SB342: Bill Text

2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

2019 Senate BILL 342

August 8, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Jacque and Stroebel, cosponsored by Representatives Murphy, Wichgers, Kulp, Kerkman, Vorpagel, Nygren, Felzkowski, Mursau, Ramthun and Zimmerman. Referred to Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families.

SB342,1,7 An Act to repeal 36.11 (3) (cm) 1. and 3., 36.31 (1) and 36.31 (2); to amend 36.11 (3) (b), 36.11 (3) (c), 36.11 (3) (cm) 4. and 36.31 (2); and to create 36.11 (3) (bm), 36.31 (1m) and 36.31 (2m) (d) of the statutes; relating to: uniform course numbering and the transfer of course credits among technical colleges and University of Wisconsin System schools, and eliminating certain restrictions on the respective educational roles of the University of Wisconsin System and the Technical College System.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and the Technical College System Board to implement a universal course numbering and credit transfer system within five years. The bill also eliminates a restriction on the respective educational roles of the UWS and TCS.

Under current law, one of the purposes of the TCS is to provide a collegiate transfer program, but collegiate transfer programs may not comprise more than 25 percent of the approved credit hours offered in any technical college district. A “collegiate transfer program" is a full-time program, approved by the TCS Board, in which the credits earned may be transferable to a four-year institution of higher education. The TCS Board, in agreement with the Board of Regents, may designate courses as transferable for collegiate credit between the two systems. The Board of Regents must establish policies for the appropriate transfer of credits between UWS institutions and may establish policies for the appropriate transfer of credits with other educational institutions, including technical colleges. In addition, the Board of Regents and the TCS Board must enter into an agreement identifying at least 30 credits of core general education courses that are transferable between the UWS and TCS. Private colleges and tribal colleges may also participate in this agreement related to course credit transfers. The Board of Regents must further establish and maintain a computer-based credit transfer system.

This bill requires the Board of Regents and the TCS Board to implement a universal course numbering and credit transfer system under which credits for courses with the same universal course number are automatically transferable among UWS institutions and technical colleges. If a UWS institution or technical college offers a course, the UWS institution or technical college must award academic credit to a student who successfully completes a course with the same universal course number at any other UWS institution or technical college and the course credit awarded must be applied toward degree requirements, as applicable.

This bill also eliminates the following prohibitions relating to the respective educational roles of the UWS and the TCS: 1) that the Board of Regents not broaden the UWS's mission to include training for semiprofessional or skilled-trade occupations beyond that offered during the 1972-73 academic year unless the TCS Board approves; and 2) that the TCS Board not broaden TCS collegiate transfer program offerings beyond those in existence during the 1972-73 academic year unless the Board of Regents approves.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB342,1 Section 1 . 36.11 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB342,3,2 36.11 (3) (b) Subject to par. (bm) and s. 36.31 (2m), the board shall establish policies for the appropriate transfer of credits between institutions within the system, including postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil enrolled in a course at an institution within the system under the program under s. 118.55. If the board determines that postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil under the program under s. 118.55 are not transferable under this paragraph, the board shall permit the individual to take an examination to determine the individual's competency in the subject area of the course and, if the individual receives a passing score on the examination, shall award equivalent credits to the individual.

SB342,2 Section 2 . 36.11 (3) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,3,11 36.11 (3) (bm) Upon implementation of the universal course numbering and credit transfer system under s. 36.31 (1m) (a), credits for courses with the same universal course number shall be transferable among institutions and technical colleges without further review. The policies under pars. (b) and (c) may provide for the transfer of credits among institutions and technical colleges for courses in which the receiving institution or technical college does not offer the same universally-numbered course taken at a different institution or technical college from which the credit transfer is sought.

SB342,3 Section 3 . 36.11 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB342,3,22 36.11 (3) (c) Subject to par. (bm) and s. 36.31 (2m), the board may establish policies for the appropriate transfer of credits with other educational institutions outside the system, including postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil enrolled in a course at an educational institution outside the system through the program under s. 118.55. If the board determines that postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil under the program under s. 118.55 are not transferable under this paragraph, the board shall permit the individual to take an examination to determine the individual's competency in the subject area of the course and, if the individual receives a passing score on the examination, shall award equivalent credits to the individual.

SB342,4 Section 4 . 36.11 (3) (cm) 1. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.

SB342,5 Section 5 . 36.11 (3) (cm) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB342,4,2 36.11 (3) (cm) 4. Other All courses for which the transfer of credits is accepted under par. pars. (b) or, (bm), and (c).

SB342,6 Section 6 . 36.31 (1) of the statutes is repealed.

SB342,7 Section 7 . 36.31 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,4,8 36.31 (1m) (a) The Board of Regents and the technical college system board shall implement a universal course numbering and credit transfer system no later than the first day of the 60th month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date].

SB342,4,12 (b) The universal course numbering and credit transfer system shall include the transfer of postsecondary credits earned by a high school pupil enrolled in a course at an institution within the University of Wisconsin System under the program under s. 118.55 or at a technical college under s. 38.12 (14).

SB342,4,18 (c) As part of the universal course numbering and credit transfer system, each institution and technical college offering a course shall award academic credit for a course with the same universal course number successfully completed at another institution or technical college, including applying the course credits to satisfy general education requirements or requirements for a degree in a specific field of study, as applicable.

SB342,8 Section 8 . 36.31 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB342,4,24 36.31 (2) The technical college system board, in agreement with the board, may designate courses other than those covered under sub. (1) as transferable for collegiate credit between the 2 systems. Upon implementation of the universal course numbering and credit transfer system under sub. (1m) (a), this subsection does not apply.

SB342,9 Section 9 . 36.31 (2m) (d) of the statutes is created to read:

SB342,5,5 36.31 (2m) (d) Upon implementation of the universal course numbering and credit transfer system under sub. (1m) (a), credits for courses with the same universal course number may be included in the calculation to determine whether the agreement of the Board of Regents and the technical college system board under par. (b) has identified at least 30 transferable course credits.

SB342,5,6 (End)