Community college funding-distance education credit hours.

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary and text do not provide specific details on implementation of the new funding model.

Community College Funding for Distance Education

This law changes how community colleges are funded for distance education courses by eliminating full-time weighted equivalency and allowing course weighting based on content.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the definition of 'distance education class' to mean classes where instructors and a majority of students are physically separated, using technology for instruction.
• Removes the previous rule that gave full-time weight to distance education credit hours.
• Allows distance education courses to be weighted based on their content rather than a fixed value.

Who It Names or Affects

• Community college students taking distance education classes
• Community colleges that offer distance education programs

Terms To Know

Distance Education Class

A class where the instructor and a majority of students are physically separated by time or space, using technology for instruction.

Weighted Equivalency

Assigning a specific value or weight to credit hours based on certain criteria.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law only affects community colleges in Wyoming.
• It does not specify how the new funding model will be implemented or managed by individual colleges.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 23LSO-0238
Bill No.:

HB0029

Effective:

7/1/2023

LSO No.:

23LSO-0238

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0007

Chapter No.:

2

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Education Interim Committee

Catch Title:

Community college funding-distance education credit hours.

Subject:

Funding for distance education credit hours for community colleges.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act modifies the definition of distance education utilized to fund community colleges by eliminating the full-time weighted equivalency for distance education class credits hours.

This act allows distance education courses to be weighted based on the content of the course as opposed to a value of eight-tenths (0.8) as contained in statute prior to this act.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

23LSO-0238

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0029

ENROLLED ACT NO. 7,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2023 General Session

AN ACT relating to community college funding; modifying the definition of distance education for community colleges; eliminating the full-time weighted equivalency for distance education class credit hours for calculations in the community college funding allocation model; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
18
‑
102(a)(xvii) is amended to read:

21
‑
18
‑
102.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this act:

(xvii)

"Distance education class" means a class in which the instructor and a majority of students are physically separated by time or space, and a communications source other than face to face in class instruction is used to provide synchronous or asynchronous instruction.

A class which qualifies as a distance education class shall
not
be considered a level one, level two or level three class
as determined by the content of the course
;

Section 2
.

W.S. 21
‑
18
‑
102(a)(xviii)(A) is repealed.

Section 3
.

This act is effective July 1, 2023
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1