Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 0897 P.N. 0895

PRINTER'S NO. 895

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

897

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY KINKEAD, ISAACSON, CIRESI, MADDEN, McANDREW,

WARREN, SIEGEL, SANCHEZ, MALAGARI, HILL-EVANS, PARKER, ROZZI,

CONKLIN AND NEILSON, APRIL 17, 2023

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 17, 2023

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," in transfers of credits between

institutions of higher education, further providing for

duties of public institutions of higher education, providing

for guaranteed admission, for articulation agreements, for

reports to General Assembly and for dispute resolution and

further providing for Transfer and Articulation Oversight

Committee and for applicability.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

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

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

amended to read:

Section 2002-C. Duties of public institutions of higher

education.

* * *

education shall do all of the following:

(1) Agree to accept with full junior standing the

associate of arts or associate of science degree [into a] and

to apply all credits earned at the community college,

including major requirements and general education

requirements, toward the parallel baccalaureate program as

outlined in paragraph (3) by the timelines established by the

Transfer and Articulation Oversight Committee but no later

than December 31, 2011. For purposes of this paragraph, an

associate of arts or associate of science degree is a degree

designed primarily for transfer to a baccalaureate

institution and must contain a minimum of 60 credits. The

following shall apply:

(i) A student transferring between public

institutions of higher education shall not be required to

satisfactorily complete more than 60 credits to earn a

120 credit baccalaureate degree in a parallel program,

regardless of the courses the student took to earn the

associate degree prior to transferring.

(ii) A student shall have the same requirements for

admission to a particular academic program at a public

institution of higher education and for retention as a

student who began education at that public institution of

higher education.

(iii) A student transferring to a baccalaureate

program with an associate of science or associate of arts

degree in a parallel academic program shall be guaranteed

admission to the parallel academic program, subject to

capacity, as long as the student meets criteria for

admission required of students who began education at a

State System university.

(iv) A university may designate majors or programs

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of study that are limited access by reason of

accreditation, clinical or resource-based capacity.

* * *

Section 2. The act is amended by adding sections to read:

Section 2003.1-C. Guaranteed admission.

An institution of higher education shall ensure the

following:

(1) An undergraduate student transferring from a public

community college shall be guaranteed admission into the

parallel program at an institution of higher education except

in programs that have mandated admission requirements,

including:

(i) A program for teacher preparation.

(ii) A program requiring an audition.

(iii) A program with GPA requirements.

(iv) A program with additional entrance requirements

imposed by an accreditor.

(2) Undergraduate students from a community college in

this Commonwealth with an associate degree who fulfill the

requirements of paragraph (1) shall receive priority for

admission to the upper division of a State System of Higher

Education or State-related university program over out-of-

State students.

Section 2003.2-C. Articulation agreements.

(a) Agreements.--Any agreements between community colleges

and institutions of higher education shall ensure the following:

(1) For the purpose of transferring credits between a

community college and a public institution of higher

education, no articulation agreements under this article

shall be required. Those portions of articulation agreements

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which place requirements on students or community colleges

above those required by this article shall no longer be

valid.

(2) For the purpose of accepting students from a

community college with at least 60 credits as a student with

junior standing to a public institution of higher education,

no articulation agreements under this section shall be

required. Those portions of articulation agreements which

place requirements on students or community colleges above

those required by this article shall no longer be valid.

(b) Validity.--The provisions of section 2007-C shall not

apply to this section.

Section 2003.3-C. Reports to General Assembly.

For each academic year, the department shall report to the

General Assembly the following:

(1) Details of the progress made by an institution of

higher education and an institution that elects to

participate under section 2006-C in furtherance of enabling

the transfer of credits between institutions, and which

recommends further action to be taken to ensure all students

which have completed credits in community colleges, shall be

able to transfer those credits to an institution of higher

education.

(2) Details of the ability of a student to transfer from

community colleges to institutions of higher education,

including the ability of students to graduate from

institutions of higher education. The report under this

section shall annually identify any issues encountered by

students in transferring from community colleges to

institutions of higher education, as well as issues

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encountered by transfer students in graduating from

institutions of higher education.

(3) Any other information related to student transfer,

awarding of credit for prior learning or difficulties in the

ability of a student to transfer between public institutions

of higher education.

Section 2003.4-C. Dispute resolution.

The department shall establish and maintain a dispute

resolution committee for disputes arising over the acceptance of

transfer students and credits. The dispute resolution committee

shall:

(1) Be composed of the following membership:

(i) The Secretary of Education or a designee, who

shall serve as chair of the dispute resolution committee.

(ii) Three members representing community colleges.

(iii) Three members representing the State System of

Higher Education.

(iv) One member representing State-related

institutions.

(v) One member representing independent institutions

of higher education that have elected to participate

under section 2006-C.

(vi) Other members as appointed by the chair of the

committee to the dispute resolution committee.

(2) Continue to develop dispute resolution policies and

procedures to be utilized when disputes arise relating to the

transfer and application of credits under this article.

(3) Resolve disputes involving disagreement over the

transfer or award of credits or the placement of students

between community colleges and institutions of higher

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education.

(4) Resolve appeals from students transferring from

community colleges who have been denied acceptance to an

institution of higher education after the completion of an

associate degree at a community college or who have been

denied the acceptance of credits completed at a community

college.

(5) Report decisions regarding dispute resolutions and

appeals as well as the dispute resolution committee's reasons

for those decisions. Reports under this paragraph shall be

provided regularly to institutions of higher education and

community colleges to inform the application of the

articulation process.

Section 3. Sections 2004-C(b) and (c)(5) and 2007-C of the

act are amended to read:

Section 2004-C. Transfer and Articulation Oversight Committee.

* * *

[(b) Dispute resolution subcommittee.--

(1) The chair of the committee shall appoint a dispute

resolution subcommittee comprised of:

(i) Three members appointed under subsection (a)(1)

(ii)(A).

(ii) Three members appointed under subsection (a)(1)

(ii)(B).

(iii) One member appointed under subsection (a)(1)

(ii)(D).

(2) The chair of the committee may add members to the

dispute resolution subcommittee.

(3) The dispute resolution subcommittee shall develop

dispute resolution policies and procedures to be utilized

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when disputes arise relating to the transfer and application

of credits under this article.]

Committee.--The committee shall:

* * *

[(5) Submit an annual report to the General Assembly

that details the progress made by the public institutions of

higher education and institutions that elect to participate

under section 2006-C in furtherance of enabling the transfer

of credits between such institutions and which recommends

further action to be taken.]

* * *

Section 2007-C. Applicability.

[Nothing] Except as otherwise provided, nothing in this

article shall [do any of the following]:

(1) Preclude any institution of higher education from

establishing institution-to-institution articulation

agreements.

(2) Void articulation agreements that have been

established prior to the effective date of this section.

Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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