Section 1. {Title} Credit Articulation Agreements Act

Section 2. {Definitions} As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

(A) “Native student” means a student who begins and completes an undergraduate degree program at a single state institution of higher education.

(B) “State institution of higher education” shall have the same meaning as provided in [insert appropriate reference].

(C) “Statewide degree transfer agreement” means an agreement among all of the state institutions of higher education for the transfer of an associate of arts or an associate of science degree. A statewide degree transfer agreement applies to common degree programs and specifies the common terms, conditions, and expectations for students enrolled in statewide degree transfer programs.

Section 3. {Duties and powers of the commission with regard to system-wide planning}

(A)

(1) The commission shall establish, after consultation with the governing boards of institutions, and enforce statewide degree transfer agreements between two-year and four-year state institutions of higher education among four-year state institutions of higher education. Governing boards and state institutions of higher education shall implement the statewide degree transfer agreements and the commission policies relating to the statewide degree transfer agreements. The Statewide degree transfer agreements shall include provisions under which state institutions of higher education shall accept all credit hours of acceptable course work for automatic transfer from an associate of arts or associate of science degree program in another state institution of higher education in [state]. The commission shall have final authority in resolving transfer disputes.

(2)

(a) A student who completes an associate of arts or associate of science degree that is the subject of a statewide degree transfer agreement and who transfers from the state institution of higher education that awarded the degree to a four-year state institution of higher education shall, if admitted, be enrolled with junior status. Successful completion of an associate of arts or associate of science degree does not guarantee the degree holder admission to a four-year state institution of higher education.

(b) A state institution of higher education that admits as a junior a student who holds an associate of arts degree or associate of science degree that is the subject of a statewide degree transfer agreement may not require the student to complete any additional credit hours of lower-division general education courses; except that the institution may require the student to complete additional lower-division general education courses if necessary for preparation in the degree program in which the student enrolls so long as the additional courses are consistent with published degree program requirements for native students and do not extend the time to degree completion beyond that required for native students in the same degree program.

(3)

(a) Beginning July 1, 2010, the commission, in collaboration with the governing boards and the council convened pursuant to [insert appropriate reference], shall negotiate statewide degree transfer agreements and shall ensure that there are at least four statewide degree transfer agreements in place no later than July 1, 2012, and that by no later than July 1, 2016, there are a total of at least fourteen (14) statewide degree transfer agreements.

(b) The governing boards shall recommend to the commission the degree programs that would be most appropriate for statewide degree transfer agreements based on student demand and the workforce needs of the state.

(4) The existence of statewide degree transfer agreements does not preclude or restrict a state institution of higher education from awarding nontransfer associate of arts or associate of science degrees, applied associate degrees, or general liberal arts associate or arts or associate of science degrees.

(5) Nothing in this Section 3 shall be construed to:

(a) prevent or otherwise interfere with the ability of a state institution of higher education to fulfill its statutory role and mission;

(b) prohibit one or more state institutions of higher education from entering into memoranda of understand for the transfer of degrees among the agree institutions; or

(c) impair any memorandum of understanding between or among institutions of higher education in effect prior to the effective date of this subparagraph (c).

Section 4. {Severability clause}

Section 5. {Repealer clause}

Section 6. {Effective date}

Approved by the ALEC Legislative Board of Directors, September 19, 2010.

Renewed by the Education and Workforce Development Task Force on July 17, 2020

Renewal approved by the Board of Directors on August 9, 2020