Public Act 099-0316

SB0806 Enrolled LRB099 07828 NHT 27963 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the

Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Community college" means a public community college in

this State.

"State university" means a public university in this State.

Section 10. Associate degree for transfer.

(a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2016-2017 academic

year, a community college student who earns an associate degree

for transfer, an Associate of Arts, or an Associate of Science

that is consistent with degree requirements of the Illinois

Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education and

aligned with the policies and procedures of the Illinois

Articulation Initiative, granted pursuant to subsection (b) of

this Section is deemed eligible for transfer into the

baccalaureate program of a State university if the student

meets the requirements of the transfer degree and

major-specific prerequisites and obtains a minimum grade point

average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

(b) As a condition of receipt of State funds, a community

college district shall develop and grant associate degrees for

transfer that meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this

Section. A community college district may not impose any

requirements in addition to the requirements of this Section

for a student to be eligible for an associate degree for

transfer and subsequent admission to a State university

pursuant to Section 15 of this Act without the approval of the

Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher

Education.

(c) The General Assembly encourages a community college

district to consider the articulation agreements and other work

between the respective faculties from the affected community

college and State universities in implementing the

requirements of this Section.

(d) The General Assembly encourages community colleges to

facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community

colleges toward an associate degree for transfer pursuant to

this Section.

(e) This Section does not preclude students who are

assessed below collegiate level from acquiring remedial

noncollegiate level coursework in preparation for obtaining an

associate degree for transfer. Remedial noncollegiate level

coursework and all other non-transfer coursework must not be

counted as part of the transferable units required pursuant to

subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this Section.

Section 15. Admission to a State university.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a

State university shall admit and grant junior status in a

program, subject to available program capacity, to any Illinois

community college student who:

(1) meets all of the requirements of Section 10 of this

Act;

(2) has completed all lower-division prerequisites;

and

(3) meets the admission requirements of the State

university's program or major.

Section 20. Coursework.

(a) A State university may not require a student

transferring pursuant to this Act to take more than 60

additional semester units beyond the lower-division major

requirements for majors requiring 120 semester units, provided

that the student remains enrolled in the same program of study

and has completed university major transfer requirements.

Specified high unit majors are exempt from this subsection (a)

upon agreement by the board of trustees of the State university

and the Board of Higher Education.

(b) A State university may not require students

transferring pursuant to this Act to repeat courses that are

articulated with those taken at the community college and

counted toward an associate degree for transfer granted

pursuant to Section 10 of this Act.

(c) The General Assembly encourages State universities to

facilitate the seamless transfer of credits toward a

baccalaureate degree pursuant to the intent of this Act.

Section 25. Board of Higher Education reviews and reports.

(a) The Board of Higher Education shall review the

implementation of this Act and file a report on that review

with the General Assembly on or before May 31, 2017, as

provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization

Act.

(b) The Board of Higher Education shall review both of the

following and file a report on that review with the General

Assembly within 4 years after the effective date of this Act,

as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization

Act:

(1) The outcomes of implementation of this Act,

including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(A) The number and percentage of community college

students who transferred to a State university and

earned an associate degree for transfer pursuant to

this Act.

(B) The average amount of time and units it takes a

community college student earning an associate degree

for transfer pursuant to this Act to transfer to and

graduate from a State university, as compared to the

average amount of time and units it took community

college transfer students prior to the implementation

of this Act and compared to students using other

transfer processes available.

(C) Student progression and completion rates.

(D) Other relevant indicators of student success.

(E) The degree to which the requirements for an

associate degree for transfer take into account

existing articulation agreements and the degree to

which community colleges facilitate the acceptance of

credits between community college districts, as

outlined in subsections (c) and (d) of Section 10 of

this Act.

(F) It is the intent of the General Assembly that

student outcome data provided under this subsection

(b) include the degree to which State universities were

able to accommodate students admitted under this Act in

being admitted to the State university of their choice

and in a major that is similar to their community

college major.

(2) Recommendations for statutory changes necessary to

facilitate the goal of a clear and transparent transfer

process.

Section 30. Implementation of Act; intent. It is the intent

of the General Assembly that the requirements placed on

community college districts pursuant to this Act be carried out

in the normal course of program development and approval,

course scheduling, and degree issuance and do not represent any

new activities or a higher level of service on the part of

community college districts.

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding

Section 8.39 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.39 new)

Sec. 8.39. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8

of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the

implementation of any mandate created by the Student Transfer

Achievement Reform Act.