Public Act 099-0316
 
SB0806 EnrolledLRB099 07828 NHT 27963 b

    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
Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Community college" means a public community college in
this State.
    "State university" means a public university in this State.
 
    Section 10. Associate degree for transfer.
    (a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2016-2017 academic
year, a community college student who earns an associate degree
for transfer, an Associate of Arts, or an Associate of Science
that is consistent with degree requirements of the Illinois
Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education and
aligned with the policies and procedures of the Illinois
Articulation Initiative, granted pursuant to subsection (b) of
this Section is deemed eligible for transfer into the
baccalaureate program of a State university if the student
meets the requirements of the transfer degree and
major-specific prerequisites and obtains a minimum grade point
average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
    (b) As a condition of receipt of State funds, a community
college district shall develop and grant associate degrees for
transfer that meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this
Section. A community college district may not impose any
requirements in addition to the requirements of this Section
for a student to be eligible for an associate degree for
transfer and subsequent admission to a State university
pursuant to Section 15 of this Act without the approval of the
Illinois Community College Board and the Board of Higher
Education.
    (c) The General Assembly encourages a community college
district to consider the articulation agreements and other work
between the respective faculties from the affected community
college and State universities in implementing the
requirements of this Section.
    (d) The General Assembly encourages community colleges to
facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community
colleges toward an associate degree for transfer pursuant to
this Section.
    (e) This Section does not preclude students who are
assessed below collegiate level from acquiring remedial
noncollegiate level coursework in preparation for obtaining an
associate degree for transfer. Remedial noncollegiate level
coursework and all other non-transfer coursework must not be
counted as part of the transferable units required pursuant to
subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this Section.
 
    Section 15. Admission to a State university.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a
State university shall admit and grant junior status in a
program, subject to available program capacity, to any Illinois
community college student who:
        (1) meets all of the requirements of Section 10 of this
    Act;
        (2) has completed all lower-division prerequisites;
    and
        (3) meets the admission requirements of the State
    university's program or major.
 
    Section 20. Coursework.
    (a) A State university may not require a student
transferring pursuant to this Act to take more than 60
additional semester units beyond the lower-division major
requirements for majors requiring 120 semester units, provided
that the student remains enrolled in the same program of study
and has completed university major transfer requirements.
Specified high unit majors are exempt from this subsection (a)
upon agreement by the board of trustees of the State university
and the Board of Higher Education.
    (b) A State university may not require students
transferring pursuant to this Act to repeat courses that are
articulated with those taken at the community college and
counted toward an associate degree for transfer granted
pursuant to Section 10 of this Act.
    (c) The General Assembly encourages State universities to
facilitate the seamless transfer of credits toward a
baccalaureate degree pursuant to the intent of this Act.
 
    Section 25. Board of Higher Education reviews and reports.
    (a) The Board of Higher Education shall review the
implementation of this Act and file a report on that review
with the General Assembly on or before May 31, 2017, as
provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization
Act.
    (b) The Board of Higher Education shall review both of the
following and file a report on that review with the General
Assembly within 4 years after the effective date of this Act,
as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization
Act:
        (1) The outcomes of implementation of this Act,
    including, but not limited to, all of the following:
            (A) The number and percentage of community college
        students who transferred to a State university and
        earned an associate degree for transfer pursuant to
        this Act.
            (B) The average amount of time and units it takes a
        community college student earning an associate degree
        for transfer pursuant to this Act to transfer to and
        graduate from a State university, as compared to the
        average amount of time and units it took community
        college transfer students prior to the implementation
        of this Act and compared to students using other
        transfer processes available.
            (C) Student progression and completion rates.
            (D) Other relevant indicators of student success.
            (E) The degree to which the requirements for an
        associate degree for transfer take into account
        existing articulation agreements and the degree to
        which community colleges facilitate the acceptance of
        credits between community college districts, as
        outlined in subsections (c) and (d) of Section 10 of
        this Act.
            (F) It is the intent of the General Assembly that
        student outcome data provided under this subsection
        (b) include the degree to which State universities were
        able to accommodate students admitted under this Act in
        being admitted to the State university of their choice
        and in a major that is similar to their community
        college major.
        (2) Recommendations for statutory changes necessary to
    facilitate the goal of a clear and transparent transfer
    process.
 
    Section 30. Implementation of Act; intent. It is the intent
of the General Assembly that the requirements placed on
community college districts pursuant to this Act be carried out
in the normal course of program development and approval,
course scheduling, and degree issuance and do not represent any
new activities or a higher level of service on the part of
community college districts.
 
    Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
Section 8.39 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 805/8.39 new)
    Sec. 8.39. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8
of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the
implementation of any mandate created by the Student Transfer
Achievement Reform Act.