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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the transfer of students in public higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 51.4033 and 51.4034, Education Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.4033. TRANSFER REPORT [OF NONTRANSFERABLE CREDIT]. |
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(a) Not later than May 1 of each year and in the form prescribed by |
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the coordinating board, each general academic teaching institution |
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shall provide to the coordinating board and the legislature a |
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report that: |
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(1) describes [describing] any courses in the |
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Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual or its successor |
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adopted by the coordinating board for which a student who transfers |
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to the institution from another institution of higher education is |
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not granted: |
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(A) [(1)] academic credit at the receiving |
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institution; or |
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(B) [(2)] if the student has declared a major and |
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has not changed majors, academic credit toward the student's major |
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at the receiving institution; |
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(2) details the institution's goals to increase the |
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number, success, and persistence, as measured by the coordinating |
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board, of students who transfer to the institution from a public |
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junior college; |
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(3) assesses the institution's academic and technical |
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transfer pathways; |
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(4) identifies: |
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(A) any existing barriers to transferring to the |
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institution; and |
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(B) emerging issues affecting transfer students |
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at the institution; |
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(5) details the institution's actions to serve current |
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and prospective transfer students through local and regional |
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articulation agreements that include: |
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(A) faculty collaboration; |
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(B) public junior college program enhancements; |
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(C) student outreach and advising services; |
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(D) website information development; |
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(E) targeted financial aid; |
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(F) student success programs; and |
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(G) degree program alignment; and |
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(6) contains any other information relating to the |
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transfer of academic credit to the institution required by |
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coordinating board rule. |
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(b) A report required by this section must indicate for each |
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course described by Subsection (a)(1): |
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(1) the course name, [and] type, and common course |
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number; |
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(2) the name of: |
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(A) the institution of higher education or other |
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postsecondary educational institution at which the student |
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completed the course; and |
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(B) the [which] institution of higher education |
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that awarded or transcribed [provided] academic credit for the |
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course; and |
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(3) the reason why the receiving institution did not |
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grant academic credit for the course as described by Subsection |
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(a), including whether the institution complied with the dispute |
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resolution process under Section 61.826. |
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(c) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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the coordinating board shall submit to the governor, the |
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Legislative Budget Board, the house appropriations committee, and |
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the senate finance committee a report that evaluates actions to |
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increase the number, success, and persistence of students who |
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transfer to a general academic teaching institution from a public |
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junior college. The report must include: |
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(1) a comparative analysis of institution reports and |
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performance data, including application and admission rates, |
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financial aid awarded, time-to-degree, and baccalaureate |
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graduation rates of students, including transfer students, by |
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program completion at public junior colleges and general academic |
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teaching institutions during the preceding academic year; |
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(2) a study of public junior college transfer |
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practices; and |
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(3) recommendations for legislative or other action to |
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meet the transfer student-related goals of the state's master plan |
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for higher education developed under Section 61.051. |
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(d) The coordinating board may adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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Sec. 51.4034. REPORT OF COURSES TAKEN AT PUBLIC JUNIOR |
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COLLEGES. (a) Not later than May 1 of each year and in the form |
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prescribed by the coordinating board, each public junior college |
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shall provide to the coordinating board and the legislature a |
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report on courses taken by students who, during the preceding |
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academic year, transferred to a general academic teaching |
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institution, completed a field of study curriculum, or earned an |
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associate degree at the college. |
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(b) A report required by this section must include: |
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(1) the total number of: |
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(A) [(1)] courses attempted and completed at the |
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college, including the total number of semester credit hours for |
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those courses, disaggregated by whether the course is in: |
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(i) [(A)] the Workforce Education Course |
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Manual or its successor adopted by the coordinating board; or |
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(ii) [(B)] the Lower-Division Academic |
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Course Guide Manual or its successor adopted by the coordinating |
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board; |
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(B) [(2)] courses attempted and completed at the |
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college that are not in the recommended core curriculum developed |
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by the coordinating board under Section 61.822; and |
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(C) [(3)] dual credit courses, including courses |
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for joint high school and junior college credit under Section |
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130.008, attempted and completed at the college; and |
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(2) any other relevant information required by |
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coordinating board rule. |
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(c) The coordinating board may adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter H, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.4035 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.4035. PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION REGARDING DENIAL |
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OF TRANSFER CREDIT. (a) Each institution of higher education shall |
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maintain on the admissions page of the institution's Internet |
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website a list of: |
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(1) the five majors or degree or certificate programs |
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offered by the institution with the highest number of courses for |
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which academic credit is denied or not applied toward the major or |
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program; and |
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(2) the five courses for each major or degree or |
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certificate program described by Subdivision (1) for which academic |
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credit is most frequently denied because the credit is not |
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applicable toward the major or program. |
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(b) The coordinating board annually shall provide to each |
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institution of higher education a list of the courses described by |
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Subsection (a)(2). |
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(c) The coordinating board may adopt rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter S, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.8231 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.8231. TRANSFER LIAISON. (a) Each institution of |
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higher education, using existing resources, shall designate at |
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least one employee of the institution to serve as a single point of |
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contact for other institutions of higher education and the board |
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regarding transfer issues and to act as a liaison officer for |
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current or incoming students at the institution who will transfer |
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into or out of the institution. |
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(b) On a transfer or request to transfer to or from an |
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institution of higher education, the institution's transfer |
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liaison shall provide a current, former, or prospective student, as |
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applicable, with: |
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(1) a complete and current list of the institution's |
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core curriculum applicable to the student; |
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(2) a complete and current list of the institution's |
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field of study curricula that may be applicable to the student; |
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(3) for a receiving institution, a list of courses |
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completed by the student: |
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(A) for which the institution will accept |
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academic credit; and |
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(B) for which the institution proposes to deny |
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academic credit in accordance with Section 61.826, including the |
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procedures for credit transfer dispute required by that section; |
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and |
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(4) any other information required by board rule. |
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(c) On the admission of a transfer student, the receiving |
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institution of higher education's transfer liaison shall assist the |
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student in obtaining a degree audit to determine whether the |
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student's completed coursework satisfies the institution's core |
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curriculum, satisfies a field of study curriculum of the |
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institution, or qualifies the student to be awarded a Texas Direct |
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associate degree under Section 61.834 or any other degree or |
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certificate offered by the institution. |
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(d) The board shall adopt rules necessary to implement this |
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section. |
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SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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academic year. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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