[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 791

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator  SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM

District 31 (Hudson)

Senator  NELLIE POU

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Ruiz

SYNOPSIS

     Requires undergraduate students to file degree plan and requires institutions of higher education and certain proprietary institutions to develop pathway systems to graduation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As amended by the Senate on June 15, 2020.

An Act concerning college degree completion and supplementing chapter 3B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    a.   As used in this act:

     “Degree plan” means a statement of the course of study requirements that an undergraduate student enrolled in an institution of higher education or a proprietary institution must complete to graduate from the institution.

     “Proprietary institution” means a proprietary institution ¹[whose students are eligible to participate in any student financial aid program administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority] licensed to offer academic degrees¹.

     b.    Except as otherwise provided in subsection c. of this section, an undergraduate student enrolled in a four-year institution of higher education shall file a degree plan with the institution as soon as practicable, but not later than by the completion of ²[45] 60² credit hours of course work. 

     c.     ²[An undergraduate student who transfers to a four-year institution of higher education with at least 45 credit hours of course work shall file a degree plan with the institution during the student’s first semester at the institution] A four-year institution of higher education shall develop a process for undergraduate students who transfer  to the institution with at least 45 credit hours of course work to develop and file a degree plan with the institution during the student’s second semester at the institution².

     d.    A degree-seeking undergraduate student enrolled in a county college or proprietary institution shall file a degree plan with the institution as soon as practicable, but not later than by the completion of 30 credit hours of course work.

     e.     ²[A] An institution of higher education or proprietary institution shall provide notice to a² student who ²[changes his course of study and]² selects a new academic major or minor, or who experiences such other change in circumstance as defined by the institution, ²that the student² shall file a revised degree plan with the institution ²as soon as practicable².

     f.     A degree plan filed pursuant to this section shall:

     (1)   be developed in consultation with an appropriate academic official in the student’s degree program, or if an appropriate academic official is not available in the student’s degree program, an appropriate academic official at the institution; and

     (2)   follow a pathway to a degree as required pursuant to section 2 of this act ²to the extent practicable².

     2.    a.   An institution of higher education or a proprietary institution shall:

     (1)   develop a pathway system whereby the institution establishes graduation progress benchmarks for each academic major and for the general education program for students who have not declared a major;

     (2)   require the pathway for each first-time degree-seeking student to include credit-bearing mathematics and English courses that are applicable towards degree requirements in the first 24 credit hours of course work ²completed at the institution of higher education or proprietary institution²; and

     (3)   require the pathway for each degree-seeking student enrolled in a remedial course in mathematics, reading, or English to include the credit-bearing course in mathematics, reading, or English concurrent with or in the semester immediately following completion of the remedial course.

     b.    (1)   The graduation progress benchmarks established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section shall specify the credit and course criteria that indicate satisfactory progress toward a degree.

     (2)   The academic departments of an institution of higher education or a proprietary institution shall establish schedules for regular periodic reviews of student progress.

     (3)   A student who is in danger of falling behind the graduation progress benchmarks shall be required to consult with an appropriate academic official ²[prior to course registration]².

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the first class of students entering ¹[a public] an¹ institution of higher education ¹or proprietary institution¹ following the effective date of this act.