HF 435 (LSB 1245YH (2) 87)

HOUSE FILE 435

BY  GRASSLEY

A BILL FOR

An Act requiring public and private postsecondary educational institutions to compile and make available graduate outcomes reports and including applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  260C.33  Graduate outcomes report —— salary and job placement disclosure.
   1.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
   a.  “Graduates available for employment” means the number of graduates minus the number of graduates unavailable for employment.
   b.  “Graduates employed in the field” means graduates who are gainfully employed in a single position for which the institution represents the program prepares its graduates, beginning within six months after a student completes the applicable degree or certificate program. For occupations for which the state requires passing an examination, the period of employment shall begin within six months of the announcement of the examination results for the first examination available after a student completes an applicable educational program.
   c.  “Graduates unavailable for employment” means graduates who, after graduation, die, become incarcerated, are called to active military duty, are international students who leave the United States or do not have a visa allowing employment in the United States, or are enrolled at an accredited postsecondary institution.
   2.  Each community college shall annually compile and make electronically accessible to each enrolled student a graduate outcomes report that includes data on the employment of and salaries earned by graduates of each degree or certificate program the community college offered during the prior school year.
   3.  The graduate outcomes report shall include, at a minimum, the following:
   a.  The job placement rate, calculated by dividing the number of graduates employed in the field by the number of graduates available for employment for each program that is either designed or advertised to lead to a particular career or which is advertised or promoted with any claim regarding job placement. 
   b.  Salary and wage information, consisting of the total number of graduates employed in the field and the annual wages or salaries of those graduates stated in increments of five thousand dollars.
   4.  Each community college shall maintain each year’s graduate outcomes report and make it electronically accessible to the public for not less than five years from the date of the publication of the rates and information.
    Sec. 2.  Section 261.2, subsection 10, Code 2017, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  c.  The institutions make electronically accessible to each enrolled student a graduate outcomes report, which shall include data on the employment of and salaries earned by graduates of each degree and certificate program the institution offered during the prior school year, and shall be compiled annually in the same manner as prescribed for community colleges in section 260C.33. The institutions shall retain each year’s graduate outcomes report and make the report electronically accessible to the public for not less than five years from the date of the publication of the rates and information.
    Sec. 3.  Section 262.9, Code 2017, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  39.  Require each institution of higher education to compile and make electronically accessible to each enrolled student a graduate outcomes report. The graduate outcomes report shall include data on the employment of and salaries earned by graduates of each degree and certificate program the institution offered during the prior school year, and shall be annually compiled in the same manner as prescribed for community colleges in section 260C.33. Each institution shall retain each year’s graduate outcomes report and make the report electronically accessible to the public for not less than five years from the date of the publication of the rates and information.
    Sec. 4.  APPLICABILITY.  The provisions of this Act relating to electronic accessibility by students to graduate outcomes reports is applicable for school years beginning on or after July 1, 2018.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill requires each community college, accredited private institution, and regents university to annually compile and make electronically accessible to each enrolled student a graduate outcomes report that includes data on the employment of and salaries earned by graduates of each degree or certificate program the public or private postsecondary educational institution offered during the prior school year.
   The graduate outcomes report must include, at a minimum, the job placement rate and salary and wage information consisting of the total number of graduates employed in the field and the annual wages or salaries of those graduates stated in increments of $5,000.
   Under the bill, “graduates available for employment” is the number of graduates minus the number of graduates who are unavailable for employment due to death, incarceration, active military duty, departure from the United States, or enrollment at an accredited postsecondary institution. “Graduates employed in the field” are graduates who are gainfully employed in a single position for which the institution represents the program prepares its graduates, beginning within six months after a student completes the applicable degree or certificate program. For occupations for which the state requires passing an examination, the period of employment shall begin within six months of the announcement of the examination results for the first examination available after a student completes an applicable educational program.
   Each report must be retained by the institution and electronically accessible to the public for five years from the date of the publication of the rates and information.
   The provisions of the bill relating to electronic accessibility by students to graduate outcomes reports is applicable for school years beginning on or after July 1, 2018.