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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to measures to facilitate the transfer of students within |
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the public higher education system and the timely graduation of |
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students from public institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.05135 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.05135. STATEWIDE TRANSFER COMPACTS. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Career school or college" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 132.001. |
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(2) "Qualified degree-granting career school or |
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college" means a career school or college determined by the board |
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under Subsection (c) to be qualified to participate in a statewide |
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transfer compact developed under this section. |
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(b) The board, in collaboration with institutions of higher |
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education, shall develop transfer compacts that identify learning |
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objectives for coursework in major degree fields that are |
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acceptable across institutions offering coursework or degrees in |
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those fields in an effort to facilitate the universal articulation |
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of specific courses completed at public junior colleges, public |
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state colleges, public technical institutes, general academic |
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teaching institutions, and qualified degree-granting career |
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schools or colleges and transferred to general academic teaching |
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institutions. |
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(c) A career school or college may apply to the board to |
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participate in a statewide transfer compact developed under this |
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section. On application by a career school or college, the board |
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shall review the school's or college's curriculum for the purpose of |
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determining whether the school or college is qualified to |
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participate in the compact. The board may determine that the career |
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school or college is qualified to participate in the compact only if |
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the board finds that the school or college: |
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(1) is authorized to grant degrees in this state; |
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(2) has adopted and implemented a core curriculum |
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described by Section 61.822, applying the same assumptions and |
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defining characteristics applicable to institutions of higher |
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education; and |
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(3) has appropriately identified for each of its core |
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curriculum courses the equivalent course number under the common |
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course numbering system approved by the board under Section 61.832. |
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(d) An institution of higher education or qualified |
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degree-granting career school or college shall comply with any |
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applicable compact under Subsection (b) entered into by the |
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institution, school, or college and the board. |
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(e) A general academic teaching institution designated as a |
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research institution under the board's higher education |
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accountability system that elects not to participate in an |
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applicable transfer compact developed under this section shall: |
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(1) publish on the institution's website for use by |
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prospective undergraduate students a detailed description, |
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developed by the institution's faculty, of the learning objectives, |
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content, and prior knowledge requirements for at least 12 courses |
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for which credit is frequently transferred to the institution from |
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lower-division institutions of higher education; and |
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(2) establish honors articulation agreements with at |
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least two public junior colleges designed to strengthen the |
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lower-division course offerings of those public junior colleges and |
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to improve the persistence and success rates of students who |
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transfer to the institution from public junior colleges. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.0515(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To earn a baccalaureate degree, a student may not be |
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required by a general academic teaching institution to complete |
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more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for |
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the degree by the institution's board-recognized accrediting |
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agency [Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its
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successor] unless academic accreditation or professional licensure |
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requirements require the [the institution determines that there is
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a compelling academic reason for requiring] completion of |
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additional semester credit hours for the degree. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.05151 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.05151. SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED FOR ASSOCIATE |
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DEGREE. (a) To earn an associate degree, a student may not be |
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required by an institution of higher education to complete more |
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than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the |
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degree by the institution's board-recognized accrediting agency |
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unless academic accreditation or professional licensure |
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requirements require the completion of additional semester credit |
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hours for the degree. |
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(b) The board may review one or more of an institution's |
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associate degree programs to ensure compliance with this section. |
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(c) Subsection (a) does not apply to an associate degree |
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awarded by an institution to a student enrolled in the institution |
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before the 2013 fall semester. |
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SECTION 4. Section 61.052, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Each governing board shall submit to the board once each |
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year on dates designated by the board a comprehensive list by |
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department, division, and school of all courses, together with a |
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description of content, scope, and prerequisites of all these |
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courses, that will be offered by each institution under the |
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supervision of that governing board during the following academic |
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year. The list for each institution must also specifically |
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identify any course included in the common course numbering system |
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under Section 61.832 that has been added to or removed from the |
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institution's list for the current academic year, and the board |
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shall distribute that information as necessary to accomplish the |
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purposes of Section 61.832. |
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(b) After the comprehensive list of courses is submitted by |
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a governing board under Subsection (a) [of this section], the |
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governing board shall submit on dates designated by the board any |
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changes in the comprehensive list of courses to be offered, |
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including any changes relating to offering a course included in the |
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common course numbering system. |
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(b-1) Each governing board must certify at the time of |
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submission under Subsection (a) that the institution does not: |
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(1) prohibit the acceptance of transfer credit based |
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solely on the accreditation of the sending institution; or |
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(2) include language in any materials published by the |
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institution, whether in printed or electronic form, suggesting that |
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such a prohibition exists. |
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SECTION 5. Section 61.822, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) The board, with the assistance of advisory committees |
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composed of representatives of institutions of higher education, |
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shall develop a recommended core curriculum of at least 42 semester |
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credit hours, including a statement of the content, component |
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areas, and objectives of the core curriculum. At least a majority |
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of the members of any advisory committee named under this section |
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shall be administrators or faculty members of an institution of |
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higher education. An institution shall consult with the faculty of |
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the institution before nominating or recommending a person to the |
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board as the institution's representative on an advisory committee. |
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(f) In an effort to facilitate the transfer of major-related |
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coursework beyond the general education core curriculum, the board, |
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with the assistance of the advisory committees described by |
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Subsection (a), shall: |
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(1) develop a course-specific core curriculum for each |
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broad academic discipline within the general core curriculum; and |
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(2) identify those degree programs offered at |
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institutions of higher education to which the course-specific core |
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curriculum, if successfully completed by a student at another |
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institution of higher education or at a qualified degree-granting |
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career school or college, as defined by Section 61.05135, is fully |
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transferrable. |
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SECTION 6. Section 61.832, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) A student who transfers from one institution of higher |
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education to another shall receive academic credit from the |
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receiving institution for each course that the student has |
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successfully completed that serves as an equivalent course under |
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the common course numbering system at the institution from which |
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the student transfers. |
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SECTION 7. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.9685 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.9685. REQUIRED FILING OF DEGREE PLAN. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Degree plan" means a statement of the course of |
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study requirements that an undergraduate student at an institution |
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of higher education must complete in order to be awarded an |
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associate or bachelor's degree from the institution, established |
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through collaboration between the student and an academic advisor |
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for the student's degree program and approved by the academic |
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advisor. |
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(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each |
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student enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program at an |
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institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the |
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institution not later than the semester or term immediately |
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following the semester or term in which the student earned a |
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cumulative total of 45 or more semester credit hours for coursework |
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successfully completed by the student, including transfer courses, |
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international baccalaureate courses, dual credit courses, and any |
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other course for which the institution the student attends has |
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awarded the student college course credit, including by |
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examination. |
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(c) A student to whom this section applies who begins the |
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student's first semester or term at an institution of higher |
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education with 45 |
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or more semester credit hours of course credit for |
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courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree plan with |
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the institution during the student's first semester at the |
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institution. |
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(d) A student to whom this section applies may not register |
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for any course offered by the institution of higher education for a |
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semester or term succeeding the semester or term in which the |
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student is required to file a degree plan under this section unless |
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the student has filed a degree plan with the institution. |
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(e) After filing a degree plan with an institution of higher |
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education as required by this section, a student to whom this |
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section applies may not change the student's degree plan or enroll |
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in a course that is not included in the student's degree plan unless |
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the student has consulted with the student's academic advisor and |
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satisfied any applicable prerequisite or other requirement imposed |
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by the institution regarding that degree plan change or course |
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enrollment, as applicable. |
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(f) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in |
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consultation with institutions of higher education, may adopt rules |
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as necessary for the administration of this section. |
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SECTION 8. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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61.0515(a), Education Code, applies beginning with undergraduate |
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students who initially enroll in a general academic teaching |
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institution for the 2013 fall semester. |
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SECTION 9. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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61.052, Education Code, apply to the comprehensive lists of courses |
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offered by public institutions of higher education beginning with |
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lists required to be submitted for the 2012-2013 academic year. |
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SECTION 10. Not later than May 31, 2012, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall develop core curricula for broad |
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academic disciplines included within the general core curriculum |
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that conform to the requirements of Section 61.822, Education Code, |
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as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 11. Section 61.832(e), Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with the 2011 fall semester. |
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SECTION 12. Section 51.9685, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with undergraduate students who |
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initially enroll in a general academic teaching institution for the |
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2011 fall semester. |
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SECTION 13. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |