84R6042 KSD-D

By: Clardy H.B. No. 1583

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to block scheduling for associate degree and certificate programs at public junior colleges.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 130.0095 to read as follows:

Sec. 130.0095. BLOCK SCHEDULING FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM. (a) To facilitate timely degree completion by students at public junior colleges, each public junior college shall establish, for each associate degree or certificate program offered by the college, a block schedule curriculum under which:

(1) courses required for a student's enrollment in the program as a full-time student are offered each semester in scheduled blocks, such as a morning, full-day, afternoon, evening, or weekend block schedule, designed to provide scheduling predictability from semester to semester to students enrolled in the program; and

(2) students may enroll in an entire block schedule curriculum offered under the program in a semester, rather than enrolling in individual courses leading toward the degree or certificate.

(b) Each public junior college shall publish in advance of each semester the available block schedule curricula for each associate degree or certificate program offered by the college for that semester.

(c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this section.

SECTION 2. Section 130.0095, Education Code, as added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2016 fall semester.

SECTION 3. 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, 2015.