By Kubiak H.B. No. 31
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 31:
By Rangel C.S.H.B. No. 31
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the calculation of the grade point average of a student
1-3 who repeats a course at an institution of higher education.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 61.0741 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 61.0741. EFFECT OF REPEATING UNDERGRADUATE COURSE ON
1-8 GRADE POINT AVERAGE. (a) Each institution of higher education
1-9 shall adopt a uniform policy applicable to all students of the
1-10 institution for calculating the grade point average of a student
1-11 who completes a course at the institution that the student has
1-12 previously completed at the same institution. The policy must
1-13 provide for one of the following methods of calculating the
1-14 student's grade point average:
1-15 (1) the higher grade received by the student for the
1-16 course is included in the calculation and the lower grade is
1-17 excluded, except that if the student receives the same grade both
1-18 times the student completes the course, the grade received when the
1-19 student repeats the course is included and the former grade is
1-20 excluded; or
1-21 (2) the grade received when the student repeats the
1-22 course is included in the calculation and the grade received the
1-23 first time the student completed the course is excluded from the
1-24 calculation.
2-1 (b) A policy adopted under Subsection (a) does not apply to
2-2 a course that a student repeats in a term or semester in which the
2-3 student repeats one or more courses that could result in the
2-4 exclusion of a total of more than 15 credit hours from the
2-5 calculation of the student's grade point average under the
2-6 institution's policy adopted under Subsection (a).
2-7 (c) For purposes of this section, courses completed by a
2-8 student are considered the same course only if the content of each
2-9 course does not vary significantly from the content of the other
2-10 course or courses, as determined by the institution. The content
2-11 of a course that changes because of advances in knowledge or
2-12 technology is not considered to vary significantly from the content
2-13 of the course before the change for purposes of this section solely
2-14 because of that change.
2-15 (d) If a student enrolls in the same course at the same
2-16 institution more than two times, each of the student's grades in
2-17 the course shall be included in the calculation of the student's
2-18 grade point average.
2-19 (e) This section does not apply to:
2-20 (1) a graduate-level course or a course in which a
2-21 student enrolls for credit in a postgraduate program; or
2-22 (2) a course that a student completed the first time
2-23 before the fall semester 1996.
2-24 (f) The exclusion of a grade received for a course under
2-25 this section does not authorize the institution to change the
2-26 student's permanent record. The transcript and permanent record of
2-27 a student from whose grade point average calculation a grade for a
3-1 course is excluded under this section must include the same
3-2 information for that course, including the grade received, that
3-3 would otherwise be included if the grade were included in the
3-4 calculation of the student's grade point average.
3-5 (g) The tuition rate to be paid by any student electing to
3-6 repeat an undergraduate course pursuant to this subsection shall be
3-7 the amount determined by the Coordinating Board to be the full cost
3-8 of each such credit hour pursuant to Section 54.0511 of the Texas
3-9 Education Code. The increased tuition rate shall apply only to the
3-10 repeated course, and not to any other courses in which the student
3-11 may be enrolled.
3-12 SECTION 2. This Act applies to the calculation of a grade
3-13 point average beginning with the fall semester 1996. Each
3-14 institution of higher education shall implement this Act after this
3-15 Act takes effect until the fall semester 1996 concurrently with
3-16 routine computer acquisition, maintenance, and upgrade.
3-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-22 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-23 passage, and it is so enacted.