99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2015 and 2016 SB0806

Introduced 2/5/2015, by Sen. Dan Kotowski

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

`New Act`
`30 ILCS 805/8.39 new`

Creates the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act. Provides that a public community college student who earns an associate degree for transfer granted pursuant to the Act is deemed eligible for transfer into the baccalaureate program of a State university if the student (1) completes 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to a State university and (2) obtains a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Requires a community college district to develop and grant associate degrees for transfer that meet the requirements of the Act. Requires a State university to guarantee admission with junior status to any community college student who meets all of the requirements of the Act. Provides that a State university shall grant a local community college student priority admission and admission to a program or major that is similar to his or her community college major or area of emphasis. Provides that a student admitted under the Act shall receive priority over all other community college transfer students. Sets forth provisions concerning coursework, reviews and reports by the Board of Higher Education, and implementation of the Act. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.

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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

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1 AN ACT concerning education.

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

3 represented in the General Assembly:

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

5 Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.

6 Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

7 "Community college" means a public community college in

8 this State.

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

10 Section 10. Associate degree for transfer.

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

12 year, a community college student who earns an associate degree

13 for transfer granted pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section

14 is deemed eligible for transfer into the baccalaureate program

15 of a State university if the student meets both of the

16 following requirements:

17 (1) Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units

18 that are eligible for transfer to a State university,

19 including both of the following:

20 (A) The General Education Core Curriculum.

21 (B) A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter

22 units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by

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1 the community college district.

2 (2) Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0

3 on a 4.0 scale.

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

5 college district shall develop and grant associate degrees for

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

7 Section. A community college district may not impose any

8 requirements in addition to the requirements of this Section

9 for a student to be eligible for an associate degree for

10 transfer and subsequent admission to a State university

11 pursuant to Section 15 of this Act.

12 (c) The General Assembly encourages a community college

13 district to consider the articulation agreements and other work

14 between the respective faculties from the affected community

15 college and State universities in implementing the

16 requirements of this Section.

17 (d) The General Assembly encourages community colleges to

18 facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community

19 colleges toward an associate degree for transfer pursuant to

20 this Section.

21 (e) This Section does not preclude students who are

22 assessed below collegiate level from acquiring remedial

23 noncollegiate level coursework in preparation for obtaining an

24 associate degree for transfer. Remedial noncollegiate level

25 coursework must not be counted as part of the transferable

26 units required pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of

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1 this Section.

2 Section 15. Admission to a State university.

3 Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a

4 State university shall guarantee admission with junior status

5 to any community college student who meets all of the

6 requirements of Section 10 of this Act. Admission to a State

7 university, as provided under this Act, does not guarantee

8 admission for specific majors or campuses. Notwithstanding any

9 other provision of law to the contrary, a State university

10 shall grant a local community college student priority

11 admission and admission to a program or major that is similar

12 to his or her community college major or area of emphasis, as

13 determined by the State university. A student admitted under

14 this Act shall receive priority over all other community

15 college transfer students, excluding community college

16 students who have entered into a transfer agreement with the

17 community college and a State university prior to the fall term

18 of the 2017-2018 academic year.

19 Section 20. Coursework.

20 (a) A State university may require a student transferring

21 pursuant to this Act to take additional courses at the State

22 university so long as the student is not required to take any

23 more than 60 additional semester units or 90 quarter units at

24 the State university for majors requiring 120 semester units or

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1 180 quarter units. Specified high unit majors are exempt from

2 this subsection (a) upon agreement by the board of trustees of

3 the State university and the Illinois Community College Board.

4 (b) Community college transfer units are not applicable to

5 upper division requirements at a State university, unless

6 agreed upon by the board of trustees of that State university

7 and the Illinois Community College Board and the transferred

8 units do not exceed the required 60 semester units or 90

9 quarter units required pursuant to subdivision (1) of

10 subsection (a) of Section 10 of this Act.

11 (c) A State university may not require students

12 transferring pursuant to this Act to repeat courses that are

13 similar to those taken at the community college that counted

14 toward an associate degree for transfer granted pursuant to

15 Section 10 of this Act.

16 Section 25. Board of Higher Education reviews and reports.

17 (a) The Board of Higher Education shall review the

18 implementation of this Act and file a report on that review

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

20 provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization

21 Act.

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

23 following and file a report on that review with the General

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

25 as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization

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1 Act:

2 (1) The outcomes of implementation of this Act,

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

4 (A) The number and percentage of community college

5 students who transferred to a State university and

6 earned an associate degree for transfer pursuant to

7 this Act.

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

9 community college student earning an associate degree

10 for transfer pursuant to this Act to transfer to and

11 graduate from a State university, as compared to the

12 average amount of time and units it took community

13 college transfer students prior to the implementation

14 of this Act and compared to students using other

15 transfer processes available.

16 (C) Student progression and completion rates.

17 (D) Other relevant indicators of student success.

18 (E) The degree to which the requirements for an

19 associate degree for transfer take into account

20 existing articulation agreements and the degree to

21 which community colleges facilitate the acceptance of

22 credits between community college districts, as

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

24 this Act.

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

26 student outcome data provided under this subsection

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1 (b) include the degree to which State universities were

2 able to accommodate students admitted under this Act in

3 being admitted to the State university of their choice

4 and in a major that is similar to their community

5 college major.

6 (2) Recommendations for statutory changes necessary to

7 facilitate the goal of a clear and transparent transfer

8 process.

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

10 of the General Assembly that the requirements placed on

11 community college districts pursuant to this Act be carried out

12 in the normal course of program development and approval,

13 course scheduling, and degree issuance and do not represent any

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

15 community college districts.

16 Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding

17 Section 8.39 as follows:

18 (30 ILCS 805/8.39 new)

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

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

21 implementation of any mandate created by the Student Transfer

22 Achievement Reform Act.