LAMPITT/DIEGNAN/STANLEY BILL CREATING SEAMLESS COLLEGE CREDITS HEADS TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK

LAMPITT/DIEGNAN/STANLEY BILL CREATING SEAMLESS COLLEGE CREDITS HEADS TO GOVERNOR'S DESK

Credit Acceptance Agreement Would Help Students with Associate Degrees

(TRENTON) - Legislation Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt and Assemblymen Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. and Craig Stanley sponsored to create a new system to allow county college credits to be seamlessly accepted by New Jersey's four-year colleges and universities passed today in the state Senate.

The Senate voted 37-0 sending the bill to the Governor, who may sign it, veto it, or modify it in the form of a conditional veto.

"Changing colleges is stressful enough for students without learning that needed credits awarded by one school won't be accepted at another," said Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill).  "Coursework completed at the county college level should not have to be needlessly duplicated.  College credit transfers must be seamless so our students can spend their time studying new information, not rehashing a prior course of study."

The measure culminates the lawmakers' efforts to assist in-state students who have earned an associates degree from a county college to more easily transfer their credits toward a degree from a four-year institution.  Currently, many college transfer students must repeat courses that they already successfully completed at another institution.

Under the measure (A-3968), all New Jersey public colleges and universities would be required to participate in the program, with independent schools retaining an option to join.  The schools would enter into a uniform agreement regarding transfer policies and procedures, course curriculum requirements, a system for student appeals, and standards for the review and updating of the transfer agreement.

The bill would codify an agreement on credit transfers reached by the New Jersey Presidents' Council, which represents the state's higher education institutions.  That agreement was spurred by the active role Lampitt, Diegnan, and Stanley had taken in promoting the issue.

"Requiring students to relearn identical material simply because they transferred to a different school is redundant and costly" said Diegnan (D-Middlesex).  "Credits earned at one New Jersey college or university should be accepted by other higher education institution in the state."

The lawmakers noted that when participants in the NJ STARS program are required to repeat a course, New Jersey taxpayers effectively get double-charged by paying tuition for the same class.

"NJ STARS was created to break down barriers to higher education, but rigid credit transfer rules are serving as a new roadblock," said Stanley (D-Essex).  "If we are to realize the promise of providing a college education for all our high-achieving students, we must do everything possible to remove these frustrating hurdles that can discourage students from moving forward."

If enacted, the transfer program would begin with the 2008-2009 academic year.
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