THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, FONTANA, GORDNER, KASUNIC AND TARTAGLIONE, JANUARY 20, 2011

REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 20, 2011  

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 and for the Transfer

and Articulation Oversight Committee; providing for

participation by State-related institutions and for

retroactivity; and making a related repeal.

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 with full junior

standing the associate of arts or associate of science degree

into a parallel baccalaureate program as outlined under section

2004-C(c)(2.1), (2.2), (2.3) and (2.4) by the timelines

established by the transfer and articulation oversight

committee, but no later than December 31, 2012. For the purposes

of this subsection, an associate of arts or associate of science

degree is a degree designed primarily for transfer to a

baccalaureate institution and which contains 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)  Each 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, 2011.

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

paragraphs to read:

Section 2004-C.  Transfer and Articulation Oversight Committee.

* * *

(c)  Duties of Transfer and Articulation Oversight

Committee.--The committee shall:

* * *

(2.1)  Consult with the department on a process and

timeline, subject to approval by the department, to identify

the associate of arts or associate of science degree 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 or 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)  Identify 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 shall 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 to be accepted for

transfer with full junior standing into a parallel

baccalaureate degree program.

* * *

Section 3.  The act is amended by adding sections to read:

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

(a)  Identification.--Each State-related institution shall

identify 30 credit hours of course content from equivalent

courses identified under this article that it will accept from a

student accepted for transfer from an institution of higher

education participating in this article. A State-related

institution shall count a course in the same manner that it

would count the same or equivalent course if taken by a student

at the State-related institution.

(b)  Posting.--Each State-related institution shall make the

information identified under subsection (a) available to the

department for posting on the department's publicly accessible

Internet website.

(c)  Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be

construed to do any of the following:

(1)  Require a State-related institution to apply a

course to graduation or degree requirements if that course or

its equivalent course would not be applied to graduation or

degree requirements if taken at the State-related

institution.

(2)  Infringe on a State-related institution's sole

authority to accept a student for transfer, to determine

acceptance into a major, to determine the campus assignment

of the student or to determine how many and which credit

hours shall apply for the transfer student toward the

completion of a degree. The manner in which accepted courses

apply toward completion of a degree and whether they are

counted for general education, major or free elective credit

shall be subject to the requirements established by the

accepting State-related institution for each individual major

or program of study.

(3)  Prohibit a State-related institution's ability to

enter into discussions with the department to increase the

number of credits under subsection (a).

Section 4.  Repeals are as follows:

(1)  The General Assembly declares that the repeals under

paragraph (2) are necessary to effectuate the following:

(i)  The addition of sections 2004-C(c)(2.1), (2.2),

(2.3), (2.4) and (2.5) and 2006.1-C of the act.

(ii)  The amendment of section 2002-C of the act.

(2)  Sections 1737-J, 1737.1-J, 1737-L and 1737.1-L of

the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The

Fiscal Code, are repealed.

Section 5.  This act shall apply retroactively to October 9,

2009.

Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.