| 1 | 1 | | 89R19682 TYPED |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hagenbuch S.B. No. 2847 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to innovations in core curriculum to accelerate the award |
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| 10 | 10 | | of bachelor's degrees. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Sections 61.822 (b), Education Code, is amended |
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| 13 | 13 | | to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core |
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| 15 | 15 | | curriculum of no less than 42 semester credit hours, including |
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| 16 | 16 | | specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core curriculum |
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| 17 | 17 | | shall be consistent with the common course numbering system |
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| 18 | 18 | | approved by the board and with the statement, recommendations, and |
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| 19 | 19 | | rules issued by the board. An institution may have a core |
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| 20 | 20 | | curriculum of other than 42 semester credit hours only if approved |
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| 21 | 21 | | by the board. The board by rule may approve a core curriculum of |
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| 22 | 22 | | fewer than 42 semester credit hours for an associate degree program |
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| 23 | 23 | | if the board determines that the approval would facilitate the |
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| 24 | 24 | | award of a degree or transfer of credit consistent with this |
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| 25 | 25 | | subchapter. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b-1) The board by rule may approve a core curriculum of |
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| 27 | 27 | | fewer than 42 semester credit hours for a bachelor's degree program |
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| 28 | 28 | | at an institution of higher education if the board determines that |
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| 29 | 29 | | the approval would accelerate student completion of workforce |
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| 30 | 30 | | aligned credentials, as defined by board rule. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (c) If a student successfully completes the core curriculum |
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| 32 | 32 | | at an institution of higher education, that block of courses may be |
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| 33 | 33 | | transferred to any other institution of higher education and must |
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| 34 | 34 | | be substituted for the receiving institution's core curriculum. A |
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| 35 | 35 | | student shall receive academic credit for each of the courses |
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| 36 | 36 | | transferred and may not be required to take additional core |
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| 37 | 37 | | curriculum courses at the receiving institution unless the board |
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| 38 | 38 | | has approved a larger core curriculum at the institution. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (d) A student who transfers from one institution of higher |
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| 40 | 40 | | education to another without completing the core curriculum of the |
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| 41 | 41 | | sending institution shall receive academic credit from the |
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| 42 | 42 | | receiving institution for each of the courses that the student has |
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| 43 | 43 | | successfully completed in the core curriculum of the sending |
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| 44 | 44 | | institution. Following receipt of credit for these courses, the |
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| 45 | 45 | | student may be required to satisfy further course requirements in |
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| 46 | 46 | | the core curriculum of the receiving institution. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (e) The governing board of a general academic teaching |
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| 48 | 48 | | institution that offers a joint baccalaureate degree program under |
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| 49 | 49 | | a contract with a foreign college or university may, in |
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| 50 | 50 | | consultation with the foreign college or university, identify and |
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| 51 | 51 | | approve courses offered by the foreign college or university that |
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| 52 | 52 | | are equivalent to, and may substitute for, courses in the core |
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| 53 | 53 | | curriculum of a student enrolled in the joint degree program who is |
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| 54 | 54 | | considered to be primarily a student of the general academic |
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| 55 | 55 | | teaching institution. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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