HB2408: Higher educational institutions; articulation agreements.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 23-9.2:3.02 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 23-9.2:3.02. Articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and admissions agreements; admission of certain community college graduates.
A. The governing board of each four-year public institution of
higher education shall develop, consistent with the State Council of Higher
Education Guidelines and the institution's six-year plan as set forth in §
23-9.2:3.03, articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and admissions
agreements with uniform application to all institutions within the Virginia
Community College System and any two-year public institution of higher
education that (i) meet appropriate general education and program requirements
at the four-year institutions; (ii) provide additional opportunities for
associate degree graduates to be admitted and enrolled; and (iii)
establish dual admissions programs for qualified students to be simultaneously
accepted by a community college and, contingent upon the successful completion
of an acceptable associate degree program from the community college, by the
four-year public institution of higher education; and (iv) include
minimum numbers of associate degree graduates the institution of higher
education will admit and enroll annually as transfer students from institutions
within the Virginia Community College System.
B. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Virginia Community College System, and each four-year public institution of higher education shall agree on the minimum number of associate degree graduates each institution of higher education will annually admit and enroll as transfer students from institutions within the Virginia Community College System as provided in subsection A. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall submit an annual report to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education specifying the total number of transfer students each institution of higher education admitted and enrolled from institutions within the Virginia Community College System and whether such number meets the minimum number of transfer students each institution agreed to admit and enroll pursuant to this section.
BC.
Students enrolling at an institution within the Virginia Community College
System or a two-year public institution of higher education may declare an
intention in writing to transfer to a four-year public institution of higher
education in Virginia having an articulation agreement with the relevant
community college or two-year public institution. If a student (i) completes an
associate degree within four years of submitting a written declaration of
intent to transfer to a four-year public institution of higher education in
Virginia and (ii) enrolls in such an institution within 18 months of completing
an associate degree, the articulation agreement in force at the time of the
student's declaration shall determine those credits that will be transferred
from the community college or two-year public institution to the four-year
public institution upon successful completion of an associate degree.
CD. Nothing
in this section shall be construed to require the admission of students of the
Virginia Community College System by a four-year public institution of higher
education.
DE. The
State Council of Higher Education, consistent with its responsibility to
facilitate the development of articulation, transfer, and dual enrollment and
admissions agreements set forth in §§ 23-9.6:1 and 23-9.14:2, shall develop
guidelines for such agreements, including the conditions required to establish
dual admissions programs for qualified students to be simultaneously accepted
by a community college and a four-year public institution of higher education
and, upon successful completion of an acceptable associate degree program from
the community college, to be automatically enrolled in the four-year
institution of higher education. Dual admissions agreements shall set forth (i)
the obligations of the students accepted in such programs, including grade
point average requirements, acceptable associate degree majors, and completion
timetables; and (ii) the student's access to the privileges of enrollment in
both institutions during the time enrolled in either institution.