 32 | | shall approve a single common course numbering system for |
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| 33 | 33 | | lower-division courses to facilitate the transfer of those courses |
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| 34 | 34 | | among institutions of higher education by promoting consistency in |
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| 35 | 35 | | course designation and identification. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) The board shall solicit input from institutions of |
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| 37 | 37 | | higher education regarding the development of the single common |
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| 38 | 38 | | course numbering system. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) Each institution of higher education shall: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (1) use the approved common course numbering system in |
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| 41 | 41 | | the institution's guidelines regarding the transfer of course |
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| 42 | 42 | | credit for each course for which a common number designation and |
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| 43 | 43 | | course description are included in that system; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) include the applicable course numbers from the |
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| 45 | 45 | | approved common course numbering system in its course catalogs and |
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| 46 | 46 | | other course listings. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (d) The board may approve only a common course numbering |
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| 48 | 48 | | system already in common use in this state by one or more |
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| 49 | 49 | | institutions of higher education. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (e) [(c)] The board shall cooperate with institutions of |
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| 51 | 51 | | higher education in any additional development or alteration of the |
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| 52 | 52 | | common course numbering system approved under Subsection (a), |
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| 53 | 53 | | including the taxonomy to be used, and in the development of rules |
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| 54 | 54 | | for the administration and applicability of the system. |
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| 55 | 55 | | (f) Not later than June 1, 2016, the board shall: |
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| 56 | 56 | | (1) approve a single common course numbering system as |
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| 57 | 57 | | required by Subsection (a); and |
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| 58 | 58 | | (2) establish a timetable that requires institutions |
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| 59 | 59 | | of higher education to phase in the inclusion of the applicable |
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| 60 | 60 | | course numbers from the approved common course numbering system in |
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| 61 | 61 | | their individual guidelines regarding the transfer of course credit |
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| 62 | 62 | | and course numbering systems as required by this section so that |
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| 63 | 63 | | each institution fully complies with this section for all courses |
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| 64 | 64 | | offered for the 2020-2021 academic year and subsequent years. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (f-1) Subsection (f) and this subsection expire January 1, |
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| 66 | 66 | | 2022. |
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| 67 | 67 | | [(d) An institution of higher education shall include in its |
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| 68 | 68 | | course listings the applicable course numbers from the common |
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| 69 | 69 | | course numbering system approved by the board under this section. |
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| 70 | 70 | | For good cause, the board may grant to an institution of higher |
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| 71 | 71 | | education an exemption from the requirements of this subsection.] |
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| 72 | 72 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 73 | 73 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 74 | 74 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 75 | 75 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 76 | 76 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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