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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to increasing the number of undergraduate transfer |
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students at general academic teaching institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.808, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (b-1), |
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(b-2), and (d) to read as follows: |
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(a) Each general academic teaching institution or medical |
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and dental unit that offers [admissions to undergraduate transfer
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students or] admissions to a graduate, postgraduate, or |
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professional program shall adopt a written admission policy |
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applicable to those programs. |
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(b) Each general academic teaching institution shall adopt |
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a written admission policy to promote the admission of |
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undergraduate transfer students to the institution. The policy |
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must provide for outreach and recruiting efforts directed at junior |
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colleges and other lower-division institutions of higher education |
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and may include incentives to encourage transfer applications and |
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to retain and promote transfer students. The policy must provide |
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for a number of undergraduate transfer students to be admitted to |
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the institution so that, of the undergraduate students enrolled at |
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the institution, at least 33.3 percent are transfer students who |
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have completed at least 15 semester credit hours at a junior |
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college. |
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(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b): |
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(1) the requirement prescribed by that subsection |
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regarding the percentage of undergraduate students who must be |
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transfer students does not apply before the 2014 fall semester; and |
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(2) for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years, |
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the policy required by Subsection (b) must provide for a number of |
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undergraduate transfer students to be admitted to the institution |
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so that, of the undergraduate students enrolled at the institution, |
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at least 30 percent are transfer students. |
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(b-2) Subsection (b-1) and this subsection expire January |
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1, 2014. |
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(d) On application of a general academic teaching |
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institution, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may |
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waive or modify a requirement of this section that a certain |
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percentage of the institution's undergraduate student body must |
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consist of transfer students if the coordinating board determines |
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that the requirement would impose an undue hardship on the |
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institution. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |