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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
A102, R18, H3697
STATUS INFORMATION
Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Taylor, Allison, Gilliard, Matthews, Bales, Moore and Govan
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\19536wab19.docx
Introduced in the House on January 22, 2019
Introduced in the Senate on January 24, 2019
Passed by the General Assembly on February 20, 2019
Governor's Action: March 20, 2019, Signed
Summary: Degree curriculum requirements
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/22/2019 House Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar without
reference (House Journal-page 27)
1/23/2019 Scrivener's error corrected
1/23/2019 House Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bales, Moore,
Govan
1/23/2019 House Read second time (House Journal-page 18)
1/23/2019 House Roll call Yeas-113 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 19)
1/24/2019 House Read third time and sent to Senate
(House Journal-page 63)
1/24/2019 Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 18)
1/24/2019 Senate Referred to Committee on Education
(Senate Journal-page 18)
2/13/2019 Senate Committee report: Favorable Education
(Senate Journal-page 13)
2/19/2019 Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 23)
2/19/2019 Senate Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 23)
2/20/2019 Senate Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 15)
3/19/2019 Ratified R 18
3/20/2019 Signed By Governor
3/27/2019 Effective date See Act for Effective Date
7/10/2019 Act No. 102
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
1/22/2019
1/22/2019-A
1/23/2019
2/13/2019
(A102, R18, H3697)
A JOINT RESOLUTION TO PROVIDE THAT NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF REGULATION 62-6-(D), SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF REGULATIONS, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT AT LEAST TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS MUST BE EARNED THROUGH INSTRUCTION BY THE INSTITUTION AWARDING THE DEGREE, THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION MAY GRANT ALTERNATE PROGRAM COMPLETION OPTIONS TO STUDENTS IMPACTED BY THE CLOSURE OF SIX EDUCATION CORPORATION OF AMERICA, INC., HIGHER EDUCATION PROVIDERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 2018.
Whereas, on December 4, 2018, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) announced its withdrawal of accreditation from Education Corporation of America, Inc. (ECA), effective December 19, 2018, and extended to December 22, 2018; and
Whereas, on December 5, 2018, in response ECA announced the closure of all but one of its higher education providers nationwide effective no later than December 21, 2018; and
Whereas, the decision resulted in the closure of six ECA locations in South Carolina consisting of five campuses of Virginia College located respectively in Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, and Spartanburg, and the Golf Academy of America in Myrtle Beach; and
Whereas, the closure of the six campuses instantly left approximately one thousand South Carolina students without an opportunity to complete their Virginia College or Golf Academy academic programs; and
Whereas, most or many of the students were within a single course to one year of program completion; and
Whereas, in response to this crisis, institutions in this State, including technical and community colleges, are actively pursuing all options to help affected students; and
Whereas; states including South Carolina and accrediting agencies usually require member institutions to ensure they have delivered at least twenty-five percent of their program curriculum to degree holders, consequently prohibiting teach-out options for these former ECA students who cannot complete their academic programs through no fault of their own; and
Whereas, legislative redress is necessary and appropriate to mitigate the harm suffered by the victims of this unfortunate and unusual set of circumstances. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Flexibility to assist students of closed institutions
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 62-6-(D), South Carolina Code of Regulations, that require a student to earn at least twenty-five percent of a higher education institution's program curriculum requirements through instruction by the institution awarding the degree, the Commissioner on Higher Education may grant institutions of higher learning in this State the flexibility to use teach-out options as needed in rare circumstances to facilitate program completion by students who attended any of the six education providers of the Education Corporation of America, Inc., that were located in this State which closed in 2018 before the students could complete program requirements. These teach-out options are intended for use in rare circumstances for any of these former Education Corporation of America, Inc., students who are close to program completion and otherwise would be impeded in their completion efforts by the provisions of Regulation 62-6-(D).
Time effective
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval of the Governor and expires July 1, 2020, unless extended by the General Assembly.
Ratified the 19th day of March, 2019.
Approved the 20th day of March, 2019.
This web page was last updated on March 9, 2020 at 3:39 PM