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AN ACT
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relating to authorizing certain public junior colleges to offer |
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baccalaureate degree programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 130.0012, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 130.0012. [PILOT PROJECT:] BACCALAUREATE DEGREE |
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PROGRAMS. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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authorize [establish a pilot project to examine the feasibility and
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effectiveness of authorizing] public junior colleges to offer |
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baccalaureate degree programs in the fields of applied science and |
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applied technology under this section. Offering a baccalaureate |
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degree program under this section [Participation in the pilot
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project] does not otherwise alter the role and mission of a public |
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junior college. |
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(b) The coordinating board shall authorize baccalaureate |
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degree programs [operate the pilot project] at each [three] public |
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junior college that previously participated in a pilot project to |
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offer baccalaureate degree programs [colleges, as determined by the
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coordinating board]. |
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(c) A public junior college offering a baccalaureate degree |
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program under this section [participating in the pilot project] |
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must meet all applicable accreditation requirements of the |
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Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and |
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Schools. |
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(d) A public junior college offering a baccalaureate degree |
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program under this section [participating in the pilot project] may |
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not offer more than five baccalaureate degree programs [under the
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project] at any time. The degree programs are subject to the |
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continuing approval of the coordinating board. |
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(e) In determining what baccalaureate degree programs are |
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to be offered, [the junior college and] the coordinating board |
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shall consider: |
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(1) the need for the degree programs in the region |
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served by the junior college; |
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(2) how those degree programs would complement the |
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other programs and course offerings of the junior college; |
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(3) whether those degree programs would unnecessarily |
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duplicate the degree programs offered by other institutions of |
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higher education; and |
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(4) the ability of the junior college to support the |
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program and the adequacy of the junior college's facilities, |
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faculty, administration, libraries, and other resources. |
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(f) [(e)] Each public junior college that offers a |
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baccalaureate degree program under this section [the pilot project] |
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must enter into an articulation agreement with one or more general |
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academic teaching institutions to ensure that students enrolled in |
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the degree program have an opportunity to complete the degree if the |
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public junior college ceases to offer the degree program. The |
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coordinating board may require a general academic teaching |
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institution that offers a comparable degree program to enter into |
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an articulation agreement with the public junior college as |
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provided by this subsection. |
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(g) [(f)] In its recommendations to the legislature |
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relating to state funding for public junior colleges, the |
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coordinating board shall recommend that a public junior college |
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receive substantially the same state support for junior-level and |
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senior-level courses offered under this section [the pilot project] |
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as that provided to a general academic teaching institution for |
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substantially similar courses. In determining the contact hours |
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attributable to students enrolled in a junior-level or senior-level |
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course offered under this section [the pilot project] used to |
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determine a public junior college's proportionate share of state |
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appropriations under Section 130.003, the coordinating board shall |
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weigh those contact hours as necessary to provide the junior |
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college the appropriate level of state support to the extent state |
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funds for those courses are included in the appropriations. This |
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subsection does not prohibit the legislature from directly |
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appropriating state funds to support junior-level and senior-level |
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courses offered under this section [the pilot project]. |
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(h) [(g)] Each public junior college offering a |
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baccalaureate degree program under this section [participating in
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the pilot project] shall prepare a biennial report on the operation |
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and effectiveness of the junior college's baccalaureate degree |
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programs [offered under the project] and shall deliver a copy of the |
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report to the coordinating board in the form and at the time |
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determined by the coordinating board. |
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[(h)
Not later than January 1, 2009, the coordinating board
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shall prepare a progress report on the pilot project. Not later
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than January 1, 2011, the coordinating board shall prepare a report
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on the effectiveness of the pilot project, including any
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recommendations for legislative action regarding the offering of
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baccalaureate degree programs by public junior colleges. The
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coordinating board shall deliver a copy of each report to the
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governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
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representatives, and the chair of the standing committee of each
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house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher
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education]. |
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[(i)
Unless the authority to continue offering the
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baccalaureate degree programs is continued by the legislature, a
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public junior college may not:
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[(1)
enroll a new student in a baccalaureate degree
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program under the pilot project after the 2011 fall semester;
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[(2)
offer junior-level or senior-level courses for
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those degree programs after the 2015 fall semester, unless the
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coordinating board authorizes the college to offer those courses;
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or
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[(3)
award a baccalaureate degree under the pilot
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project after the 2015 fall semester, unless the coordinating board
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approves the awarding of the degree.] |
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(j) The coordinating board shall prescribe procedures to |
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ensure that each public junior college that offers a degree program |
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under this section [the pilot project] informs each student who |
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enrolls in the degree program of[:
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[(1)
the nature of the pilot project, including the
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limited duration of the project; and
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[(2)] the articulation agreement entered into under |
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Subsection (f) [(e)] for the student's degree program. |
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[(k) This section expires January 1, 2020.] |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2198 was passed by the House on April |
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17, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 131, Nays 2, 2 present, not |
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voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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No. 2198 on May 25, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, |
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2 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2198 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 23, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays |
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0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |