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BILL ANALYSIS |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current law prohibits a student to drop more than six courses during the student's college career. The purpose of such prohibition is to encourage a student attending an institution of higher education in Texas to graduate on time by discouraging the student from extending the student's undergraduate course work. The prohibition applies also to a student attending a community or junior college. The student demographic of such a college is markedly different from the student demographic of a four-year university. A community or junior college has an older student population in which some students have a full- time job or a family, or both. The life circumstances of such a student often necessitate dropping more than six classes during the student's college career.
H.B. 2075 exempts a community or junior college from the six-course drop limit by making
provisions relating to the limit on the number of courses that an undergraduate student may be
permitted to drop under certain circumstances applicable only to an undergraduate student who
drops a course at a general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit, rather than
to an undergraduate student at an institution of higher education.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2075 amends the Education Code to make provisions relating to the limitations on the
number of courses that an undergraduate student may be permitted to drop under certain
circumstances applicable only to an undergraduate student, who drops a course at a general
academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit rather than to an undergraduate student
at an institution of higher education. The bill makes conforming changes to the code and makes its provisions applicable beginning with the fall 2009 semester.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2009.