BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 64
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, Texas higher education institutions award fewer baccalaureate degrees, relative to the number of students enrolled, than both the national average and many of the most populous states.
Although more than 400,000 Texans attend community colleges or technical institutes, fewer than one-third of these students will transfer to a four-year public college or university in Texas. This is unfortunate because statistics show that students transferring from community or technical institutions perform as well academically or better than students who began at a four-year institution.
H.B. 64 establishes an incentive for community college and technical institute graduates to attend a four-year institution by requiring that general academic teaching institutions admit any applicant who has previously been awarded a degree or certificate from a community college or technical institute in Texas.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 3 of this bill.
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the governing board of each general academic teaching institution in SECTION 3 of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.801, Education Code, to include the definitions of "public junior college" and "public technical institute."
SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter U, Chapter 51, Education Code, by adding Section 51.8065, as follows:
Sec. 51.8065. AUTOMATIC ADMISSION: UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFER STUDENTS HOLDING ASSOCIATE DEGREES OR CERTIFICATES. (a) Defines "public upper-level institution of higher education."
(b) Requires each general academic teaching institution, except as provided by Subsection (g), to admit an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate transfer student if in the year preceding the academic year for which the applicant is applying for admission under this section the applicant met certain academic requirements.
(c) Requires an applicant to submit an application before the expiration of any application filing deadline established by the institution to qualify for admission under this section.
(d) Authorizes the institution, after admitting an applicant under this section, to review the applicant's record and any other factor the institution considers appropriate to determine whether the applicant may require additional preparation for college-level work or would benefit from inclusion in a retention program. Authorizes the institution to require a student so identified to enroll during the summer immediately after the student is admitted under this section to participate in appropriate enrichment courses and orientation programs. Provides that this section does not prohibit a student who is not determined to need additional preparation for college-level work from enrolling, if the student chooses, during the summer immediately after the student is admitted under this section.
(e) Provides that admission to a specific general academic teaching institution is contingent on the availability of space within the institution for the admission of additional students.
(f) Provides that admissions to a particular program or school within a general academic teaching institution are based solely on the requirements of the institution.
(g) Provides that this section does not apply to admission to certain institutions.
SECTION 3. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the governing board of each general academic teaching institution to adopt rules or policies relating to the admission of students under Section 51.8065, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than February 1, 2006.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2005. Makes application of this Act prospective to admissions for the 2006 fall semester.