SB0059sam001 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Ira I. Silverstein

Filed: 3/14/2011

09700SB0059sam001 LRB097 02855 NHT 52522 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 59

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 59 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.

Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:

"Associate degree for transfer" means an associate of arts or associate of sciences degree, as defined in rules of the Illinois Community College Board.

"Community college" means a public community college in this State.

"State university" means a public university in this State.

Section 10. Associate degree for transfer.

(a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2013-2014 academic year, a community college student who is eligible to complete an associate degree for transfer granted pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section is deemed eligible for transfer into the baccalaureate program of a State university and shall be considered to have fulfilled all lower division coursework.

(b) As a condition of receipt of State funds, a community college district shall ensure that associate degrees for transfer (i) are from 60 to 67 semester hours or the quarter-hour equivalent; (ii) shall include the following Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum credits: 9 hours in communication, 4 hours in mathematics, 7 to 8 hours in physical and life sciences, 9 hours in humanities and fine arts, and 9 hours in social and behavioral science, and lower division courses in an identified major field of study as defined in the Illinois Articulation Initiative for that major; and (iii) may include any such additional courses as may be required by the respective community college district board of trustees. An associate of science degree shall be from 60 to 68 semester hours or the quarter-hour equivalent; shall include the following Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum credits: 9 hours in communication, 8 hours in mathematics, 11 to 12 hours in physical and life sciences, 6 hours in humanities and fine arts, and 6 hours in social and behavioral science, and lower division courses in an identified major field of study; and may include any such additional courses as may be required by the respective community college district board of trustees.

(c) The General Assembly encourages a community college district to consider the articulation agreements and other work between the respective faculties from the affected community college and State universities in implementing the requirements of this Section.

(d) The General Assembly encourages community colleges to facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community colleges and from lower division courses completed at 4-year colleges and universities toward an associate degree for transfer pursuant to this Section.

(e) This Section does not preclude students who are assessed below collegiate level from acquiring developmental coursework in preparation for obtaining an associate degree for transfer. Developmental coursework must not be counted as part of the transferable units required pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section.

Section 15. Admission to a State university.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, a State university shall, upon admission to the university, guarantee admission with junior status to any community college student who meets all of the requirements of Section 10 of this Act. Admission to a State university, as provided under this Act, does not guarantee admission for specific majors.

Section 20. Coursework. A State university may require a student transferring pursuant to this Act to take additional courses at the State university, so long as the student is not required to have taken more than 127 semester hours or the equivalent number of quarter hours in combination with the associate degree for transfer and the baccalaureate degree. A State university may not require students transferring pursuant to this Act to repeat courses that are similar to those taken at the community college that counted toward an associate degree for transfer granted pursuant to Section 10 of this Act, regardless of whether the credits earned and the courses required were offered at a different level. Determination of course equivalency or similarity must be made by (i) the Illinois Articulation Initiative major panels or (ii) faculty at the respective institutions from and to which students transfer. Courses certified by the Illinois Articulation Initiative shall transfer as equivalencies and are not subject to individual evaluation by the respective institutions.

Section 25. Board of Higher Education reviews and reports.

(a) The Board of Higher Education shall review the implementation of this Act and file a report on that review with the General Assembly on or before May 31, 2014, as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act.

(b) The Board of Higher Education shall review both of the following and file a report on that review with the General Assembly within 4 years after the effective date of this Act, as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act:

(1) The outcomes of implementation of this Act, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(A) The number of community college students who earned bachelor's degrees after transferring with an associate degree for transfer following the effective date of this Act.

(B) The average amount of time and units it takes a community college student earning an associate degree for transfer pursuant to this Act to transfer to and graduate from a State university, as compared to the average amount of time and units it took community college transfer students prior to the implementation of this Act.

(C) Student progression and completion rates.

(D) Other relevant indicators of student success.

(E) The degree to which the requirements for an associate degree for transfer take into account existing articulation agreements and the degree to which community colleges facilitate the acceptance of credits between community college districts, as outlined in subsections (c) and (d) of Section 10 of this Act.

(F) It is the intent of the General Assembly that student outcome data provided under this subsection (b) include the degree to which State universities were able to accommodate students admitted under this Act in being admitted to the State university of their choice without having to repeat coursework already completed successfully at the community college.

(2) Recommendations for statutory changes necessary to facilitate the goal of a clear and transparent transfer process.

Section 30. Implementation of Act; intent. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the requirements placed on community college districts pursuant to this Act be carried out in the normal course of program development and approval, course scheduling, and degree issuance and do not represent any new activities or a higher level of service on the part of community college districts.

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.35 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.35 new)

Sec. 8.35. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.".