Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1923 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R13351 KJE-F
2	2	By: West S.B. No. 1923
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to measures to facilitate the transfer, academic progress,
8	8	and timely graduation of students in public higher education.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 51.9685(a)(2), Education Code, is
11	11	amended to read as follows:
12	12	(2) "Institution of higher education" has [and "public
13	13	junior college" have] the meaning [meanings] assigned by Section
14	14	61.003.
15	15	SECTION 2. Sections 51.9685(b), (c), and (g), Education
16	16	Code, are amended to read as follows:
17	17	(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each
18	18	student enrolled at an institution of higher education in an
19	19	associate or bachelor's degree program or a course for joint high
20	20	school and junior college credit under Section 130.008 [at an
21	21	institution of higher education] shall file a degree plan with the
22	22	institution not later than the first day of the [end of the second]
23	23	regular semester or term immediately following the semester or term
24	24	in which the student earned a cumulative total of 30 [45] or more
25	25	semester credit hours for coursework successfully completed by the
26	26	student, including transfer courses, international baccalaureate
27	27	courses, dual credit courses, and any other course for which the
28	28	institution the student attends has awarded the student college
29	29	course credit, including course credit awarded by examination.
30	30	(c) A student to whom this section applies who begins the
31	31	student's first semester or term at an institution of higher
32	32	education with 30 [45] or more semester credit hours of course
33	33	credit for courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree
34	34	plan with the institution not later than the 12th class day [end] of
35	35	that [the student's second regular] semester or term [at the
36	36	institution].
37	37	(g) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in
38	38	consultation with institutions of higher education, shall [may]
39	39	adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this section,
40	40	including rules to ensure compliance with this section.
41	41	SECTION 3. Section 61.059(p), Education Code, is amended to
42	42	read as follows:
43	43	(p) In its instruction and operations formula applicable to
44	44	an institution of higher education, the board may not include any
45	45	semester credit hours earned for dual course credit by a high school
46	46	student for high school and college credit at the institution
47	47	unless those credit hours are earned through any of the following:
48	48	(1) a course in the core curriculum of the institution
49	49	providing course credit;
50	50	(2) a course offered by the institution providing
51	51	course credit in:
52	52	(A) a field of study curriculum developed by the
53	53	board under Section 61.823; or
54	54	(B) a program of study curriculum established by
55	55	the board under Section 61.8235;
56	56	(3) a career and technical education course that
57	57	applies to any certificate or associate's degree offered by the
58	58	institution providing course credit; or
59	59	(4) [(3)] a foreign language course.
60	60	SECTION 4. Section 61.821(1), Education Code, is amended to
61	61	read as follows:
62	62	(1) "Core curriculum" means the lower division
63	63	curriculum in liberal arts, humanities, and sciences and political,
64	64	social, and cultural history that provides the knowledge and
65	65	academic competencies foundational for all future learning and that
66	66	all undergraduate students of an institution of higher education
67	67	are required to complete before receiving an academic undergraduate
68	68	degree.
69	69	SECTION 5. Sections 61.822(b) and (c), Education Code, are
70	70	amended to read as follows:
71	71	(b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core
72	72	curriculum of no less than 42 semester credit hours, including
73	73	specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core curriculum
74	74	must:
75	75	(1) consist of general education courses that:
76	76	(A) are selected for inclusion in the core
77	77	curriculum based on a coherent rationale; and
78	78	(B) ensure a breadth of knowledge rather than
79	79	being narrowly focused on knowledge or competencies specific to a
80	80	certain profession or discipline;
81	81	(2) [shall] be consistent with the common course
82	82	numbering system approved by the board; and
83	83	(3) be approved by the board in accordance with the
84	84	statement, recommendations, and rules issued by the board. [An
85	85	institution may have a core curriculum of other than 42 semester
86	86	credit hours only if approved by the board.]
87	87	(c) If a student successfully completes the 42-hour core
88	88	curriculum at an institution of higher education, that block of
89	89	courses may be transferred to any other institution of higher
90	90	education and must be substituted for the receiving institution's
91	91	core curriculum. A student shall receive academic credit for each
92	92	of the courses transferred and may not be required to take
93	93	additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution
94	94	[unless the board has approved a larger core curriculum at the
95	95	institution].
96	96	SECTION 6. Section 61.823, Education Code, is amended by
97	97	adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
98	98	(f) A public junior college or public technical institute
99	99	shall adopt in whole or in part each field of study curriculum
100	100	developed by the board under this section for an academic area in
101	101	which the college or institute offers courses.
102	102	SECTION 7. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
103	103	amended by adding Sections 61.8231 and 61.8232 to read as follows:
104	104	Sec. 61.8231. META-MAJOR ACADEMIC PATHWAYS. (a) To assist
105	105	in advising students regarding the selection of courses aligned
106	106	with the student's academic and career goals, the board shall
107	107	develop a meta-major academic pathway for each broad academic
108	108	discipline that consists of a set of courses commonly required by
109	109	institutions of higher education for that discipline that are:
110	110	(1) in the core curriculum recommended by the board
111	111	under Section 61.822; or
112	112	(2) the applicable field of study curriculum developed
113	113	by the board under Section 61.823.
114	114	(b) The board shall make the meta-major academic pathways
115	115	available to each institution of higher education for use in
116	116	advising students enrolled at the institution.
117	117	Sec. 61.8232. STUDY ON TRANSFER ADMISSION GUARANTEE. (a)
118	118	The board shall conduct a study on the feasibility of guaranteeing
119	119	transfer admission to an institution of higher education for
120	120	students who complete certain courses in the core curriculum or a
121	121	field of study curriculum at another institution of higher
122	122	education.
123	123	(b) Not later than September 1, 2020, the board shall submit
124	124	to the members of the legislature a report on the results of the
125	125	study and recommendations for legislative or other action. The
126	126	report must include recommendations regarding eligibility criteria
127	127	for a student to receive or an institution of higher education to
128	128	participate in the transfer admission guarantee.
129	129	(c) This section expires September 1, 2021.
130	130	SECTION 8. Section 130.0104(c), Education Code, is amended
131	131	to read as follows:
132	132	(c) In complying with the requirements regarding the filing
133	133	of a degree plan under [Notwithstanding] Section 51.9685, [before
134	134	the beginning of the regular semester or term immediately following
135	135	the semester or term in which] a student enrolled [successfully
136	136	completes a cumulative total of 30 or more semester credit hours for
137	137	coursework] in a multidisciplinary studies associate degree
138	138	program established under this section [, the student] must meet
139	139	with an academic advisor to complete a degree plan [, as defined by
140	140	Section 51.9685(a)(1),] that:
141	141	(1) accounts for all remaining credit hours required
142	142	for the completion of the degree program; and
143	143	(2) emphasizes:
144	144	(A) the student's transition to a particular
145	145	four-year college or university that the student chooses; and
146	146	(B) preparations for the student's intended
147	147	field of study or major at the four-year college or university.
148	148	SECTION 9. Section 51.9685(c-1), Education Code, is
149	149	repealed.
150	150	SECTION 10. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
151	151	academic year.
152	152	SECTION 11. This Act takes effect immediately if it
153	153	receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
154	154	house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
155	155	If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
156	156	effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019.