97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB0059

 

Introduced 1/27/2011, by Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
30 ILCS 805/8.35 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 of 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,
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    "Community college" means a public community college in
8this 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 2012-2013 academic
12year, a community college student who earns an associate degree
13for transfer granted pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section
14is deemed eligible for transfer into the baccalaureate program
15of a State university if the student meets both of the
16following 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
5college district shall develop and grant associate degrees for
6transfer that meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this
7Section. A community college district may not impose any
8requirements in addition to the requirements of this Section
9for a student to be eligible for an associate degree for
10transfer and subsequent admission to a State university
11pursuant to Section 15 of this Act.
12    (c) The General Assembly encourages a community college
13district to consider the articulation agreements and other work
14between the respective faculties from the affected community
15college and State universities in implementing the
16requirements of this Section.
17    (d) The General Assembly encourages community colleges to
18facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community
19colleges toward an associate degree for transfer pursuant to
20this Section.
21    (e) This Section does not preclude students who are
22assessed below collegiate level from acquiring remedial
23noncollegiate level coursework in preparation for obtaining an
24associate degree for transfer. Remedial noncollegiate level
25coursework must not be counted as part of the transferable
26units required pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of

 

 

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1this Section.
 
2    Section 15. Admission to a State university.
3Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a
4State university shall guarantee admission with junior status
5to any community college student who meets all of the
6requirements of Section 10 of this Act. Admission to a State
7university, as provided under this Act, does not guarantee
8admission for specific majors or campuses. Notwithstanding any
9other provision of law to the contrary, a State university
10shall grant a local community college student priority
11admission and admission to a program or major that is similar
12to his or her community college major or area of emphasis, as
13determined by the State university. A student admitted under
14this Act shall receive priority over all other community
15college transfer students, excluding community college
16students who have entered into a transfer agreement with the
17community college and a State university prior to the fall term
18of the 2013-2014 academic year.
 
19    Section 20. Coursework.
20    (a) A State university may require a student transferring
21pursuant to this Act to take additional courses at the State
22university so long as the student is not required to take any
23more than 60 additional semester units or 90 quarter units at
24the State university for majors requiring 120 semester units or

 

 

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1180 quarter units. Specified high unit majors are exempt from
2this subsection (a) upon agreement by the board of trustees of
3the State university and the Illinois Community College Board.
4    (b) Community college transfer units are not applicable to
5upper division requirements at a State university, unless
6agreed upon by the board of trustees of that State university
7and the Illinois Community College Board and the transferred
8units do not exceed the required 60 semester units or 90
9quarter units required pursuant to subdivision (1) of
10subsection (a) of Section 10 of this Act.
11    (c) A State university may not require students
12transferring pursuant to this Act to repeat courses that are
13similar to those taken at the community college that counted
14toward an associate degree for transfer granted pursuant to
15Section 10 of this Act.
 
16    Section 25. Board of Higher Education reviews and reports.
17    (a) The Board of Higher Education shall review the
18implementation of this Act and file a report on that review
19with the General Assembly on or before May 31, 2013, as
20provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization
21Act.
22    (b) The Board of Higher Education shall review both of the
23following and file a report on that review with the General
24Assembly within 4 years after the effective date of this Act,
25as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization

 

 

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1Act:
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
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 8.35 as follows:
 
18    (30 ILCS 805/8.35 new)
19    Sec. 8.35. 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.