Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2122 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: West, Taylor of Collin S.B. No. 2122
	1	+	By: West S.B. No. 2122
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2017; March 28, 2017, read
	3	+	first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education;
	4	+	May 8, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
	5	+	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 8, 2017,
	6	+	sent to printer.)
	7	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	8	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2122 By: West
2	9
3	10
4	11		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	12		AN ACT
6	13		relating to the coordination of the transfer of course credit
7	14		between public institutions of higher education.
8	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	16		SECTION 1. Sections 51.9685(b), (c), and (d), Education
10	17		Code, are amended to read as follows:
11	18		(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), not
12	19		later than the end of the first regular semester or term immediately
13	20		following the semester or term in which the student earned the
14	21		following number of semester credit hours for coursework
15	22		successfully completed by the student, including transfer courses,
16	23		international baccalaureate courses, dual credit courses, and any
17	24		other course for which the institution the student attends has
18	25		awarded the student college course credit, including course credit
19	26		awarded by examination, each student enrolled [in an associate or
20	27		bachelor's degree program] at an institution of higher education
21	28		shall:
22	29		(1) following a semester or term in which the student
23	30		earned a cumulative total of 15 or more semester credit hours,
24	31		receive formal advising regarding the student's degree plan; and
25	32		(2) following a semester or term in which the student
26	33		earned a cumulative total of 30 or more semester credit hours, file
27	34		a degree plan with the institution [not later than the end of the
28	35		second regular semester or term immediately following the semester
29	36		or term in which the student earned a cumulative total of 45 or more
30	37		semester credit hours for coursework successfully completed by the
31	38		student, including transfer courses, international baccalaureate
32	39		courses, dual credit courses, and any other course for which the
33	40		institution the student attends has awarded the student college
34	41		course credit, including course credit awarded by examination].
35	42		(c) A student to whom this section applies who begins the
36	43		student's first semester or term at an institution of higher
37	44		education with 30 [45] or more semester credit hours of course
38	45		credit for courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree
39	46		plan with the institution not later than the end of the student's
40	47		second regular semester or term at the institution.
41	48		(d) An institution of higher education shall provide to
42	49		students to whom this section applies information regarding the
43	50		requirement for formal advising and the degree plan filing
44	51		requirement under this section and options for consulting with an
45	52		academic advisor for those purposes [that purpose], which may
46	53		include consultation through electronic communication.
47	54		SECTION 2. Section 61.059(p), Education Code, is amended to
48	55		read as follows:
49	56		(p) In its instruction and operations formula applicable to
50	57		an institution of higher education, the board may not include any
51	58		semester credit hours earned for dual course credit by a high school
52	59		student for high school and college credit at the institution
53	60		unless those credit hours are earned through any of the following:
54	61		(1) a course in the core curriculum of the institution
55	62		providing course credit;
56	63		(2) a career and technical education course that
57	64		applies to any certificate or associate's degree offered by the
58	65		institution providing course credit; [or]
59	66		(3) a foreign language course; or
60	67		(4) a course in a field of study curriculum approved by
61	68		the board under Section 61.823 offered by the institution providing
62	69		course credit.
63	70		SECTION 3. Section 61.822, Education Code, is amended by
64	71		amending Subsections (a), (a-1), and (b) and adding Subsections
65	72		(a-2), (f), and (g) to read as follows:
66	73		(a) The board shall develop and implement a policy regarding
67	74		[encourage] the transferability of lower division course credit
68	75		among institutions of higher education.
69	76		(a-1) The board, with the assistance of advisory committees
70	77		composed of representatives of institutions of higher education,
71	78		shall develop a recommended core curriculum of at least 42 semester
72	79		credit hours, including a statement of the content, component
73	80		areas, and objectives of the core curriculum. The core curriculum
74	81		must provide the knowledge and academic competencies foundational
75	82		for all future learning. Courses in the core curriculum shall be
76	83		general education courses, broad in scope, and may not narrowly
77	84		focus on knowledge and competencies specific to a particular
78	85		occupation or profession.
79	86		(a-2) At least a majority of the members of any advisory
80	87		committee named under this section shall be faculty members of an
81	88		institution of higher education. An institution shall consult with
82	89		the faculty of the institution before nominating or recommending a
83	90		person to the board as the institution's representative on an
84	91		advisory committee.
85	92		(b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core
86	93		curriculum of no less than 42 semester credit hours, including
87	94		specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core curriculum
88	95		must be approved by the board and shall be consistent with the
89	96		common course numbering system approved by the board under Section
90	97		61.832 and with the statement, recommendations, and rules issued by
91	98		the board. [An institution may have a core curriculum of other than
92	99		42 semester credit hours only if approved by the board.]
93	100		(f) The board shall establish a database and collect
94	101		information as determined by the board to annually identify the 25
95	102		degree programs that have the greatest transfer student enrollment.
96	103		Each general academic teaching institution must identify for each
97	104		of those degree programs:
98	105		(1) a list of the lower-division courses offered by
99	106		institutions of higher education that are considered by the board
100	107		to be general academic transfer courses that may be offered for
101	108		state funding by public junior colleges, public state colleges, and
102	109		public technical institutes;
103	110		(2) the required courses for the degree program that
104	111		satisfy the core curriculum requirements at the institution; and
105	112		(3) any additional lower-division requirements for
106	113		the degree program at the institution.
107	114		(g) Courses identified by a general academic teaching
108	115		institution under Subsection (f) are only required to be applied to
109	116		the appropriate degree program for a student in the period of the
110	117		institution's course catalog beginning with the student's first
111	118		enrollment in an institution of higher education.
112	119		SECTION 4. Section 61.823, Education Code, is amended by
113	120		adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
114	121		(f) Each public junior college, public state college, and
115	122		public technical institute that offers a degree program for which a
116	123		field of study curriculum is developed shall adopt the field of
117	124		study curriculum.
118	125		SECTION 5. Section 61.832, Education Code, is amended by
119	126		adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
120	127		(e) The board may monitor the use of the common course
121	128		numbering system by general academic teaching institutions to
122	129		ascertain benefits and problems with the implementation of the
123	130		system and issue an annual report, including a timeline for
124	131		statutory compliance, to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
125	132		speaker of the house of representatives, the chair of the senate
126	133		finance committee, and the chair of each standing committee in the
127	134		legislature with jurisdiction over higher education.
128	135		SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act apply
129	136		beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year.
130	137		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
131	138		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
132	139		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
133	140		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
134	141		Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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