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Senate
File
244
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
244
BY
GREEN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
providing
for
general
education
requirements
for
1
undergraduate
students
at
regents
institutions
and
including
2
applicability
provisions.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
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Section
1.
SHORT
TITLE.
This
Act
shall
be
known
and
may
be
1
cited
as
the
“Core
Curriculum
Act”.
2
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.1
Definitions.
3
As
used
in
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise
4
requires:
5
1.
“Board”
means
the
state
board
of
regents.
6
2.
“Institution”
means
an
institution
of
higher
learning
7
governed
by
the
board.
8
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.2
General
education
requirements.
9
The
board
shall
develop
and
adopt
a
policy
establishing
10
general
education
requirements
for
undergraduate
students.
The
11
policy
must
include
all
of
the
following:
12
1.
Each
institution
shall
establish
all
of
the
following
13
general
education
requirements
that
must
be
completed
for
a
14
student
to
receive
an
undergraduate
degree:
15
a.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
English
composition.
16
b.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
a
world
language.
17
c.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
mathematics
and
statistics.
18
d.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
natural
sciences.
19
e.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
social
sciences.
20
f.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
the
humanities.
21
g.
Three
semester
credit
hours
of
western
heritage.
22
Coursework
satisfying
this
requirement
shall
consist
of
23
introductory
survey
courses
concerning
western
heritage
such
as
24
western
civilization,
British
literature,
or
Greek
philosophy.
25
Coursework
for
western
heritage
shall
also
satisfy
the
required
26
semester
hours
for
either
social
studies
or
the
humanities,
as
27
designated
by
the
institution.
28
h.
Three
semester
credit
hours
of
American
heritage.
29
Coursework
satisfying
this
requirement
shall
consist
of
30
introductory
survey
courses
concerning
American
heritage,
such
31
as
American
history,
Iowa
history,
American
government,
or
32
American
literature.
If
the
institution
offers
or
requires
a
33
course
on
American
history
and
civil
government,
semester
hours
34
for
that
course
shall
satisfy
this
requirement.
Coursework
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for
American
heritage
shall
also
satisfy
the
required
1
semester
hours
for
either
social
studies
or
the
humanities,
as
2
designated
by
the
institution.
3
2.
An
institution
shall
not
establish
more
than
forty
4
semester
credit
hours
of
general
education
requirements.
An
5
institution
may
increase
the
number
of
semester
hours
for
any
6
of
the
requirements
of
subsection
1,
provided
that
the
total
7
number
of
required
semester
hours
of
general
education
shall
8
not
exceed
forty.
9
3.
An
institution
or
a
school
or
other
component
of
10
an
institution
shall
not
establish
any
general
education
11
requirement
not
specifically
authorized
in
this
section.
12
4.
An
institution
shall
designate
up
to
ten
semester-length
13
introductory
or
survey
courses
that
will
satisfy
the
14
requirements
of
subsection
1,
which
the
exception
of
subsection
15
1,
paragraph
“b”
,
for
which
an
institution
may
designate
any
16
number
of
introductory
courses.
17
5.
Except
as
provided
in
subsection
1,
an
institution
shall
18
not
designate
any
course
as
satisfying
more
than
one
of
the
19
general
education
requirements
provided
in
subsection
1.
20
6.
An
institution
shall
provide
equivalent
credit
toward
21
the
requirements
of
subsection
1
to
a
student
transferring
22
to
the
institution
for
previous
coursework
completed
by
the
23
student
that
is
substantially
similar
to
a
requirement
of
24
subsection
1.
25
7.
If
the
board
or
an
institution
has
established
a
school
26
of
intellectual
freedom
or
a
center
for
civic
education,
the
27
school
or
center
shall
annually
designate
the
courses
that
will
28
satisfy
the
requirements
of
subsection
1,
paragraphs
“g”
and
29
“h”
.
30
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.3
Standards
for
course
content.
31
The
board
shall
adopt
a
policy
to
ensure
that
courses
that
32
satisfy
the
general
education
requirements
established
pursuant
33
to
section
262C.2
do
not
distort
significant
historical
events
34
or
include
any
curriculum
or
other
material
that
teaches
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identity
politics
or
is
based
on
theories
that
systemic
1
racism,
sexism,
oppression,
or
privilege
are
inherent
in
the
2
institutions
of
the
United
States
of
America
or
the
state
of
3
Iowa.
The
policy
shall
not
limit
the
academic
freedom
of
4
any
course
instructor
to
direct
the
instruction
within
the
5
instructor’s
course
or
limit
the
free
discussion
of
ideas
in
a
6
classroom
setting.
7
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.4
Exceptions
——
waiver.
8
1.
The
general
education
requirements
established
pursuant
9
to
section
262C.2
shall
not
apply
to
a
student
completing
a
10
degree
program
that
is
designated
by
an
institution
as
a
degree
11
program
of
three
years
or
less
in
duration.
12
2.
The
board
may
waive
one
or
more
requirements
of
section
13
262.2
for
a
degree
program
if
the
board
determines
the
program
14
is
in
a
complex
field
or
requires
an
increased
amount
of
focus
15
on
the
courses
related
to
a
student’s
major.
16
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.5
Enforcement.
17
Any
person
may
notify
the
attorney
general
of
an
18
institution’s
potential
violation
of
this
chapter.
The
19
attorney
general
may
bring
an
action
against
an
institution
for
20
a
writ
of
mandamus
to
compel
the
institution
to
comply
with
21
this
chapter.
22
Sec.
7.
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
to
students
23
beginning
enrollment
at
institutions
of
higher
learning
24
governed
by
the
state
board
of
regents
in
academic
years
25
beginning
on
or
after
July
1,
2027.
26
EXPLANATION
27
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
28
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
29
This
bill
requires
the
state
board
of
regents
(board)
to
30
develop
and
adopt
a
policy
establishing
general
education
31
requirements
for
undergraduate
students.
The
bill
provides
32
required
content
of
the
policy.
33
The
general
education
requirements
shall
include
required
34
coursework
in
English
composition,
a
world
language,
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mathematics
and
statistics,
natural
sciences,
social
sciences,
1
the
humanities,
western
heritage,
and
American
heritage.
The
2
bill
provides
minimum
semester
hours
for
each
subject
and
3
specifies
additional
requirements
for
certain
subjects.
The
4
general
education
requirements
shall
not
exceed
40
total
5
semester
hours.
The
bill
prohibits
a
regents
institution
or
6
a
school
or
other
component
of
a
regents
institution
from
7
establishing
any
general
education
requirement
not
specifically
8
authorized
in
the
bill.
The
bill
provides
additional
standards
9
for
the
general
education
requirements
,
including
standards
10
for
transfer
students.
11
The
bill
requires
the
board
to
adopt
a
policy
to
ensure
12
that
courses
that
satisfy
the
general
education
requirements
13
do
not
distort
significant
historical
events
or
include
any
14
curriculum
or
other
material
that
teaches
identity
politics
or
15
is
based
on
theories
that
systemic
racism,
sexism,
oppression,
16
or
privilege
are
inherent
in
the
institutions
of
the
United
17
States
of
America
or
the
state
of
Iowa.
The
policy
shall
not
18
limit
the
academic
freedom
of
any
course
instructor
to
direct
19
the
instruction
within
the
instructor’s
course
or
limit
the
20
free
discussion
of
ideas
in
a
classroom
setting.
21
The
bill
provides
that
the
general
education
requirements
22
shall
not
apply
to
a
student
completing
a
degree
program
that
23
is
designated
by
a
regents
institution
as
a
degree
program
24
of
three
years
or
less
in
duration.
The
bill
authorizes
the
25
board
to
waive
one
or
more
general
education
requirements
for
26
a
degree
program
if
the
board
determines
the
program
is
in
a
27
complex
field
or
requires
an
increased
amount
of
focus
on
the
28
courses
related
to
a
student’s
major.
29
The
bill
authorizes
any
person
to
notify
the
attorney
30
general
of
a
regents
institution’s
potential
violation
of
the
31
requirements
of
the
bill.
The
attorney
general
may
bring
an
32
action
against
an
institution
for
a
writ
of
mandamus
to
compel
33
the
institution
to
comply.
34
The
bill
applies
to
students
beginning
enrollment
at
regents
35
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institutions
in
academic
years
beginning
on
or
after
July
1,
1
2027.
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