bill striking the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

The text as introduced · 918 words

By: Shofner
H.B. No. 1705

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the accreditation of certain postsecondary educational

institutions in this state or of certain programs offered by those

institutions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Sections 61.003(13), Education Code, are amended

to read as follows:

(13) "Recognized accrediting agency" means [ the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and ] any [ other ]

association or organization so designated by the board.

SECTION 2. Section 61.0515(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) To earn a baccalaureate degree, a student may not be

required by a general academic teaching institution to complete

more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for

the degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency

[ Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor ]

unless the institution determines that there is a compelling

academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester

credit hours for the degree.

SECTION 3. Section 61.05151(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) To earn an associate degree, a student may not be

required by an institution of higher education to complete more

than the minimum number of semester credit hours required for the

degree by the institution's recognized accrediting agency

[ Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or its successor ]

unless the institution determines that there is a compelling

academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester

credit hours for the degree.

SECTION 4. Section 61.8235(f), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(f) A student enrolled in a board-established program of

study who transfers from a public junior college, public state

college, or public technical institute to another public junior

college, public state college, or public technical institute that

offers a similar program, regardless of whether the institution has

adopted the board-established program of study, shall receive

academic credit from the institution to which the student

transferred for each of the courses that the student has

successfully completed in the program of study curriculum. Unless

otherwise required by the institution's recognized accrediting

agency [ Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of

Colleges and Schools ], the student may complete the program of

study at the institution to which the student transferred by

completing only the remaining number of semester credit hours the

student would need to complete the program of study at the

institution from which the student transferred.

SECTION 5. Section 107.151(c), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,

the university may operate as a general academic teaching

institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized

accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [ the Southern

Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ] and has

been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree

programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the

conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents

may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city

of Dallas.

SECTION 6. Section 107.201(c), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,

the university may operate as a general academic teaching

institution only after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board certifies that the university is accredited by a recognized

accrediting agency, as defined by Section 61.003, [ the Southern

Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ] and has

been approved by the coordinating board to offer one or more degree

programs. Until the coordinating board certifies that the

conditions of this subsection have been met, the board of regents

may operate a branch campus of Texas Woman's University in the city

of Houston.

SECTION 7. Section 130.301, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:

(3) "Recognized accrediting agency" has the meaning

assigned by Section 61.003.

SECTION 8. Section 130.305, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 130.305. ACCREDITATION. A public junior college

offering a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter must

meet all applicable accreditation requirements of a recognized

accrediting agency [ the Commission on Colleges of the Southern

Association of Colleges and Schools ].

SECTION 9. Section 130.307(c), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(c) Before a public junior college may be authorized to

offer a baccalaureate degree program under this subchapter, the

public junior college must submit a report to the coordinating

board that includes:

(1) a long-term financial plan for receiving

accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency [ the Commission

on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ];

(2) a long-term plan for faculty recruitment that:

(A) indicates the ability to pay the

increased salaries of doctoral faculty;

(B) identifies recruitment strategies for

new faculty; and

(C) ensures the program would not draw

faculty employed by a neighboring institution offering a similar

program;

(3) detailed information on the manner of program and

course delivery; and

(4) detailed information regarding existing

articulation agreements and dual enrollment agreements indicating:

(A) that at least three articulation

agreements have been established with general academic teaching

institutions or medical and dental units, or the reasons why no

articulation agreements have been established; and

(B) that, with the agreement of the

applicable general academic teaching institution or medical and

dental unit, established articulation agreements are at capacity.

SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.