82R8178 KSD-F
 
  By: Patrick S.B. No. 1396
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to measures to increase cost efficiency at public
  institutions of higher education and the Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board, including the elimination of certain reporting
  and other requirements imposed on institutions or the coordinating
  board.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to establish:
               (1)  strategies by which public institutions of higher
  education can:
                     (A)  achieve higher levels of cost efficiency in
  producing degrees, with special emphasis on undergraduate degrees;
  and
                     (B)  become more accountable, efficient, and
  innovative stewards of state resources in producing better outcomes
  for students; and
               (2)  other measures for increasing the cost efficiency
  of public institutions of higher education or the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 51.305 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.305.  COMPLETION OF COURSES THROUGH ALTERNATIVE
  METHODS REQUIRED. (a)  At least 10 percent of the cumulative total
  number of semester credit hours successfully completed by a student
  of an institution of higher education at any institution during the
  student's undergraduate academic career must be taken through
  methods other than an on-campus lecture course or seminar taken
  during peak hours during a fall or spring semester, including by the
  following alternative methods:
               (1)  courses or seminars offered during off-peak hours
  or during a term or session other than a spring or fall semester;
               (2)  dual credit courses;
               (3)  online courses;
               (4)  internships for course credit; or
               (5)  course credits awarded for student demonstration
  of specific competencies as determined by the institution.
         (b)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt
  rules as necessary for the administration of this section.
         SECTION 3.  Section 51.3062(n), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (n)  Each institution of higher education, other than a
  medical and dental unit, shall report annually to the board on the
  success of its students and the effectiveness of its Success
  Initiative.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter G, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 51.359 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.359.  CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION WORKLOAD FOR FACULTY
  MEMBERS. (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
               (2)  "Faculty member" means a person who is employed by
  an institution of higher education as a member of the faculty whose
  primary duties include teaching, research, academic service, or
  administration, except that the term does not include a person
  holding faculty rank who spends a majority of the person's time for
  the institution engaged in managerial or supervisory activities,
  including a chancellor, vice chancellor, president, vice
  president, provost, associate or assistant provost, or dean.
         (b)  For purposes of this section:
               (1)  the average faculty member classroom instruction
  workload of an institution of higher education for an academic year
  is computed by dividing the total number of semester credit hours
  taken by all students of the institution during that academic year
  by the total number of full-time or full-time equivalent faculty
  members at the institution for that academic year; and
               (2)  the average faculty member classroom instruction
  workload of an institutional grouping for an academic year is
  computed by dividing the sum of the average faculty member
  classroom instruction workloads of all institutions of higher
  education assigned to the institutional grouping under the
  coordinating board's accountability system for that academic year
  by the number of institutions assigned to that institutional
  grouping.
         (c)  Notwithstanding Section 51.402, the governing board of
  each institution of higher education shall ensure that for the
  2013-2014 and each subsequent academic year, the average faculty
  member classroom instruction workload of the institution is at
  least 10 percent greater than the average faculty member classroom
  instruction workload of the institutional grouping to which the
  institution is assigned under the coordinating board's
  accountability system for the 2010-2011 academic year.
         (d)  Not later than January 15 of each year, the coordinating
  board shall submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
  house of representatives, the presiding officer of each legislative
  standing committee with primary jurisdiction over higher
  education, and each governing board of an institution of higher
  education a written report detailing the percentage by which the
  average faculty member classroom instruction workload of each
  institution of higher education has changed compared to the
  2010-2011 academic year.
         (e)  The coordinating board shall adopt rules for the
  administration of this section.
         (f)  This section does not apply to an academic year after
  the 2014-2015 academic year.  This section expires January 1, 2016.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 51.9685 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.9685.  REQUIRED FILING OF DEGREE PLAN. (a) In this
  section:
               (1)  "Degree plan" means a statement of the course of
  study requirements that an undergraduate student at an institution
  of higher education must complete in order to be awarded an
  associate's or bachelor's degree from the institution, established
  through collaboration between the student and an academic advisor
  for the student's degree program and approved by the academic
  advisor.
               (2)  "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 61.003.
         (b)  Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (c), each
  student enrolled in an associate's or bachelor's degree program at
  an institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the
  institution not later than the semester or term immediately
  following the semester or term in which the student earned a
  cumulative total of 30 or more semester credit hours for course work
  successfully completed by the student, including transfer courses,
  international baccalaureate courses, dual credit courses, and any
  other course for which the institution the student attends has
  awarded the student college course credit, including by
  examination.
         (c)  A student to whom this section applies who begins the
  student's first semester or term at an institution of higher
  education with 30 or more semester credit hours of course credit for
  courses described by Subsection (b) shall file a degree plan with
  the institution during the student's first semester at the
  institution.
         (d)  A student to whom this section applies may not register
  for any course offered by the institution of higher education for a
  semester or term succeeding the semester or term in which the
  student is required to file a degree plan under this section unless
  the student has filed a degree plan with the institution.
         (e)  After filing a degree plan with an institution of higher
  education as required by this section, a student to whom this
  section applies may not change the student's degree plan or enroll
  in a course that is not included in the student's degree plan unless
  the student has consulted with the student's academic advisor and
  satisfied any applicable prerequisite or other requirement imposed
  by the institution regarding that degree plan change or course
  enrollment, as applicable.
         (f)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt
  rules as necessary for the administration of this section.
         SECTION 6.  Section 61.086(b), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  Each institution of higher education shall implement
  the uniform strategy developed under Subsection (a).  [Each
  institution shall report to the board as part of the annual report
  submitted under Section 51.4032 the manner in which the institution
  has implemented the uniform strategy.]
         SECTION 7.  The following laws are repealed:
               (1)  Section 61.9685, Education Code;
               (2)  Section 2056.011, Government Code; and
               (3)  Section 303.004, Labor Code.
         SECTION 8.  Section 51.305, Education Code, as added by this
  Act, applies only to undergraduate students at public institutions
  of higher education who, at the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic
  year, have accrued a cumulative total of fewer than 60 semester
  credit hours for course work successfully completed by the student
  at any institution.
         SECTION 9.  Section 51.9685, Education Code, as added by
  this Act, applies beginning with undergraduate students who
  initially enroll in an institution of higher education for the 2011
  fall semester.
         SECTION 10.  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.