House Study Bill 268
HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
EDUCATION BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON WENDT)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to articulation agreements between public
2 postsecondary institutions.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2352HC 83
5 kh/rj/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 260C.14, Code 2009, is amended by
1 2 adding the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 23. Enter into a collective statewide
1 4 articulation agreement with the state board of regents
1 5 pursuant to section 262.9, subsection 32. The agreement shall
1 6 provide for the creation of a bachelor of applied science
1 7 degree and equivalent recognition for an applied science
1 8 degree offered at the community college level. The
1 9 cooperation of each community college in abiding by the terms
1 10 of the agreement shall be reviewed and considered by the
1 11 general assembly when making the annual appropriation for the
1 12 community college.
1 13 Sec. 2. Section 262.9, Code 2009, is amended by adding the
1 14 following new subsection:
1 15 NEW SUBSECTION. 32. a. In consultation with the state
1 16 board for community colleges established pursuant to section
1 17 260C.3, establish and enter into a collective statewide
1 18 articulation agreement with the community colleges established
1 19 pursuant to chapter 260C. The agreement shall provide for the
1 20 creation of a bachelor of applied science degree and
1 21 equivalent recognition for an applied science degree offered
1 22 at the community college level. An accredited private
1 23 institution as defined in section 261.9 may elect to enter
1 24 into the agreement. The policies and procedures set forth in
1 25 the agreement shall be fully operational at each of the
1 26 institutions of higher education under the board's control by
1 27 July 1, 2010. The articulation agreement shall provide for
1 28 the seamless transfer of academic credits from a completed
1 29 associate of arts or associate of science degree program to a
1 30 baccalaureate degree program offered by the institutions of
1 31 higher education under the board's control, and shall include
1 32 the following:
1 33 (1) A listing of the general education core courses for
1 34 the associate of arts and associate of science degrees.
1 35 (2) Policies and procedures for the seamless transfer and
2 1 application of academic credits from a completed associate
2 2 degree program to a baccalaureate degree program, including a
2 3 guarantee that an associate of arts degree or an associate of
2 4 science degree awarded by a community college established
2 5 pursuant to chapter 260C, shall be fully transferable and
2 6 credited as the first two years of a baccalaureate degree
2 7 program at the institutions of higher education under the
2 8 board's control to which a student is admitted.
2 9 (3) Policies and procedures for the implementation of an
2 10 appeals process for students and institutions to resolve
2 11 disputes regarding the transfer of academic credits.
2 12 (4) Policies and procedures for the annual review and
2 13 updating of the agreement.
2 14 (5) Policies and procedures for the collection of data by
2 15 the board to ensure that its institutions of higher education
2 16 are in compliance with the provisions of this subsection and
2 17 to ensure that the agreement is fostering both a seamless
2 18 transfer process and the academic success of transfer students
2 19 at the board's institutions of higher education. The board
2 20 shall annually determine the data to be collected and shall
2 21 notify each institution in a timely manner of the data to be
2 22 collected.
2 23 b. Direct the institutions of higher education under its
2 24 control to allow for the transfer of up to eighty hours of the
2 25 credits earned by a student who has completed an associate
2 26 degree program prior to transferring into a baccalaureate
2 27 degree program at the institution.
2 28 c. Prepare an annual report summarizing the data collected
2 29 pursuant to paragraph "a", subparagraph (5), and including an
2 30 analysis of the effect of the agreement on the transfer
2 31 process and on the academic success of transfer students at
2 32 the institutions of higher education under its control, and an
2 33 analysis of each institution's compliance with the provisions
2 34 of this subsection. The board shall submit the report to the
2 35 general assembly and the governor by January 15 of each year.
3 1 The cooperation of each institution of higher education under
3 2 the board's control in abiding by the terms of the agreement
3 3 shall be reviewed and considered by the general assembly when
3 4 making the annual appropriation for the institution. However,
3 5 this subsection shall not be construed to require any of the
3 6 institutions of higher education to admit any student or to
3 7 waive its admission standards and application procedures for
3 8 any student.
3 9 d. Prohibit, if the community colleges and the state board
3 10 of regents fail to reach a statewide articulation agreement
3 11 pursuant to this subsection and section 260C.14, subsection
3 12 23, the institutions of higher education under its control
3 13 from limiting the number of vocational=technical or career
3 14 program course credits a community college student who earned
3 15 the credits may transfer to an institution of higher education
3 16 under the board's control.
3 17 EXPLANATION
3 18 This bill relates to articulation between the state's
3 19 postsecondary institutions by directing the boards of
3 20 directors of the community colleges and the state board of
3 21 regents to enter into a collective statewide articulation
3 22 agreement to create a bachelor of applied science degree and
3 23 equivalent recognition for an associate of applied science
3 24 degree offered at the community college level, and by
3 25 requiring the board of regents to direct its universities to
3 26 allow the transfer of up to 80 hours of credit earned as a
3 27 community college student. However, if the community colleges
3 28 and state board of regents fail to reach a statewide
3 29 articulation agreement, the state board of regents shall
3 30 prohibit its universities from capping the
3 31 vocational=technical or career credits a community college
3 32 student may transfer to a regents university.
3 33 The agreement must include a listing of the general
3 34 education core courses for the associate degrees; a guarantee
3 35 that an associate degree awarded by a community college is
4 1 fully transferable; policies and procedures for an appeals
4 2 process for students and institutions to resolve academic
4 3 credit transfer disputes; the annual review and updating of
4 4 the agreement; and the collection of data by the state board
4 5 of regents to ensure compliance and to ensure that the
4 6 agreement is fostering both a seamless transfer process and
4 7 the academic success of transfer students at the regents
4 8 universities.
4 9 LSB 2352HC 83
4 10 kh/rj/14