An Act concerning the transfer of certain college credits and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
C.18A:62-46 Transfer of academic credits from associate degree program to baccalaureate program.
1. Each public institution of higher education, in consultation with the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, shall establish and enter into a collective Statewide transfer agreement that provides for the seamless transfer of academic credits from a completed associate of arts or associate of science degree program to a baccalaureate degree program. The transfer agreement shall include:
a. a listing of the general education core courses as stipulated by the Presidents’ Council;
b. policies and procedures for the seamless transfer and application of academic credits from a completed associate degree program to a baccalaureate degree program, including a guarantee that an associate of arts degree or an associate of science degree awarded by a county college established pursuant to chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes shall be fully transferable and credited as the first two years of a baccalaureate degree program at the four-year public institution of higher education in the State to which a student is admitted;
c. policies and procedures for the implementation of an appeals process for students and institutions to resolve disputes regarding the transfer of academic credits;
d. policies and procedures for the annual review and update of the agreement; and
e. policies and procedures for the collection of data by the commission to ensure that all participating institutions of higher education are in compliance with the provisions of this act and to ensure that the agreement is fostering both a seamless transfer process and the academic success of transfer students at the senior institutions. The commission shall annually determine the data to be collected and shall notify each participating institution in a timely manner.
The policies and procedures set forth in the transfer agreement shall be fully operational by September 1, 2008.
C.18A:62-47 Adoption of policies, procedures regarding certain transfers.
2. On or before January 1, 2008, each public institution of higher education shall, in consultation with the Commission on Higher Education and the Presidents’ Council, develop and adopt as part of the collective Statewide transfer agreement established pursuant to section 1 of this act policies and procedures for the transfer of credits earned by a student who has not completed his associate degree program prior to transferring into a baccalaureate degree program.
C.18A:62-48 Independent institutions may enter into agreement.
3. An independent institution of higher education in the State may elect to enter into the agreement.
C.18A:62-49 Annual report to Governor, Legislature.
4. The Commission on Higher Education shall prepare an annual report containing a compilation of the data collected pursuant to subsection e. of section 1 of this act, an analysis of the effect of the agreement on the transfer process and on the academic success of transfer students at the senior institutions, and an analysis of each participating institution’s compliance with the provisions of this act. The commission shall submit the report to the Legislature and the Governor by November 15th of each year.
C.18A:62-50 Cooperation considered relative to annual appropriation.
5. The cooperation of each public institution of higher education in abiding by the terms of the agreement shall be reviewed and considered by the Governor and the Legislature when making the annual appropriation for the institution.
C.18A:62-51 Construction of act as to standards and procedures for admission.
6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to require any public or independent institution of higher education to admit a student or to waive its admission standards and application procedures.
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
Approved September 13, 2007.