H. B. 2489
(By Delegate Kiss)
[Introduced March 5, 1993; referred to the
Committee on Education.]
A BILL to amend article one, chapter eighteen-b of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto four new sections, designated
sections twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen relating to
a common course designation and numbering system for the
West Virginia system of higher education; rules;
articulation between secondary and postsecondary education;
and participation by nonpublic colleges and schools.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article one, chapter eighteen-b of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto four new sections, designated sections
twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. GOVERNANCE.
§18B-1-12. Common designation and numbering system.
The governing board of university of West Virginia system
and the governing board of the state college system are directedto identify all functions which under the provisions of this
section contribute to or comprise a part of the state system of
educational accountability and to establish the necessary
organizational structure policies and procedures for effectively
coordinating such functions. The policies and procedures shall
clearly fix and delineate responsibilities for various aspects of
the system and for overall coordination of the total system. The
governing boards shall perform the following duties and
functions: Development and coordination of a common course
designation and numbering system for community colleges, state
colleges and universities which will improve program planning,
increase communication among community colleges, state colleges
and universities and facilitate the transfer of students. The
system shall not encourage or require course content,
prescription, or standardization or uniform course testing, and
the continuing maintenance of the system shall be accomplished by
appropriate faculty committees. The system shall be applied to
all postsecondary and postsecondary adult vocational programs and
courses offered in school districts and community colleges.
§18B-1-13. Promulgation of rules for purges of courses.
The governing board of the university of West Virginia
system and the governing board of the state college system shall
adopt rules which provide for the conduct of regularly scheduled
purges of courses listed in the statewide course numbering system
or institutional catalog that have not been taught at the
institution for the preceding five years. The rules shallinclude waiver provisions for course continuation in the event
that an institution has reasonable cause for having not offered
a course within the five-year limit and an expectation that the
course will be offered again within the following five years.
§18B-1-14. Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
education.
(a) Articulation between secondary and postsecondary
education, admission of associate in arts degree graduated from
West Virginia community colleges, state colleges and state
universities, the use of acceleration mechanisms, including
nationally standardized examinations through which students may
earn credit and articulation among programs in nursing shall be
governed by the articulation agreements as established by the
governing boards. The articulation agreement must specifically
provide that every associate in arts graduate of a West Virginia
community college must be granted admission to a upper division
of a state college or state university except to a limited access
or teacher certification program or a major program requiring an
audition. After admission has been granted to students under the
provisions of this section and to university or state college
students who have successfully completed sixty-four credit hours
of coursework, admission shall be granted to state university or
state college system and West Virginia community college students
who have successfully completed sixty-four credit hours of work.
Community college associate in arts graduates shall receive
priority for admission to a state university or state collegeover out-of-state students. Orientation programs and student
handbooks provided to freshman enrollees and transfer students at
state universities and state colleges must include an explanation
of this provision of the articulation agreement.
(b) Any student who transfers among postsecondary
institutions that participate in the common course designation
and numbering system shall be awarded credit by the receiving
institution for courses satisfactorily completed by the student
at the previous institutions, if the courses are judged by the
appropriate common course designation and numbering system
faculty task force to be equivalent to courses offered at the
receiving institution. The award of credit may be limited to
courses that are entered in the common course designation and
numbering system. Credits awarded pursuant to this subsection
shall satisfy institutional requirements on the same basis as
credits awarded to native students.
§18B-1-15. Participation by nonpublic colleges and schools in
common course designation and numbering system.
Nonpublic colleges and schools that have been issued a
regular license and that are fully accredited by the north
central association and accredited nonpublic postsecondary
colleges exempt from the state licensure may participate in the
common course designation and numbering system. Participating
colleges and schools shall bear the costs associated with
inclusion in the system and shall meet the terms and conditions
for institutional participation in the system. The governingboard shall adopt a fee schedule that includes the expenses
incurred through data processing, faculty task force travel and
per diem, and staff and clerical support time. The fee schedule
may differentiate between the costs associated with subsequent
course maintenance in the system. Fees collected for
participation in the common course designation and numbering
system pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be
deposited in the general revenue fund.
No college or school may record students transcripts or
document courses offered by the college or school in accordance
with this section unless the college or school is actually
participating in the system pursuant to rules of the governing
board for the university West Virginia system and the governing
board for the state college system. Any college or school deemed
to be in violation of this section shall be subject to the
provisions of expulsion.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the governing
boards for the West Virginia system of higher education to adopt
a common course designation and numbering system for community
colleges, state colleges and universities.
This article is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.