Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

Filed: 5/3/2011

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 59

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 59, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
6Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.
 
7    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
8    "Associate degree for transfer" means an associate of arts
9or associate of science degree, as defined in rules of the
10Illinois Community College Board.
11    "Community college" means a public community college in
12this State.
13    "State university" means a public university in this State.
 
14    Section 10. Associate degree for transfer.
15    (a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2013-2014 academic

 

 

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1year, a community college student who enrolls in and
2subsequently earns an associate degree for transfer granted
3pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section is deemed eligible
4for transfer into the baccalaureate program of a State
5university and must be considered to have fulfilled all lower
6division coursework in the major field of study. While a
7student may apply for admission in the semester during which
8coursework for the associate degree will be completed, timely
9completion of the degree is a condition of transfer under the
10provisions of this Act.
11    (b) Each community college district shall ensure that
12associate degrees for transfer adhere to the degree models
13under rules of the Illinois Community College Board, which
14shall include specific lower division courses in the major
15field of study that are comparable to the lower division
16courses in the major field of study at State universities, as
17agreed to by the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois
18Community College Board.
19    (c) The General Assembly encourages the Illinois Community
20College Board and the Board of Higher Education to make use of
21the Illinois Articulation Initiative major directives process
22to inform the development of the models referenced in
23subsection (b) of this Section.
24    (d) The General Assembly encourages community college
25districts to consider the articulation agreements and other
26work between the respective faculties from the affected

 

 

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1community college and State universities in implementing the
2requirements of this Section.
3    (e) The General Assembly encourages community colleges to
4facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community
5colleges and from lower division courses completed at 4-year
6colleges and universities toward an associate degree for
7transfer pursuant to this Section.
8    (f) This Section does not preclude students who are
9assessed below collegiate level from acquiring developmental
10coursework in preparation for obtaining an associate degree for
11transfer. Developmental coursework must not be counted as part
12of the transferable units required pursuant to subsection (b)
13of this Section.
 
14    Section 15. Admission to a State university.
15Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, a
16State university shall guarantee junior status to any community
17college student who is admitted under the provisions of this
18Act. Admission to a State university, as provided under this
19Act, does not guarantee admission to specific programs or
20specific majors.
 
21    Section 20. Coursework. A State university may require a
22student transferring pursuant to this Act to take additional
23courses at the State university so long as the student is not
24required to take more semester hours or the equivalent number

 

 

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1of quarter hours, in combination with the associate degree for
2transfer and the baccalaureate degree, than would otherwise be
3required of a student native to that university in completing
4the baccalaureate degree. A minimum of 60 semester credit
5hours, or the equivalent number of quarter hours, taken at the
6community college must be counted toward the total minimum
7number of hours required for the baccalaureate degree. A State
8university may not require students transferring pursuant to
9this Act to repeat courses that are similar to those taken at
10the community college that counted toward an associate degree
11for transfer granted pursuant to Section 10 of this Act,
12regardless of whether the credits earned and the courses
13required were offered at a different level. Pursuant to
14subsection (b) of Section 10 of this Act, a State university
15may not require individual review of lower division course
16equivalencies in the major by respective institutions.
 
17    Section 25. Board of Higher Education reviews and reports.
18    (a) The Board of Higher Education shall review the
19implementation of this Act and file a report on that review
20with the General Assembly on or before May 31, 2015, as
21provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization
22Act.
23    (b) The Board of Higher Education shall review both of the
24following and file a report on that review with the General
25Assembly within 4 years after the effective date of this Act,

 

 

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1as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization
2Act:
3        (1) The outcomes of implementation of this Act,
4    including, but not limited to, all of the following:
5            (A) The number and percentage of community college
6        students who earned an associate degree for transfer.
7            (B) The number and percentage of community college
8        students who earned an associate degree for transfer
9        and subsequently transferred to a State university.
10            (C) The number and percentage of community college
11        students who earned an associate degree for transfer
12        and earned a baccalaureate degree from a State
13        university pursuant to this Act.
14        (2) Recommendations for statutory changes necessary to
15    facilitate the goal of a clear and transparent transfer
16    process.
 
17    Section 30. Implementation of Act; intent. It is the intent
18of the General Assembly that the requirements placed on
19community college districts pursuant to this Act be carried out
20in the normal course of program development and approval,
21course scheduling, and degree issuance and do not represent any
22new activities or a higher level of service on the part of
23community college districts.
 
24    Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding

 

 

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1Section 8.35 as follows:
 
2    (30 ILCS 805/8.35 new)
3    Sec. 8.35. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8
4of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
5implementation of any mandate created by the Student Transfer
6Achievement Reform Act.".