By: Howard H.B. No. 3768

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a program to assist students in completing undergraduate certificates and degrees at certain institutions of higher education.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

SECTION 2. Not later than 30 days of the effective date of this Act, the Commissioner of Higher Education shall notify boards and presidents of each Texas institution of higher education of the requirement to develop recommended course sequences for each undergraduate degree and certificate program offered at their institutions.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all 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, 2017.