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2017 SESSION


VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 23.1-907 and 23.1-908 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public institutions of higher education; transferable credits.
[S 1234]
Approved

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 23.1-907 and 23.1-908 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 23.1-907. Articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements; admission of certain comprehensive community college graduates.

A. The board of visitors of each baccalaureate public institution of higher education shall develop, consistent with Council guidelines and the institution's six-year plan as set forth in § 23.1-306, articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements with each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education.

B. The Council and each public institution of higher education shall develop a passport credit program, including any necessary guidelines for such program. In developing the program, the Council and each public institution of higher education shall establish competencies and standards for each passport credit course. Any course that does not meet or exceed the standards developed under the program shall not be deemed a passport credit course. Such passport credit program shall require that it is the responsibility of the course provider to ensure that a passport credit course meets the standards of the program. Each passport credit course shall satisfy a lower division general education requirement at any public institution of higher education.

C. The Council and each public institution of higher education shall develop a one-year uniform certificate of general studies program as set forth in subdivision 20 of § 23.1-203. All credits earned in academic subject coursework by students attending an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education who complete the one-year uniform certificate of general studies program are transferrable to a baccalaureate public institution of higher education in accordance with Council guidelines.

C. D. The Council shall prepare an annual report on the pertinent aspects of the pipeline of students transferring from comprehensive community colleges to baccalaureate public institutions of higher education.

D. E. The Council, consistent with its responsibility to facilitate the development of articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements set forth in §§ 23.1-203 and 23.1-908, shall develop guidelines for such agreements.

E. F. Each comprehensive community college shall develop agreements for postsecondary degree attainment with the public high schools in the school divisions that such comprehensive community college serves specifying the options for students to complete an associate degree or a one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies concurrent with a high school diploma. Such agreements shall specify the credit available for dual enrollment courses and Advanced Placement courses with qualifying exam scores of three or higher.

§ 23.1-908. State Transfer Tool.

A. The Council shall develop, in cooperation with each public institution of higher education, a State Transfer Tool that designates each general education course that is offered in an associate degree program at an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education and transferable for course credit to a baccalaureate public institution of higher education.

In developing the State Transfer Tool, the Council shall also seek the participation of private institutions of higher education.

B. The Council shall develop guidelines to govern the development and implementation of articulation, dual admissions, and guaranteed admissions agreements between associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate public institutions of higher education. Dual admissions agreements shall set forth (i) the obligations of each student accepted to such a program, including grade point average requirements, acceptable associate degree majors, and completion timetables, and (ii) the extent to which each student accepted to such a program may access the privileges of enrollment at both institutions while he is enrolled at either institution. Such agreements are subject to the admissions requirements of the baccalaureate public institutions of higher education.

C. The Council shall develop and make available to the public information identifying all passport credit courses and other general education courses offered at associate-degree-granting public institutions of higher education and designating those that are transferable for course credit at baccalaureate public institutions of higher education and baccalaureate private institutions of higher education.

2. That the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and each public institution of higher education shall develop a passport credit program as required by this act by July 1, 2020, and each associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education shall offer such program by the 2020-2021 academic year. The Council shall provide, by July 1, 2018, to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education an overview of the passport credit course competencies and standards, strategies for implementation of the passport credit program, an analysis of any potential passport credit courses, and a plan for ongoing data analysis and updates to the program.

3. That the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall develop (i) a listing of general education courses guaranteed to transfer from each associate-degree granting institution to a baccalaureate institution of higher education for undergraduate general education course credit by July 1, 2018 and (ii) a program-specific course list guaranteed to transfer from each associate-degree granting institution to a baccalaureate public institution of higher education by July 1, 2019.