Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3610 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	85R10801 KJE-D
2	2	By: Lozano H.B. No. 3610
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of the Texas Higher Education
8	8	Innovation Accelerator for public institutions of higher
9	9	education.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 3, Education Code, is amended
12	12	by adding Chapter 60 to read as follows:
13	13	CHAPTER 60. TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION INNOVATION ACCELERATOR
14	14	Sec. 60.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
15	15	(1) "Accelerator" means the Texas Higher Education
16	16	Innovation Accelerator established under this chapter.
17	17	(2) "Board," "governing board," and "institution of
18	18	higher education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
19	19	(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of higher
20	20	education.
21	21	(4) "Participating institution" means an institution
22	22	of higher education whose governing board has approved an
23	23	innovation plan for the institution under Section 60.005.
24	24	Sec. 60.002. PURPOSE. The Texas Higher Education
25	25	Innovation Accelerator is established to support and accelerate
26	26	innovation in educational delivery at institutions of higher
27	27	education and to advance state educational and workforce goals.
28	28	Sec. 60.003. ELIGIBILITY. The commissioner, in
29	29	consultation with institutions of higher education, established
30	30	institutional collaboratives, and state and national subject
31	31	matter experts, shall establish eligibility criteria for an
32	32	institution of higher education's participation in the
33	33	accelerator. The criteria must include demonstrated success, as
34	34	determined by the commissioner, in:
35	35	(1) providing high-quality, high-value educational
36	36	opportunities to all students, particularly low-income and
37	37	historically underserved student populations; and
38	38	(2) advancing state and institutional goals related to
39	39	educational access, persistence, and attainment and labor market
40	40	outcomes.
41	41	Sec. 60.004. NOTIFICATION AND INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE.
42	42	(a) The commissioner shall:
43	43	(1) notify the governing board and chief executive
44	44	officer of each institution of higher education regarding the
45	45	accelerator's implementation process; and
46	46	(2) invite eligible institutions to participate in the
47	47	accelerator.
48	48	(b) The commissioner shall develop, in consultation with
49	49	institutions of higher education, and post on the board's Internet
50	50	website:
51	51	(1) a description of the accelerator;
52	52	(2) the eligibility criteria for participation in the
53	53	accelerator established under Section 60.003; and
54	54	(3) a comprehensive list of state requirements from
55	55	which a participating institution may not be exempted under Section
56	56	60.006.
57	57	Sec. 60.005. INNOVATION PLAN. (a) To participate in the
58	58	accelerator, an eligible institution shall:
59	59	(1) submit a letter of intent to participate to the
60	60	commissioner; and
61	61	(2) develop and submit an innovation plan to the
62	62	institution's governing board as provided by this section.
63	63	(b) An innovation plan must:
64	64	(1) summarize the proposed educational programs to be
65	65	offered under the accelerator, including:
66	66	(A) each program's design, delivery methods, and
67	67	implementation plan; and
68	68	(B) the anticipated number and demographics of
69	69	students to be served by each program;
70	70	(2) describe in detail the modifications to
71	71	traditional program structures necessary to implement the proposed
72	72	educational programs, such as changes to institutional calendars,
73	73	course schedules or structures, faculty workload, credit hours, or
74	74	other program requirements;
75	75	(3) identify how the proposed educational programs
76	76	align with specific state and institutional goals;
77	77	(4) include, to the extent practical, data regarding
78	78	educational programs offered at other institutions of higher
79	79	education that are similar to each proposed educational program,
80	80	including:
81	81	(A) student enrollment and demographics;
82	82	(B) student academic success, including the
83	83	average time for a student enrolled in the program to complete a
84	84	certificate or degree; and
85	85	(C) career placement data;
86	86	(5) provide for the assessment of student academic
87	87	success and ongoing program evaluation and improvement;
88	88	(6) commit the institution to participation in regular
89	89	meetings of the participating institutions and to the research and
90	90	evaluation efforts of the accelerator;
91	91	(7) include a plan for operations, staffing,
92	92	oversight, and sources of funding for the innovation plan; and
93	93	(8) identify any state requirements that inhibit the
94	94	goals of the innovation plan and from which the institution should
95	95	be exempted on adoption of the plan, subject to Section 60.006.
96	96	(c) An innovation plan may include one or more departments
97	97	or certificate or degree programs.
98	98	(d) If an eligible institution's governing board approves
99	99	an innovation plan developed under this section, the institution
100	100	shall:
101	101	(1) submit a copy of the plan to the commissioner; and
102	102	(2) post the plan on the institution's Internet
103	103	website.
104	104	(e) An eligible institution may implement one or more
105	105	innovation plans that comply with this section.
106	106	Sec. 60.006. PERMISSIBLE EXEMPTIONS. (a) On approval of an
107	107	innovation plan by the institution's governing board, a
108	108	participating institution is exempt from the state requirements
109	109	identified in the plan or identified by the commissioner as needing
110	110	to be exempted for proper implementation of the plan.
111	111	(b) A participating institution's exemption under
112	112	Subsection (a) applies to any subsequent amendment or redesignation
113	113	of the exempted state requirement, unless the subsequent amendment
114	114	or redesignation specifically applies to participating
115	115	institutions or an educational program offered under this chapter.
116	116	(c) A participating institution may not receive an
117	117	exemption under this section from:
118	118	(1) a federal requirement or any requirements
119	119	necessary to maintain accreditation;
120	120	(2) a state requirement that would have the effect of
121	121	limiting or abrogating the authority of the institution's governing
122	122	board; or
123	123	(3) the requirement for the board's approval for a new
124	124	certificate or degree program under Section 61.0512.
125	125	Sec. 60.007. DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER. (a) The commissioner
126	126	shall:
127	127	(1) maintain and post on the board's Internet website a
128	128	list of state requirements from which participating institutions
129	129	are exempt under this chapter;
130	130	(2) ensure that each participating institution
131	131	provides transparent and accurate reporting on the institution's
132	132	progress with the innovation plan;
133	133	(3) provide technical assistance to participating
134	134	institutions on request; and
135	135	(4) hold meetings of all participating institutions at
136	136	times established by board rule to facilitate cross-institutional
137	137	collaboration and publicity about innovative educational programs
138	138	developed by the institutions.
139	139	(b) The commissioner shall annually prepare and submit to
140	140	the legislature and the governing board of each participating
141	141	institution a report on the accelerator. The report must include:
142	142	(1) an evaluation of the progress made by
143	143	participating institutions related to the development and
144	144	implementation of the institutions' respective innovation plans;
145	145	(2) a list of federal and accreditation requirements
146	146	that impede innovation in postsecondary educational delivery; and
147	147	(3) any recommendations for legislative or other
148	148	action.
149	149	Sec. 60.008. DUTIES OF PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS. A
150	150	participating institution shall:
151	151	(1) track the progress and success of the
152	152	institution's innovation plan in accordance with the assessment and
153	153	success measures detailed in the plan; and
154	154	(2) participate in regular meetings of the
155	155	participating institutions and the research and evaluation efforts
156	156	of the accelerator.
157	157	Sec. 60.009. EVALUATION OF INNOVATION PLAN. (a) A
158	158	participating institution may partner or contract with one or more
159	159	private organizations, including a nonprofit organization, to
160	160	evaluate the institution's innovation plan and the results of the
161	161	plan's implementation.
162	162	(b) Any results of an evaluation of a participating
163	163	institution's innovation plan must be provided to each
164	164	participating institution and to the commissioner and posted on the
165	165	institution's Internet website.
166	166	Sec. 60.010. TERM. The term of an institution of higher
167	167	education's participation in the accelerator may not be less than
168	168	four years, and the term of an innovation plan may not be less than
169	169	three years or more than five years.
170	170	Sec. 60.011. AMENDMENT, RESCISSION, OR RENEWAL OF
171	171	INNOVATION PLAN. (a) An innovation plan may be amended by the
172	172	chief academic officer of a participating institution with prior
173	173	notification to the commissioner and the institution's governing
174	174	board.
175	175	(b) An innovation plan may be rescinded or renewed subject
176	176	to approval of the participating institution's governing board.
177	177	(c) The commissioner may recommend to a participating
178	178	institution's governing board that the governing board:
179	179	(1) renew the innovation plan due to the institution's
180	180	performance; or
181	181	(2) rescind its approval of the innovation plan if the
182	182	institution does not, as determined by the commissioner:
183	183	(A) demonstrate satisfactory progress on
184	184	intended outcomes;
185	185	(B) maintain eligibility requirements; and
186	186	(C) participate in good faith and contribute to
187	187	meetings of the participating institutions and the research and
188	188	evaluation efforts of the accelerator.
189	189	Sec. 60.012. TERMINATION BY COMMISSIONER. (a) The
190	190	commissioner may remove a participating institution from the
191	191	accelerator if the institution fails to meet eligibility
192	192	requirements, as determined by the commissioner, for at least two
193	193	consecutive years.
194	194	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), if a participating
195	195	institution is removed from the accelerator under this section, the
196	196	institution shall modify its educational programs as necessary to
197	197	comply with previously exempted state requirements not later than
198	198	the first class day of the next academic term following the
199	199	institution's removal.
200	200	(c) The commissioner may exempt a participating institution
201	201	removed from the accelerator under this section from state
202	202	requirements as necessary to minimize disruption for students
203	203	enrolled in the educational programs offered under the
204	204	institution's innovation plan.
205	205	SECTION 2. (a) Not later than the 30th day after the
206	206	effective date of this Act, the commissioner of higher education
207	207	shall notify the governing board and chief executive officer of
208	208	each public institution of higher education regarding the
209	209	implementation process for the Texas Higher Education Innovation
210	210	Accelerator established under Chapter 60, Education Code, as added
211	211	by this Act, as required by Section 60.004(a) of that chapter.
212	212	(b) Not later than January 1, 2018, the commissioner of
213	213	higher education shall:
214	214	(1) invite eligible public institutions of higher
215	215	education to participate in the Texas Higher Education Innovation
216	216	Accelerator as provided by Section 60.004(a), Education Code, as
217	217	added by this Act; and
218	218	(2) post on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
219	219	Board's Internet website the information required under Section
220	220	60.004(b), Education Code, as added by this Act.
221	221	SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2018-2019
222	222	academic year.
223	223	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
224	224	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
225	225	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
226	226	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
227	227	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.