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SECTION 1. Title 3, Subtitle
A, Education Code, is amended by adding Chapter 51B to read as follows:
CHAPTER 51B. TEXAS GUIDED
PATHWAYS PROGRAM
Sec. 51B.001. DEFINITIONS.
In this chapter:
(1) "Board" means the board of regents of a university
system or independent institution.
(2) "Commissioner" means the Texas Higher Education
Commissioner.
(3) "Institution of higher education" means any
public, state, and technical four-year college or university in the state.
(4) "Lower-division institution" means a public junior
college, public state college, or public technical institute.
(5) "Program"
means the Texas Guided Pathways Program described
by this chapter.
(6) "Public senior college or university" means any
college or university designated as a general academic institution as
defined in statute or as created and so classified, expressly or impliedly,
by law.
(7) "Recommended course sequence" means a curricular
pathway designed to enable a student to obtain a degree or certificate in a
chosen field of study in a timely manner, including completion of specific
courses.
(8) "Successfully completed" means that a student has
met all of the necessary requirements for completing a course offered by an
institution and has received a grade for the course of at least 2.0 on a
4.0 scale, or an equivalent grade or determination of mastery.
(9) "Transfer compact" means an agreement between two
or more institutions to facilitate the efficient transfer of courses and
students.
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SECTION 1. Chapter 61,
Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter S-1 to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER S-1. TEXAS
GUIDED PATHWAYS PROGRAM
Sec. 61.841. DEFINITIONS. In
this subchapter:
(1) "Program"
means the Texas Guided Pathways program established
under this subchapter.
(2) "Texas OnCourse initiative" means the
postsecondary education and career counseling academy developed by The
University of Texas at Austin under Section 33.009.
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Sec. 51B.002. PROGRAM
PURPOSE AND GOALS. (a) The Texas Guided Pathways Program is created for public institutions of
higher education to inform, empower, and support students by providing
clear and efficient pathways to completion of undergraduate certificates
and degrees, including transparent and
easily-accessible recommended higher education course sequences and
transfer compacts.
(b) The goals of the
program are to:
(1) provide recommended
course sequences for all undergraduate degrees and certificates offered by public institutions of higher
education;
(2) increase efficiencies
in credit transferability between lower-division
institutions of higher education and public senior colleges and
universities;
(3) make useful electronic
course planning information available to students, empowering students to
make well-informed choices;
(4) decrease student costs
by minimizing the risks of pursuing
courses that fail to count towards degree and certificate requirements; and
(5) streamline student
pathways to completion of certificates and degrees, in line with state
goals, to increase educational attainment across
the state.
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Sec. 61.842. ESTABLISHMENT
OF PROGRAM. (a) The Texas Guided Pathways program is established to inform, empower, and support current
and prospective students at institutions
of higher education by providing those students clear and efficient
pathways to completion of undergraduate certificate and degree programs.
(b) The goals of the
program are to:
(1) provide recommended
course sequences for all undergraduate certificate and degree programs offered at institutions of
higher education;
(2) increase the
efficiency of transferring course credit between two-year and four-year institutions of higher education;
(3) empower students to
make well-informed choices by making useful course planning information
available to students electronically;
(4) decrease the cost of completing undergraduate certificate
and degree programs by helping students
avoid taking courses that do not count toward the programs; and
(5) streamline student
pathways to completion of undergraduate
certificate and degree programs
in a manner aligned with state goals to increase educational attainment.
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Sec. 51B.003. RECOMMENDED
COURSE SEQUENCES. (a) Not later than
March 15 of each year, each institution of higher education shall:
(1) develop recommended
course sequences for each undergraduate degree and certificate program
offered by the institution that would
enable full-time students to complete 60 hour programs within four
semesters, and 120 hour programs within eight semesters;
(2) submit to the commissioner the recommended course
sequences for each undergraduate degree and certificate program, in an
electronic format specified by the commissioner;
(3) for institutions that
do not use the Texas Common Course
Numbering System (TCCN), provide data, in an electronic format
specified by the commissioner, indicating transfer equivalencies for
institutions' compatible courses with TCCN courses, where compatible
courses are offered by the institution and are included in recommended
course sequences; and
(4) publish the recommended course
sequences and transfer equivalencies
on the institution's website, accessible within three clicks from the
institution's home page.
(b) Not later than March 15 of each year,
each lower-division institution
shall:
(1) inform students about
recommended course sequences as a tool to aid in course selection;
(2) incorporate
recommended course sequences into advising;
(3) inform all students during orientation of the the importance
of selecting an intended major or field of study before, or as soon as
possible after, enrollment in an institution of higher education, and
potential consequences and costs of delaying that decision, particularly if
the student intends to transfer between postsecondary educational
institutions;
(4) provide links to a searchable,
web-based platform identified by the
commissioner that enables students to compare institutions'
recommended course sequences; and
(5) ensure that the
institution's own recommended course sequences, or their institutional
equivalents if the institution's course offerings have been updated, and
transfer equivalencies will be honored by the institution for not less than
four years from the beginning of the academic year following initial publication date of the
recommended course sequence or transfer equivalencies, subject to applicable institutional policies,
accreditation requirements, and state and federal law.
(c) Not later than March 15 of each year,
each public senior college or university
shall:
(1) inform students about
recommended course sequences as a tool to aid in course selection;
(2) incorporate
recommended course sequences into advising;
(3) inform all students during orientation of the importance of
selecting an intended major or field of study before, or as soon as possible
after enrollment in an institution of higher education, and potential
consequences and costs of delaying that decision, particularly if the
student intends to transfer between postsecondary educational institutions;
(4) provide links to a searchable,
web-based platform identified by the
commissioner that enables students to compare institutions'
recommended course sequences; and
(5) ensure that the
institution's own recommended course sequences, or their institutional
equivalents if the institution's course offerings have been updated, and
transfer equivalencies will be honored by the institution for not less than
four years from the beginning of the academic year following initial publication date of the
recommended course sequence or transfer equivalencies, subject to applicable institutional policies,
accreditation requirements, and state and federal law.
(d) An institution of
higher education may update or amend recommended course sequences for certificates or degree programs,
with prior notification to the commissioner,
subject to applicable institutional policies, accreditation
requirements, and state and federal law.
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Sec. 61.843. RECOMMENDED
COURSE SEQUENCES. (a) Each institution of higher education shall develop a
recommended course sequence for each undergraduate certificate or degree
program offered by the institution.
Each recommended course sequence must:
(1) be designed to enable a student to obtain a certificate or
degree, as applicable, within:
(A) for an associate degree or certificate program, four
semesters or other academic terms; or
(B) for a baccalaureate degree program, eight semesters or other
academic terms;
(2) include a specific sequence in which courses should be
completed to ensure completion of the applicable program within the time
frame described by Subdivision (1); and
(3) be aligned with the applicable certificate or degree
requirements published by the institution.
(b) Not later than June 1 of each year, each institution of
higher education shall:
(1) after reviewing and, if necessary, updating each recommended
course sequence, adopt a version of each recommended course sequence to
take effect beginning with entering freshmen and undergraduate transfer
students for the following academic year;
(2) submit to the board, in an electronic format
specified by the board, each
recommended course sequence and,
if the institution does
not use the common course numbering
system, information regarding the
course equivalent under the common course numbering system, if any,
for each course included in that course sequence; and
(3) post each recommended course sequence, including any information required to be
provided under Subdivision (2) for that course sequence, on the
institution's Internet website in a location that is accessible from the
institution's website home page by use of not more than three links.
(c) Each institution of
higher education shall inform students about the recommended course
sequences, including how to use those
course sequences as a tool to aid in course selection, and
incorporate those course sequences into student advising.
(d) To enable students to
compare recommended course sequences at institutions of higher education,
each institution of higher education shall post
on the institution's Internet website a link to the web-based
platform on recommended course sequences
developed by the board under Subsection (g).
(f) An institution of
higher education shall honor each version of a recommended course sequence
adopted by the institution under Subsection (b)(1), including any necessary
modifications made to the course sequence under Subsection (e), for at
least the four academic years occurring after the date on which that version of the course sequence is adopted.
(See Sec. 61.843(c), (d),
and (f) above.)
(e) After notice to the board, an institution of higher
education may modify the institution's recommended course sequences as necessary to:
(1) incorporate recommended changes identified as a result of
any program evaluation conducted by the institution; or
(2) comply with applicable institutional
policies, accreditation requirements, and state or federal law.
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Sec. 51B.004. POWERS AND
DUTIES RELATED TO COURSE SEQUENCES. (a) The commissioner
shall:
(1) work in consultation with institutions of higher education
to develop rules for the electronic submission of data by institutions
about recommended course sequences and transfer equivalencies for
institutions' course numbers with corresponding Texas Common Course
Numbering System (TCCN) courses;
(2) work with the Texas
OnCourse initiative of The University of
Texas at Austin and its partner institutions to establish a singular, searchable, web-based
platform that enables students to
compare institutions'
recommended course sequences and that enables students to
query whether specific lower-division TCCN courses
offered by an institution of higher education would be accepted by another
institution to meet state core curriculum requirements and would apply to
institutions' recommended course sequences for specific undergraduate
certificates or degree programs;
(3) link to the web-based
platform from the ApplyTexas webpage or
similar webpage; and
(4) not later than
November 1 of each even-numbered year, provide a written report on the program to the members of the
Texas Legislature that includes an analysis of the alignment of courses
that have been taken and successfully
completed by students with institutions' recommended course
sequences.
(b) The commissioner may:
(1) adopt rules for implementation of the program, in
consultation with institutions of higher education;
(2) accept grants or gifts for the purpose of supporting the
program; and
(3) utilize technology platforms provided
by the National Student Clearinghouse, or other approved electronic data
sharing and exchange platforms that meet nationally accepted standards,
conventions, and practices, to collect
and store data regarding institutions' recommended course sequences or to
provide a web-based application that enables students to compare
institutions' recommended course sequences.
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(g) The board,
in consultation with the
Texas OnCourse initiative and its partnering institutions of higher education, shall establish a statewide web-based platform that
enables a student to:
(1) search for and compare
recommended course sequences at institutions of higher education; and
(2) determine whether a specific
lower-division course offered by an institution of higher education and
identified using the common course numbering system would transfer to
another institution of higher education for course credit applied toward
the student's undergraduate certificate or degree program and count toward
that institution's recommended course sequence for that program.
(i) The board shall ensure that an electronic link to the web-based platform established under Subsection (g) is posted on
the Internet website of any electronic common application system developed
by the board.
(j) Not later than
November 1 of each even-numbered year, the
board shall submit to the members of the legislature a report on the recommended course sequences at
institutions of higher education. The report must include an
analysis of the alignment of courses taken by students in each undergraduate certificate or degree
program at an institution of higher education with the institution's
recommended course sequence for that
program.
(See Sec. 61.846 below.)
(See Sec. 61.845 below.)
(h) In establishing the web-based platform under
Subsection (g), the board may use technology platforms provided by
the National Student Clearinghouse or any other electronic data sharing and
exchange platforms that meet nationally accepted standards, conventions,
and practices.
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Sec. 51B.005. TRANSFER
COMPACTS. (a) The commissioner shall:
(1) encourage institutions of higher education, other than
research universities, to develop and participate in regional transfer
compacts, in order to coordinate regional transfers of courses and students
among institutions, increase clarity of program requirements, reduce costs
for students and for the state, and reduce excess courses that do not
contribute to completion of degrees or certificates;
(2) work with the Texas OnCourse initiative of The University of
Texas at Austin and its partner institutions to develop a singular,
searchable, web-based platform that provides information to students about
regional transfer compacts across the state, including links to regional
transfer agreements that each institution participates in; and
(3) not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
provide a written report to the members of the Texas Legislature that
includes an analysis of the impact of regional transfer compacts and
research university transfer compacts on students' efficient progress towards
completion of certificates and degree programs.
(b) All institutions other than research universities shall
participate in the development of regional transfer compacts that
facilitate efficient transfers of course credits and students among
regional institutions, including agreements regarding processes for faculty
to develop cross-walks between courses and recommended course sequences
from participating institutions, and processes for updating cross-walks and
institutions' recommended course sequences as program requirements change.
(c) Research universities shall develop and participate in an
agreement with at least one lower-division institution to establish
research university transfer compacts that provide a guaranteed transfer
into the research university for Texas resident students upon successful
completion of at least 15 semester credit hours at the lower-division
institution and other requirements specified by the research university,
which may include grade point averages and successful completion of
specific courses or course sequences. Research university transfer compacts
must enable eligible full-time students to complete at least one 120 hour
undergraduate degree program at the research university within eight
semesters, including students' full-time enrollment at the lower-division
institution prior to the students' transfer, provided that students follow
the university's recommended course sequence for the program.
(d) Not later than March
15 of each year, each institution of higher education shall submit to the commissioner
a list of all transfer
compacts in which the institution participates, and a website hyperlink to
or copy of applicable
inter-institutional agreements, in an electronic form to be
specified by the commissioner.
Sec. 51B.006. The commissioner may, in consultation with
institutions of higher education, adopt rules for implementation of the
program.
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Sec. 61.844. TRANSFER
COMPACTS.
(a) Not later than March
15 of each year, each institution of higher education shall submit to the board in an electronic format specified
by the board:
(1) a list of the transfer
compacts in which the institution participates; and
(2) a copy of, or an
electronic link to a copy of, each
transfer compact listed under Subdivision (1).
(See Sec. 61.846 below.)
(b) The board shall provide any necessary support for the
development of transfer compacts between institutions of higher education.
(c) The board, in consultation with the Texas OnCourse
initiative and its partnering institutions of higher education, shall
establish a statewide web-based platform that provides to students
information regarding transfer compacts between institutions of higher
education, including an electronic link to each transfer compact submitted
to the board under Subsection (a).
(d) In establishing the web-based platform under Subsection (c),
the board may use technology platforms provided by the National Student
Clearinghouse or any other electronic data sharing and exchange platforms
that meet nationally accepted standards, conventions, and practices.
(e) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year, the
board shall submit to the members of the legislature a report on transfer
compacts between institutions of higher education. The report must include
an analysis of the impact of those compacts on students' efficient progress
toward completion of an undergraduate certificate or degree program.
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