97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5786

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. Kay Hatcher

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
30 ILCS 805/8.36 new

    Creates the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act. Provides that, commencing with the fall term of the 2014-2015 academic year, a community college student who enrolls in and subsequently earns an associate degree for transfer granted pursuant to the Act is deemed eligible for transfer into the baccalaureate program of a State university and must be considered to have fulfilled all lower division coursework in the major field of study. Requires each community college district to ensure that associate degrees for transfer adhere to the degree models under rules of the Illinois Community College Board, which shall include specific lower division courses in the major field of study that are comparable to the lower division courses in the major field of study at State universities, as agreed to by the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board. Requires a State university to guarantee junior status to any community college student who is admitted under the provisions of the Act. 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,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Associate degree for transfer" means an associate of arts
8or associate of science degree, as defined in rules of the
9Illinois Community College Board.
10    "Community college" means a public community college in
11this State.
12    "State university" means a public university in this State.
 
13    Section 10. Associate degree for transfer.
14    (a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2014-2015 academic
15year, a community college student who enrolls in and
16subsequently earns an associate degree for transfer granted
17pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section is deemed eligible
18for transfer into the baccalaureate program of a State
19university and must be considered to have fulfilled all lower
20division coursework in the major field of study. While a
21student may apply for admission in the semester during which
22coursework for the associate degree will be completed, timely

 

 

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1completion of the degree is a condition of transfer under the
2provisions of this Act.
3    (b) Each community college district shall ensure that
4associate degrees for transfer adhere to the degree models
5under rules of the Illinois Community College Board, which
6shall include specific lower division courses in the major
7field of study that are comparable to the lower division
8courses in the major field of study at State universities, as
9agreed to by the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois
10Community College Board.
11    (c) The General Assembly encourages the Illinois Community
12College Board and the Board of Higher Education to make use of
13the Illinois Articulation Initiative major directives process
14to inform the development of the models referenced in
15subsection (b) of this Section.
16    (d) The General Assembly encourages community college
17districts to consider the articulation agreements and other
18work between the respective faculties from the affected
19community college and State universities in implementing the
20requirements of this Section.
21    (e) The General Assembly encourages community colleges to
22facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community
23colleges and from lower division courses completed at 4-year
24colleges and universities toward an associate degree for
25transfer pursuant to this Section.
26    (f) This Section does not preclude students who are

 

 

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1assessed below collegiate level from acquiring developmental
2coursework in preparation for obtaining an associate degree for
3transfer. Developmental coursework must not be counted as part
4of the transferable units required pursuant to subsection (b)
5of this Section.
 
6    Section 15. Admission to a State university.
7Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, a
8State university shall guarantee junior status to any community
9college student who is admitted under the provisions of this
10Act. Admission to a State university, as provided under this
11Act, does not guarantee admission to specific programs or
12specific majors.
 
13    Section 20. Coursework. A State university may require a
14student transferring pursuant to this Act to take additional
15courses at the State university so long as the student is not
16required to take more semester hours or the equivalent number
17of quarter hours, in combination with the associate degree for
18transfer and the baccalaureate degree, than would otherwise be
19required of a student native to that university in completing
20the baccalaureate degree. A minimum of 60 semester credit
21hours, or the equivalent number of quarter hours, taken at the
22community college must be counted toward the total minimum
23number of hours required for the baccalaureate degree. A State
24university may not require students transferring pursuant to

 

 

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1this Act to repeat courses that are similar to those taken at
2the community college that counted toward an associate degree
3for transfer granted pursuant to Section 10 of this Act,
4regardless of whether the credits earned and the courses
5required were offered at a different level. Pursuant to
6subsection (b) of Section 10 of this Act, a State university
7may not require individual review of lower division course
8equivalencies in the major by respective institutions.
 
9    Section 25. Board of Higher Education reviews and reports.
10    (a) The Board of Higher Education shall review the
11implementation of this Act and file a report on that review
12with the General Assembly on or before May 31, 2016, as
13provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization
14Act.
15    (b) The Board of Higher Education shall review both of the
16following and file a report on that review with the General
17Assembly within 4 years after the effective date of this Act,
18as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization
19Act:
20        (1) The outcomes of implementation of this Act,
21    including, but not limited to, all of the following:
22            (A) The number and percentage of community college
23        students who earned an associate degree for transfer.
24            (B) The number and percentage of community college
25        students who earned an associate degree for transfer

 

 

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1        and subsequently transferred to a State university.
2            (C) The number and percentage of community college
3        students who earned an associate degree for transfer
4        and earned a baccalaureate degree from a State
5        university pursuant to this Act.
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
10of the General Assembly that the requirements placed on
11community college districts pursuant to this Act be carried out
12in the normal course of program development and approval,
13course scheduling, and degree issuance and do not represent any
14new activities or a higher level of service on the part of
15community college districts.
 
16    Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
17Section 8.36 as follows:
 
18    (30 ILCS 805/8.36 new)
19    Sec. 8.36. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8
20of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
21implementation of any mandate created by the Student Transfer
22Achievement Reform Act.