§3162. Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council; creation; purpose; membership; duties and responsibilities

            A. The commissioner of higher education, in consultation with the postsecondary education management boards and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, shall establish a Statewide Articulation and Transfer Council, hereinafter referred to as the "council," that shall report to the commissioner of higher education. All council recommendations and decisions shall be submitted to the commissioner of higher education for presentation to the Board of Regents for approval.

            B. The council shall consist of members representing each four-year college and university system, the community and technical college system, public elementary and secondary education, and nonpublic education, provided any eligible nonpublic postsecondary educational institution elects to participate. Council membership shall provide for equitable representation of all educational institutions and levels. The commissioner of higher education shall appoint a chair from among the membership.

            C. The council shall, with appropriate faculty consultation:

            (1) Coordinate, oversee, and monitor the seamless articulation and transfer of credit between and among secondary schools, technical colleges, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities.

            (2) Monitor the development of interinstitutional agreements between and among public schools, technical colleges, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities to facilitate interaction, articulation, acceleration, and the efficient use of faculty, equipment, and facilities.

            (3) Develop a statewide articulation and transfer agreement to govern the transfer of credits between and among educational institutions at all levels.

            (4) Oversee the development of a statewide core curriculum for lower-division course work that will be fully accepted in its entirety and creditable to the baccalaureate degree by all four-year colleges and universities. Such curriculum shall be comprised of specified general education courses and common degree program prerequisites.

            (5) Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of a statewide course numbering system.

            (6) Establish committees or advisory groups composed of secondary and postsecondary faculty members to determine course comparability, to facilitate articulation in subject areas, and as otherwise deemed necessary to carry out the council's duties and responsibilities.

            (7) Approve common degree program prerequisites across program areas and course and credit-by-exam equivalencies, and establish passing scores and course and credit equivalencies for exams administered pursuant to accelerated programs including, but not limited to, the Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and College-Level Examination Program.

            (8) Develop policies to align articulation and transfer policies established by education institutions including but not limited to admissions criteria, student counseling, and grade forgiveness.

            (9) Provide for end-of-course testing, if necessary and appropriate, for any course the council has approved as eligible for transfer to a postsecondary educational institution.

            (10) Establish monitoring, compliance, and reporting systems based upon uniform data collection and reporting methods to facilitate and ensure statewide and institutional compliance with statewide articulation and transfer policies. Data collected shall include:

            (a) The number of students enrolled in associate degree transfer programs.

            (b) Each student's rate of progress through transfer programs.

            (c) The number and percentage of students who complete associate degree transfer programs.

            (d) The number of students earning associate degrees that transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

            (e) The number of credits earned, degrees awarded, and time to completion of degree for students who have previously transferred associate degrees.

            (11) Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of statewide transfer pathways.

            (12) Develop statewide transfer agreements to govern the granting and transfer of credit awarded through competency-based and prior learning assessments.

            (13) Establish an appeals process to resolve disagreements between transferring students and receiving educational institutions regarding the transfer and acceptance of credits earned at another institution.

            (14) Ensure that all articulation and transfer policies and practices approved by the council are compliant with the rules and regulations established by all appropriate institutional accrediting agencies as recognized by the United States Department of Education.

            (15) Periodically, but at least annually, review articulation and transfer policies and make recommendations to the commissioner of higher education who shall then make recommendations to the legislature for needed revisions.

            (16) Perform such other duties as may be provided by law or the commissioner of higher education.

            D. The council, with appropriate consultation and collaboration with the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges, shall oversee the development and implementation of a process to award and transfer college credit for the academic content embedded in career and technical education and industry-based certification courses as provided in R.S. 17:3165.1.

            Acts 2009, No. 356, §1, eff. July 6, 2009; Acts 2013, No. 174, §1, eff. June 7, 2013; Acts 2021, No. 275, §4; Acts 2022, No. 308, §1, eff. June 10, 2022; Acts 2022, No. 374, §1.