82R2932 KSD-F

By: Patrick H.B. No. 736

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to online institution resumes for public institutions of higher education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 51A.002(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The coordinating board shall:

(1) request from each institution of higher education to which this chapter applies any information the coordinating board considers necessary for the coordinating board to include information or calculate data required to be included in the institution's resume;

(2) establish for each institution of higher education to which this chapter applies a list of representative in-state and out-of-state peer institutions and maintain that list on the coordinating board's Internet website;

(3) ensure that each of an institution of higher education's online resumes:

(A) is available to the public on the coordinating board's Internet website, in a one-page format if possible, and is accessible through a link that appears [in a prominent place] on the first frame of the coordinating board's Internet website home page in a font that is larger than the font of the majority of the text on the home page;

(B) uses enhanced, user-friendly search capabilities to ensure that the information required to be included in the resume is easily accessible to the persons for whom the resume is designed; and

(C) includes a clearly identifiable link to information on the coordinating board's Internet website regarding the coordinating board's higher education accountability system; and

(4) ensure that the information provided in each resume is accurate and up to date and includes the most recent data available for out-of-state peer institutions.

SECTION 2. Section 51A.003, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 51A.003. DUTIES OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION RELATING TO INSTITUTION RESUMES. Each institution of higher education to which this chapter applies shall:

(1) submit to the coordinating board any information requested by the coordinating board as necessary for the coordinating board to include information or calculate data required to be included in the institution's resumes; and

(2) ensure that the first frame of the institution's Internet website home page includes, in a font that is larger than the font of the majority of the text on the home page [prominent place], an accessible link to the institution's online resumes maintained on the coordinating board's Internet website.

SECTION 3. Section 51A.052, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

(d) The resume must include the following information relating to the institution for the most recent state fiscal year for which the information is available and compare that information to the same information for the state fiscal year preceding the most recent state fiscal year for which the information is available and the state fiscal year preceding the most recent state fiscal year for which the information is available by five years:

(1) under the heading "ENROLLMENT":

(A) ["ENROLLMENT,"] the total number of students enrolled in the institution during the fall semester that ended in the fiscal year covered by the resume; and

(B) the percentage of undergraduate students enrolled in the institution for the first time during the fall semester that ended in the fiscal year covered by the resume who are transfer students;

(2) under the heading "COSTS":

(A) ["COSTS,"] the average annual total academic costs for a resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 semester credit hours:

(i) [(A)] at the institution; and

(ii) [(B)] at the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer institutions;

(B) the percentage of students receiving student loans:

(i) at the institution; and

(ii) at the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer institutions;

(C) the average annual amount of a student loan received by a student:

(i) at the institution; and

(ii) at the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer institutions;

(D) the percentage of students receiving federal or state grants:

(i) at the institution; and

(ii) at the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer institutions;

(E) the average annual amount of a federal or state grant received by a student:

(i) at the institution; and

(ii) at the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer institutions;

(3) under the heading "STUDENT SUCCESS":

(A) the retention rate of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking entering undergraduate students:

(i) enrolled in the institution after one academic year and after two academic years; and

(ii) enrolled in the institution's in-state peer institutions after two academic years;

(B) the percentage of undergraduate students requiring developmental education who, after six years from entering the institution, graduated from or are still enrolled in:

(i) the institution; and

(ii) the institution's in-state peer institutions;

(C) the four-year, five-year, and six-year graduation rates of full-time bachelor's degree-seeking students:

(i) at the institution; and

(ii) at the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer institutions; and

(D) the average number of fall and spring semesters of enrollment attempted by a student to obtain a bachelor's degree:

(i) at the institution; and

(ii) at the institution's in-state peer institutions; and

(4) under the heading "FUNDING":

(A) the total amount of money appropriated by the legislature to the institution, including money appropriated for faculty and staff health coverage and retirement benefits, for that state fiscal year and the corresponding percent of the institution's operating budget for that state fiscal year that the total amount of money appropriated by the legislature represents; [and]

(B) the total amount of federal funds from all federal sources, including grants and research funds, received by the institution in that state fiscal year and the corresponding percent of the institution's operating budget for that state fiscal year that the total amount of federal funds represents;

(C) the total academic costs charged to students by the institution in that state fiscal year and the corresponding percent of the institution's operating budget for that state fiscal year that the total academic costs represent; and

(D) the total amount of money from any source available to the institution in that state fiscal year.

(e) In addition to the information required by Subsection (d)(2), the resume must include under the heading "COSTS" the average annual amount and percentage by which the total academic costs charged to a resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 semester credit hours have increased in each of the five most recent state fiscal years for which the information is available:

(1) at the institution; and

(2) at the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer institutions.

SECTION 4. Section 51A.053, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:

(c) Except as otherwise provided by the coordinating board under Subsection (a), the resume must include the following information relating to the most recent state fiscal year for which the information is available:

(1) under the heading "ENROLLMENT":

(A) the total number of students enrolled in the institution during the fall semester that ended in the fiscal year covered by the resume; [and]

(B) the percentage of undergraduate students enrolled in the institution for the first time during the fall semester that ended in the fiscal year covered by the resume who are transfer students; and

(C) a clearly identifiable link to the information described by Paragraph (A) disaggregated by student ethnicity;

(2) under the heading "DEGREES AWARDED":

(A) the number of bachelor's degrees, number of master's degrees, number of doctoral degrees, and number of professional degrees awarded by the institution; and

(B) a clearly identifiable link to the information described by Paragraph (A) disaggregated by student ethnicity;

(3) under the heading "COSTS":

(A) the average annual total academic costs for a resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 semester credit hours at the institution;

(B) clearly identifiable links to information regarding:

(i) the rate or rates of tuition per semester credit hour charged by the institution; and

(ii) any mandatory fees, as defined by the coordinating board, imposed by the institution; [and

[(iii) the amount and percentage by which the institution has increased tuition for a degree program or course level during the state fiscal year covered by the resume;]

(C) the average cost of on-campus room and board per student; and

(D) the average cost to a resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 semester credit hours for total academic costs and on-campus room and board, excluding the cost of books, supplies, transportation, or other expenses;

(4) under the heading "FINANCIAL AID":

(A) the percentage of undergraduate students enrolled in the institution who receive need-based grants or scholarships;

(B) the percentage of undergraduate students enrolled in the institution who receive need-based grants, scholarships, loans, or work-study funds;

(C) the percentage of undergraduate students enrolled in the institution who receive student loans;

(D) the average amount of an undergraduate student's need-based grant and scholarship package; [and]

(E) [(D)] the average amount of an undergraduate student's need-based grant, scholarship, loan, and work-study package; and

(F) the average amount of an undergraduate student's student loan;

(5) under the heading "ADMISSIONS":

(A) the middle 50 percent test score range of first-time undergraduate students at the institution whose Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores were in the 25th to 75th percentile of students' scores at that institution;

(B) the middle 50 percent test score range of first-time undergraduate students at the institution whose American College Test (ACT) scores were in the 25th to 75th percentile of students' scores at that institution; and

(C) the percentage of the students who applied for first-time undergraduate admission to the institution who were offered admission to the institution;

(6) under the heading "INSTRUCTION":

(A) the student/faculty ratio at the institution;

(B) the percentage of organized undergraduate classes offered by the institution in which fewer than 20 students are enrolled;

(C) the percentage of organized undergraduate classes offered by the institution in which more than 50 students are enrolled; and

(D) the percentage of teaching faculty members of the institution who are tenured or tenure-track;

(7) under the heading "BACCALAUREATE SUCCESS":

(A) four-year, five-year, and six-year graduation rates for full-time bachelor's degree-seeking students at the institution, and links to that information disaggregated by student ethnicity; [and]

(B) the average number of fall and spring semesters of enrollment attempted by a student to obtain a bachelor's degree; and

(C) the retention rate of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking entering undergraduate students enrolled in the institution after one academic year and after two academic years;

(8) under the heading "FIRST-TIME LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION PASS RATES," the first-time licensure or certification examination pass rates in the fields of education, law, pharmacy, nursing, and engineering of students enrolled in the institution or who have graduated from the institution; and

(9) under the heading "FUNDING":

(A) the total amount of money appropriated by the legislature to the institution, including money appropriated for faculty and staff health coverage and retirement benefits, for that state fiscal year and the corresponding percent of the institution's operating budget for that state fiscal year that the total amount of money appropriated by the legislature represents;

(B) the total amount of federal funds from all federal sources, including grants and research funds, received by the institution in that state fiscal year and the corresponding percent of the institution's operating budget for that state fiscal year that the total amount of federal funds represents;

(C) the total academic costs charged to students by the institution in that state fiscal year and the corresponding percent of the institution's operating budget for that state fiscal year that the total academic costs represent; and

(D) the total amount of money from any source available to the institution in that state fiscal year.

(d) In addition to the information required by Subsection (c)(3), the resume must include under the heading "COSTS" the average annual amount and percentage by which the total academic costs charged to a resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 semester credit hours have increased in each of the five most recent state fiscal years for which the information is available:

(1) at the institution; and

(2) at the institution's in-state peer institutions.

SECTION 5. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and public institutions of higher education shall comply with the changes made by this Act to Chapter 51A, Education Code, as soon as practicable following the effective date of this Act, but not later than February 1, 2012.

SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011.