By: West, Barrientos, Bivins S.B. No. 1419
Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to certain admissions and reporting procedures for certain
1-2 institutions of higher education.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-5 Subchapter S to read as follows:
1-6 SUBCHAPTER S. UNIFORM ADMISSION POLICY
1-7 Sec. 51.801. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "general
1-8 academic teaching institution" and "medical and dental unit" have
1-9 the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
1-10 Sec. 51.802. ADMISSION POLICIES. A general academic
1-11 teaching institution shall admit first-time freshmen students for
1-12 each semester under the provisions of this subchapter.
1-13 Sec. 51.803. ADMISSION CATEGORIES. (a) Except as otherwise
1-14 provided by this section, each general academic teaching
1-15 institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the
1-16 institution as an undergraduate student only under one of the
1-17 categories for admission described by this section.
1-18 (b) Up to fifty percent of all offers made by an institution
1-19 for admission to the institution may be made to applicants selected
1-20 under an admissions policy that takes into consideration the
1-21 applicant's academic class standing in the applicant's high school
2-1 graduating class, the applicant's standardized test scores, and
2-2 other indices traditionally used by institutions in admitting
2-3 applicants.
2-4 (c) An applicant is automatically eligible for admission to
2-5 an institution under Subsection (b) of this section if the
2-6 applicant graduated from a public or private high school in this
2-7 state accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization
2-8 with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the high
2-9 school's graduating class if the applicant also:
2-10 (1) graduated from high school in the same year the
2-11 application was filed or expects to graduate from high school
2-12 within one year after the application is filed;
2-13 (2) submitted the application before expiration of
2-14 application filing deadlines published by the institution; and
2-15 (3) completed high school credit requirements
2-16 published by the institution.
2-17 An institution may offer admission to a student described in
2-18 this subsection in either the fall or spring semester or summer
2-19 session of the institution. An institution is not required to make
2-20 offers of admission to students described in this subsection in an
2-21 amount exceeding fifty percent of the offers of admission made by
2-22 the institution as prescribed in Subsection (b) of this section.
2-23 (d) At least forty percent of all offers made by an
2-24 institution for admission to the institution shall be made to
2-25 applicants selected under an admissions policy that, in addition to
3-1 the applicant's academic class standing, takes into consideration
3-2 the following economic or educational factors and gives equal
3-3 weight to each factor:
3-4 (1) the socioeconomic background of the applicant,
3-5 including the percentage by which the applicant's family is below a
3-6 generally recognized measure of poverty;
3-7 (2) whether the applicant's parents have received
3-8 baccalaureate degrees;
3-9 (3) whether the applicant is bilingual;
3-10 (4) whether the high school the applicant attended was
3-11 a low-performing campus as determined by Section 39.131(b);
3-12 (5) whether the applicant has demonstrated
3-13 responsibility in the applicant's work in school, within the
3-14 applicant's family, or within the applicant's community, including
3-15 whether the applicant has been employed while in high school or
3-16 postsecondary school or whether the applicant has performed
3-17 substantial child-care duties or has helped to raise children while
3-18 in high school or postsecondary school;
3-19 (6) whether the applicant is a resident of a
3-20 geographic region of the state in which recognized socioeconomic
3-21 indicators are lower than the average for other regions of the
3-22 state;
3-23 (7) whether the applicant is a resident of an urban
3-24 area or a rural area for which recognized socioeconomic indicators
3-25 are lower than average for similar areas;
4-1 (8) the applicant's performance on standardized tests;
4-2 (9) the applicant's performance on standardized tests
4-3 in comparison with that of other students from similar
4-4 socioeconomic background; and
4-5 (10) other factors determined by the institution to be
4-6 satisfactory indicators of the probability of success at the
4-7 institution.
4-8 (e) Up to 10 percent of all offers made by an institution
4-9 for admission to the institution may be made to applicants selected
4-10 under an admissions policy that takes into consideration the
4-11 institution's desire to admit applicants who show a potential to
4-12 succeed, who will contribute to the academic community at the
4-13 institution, or who the institution determines can help the
4-14 institution further its mission or help the state meet the
4-15 challenges it faces in the future. In addition to other methods of
4-16 selection, the institution may utilize personal interviews in
4-17 determining which applicants will be offered admission under this
4-18 subsection.
4-19 (f) Each general academic teaching institution shall publish
4-20 in its catalogue and have available for the public a copy of its
4-21 admission policy adopted under this subchapter.
4-22 (g) This section does not apply to an institution that:
4-23 (1) accepts as many students as apply;
4-24 (2) requires only high school graduation or passage of
4-25 the General Educational Development examination for admission;
5-1 (3) has the requirement in Subdivision (2) and
5-2 recommends, but does not require, the completion of certain high
5-3 school credits; or
5-4 (4) has the requirement in Subdivision (2), makes the
5-5 recommendation in Subdivision (3), and automatically admits
5-6 students in the upper two or three quartiles of a high school
5-7 graduating class, with minimum test scores for students in the
5-8 lowest one or two quartiles.
5-9 Sec. 51.804. REPORT TO COORDINATING BOARD. Each general
5-10 academic teaching institution shall provide an annual report to the
5-11 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board describing the
5-12 composition of freshman students admitted under this subchapter.
5-13 The Coordinating Board shall establish reporting requirements under
5-14 this section that includes, in addition to other information
5-15 considered relevant by the Board, a demographic breakdown by race,
5-16 gender and the economic and educational factors listed in Section
5-17 51.803(d) of both applicants and those admitted to each
5-18 institution.
5-19 Sec. 51.805. RULEMAKING. The Texas Higher Education
5-20 Coordinating Board may adopt rules relating to admissions policies
5-21 and procedures under this subchapter.
5-22 Sec. 51.806. ENRICHMENT AND RETENTION PROGRAMS. (a) The
5-23 institution shall evaluate each applicant to determine if the
5-24 applicant will benefit from participation in an enrichment or
5-25 retention program.
6-1 (b) An institution shall develop enrichment and retention
6-2 programs for students. Such programs may include, but are not
6-3 limited to, course-based programs, individual counseling, peer
6-4 counseling, tutoring, mentoring, summer pre-admission, or self-help
6-5 programs.
6-6 Sec. 51.807. OUTREACH PROGRAMS. Each institution of higher
6-7 education shall develop programs designed to expand outreach
6-8 efforts to middle schools and high schools in order to increase the
6-9 number of high school students who are prepared to pursue higher
6-10 education.
6-11 Sec. 51.808. TRANSFER STUDENTS. Each general academic
6-12 teaching institution shall adopt a written policy for the admission
6-13 of undergraduate transfer students to the institution.
6-14 Sec. 51.809. GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS. Each
6-15 general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit
6-16 that offers admission to a graduate or postgraduate program,
6-17 including a graduate or postgraduate professional program, shall
6-18 adopt a written admission policy for the program describing the
6-19 factors considered by the institution or unit in making offers of
6-20 admission to the program.
6-21 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
6-22 beginning with admissions for the fall term or semester in 1998.
6-23 (b) The governing board of each general academic teaching
6-24 institution and each medical and dental unit covered by this
6-25 subchapter shall adopt rules or policies relating to the admission
7-1 of students under Subchapter S, Chapter 51, Education Code, as
7-2 added by this Act, not later than September 1, 1997.
7-3 (c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
7-4 adopt reporting rules under Section 51.804 of this Act no later
7-5 than January 1, 1998.
7-6 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
7-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.