PRINTER'S NO. 1614
No. 1147 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY RHOADES, MUSTO, GREENLEAF, C. WILLIAMS, RAFFERTY,
KASUNIC, BOSCOLA, STACK, FONTANA, HUGHES, BROWNE AND O'PAKE,
MARCH 20, 2006
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MARCH 20, 2006
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for transfers of credits
6 between institutions of higher education.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
11 article to read:
12 ARTICLE XX-C
13 TRANSFERS OF CREDITS BETWEEN
14 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
15 Section 2001-C. Definitions.
16 The following words and phrases when used in this article
17 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
18 context clearly indicates otherwise:
19 "Community college." An institution created pursuant to
1 Article XIX-A or the act of August 24, 1963 (P.L.1132, No.484),
2 known as the Community College Act of 1963.
3 "Core curriculum courses." Courses required by an
4 institution of higher education consisting of the general
5 education requirements for graduation, including the courses
6 that provide an academic foundation for advanced specialization
7 in a major or area of concentration.
8 "Degree objective." Courses required by an institution of
9 higher education for completion of a major or concentration in a
10 subject area.
11 "Department." The Department of Education of the
12 Commonwealth.
13 "Independent institution of higher education." An
14 institution of higher education which is operated not for
15 profit, located in and incorporated or chartered by the
16 Commonwealth and entitled to confer degrees as set forth in 24
17 Pa.C.S. § 6505 (relating to power to confer degrees) and to
18 apply to itself the designation "college" or "university" as
19 provided for by the standards and qualifications prescribed by
20 the State Board of Education pursuant to 24 Pa.C.S. Ch. 65
21 (relating to private colleges, universities and seminaries).
22 "Institution of higher education." A public institution of
23 higher education or a participating independent institution of
24 higher education.
25 "Participating independent institution of higher education."
26 An independent institution of higher education which has adopted
27 the universal credit equivalency system under section 2005-C.
28 "Public institution of higher education." A community
29 college, State-owned institution or State-related institution.
30 "State-owned institution." An institution which is part of
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1 the State System of Higher Education pursuant to Article XX-A.
2 "State-related institution." The Pennsylvania State
3 University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University,
4 Lincoln University and their branch campuses.
5 "Universal credit equivalency system" or "system." A system
6 established pursuant to this article for the efficient and
7 effective transfer of credits among institutions of higher
8 education and for the consistent application of transferred
9 credits at institutions of higher education.
10 Section 2002-C. Development of credit transfer policies and
11 procedures.
12 In order to assist students to make progress in their
13 educational pursuits in a manner that is most efficient and
14 effective for the students and the Commonwealth by the
15 elimination of requirements that result in unnecessary
16 duplication of courses or credits and the removal of credit-
17 acceptance and credit-application barriers for transfers of
18 credits between institutions of higher education, institutions
19 of higher education shall complete all of the following by June
20 30, 2007:
21 (1) (i) Establish policies and procedures applicable to
22 all institutions of higher education that ensure that
23 students may transfer academic credits for core
24 curriculum courses from any institution of higher
25 education to any other institution of higher education.
26 (ii) These policies and procedures shall require
27 institutions of higher education to make any necessary
28 changes and modifications to their core courses,
29 including the strengthening of the courses, to ensure
30 equivalency for those credits among the institutions of
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1 higher education.
2 (2) Develop and implement a universal credit equivalency
3 system for institutions of higher education that includes the
4 following:
5 (i) Policies and procedures for the consistent
6 transfer of courses completed at an institution of higher
7 education and applied to the student's degree objective
8 upon transfer in the same manner as equivalent courses
9 completed at the receiving institution of higher
10 education.
11 (ii) Policies and procedures that provide for
12 consistent judgment about the application of transfer
13 courses completed at one public institution of higher
14 education and transferred to another institution of
15 higher education.
16 (3) Establish and maintain records and data detailing
17 the credits transferred to and received from institutions of
18 higher education as the department may prescribe.
19 (4) Develop and implement dispute resolution policies
20 and procedures for resolution of disputes relating to the
21 transfer and application of credits under this act.
22 Section 2003-C. Reporting requirements.
23 (a) Interim report.--By December 31, 2006, an institution of
24 higher education shall submit to the department an interim
25 report outlining the actions that the institution of higher
26 education has undertaken or intends to undertake to comply with
27 section 2002-C.
28 (b) Final report.--By June 30, 2007, an institution of
29 higher education shall submit to the department a final report
30 that contains evidence of a completed universal credit
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1 equivalency system which shall include, but not be limited to:
2 (1) A copy of any agreement among the institutions of
3 higher education addressing the establishment of the system.
4 (2) Any actions undertaken or intended to be undertaken
5 by the institution of higher education to comply with section
6 2002-C that occurred or will occur subsequent to the
7 submission of the interim report to the department.
8 (3) Any other information required by the department.
9 (c) Subsequent final reports.--Following the adoption of the
10 universal credit equivalency system by an independent
11 institution of higher education pursuant to section 2005-C, the
12 participating independent institution of higher education shall
13 submit to the department a final report that indicates
14 acceptance of the system and all measures undertaken to comply
15 with the requirements of section 2002-C and any specific
16 information the department may require.
17 (d) Biannual report.--Following the establishment of the
18 universal credit equivalency system through an agreement by the
19 institutions of higher education or by the department's
20 promulgation of regulations, each institution of higher
21 education shall file a biannual report by June 30 of the
22 respective year on any actions undertaken or planned to be
23 undertaken for compliance with section 2002-C.
24 Section 2004-C. Duties of department.
25 The department shall:
26 (1) Convene a meeting, within 30 days of the effective
27 date of this section, of the presidents of all public
28 institutions of higher education and two nonvoting
29 representatives or designees of the Association of
30 Independent Colleges and Universities.
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1 (2) Provide technical assistance to the institutions of
2 higher education.
3 (3) Certify, within 30 days of receipt of the final
4 report submitted under section 2003-C(b), that the
5 institutions of higher education have satisfactorily
6 developed and implemented a universal credit equivalency
7 system.
8 (4) In the event that the department determines that the
9 goals of this section have not been satisfied and in order to
10 facilitate the rapid implementation of this article,
11 promulgate interim regulations for the development and
12 implementations of a universal credit equivalency system,
13 which shall be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The
14 interim regulations shall be effective for a period of not
15 more than two years and shall be exempt from all of the
16 following:
17 (i) The act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164),
18 known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act.
19 (ii) The act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181),
20 known as the Regulatory Review Act.
21 (iii) Sections 201 through 205 of Article II of the
22 act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240) referred to as the
23 Commonwealth Documents Law.
24 After the expiration of the two-year period, the interim
25 regulations shall expire and be replaced by regulations
26 promulgated, adopted and published as provided by law.
27 (5) Conduct a review of the universal equivalent credit
28 system every two years utilizing the biannual reports
29 submitted by the institutions of higher education to
30 determine whether the system complies with the requirements
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1 of this article.
2 Section 2005-C. Participation by independent institutions of
3 higher education.
4 An independent institution of higher education may elect to
5 become a participating institution through the adoption of the
6 universal credit equivalency system by its governing body.
7 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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