THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, PICCOLA, FONTANA, MELLOW, GREENLEAF, EICHELBERGER, O'PAKE, WASHINGTON, WILLIAMS AND ALLOWAY, APRIL 27, 2009

SENATOR PICCOLA, EDUCATION, AS AMENDED, JUNE 23, 2009   

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," further providing for duties of

public institutions of higher education, for the Transfer and

Articulation Oversight Committee and for participation by

independent institutions of higher education or and for

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participation by State-related institution institutions.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 2002-C of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, added

July 11, 2006 (P.L.1092, No.114), is amended to read:

Section 2002-C.  Duties of public institutions of higher

education.

(a)  Completion.--Each public institution of higher education

shall complete all of the following by June 30, 2008:

(1)  Participate in the development and implementation of

equivalency standards pursuant to section 2004-C(c)(1).

(2)  Establish and maintain records and data detailing

the credits transferred to and received from other public

institutions of higher education as the department may

prescribe.

(3)  Make any reasonable changes and modifications to its

foundation courses, including the strengthening of the

courses, to ensure equivalency of those credits among the

public institutions of higher education, as recommended by

the Transfer and Articulation Oversight Committee.

(4)  Agree to accept for transfer foundation courses

determined to meet equivalency standards under section

2004-C(c)(2).

(a.1)  Completion of second phase.--Each public institution

of higher education shall agree to accept for transfer courses

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that qualify under section 2004-C(c)(2.2) by June 30, 2011 with

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full junior standing the associate of arts and associate of

science degrees into a parallel baccalaureate program as

outlined in section 2004-C(c)(2.1), (2.2), (2.3) and (2.4) by

the timelines established by the Transfer and Articulation

Subcommittee, but not later than December 31, 2011. For the

purposes of this article, associate of arts and associate of

science degrees are degrees designed primarily for transfer to

baccalaureate institution and must contain a minimum of 60

credits.

(b)  Reporting requirements.--

(1)  A public institution of higher education shall

submit to the department a series of interim reports

outlining the actions that the public institution of higher

education has undertaken or intends to undertake to comply

with subsection (a), which shall be filed December 31, 2006,

June 30, 2007, and December 31, 2007.

(2)  A public institution of higher education shall

submit to the department interim reports outlining the

actions that the public institution of higher education has

undertaken or intends to undertake to comply with subsection

(a.1), which shall be filed by December 31, 2009, June 30,

2010, and December 31, 2010.

Section 2.  Section 2004-C(c) of the act is amended by adding

paragraphs to read:

Section 2004-C.  Transfer and Articulation Oversight Committee.

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(c)  Duties of Transfer and Articulation Oversight

Committee.--The committee shall:

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(2.1)  Within 120 days of the effective date of this

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section, consult with the department on a process, subject to

approval by the department, to identify 30 additional credit

hours to be counted toward graduation requirements of the

baccalaureate degree in all public institutions of higher

education and to develop academic clusters in consultation

with faculty and personnel where credit for courses may count

toward the graduation requirements in each major identified

in the cluster.

(2.2)  No later than June 30, 2010, in consultation with

faculty and personnel, determine equivalent courses for an

additional 30 credit hours that will count toward

baccalaureate graduation requirements in all public

institutions of higher education. The credit hours shall not

include developmental or remedial courses or career,

technical or applied courses except if those courses are

designed to meet competencies of specific program

accreditation, licensing or approval standards.

(2.1)  By December 1, 2009, consult with the department

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on a process and timeline, subject to approval by the

department, to identify the associate of arts and associate

of science degrees aligned with the graduation requirements

of the parallel baccalaureate degree in all public

institutions of higher education in consultation with faculty

and personnel.

(2.2)  Identify associate of arts and associate of

science degree programs for transfer with full junior

standing into a parallel baccalaureate degree in consultation

with faculty and personnel in those degree programs by

December 31, 2011.

(2.3)  Identity modifications that may be required in

existing associate or baccalaureate degrees to satisfy

external accreditation or licensure requirements in

consultation with faculty and personnel. Approved

modifications must recognize all competencies attained within

either the associate or baccalaureate programs.

(2.4)  Define requirements, in consultation with faculty

and personnel, for education degrees, including early

childhood education degrees, leading to certification to be

included in an associate degree and be accepted for transfer

with full junior standing into a parallel baccalaureate

degree program.

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Section 3.  Section 2006-C of the act, added July 11, 2006

(P.L.1092, No.114), is amended to read:

Section 2006-C.  Participation by independent institutions of

higher education [or State-related institution].

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(a)  Participation by independent institutions.--An

independent institution of higher education [or a State-related

institution] may elect to participate through the adoption of

equivalency standards as provided for in subsection 2004-C(c)(1)

and by agreement to accept for transfer courses degrees that

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qualify under section 2004-C(c)(2.2) by its governing body.

(b)  Election to participate.--An independent institution of

higher education that elects to participate under subsection (a)

shall be subject to all of the requirements of this act.

(c)  Participation by State-related institutions.--State-

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related institutions shall be subject to all of the requirements

of this act. State-related institutions not participating under

subsection (a) on the effective date of this subsection shall

have until June 30, 2011, to meet the requirements of section

2004-C(c)(1) and until June 30, 2012, to meet the requirements

of section 2004-C(c)(2.2).

Section 4.  The act is amended by adding a section to read:

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Section 2006.1-C.  Participation by State-related Institutions.

(a)  Agreement.--No later than March 1, 2010, each State-

related institution shall enter into an agreement pertaining to

the transfer of credits among institutions of higher education

with the department acting on behalf of the institutions subject

to this article.

(b)  Acceptance.--Such agreement shall require the acceptance

of up to 30 credit hours from a student accepted for transfer,

and may allow for the State-related institution to accept more

than 30 credit hours.

(c)  Posting.--Each State-related institution shall post such

agreement on its public website and make such information

available to the department for posting on its public World Wide

Website.

(d)  Construction.--Nothing in this act shall be construed to

infringe on the state-related institution's sole authority to do

the following:

(1)  Accept a student for transfer.

(2)  Determine acceptance into a major.

(3)  Determine the campus assignment of such student.

(4)  Determine how many and which credit hours shall

apply for the transfer student toward the completion of

degree requirements.

(e)  Credit increase.--Nothing in this act shall prohibit a

State-related institution's ability to enter into discussions

with the department to increase the number of credits subject to

the agreement pursuant to subsection (a).

Section 4 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009, or

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immediately, whichever is later.