SB 165

This bill makes changes to requirements under current law regarding the

transferability of credits between certain institutions of higher education. Under

current law, the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and the

Technical College System Board are required to enter into an agreement for ensuring

that, beginning in the 2014-15 academic year, no fewer than 30 credits in core

general education courses identified in the agreement are transferable between UW

institutions and technical colleges. Current law also allows tribally controlled and

private nonprofit colleges in this state to participate in the agreement.

This bill eliminates the above agreement and requires instead that the Board

of Regents and TCS Board enter into an agreement that establishes policies for

ensuring that, beginning in the 2020-21 academic year, credits for courses in

different subject areas are transferable, which may include core general education

courses. The agreement must specify the total number of course credits that are

transferable, which may not be less than 75 credits or nine credits for each course

subject area, whichever is greater. Also, the agreement must establish policies for

faculty to periodically identify the courses with transferable credits. In addition, the

agreement must include procedures for revising the agreement every two years. As

under current law, the bill allows tribally controlled and private nonprofit colleges

in this state to participate in the agreement.

The bill also includes two requirements for passive review by the Joint

Committee on Finance. First, no later than December 31, 2019, the Board of Regents

and TCS Board must submit to JCF the agreement and the list of courses with

transferable credits that are initially identified by faculty. If JCF does not schedule

a meeting by a specified deadline to review the agreement and list, the bill allows the

agreement and list to be implemented. However, if JCF schedules such a meeting,

neither the agreement nor the list may be implemented unless approved or modified

by JCF. Second, any revision of the agreement to decrease the number of

transferable credits must be submitted to JCF. If JCF does not schedule a meeting

by a specified deadline to review a revised agreement, the revised agreement may

be implemented. However, if JCF schedules such a meeting, the revised agreement

may not be implemented unless approved or modified by JCF.