HB2115 - 542R - Senate Fact Sheet

Purpose

Requires universities and community colleges to offer a course of instruction on the Arizona and U.S. Constitutions and prohibits a baccalaureate degree, lesser degree or academic certificate from being granted to any person that has not earned credit for the course, with certain exceptions.

Background

The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) is comprised of eight members and two student members appointed by the Governor, with the Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction serving as ex-officio members. ABOR is responsible for the governance and administration of the state universities, which include Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona (A.R.S. § 15-1601). ABOR establishes the curricula and designates courses at the state universities determined to be in the best interest of the state. Additionally, ABOR awards degrees and diplomas on the completion of designated courses and curriculum requirements (A.R.S. § 15-1626).

Community college districts may be organized for a single county, two or more contiguous counties or an existing community college district and contiguous counties not part of a community college district, if certain conditions are met (A.R.S. § 15-1402). Community college districts are governed by a community college district governing board, which maintains each community college, enforces courses of study, and awards degrees, certificates and diplomas on completion of courses and curricula deemed appropriate by the community college district governing board (A.R.S. § 15-1444)

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Requires each state university and community college to offer a course of instruction on the Arizona and U.S. Constitutions, with a special emphasis on the Bill of Rights (constitutional course).

2. Prohibits a state university or community college from granting a baccalaureate degree, lesser degree or academic certificate to any person that has not completed and earned credit for the constitutional course.

3. Requires the constitutional course to have a credit value of at least six semester hours or the equivalent.

4. Allows a state university or community college to determine that a student has satisfied the constitutional course requirement based on:

a) credit granted for a substantially equivalent course completed at another accredited university or college; or

b) successful completion of an advanced standing examination administered on the conditions and under circumstances common for other advanced standing examinations of the state university or community college.

5. Allows a state university or community college to grant up to three semester hours of credit, or its equivalent, toward satisfaction of the constitutional course requirement for substantially equivalent work completed in an approved senior reserve officer training corps unit.

6. Exempts, from the requirement that the course include instruction on the Arizona constitution, degrees granted on completion of an academic program offered by a medical or dental unit of a state university or community college if the:

a) student is a member of the U.S. armed forces, including the reserves and National Guard;

b) program is operated by the medical or dental unit under contract with the U.S. Army;

c) program requires less than two years of Arizona residency; and

d) principal participants of the program are military personnel stationed outside of Arizona.

7. Requires each state university that offers a dual baccalaureate degree program under contract with a foreign university or college to offer an American way course designed to provide a foreign student with a familiarity and understanding of the U.S. government and civic life and the sources, development and character thereof.

8. Requires an American way course to consist of four semester credit hours, with one credit hour in practicum activities intended to provide the student with experience in the three branches of government through participation at the federal, state or local level.

9. Requires an American way course to focus on:

a) important texts, including the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Declaration of Independence;

b) the works and contributions of influential authors, political and cultural leaders and other important figures;

c) important events and developments in U.S. history;

d) important developments in human and civil rights, including the civil rights movement and history of women's rights; and

e) the history and development of Arizona and its place in U.S. history and culture.

10. Allows ABOR to exempt a student enrolled in a dual-baccalaureate degree program under contract with a foreign university or college from the constitutional course requirement, if the student:

a) is enrolled in the foreign university of college before enrolling in the dual degree program or is otherwise considered to be primarily a student of the foreign university or college; and

b) successfully completes the American way course at the state university the student attends or at another university or community college, with approval of the state university the student attends.

11. Prohibits an American way course from being taken for course credit by a student that is not:

a) enrolled in a dual-baccalaureate degree program under contract with a foreign university or college; and

b) authorized to take the American way course instead of the constitutional course.

12. Requires ABOR and each community college district to include the name and course number of the constitutional course in statutorily required annual reports.

13. Defines community college and university.

14. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

GOV 1/30/20 DP 11-0-0-0

3^rd Read 2/10/20 38-22-0