By: Bivins, Cain S.B. No. 148
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the recommendation, development, and adoption of
1-2 certain curricula by certain institutions of higher education and
1-3 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-6 Subchapter S to read as follows:
1-7 SUBCHAPTER S. TRANSFER OF CREDIT
1-8 Sec. 61.821. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
1-9 (1) "Core curriculum" means the curriculum in liberal
1-10 arts, humanities, and sciences and political, social, and cultural
1-11 history that all undergraduate students of an institution of higher
1-12 education are required to complete before receiving an academic
1-13 undergraduate degree.
1-14 (2) "Field of study curriculum" means a set of courses
1-15 that will satisfy the lower division requirements for a bachelor's
1-16 degree in a specific academic area at a general academic teaching
1-17 institution.
1-18 Sec. 61.822. CORE CURRICULUM. (a) The board, with the
1-19 assistance of advisory committees composed of representatives of
1-20 institutions of higher education, shall develop a recommended core
1-21 curriculum of at least 42 semester credit hours, including a
1-22 statement of the content, component areas, and objectives of the
1-23 core curriculum. At least a majority of the members of any
2-1 advisory committee named under this section shall be faculty
2-2 members of an institution of higher education.
2-3 (b) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a core
2-4 curriculum of no less than 42 semester credit hours, including
2-5 specific courses comprising the curriculum. The core curriculum
2-6 shall be consistent with the common course-numbering system and
2-7 with the statement, recommendations, and rules issued by the board.
2-8 An institution may have a core curriculum of other than 42 semester
2-9 credit hours only if approved by the board.
2-10 (c) If a student successfully completes the 42-hour core
2-11 curriculum at an institution of higher education, that block of
2-12 courses may be transferred to any other institution of higher
2-13 education and must be substituted for the receiving institution's
2-14 core curriculum. A student shall receive academic credit for each
2-15 of the courses transferred and may not be required to take
2-16 additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution
2-17 unless the board has approved a larger core curriculum at the
2-18 institution.
2-19 (d) A student who transfers from one institution of higher
2-20 education to another without completing the core curriculum of the
2-21 sending institution shall receive academic credit from the
2-22 receiving institution for each of the courses that the student has
2-23 successfully completed in the core curriculum of the sending
2-24 institution. Following receipt of credit for these courses, the
2-25 student may be required to satisfy further course requirements in
3-1 the core curriculum of the receiving institution.
3-2 Sec. 61.823. FIELD OF STUDY CURRICULUM. (a) The board,
3-3 with the assistance of advisory committees composed of
3-4 representatives of institutions of higher education, shall develop
3-5 field of study curricula. Each advisory committee shall be
3-6 equitably composed of representatives of institutions of higher
3-7 education. Each university system or institution of higher
3-8 education which offers a degree program for which a field of study
3-9 curriculum is proposed shall be offered participation on the
3-10 advisory committee for that particular field of study. At least a
3-11 majority of the members of any advisory committee named under this
3-12 section shall be faculty members of an institution of higher
3-13 education.
3-14 (b) If a student successfully completes a field of study
3-15 curriculum developed by the board, that block of courses may be
3-16 transferred to a general academic teaching institution and must be
3-17 substituted for that institution's lower division requirements for
3-18 the degree program for the field of study into which the student
3-19 transfers, and the student shall receive full academic credit
3-20 toward the degree program for the block of courses transferred.
3-21 (c) A student who transfers from one institution of higher
3-22 education to another without completing the field of study
3-23 curriculum of the sending institution shall receive academic credit
3-24 from the receiving institution for each of the courses that the
3-25 student has successfully completed in the field of study curriculum
4-1 of the sending institution. Following receipt of credit for these
4-2 courses, the student may be required to satisfy further course
4-3 requirements in the field of study curriculum of the receiving
4-4 institution.
4-5 Sec. 61.824. INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATIONS. Each institution
4-6 shall review and evaluate the institution's core curriculum and
4-7 applicable field of study curricula at intervals specified by the
4-8 board and shall report the results of that review to the board.
4-9 Sec. 61.825. BOARD EVALUATIONS. The board shall develop
4-10 criteria to evaluate the transfer practices of each institution of
4-11 higher education and shall evaluate the transfer practices of each
4-12 institution based on those criteria.
4-13 Sec. 61.826. DISPUTE RESOLUTION. (a) The board by rule
4-14 shall adopt policies that provide for the free transferability of
4-15 lower division course credit among institutions of higher
4-16 education, including procedures to be followed by:
4-17 (1) the institutions of higher education in resolving
4-18 disputes concerning the transfer of lower division course credit;
4-19 and
4-20 (2) the commissioner of higher education or the
4-21 commissioner's designee in making a final determination concerning
4-22 transfer of the course credit if the transfer is in dispute.
4-23 (b) Each institution of higher education shall publish in
4-24 its course catalogs the procedures adopted by the board under
4-25 Subsection (a) of this section.
5-1 (c) If an institution of higher education does not accept
5-2 course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher
5-3 education, that institution shall give written notice to the
5-4 student and the other institution that the transfer of the course
5-5 credit is denied. The two institutions and the student shall
5-6 attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance
5-7 with board rules. If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the
5-8 satisfaction of the student or the institution at which the credit
5-9 was earned within 45 days after the date the student received
5-10 written notice of the denial, the institution that denies the
5-11 transfer of the course credit shall notify the commissioner of its
5-12 denial and the reasons for the denial.
5-13 (d) The commissioner of higher education or the
5-14 commissioner's designee shall make the final determination about a
5-15 dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written
5-16 notice of the determination to the involved student and
5-17 institutions.
5-18 (e) The board shall collect data on the types of transfer
5-19 disputes that are reported and the disposition of each case that is
5-20 considered by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee.
5-21 Sec. 61.827. RULES. The board is authorized to adopt rules
5-22 implementing the provisions of this subchapter.
5-23 SECTION 2. Sections 51.305 and 61.078, Education Code, are
5-24 repealed.
5-25 SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 1998, the Texas
6-1 Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules implementing
6-2 the provisions of this Act.
6-3 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
6-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
6-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
6-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
6-9 passage, and it is so enacted.