KRS 164.2951: Development and implementation of credit hour degree programs, course

classifications, credit transfer agreements, and a statewide standardized

articulation agreement -- Changes to learning outcomes.

(1) Beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year and each academic year thereafter for

first-time students enrolling in a public college or university, postsecondary

education institutions are encouraged to limit the credit -hour requirements to sixty

(60) credit hours for each associate of science or associate of arts degree program

and to one hundred twenty (120) credit hours for each bachelor of arts or bachelor

of science degree program, except in situations in which:

(a) Quality and content of a program would be negatively impacted; or

(b) A pro gram must comply with specific program standards established by

external accreditation bodies.

(2) The Council on Postsecondary Education, in collaboration with the public

universities and community and technical colleges, shall:

(a) Facilitate the develop ment and implementation of a statewide agreement for

alignment of Kentucky Community and Technical College System lower -

division associate of arts and associate of science coursework that shall be

accepted and fully credited to related bachelors degree pro grams by all public

universities. The agreement shall specify the general education learning

outcomes and program -specific prerequisite learning outcomes of the

coursework. Where applicable, curricula shall be reviewed to determine

comparability of core co ntent standards required under KRS 164.302. The

agreement shall direct that the associate of arts and associate of science

coursework meeting the learning outcomes specified shall be accepted for

transfer and degree credit, whether earned as individual cou rses or within

block programs;

(b) Develop, implement, and maintain a Kentucky Community and Technical

College System statewide course numbering system for lower-division general

education and program -specific prerequisite courses that include the same

learning outcomes;

(c) Establish a statewide course classification system and procedures to monitor

the transfer and crediting of lower -division coursework, including a system of

ongoing assessment that ensures comparability for transfer purposes;

(d) Establish a procedure for approval of changes in learning outcomes at public

universities as described in subsection (3) of this section;

(e) Standardize credit -by-exam equivalencies and common passing scores for

national exams transferable for general education courses and program -

specific prerequisites courses;

(f) Develop policies to align statewide articulation and transfer procedures across

educational institutions, including admissions criteria, student declaration of

major, and student guidance and counseli ng policies designed to ensure that

students pursuing an associate of arts or associate of science degree program

provide timely notification of their intention to transfer to a public university;

(g) Develop uniform data collection and reporting methods t o facilitate and

ensure statewide and institutional compliance with course transfer and credit

requirements;

(h) Guarantee that, upon admission to a public university, graduates of an

associate of arts or an associate of science degree program approved by the

council in consultation with public universities shall be deemed to have met

all general education requirements;

(i) Provide that graduates of approved associate of arts and associate of science

degree programs of Kentucky public postsecondary institut ions who complete

the prerequisite learning outcomes for a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science

program while fulfilling the requirements for an associate of art or associate of

science degree, shall not be required to repeat or to take any additional l ower-

level courses to fulfill bachelor degree requirements in the same major, and

these students shall be granted admission to related upper -division bachelors

degree programs of a state public college or university on the same criteria as

those students e arning lower -division credits at the university to which the

student transferred;

(j) Provide that graduates of approved associate of arts and associate of science

degree programs shall receive priority for admission to a state public

university over out-of-state students if they meet the same admission criteria;

(k) Establish a commonality in college transcripts to be used in all public colleges

and universities to facilitate transfer from community and technical colleges;

(l) Encourage private colleges and universities to collaborate with public

educational institutions in developing programs and agreement to expedite the

transfer of students and credits between institutions;

(m) Establish an appeals process to resolve disagree ments between transferring

students and receiving educational institutions regarding the transfer and

acceptance of credits earned at another institution;

(n) Ensure that all articulation and transfer policies are consistent with the rules

and regulations established by all appropriate discipline -specific accrediting

bodies and institutional accrediting agencies as recognized by the United

States Department of Education; and

(o) Facilitate the development and implementation of a statewide standardized

articulation agreement to be executed by July 1, 2021, between public colleges

and universities and the Kentucky Department of Education for each approved

high school career pathway that leads to a postsecondary credential,

certification, license, or degree. Up on meeting the requirements of the

standardized articulation agreement, a student shall be awarded postsecondary

credit for prior learning at any public college or university.

(3) When an institution seeks to change learning outcomes for a bachelor of arts or

bachelor of science program that affect lower -division courses, the university shall

notify the Council on Postsecondary Education and the Kentucky Community and

Technical College System of the proposed changes at the same time as the initiation

of the university's approval process. If it is determined that the proposed change will

have an adverse effect on transferability, the university proposing the change shall

enter into discussion with the council and the Kentucky Community and Technical

College System to verify there remains a clearly defined path to a bachelor's degree

for those students who plan to transfer from the Kentucky Community and

Technical College System to the public university.