SB3301 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 20712 MLM 45341 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
SB3301

Introduced 2/19/2016, by Sen. Chapin Rose

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act. Requires all public institutions of higher education to participate in the Illinois Articulation Initiative through submission and review of their courses for statewide transfer consistency. Requires (i) all sending and receiving institutions to maintain a complete Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum package to ensure seamless transfer; (ii) all institutions to maintain up to 4 core courses in an Illinois Articulation Initiative major, provided the institution has equivalent majors and courses; and (iii) all institutions to provide faculty, as appointed by the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board, to serve on panels in the review of courses. Provides that all courses approved for Illinois Articulation Initiative codes must be directly transferable either as a part of the General Education Core Curriculum package or as equivalent major courses, insofar as a specific major is offered at the receiving institution. Provides that students receiving the General Education Core Curriculum package must not be required to take additional freshmen or sophomore level general education courses and must be able to transfer seamlessly. Sets forth the duties of the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Illinois Articulation Initiative Act.

Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds and declares that in January of 1993, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and transfer coordinators from Illinois colleges and universities jointly launched the Illinois Articulation Initiative to ease the transfer of students among Illinois public and independent associate and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions. The General Assembly finds and declares that the Illinois Articulation Initiative was driven by the following foundational ideas:

(1) that associate and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions are equal partners in educating college freshmen and sophomores;

(2) that faculties should take primary responsibility for developing and maintaining program and course articulation; and

(3) that institutions are expected to work together to ensure that lower-division baccalaureate programs are comparable in scope, quality, and academic rigor.

The General Assembly finds and declares that students have benefited by receiving the General Education Core Curriculum and transferring seamlessly across institutions of higher education.

Section 10. Definition of public institution. In this Act, "public institution" means a public university or public community college in this State.

Section 15. Participation. All public institutions shall participate in the Illinois Articulation Initiative through submission and review of their courses for statewide transfer consistency. All sending and receiving public institutions shall maintain a complete Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum package to ensure seamless transfer, and all public institutions shall maintain up to 4 core courses in an Illinois Articulation Initiative major, provided the public institution has equivalent majors and courses. All public institutions shall provide faculty, as appointed by the Board of Higher Education for public universities and the Illinois Community College Board for public community colleges, to serve on panels in the review of courses.

Section 20. Course transferability.

(a) All courses approved for Illinois Articulation Initiative codes must be directly transferable either as a part of the General Education Core Curriculum package or as equivalent major courses, insofar as a specific major is offered at the receiving public institution.

(b) Students receiving the General Education Core Curriculum package must not be required to take additional freshmen or sophomore level general education courses and must be able to transfer seamlessly.

Section 25. Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board duties.

(a) The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall co-manage the implementation, oversight, and evaluation of the Illinois Articulation Initiative, including determining when panels must be discontinued or convened. Panels must be convened across the fields of General Education, Communications, Humanities and Fine Arts, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and General Education Mathematics.

(b) The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall provide a joint report on an annual basis to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Illinois P-20 Council on the status of the Illinois Articulation Initiative and the implementation of this Act.