SF 1577

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 09/16/2015 03:45pm

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; requiring Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
to implement a goal of timely degree and certificate completion; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 136F.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [136F.3011] TIMELY COMPLETION OF PROGRAMS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Goal; board duties. new text end

new text begin The board shall have as a system goal the
timely completion of degrees or certificates. The board shall continuously monitor and
adopt strategies that have the potential or that have proven to promote timely completion.
If the board finds that a strategy is successful at one campus or program, the board must
assess whether the strategy would be beneficial campuswide or systemwide and, if it
determines that it would, must implement the strategy for all system programs in which
the strategy is predicted to be successful. The board may discontinue the strategy for those
programs where it does not prove beneficial to the goal of timely completion.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Strategies. new text end

new text begin Strategies to achieve the goal in subdivision 1 may include, but
are not limited to:
new text end

new text begin (1) replacing developmental or remedial courses, when appropriate, with corequisite
courses in which students with academic deficiencies are placed into introductory
credit-bearing coursework while receiving supplemental academic instruction on the
same subject and during the same term;
new text end

new text begin (2) expanding intrusive advising, including the use of early alert systems or requiring
the approval of an advisor or counselor to register for certain classes;
new text end

new text begin (3) developing meta-majors in broad academic disciplines as an alternative to
undecided majors;
new text end

new text begin (4) making available alternative mathematics curriculum, including curriculum most
relevant to the student's chosen area of study;
new text end

new text begin (5) implementing "opt-out scheduling" by automatically enrolling students in a
schedule of courses chosen by the student's department but allowing students to disenroll
from those courses if they wish;
new text end

new text begin (6) facilitating the transfer of credits between state colleges and universities; and
new text end

new text begin (7) encouraging students to enroll full time, including the use of financial assistance
to reduce a student's need to work.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin (a) The board shall annually by January 15, report to the chairs
and ranking minority members of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher
education finance on its activities and achievements related to the goal of improving
timely completion of degrees and certificates. The report must, at a minimum, include:
new text end

new text begin (1) the percent of students placed in remedial education;
new text end

new text begin (2) the percent of students who complete remediation within one academic year;
new text end

new text begin (3) the percent of students that complete college-level gateway courses in one
academic year;
new text end

new text begin (4) the percent of students who complete 30 semester credits per academic year;
new text end

new text begin (5) the student retention rate;
new text end

new text begin (6) the amount of time needed to complete a degree or certificate; and
new text end

new text begin (7) credits earned by those completing a degree or certificate or other program.
new text end

new text begin (b) The report must disaggregate data by race, ethnicity, Pell Grant eligibility, and
age, and provide aggregate data.
new text end