C.R.S. Section 23-1-125
Commission directive

  • student bill of rights
  • degree requirements
  • implementation of core courses
  • competency test
  • prior learning
  • prior work-related experience

(1)

Student bill of rights.
The general assembly hereby finds that students enrolled in public institutions of higher education shall have the following rights:

(a)

Students should be able to complete their associate of arts and associate of science degree programs in no more than sixty credit hours or their baccalaureate programs in no more than one hundred twenty credit hours unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission;

(b)

A student can sign a two-year or four-year graduation agreement that formalizes a plan for that student to obtain a degree in two or four years, unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission;

(c)

Students have a right to clear and concise information concerning which courses must be completed successfully to complete their degrees;

(d)

Students have a right to know which courses are transferable among the state public two-year and four-year institutions of higher education;

(e)

Students, upon completion of core general education courses, regardless of the delivery method, should have those courses satisfy the core course requirements of all Colorado public institutions of higher education;

(f)

Students have a right to know if courses from one or more public higher education institutions satisfy the students’ degree requirements;

(g)

A student’s credit for the completion of the core requirements and core courses shall not expire for ten years from the date of initial enrollment and shall be transferrable.

(2)

Degree requirements.
The commission shall establish a standard of a one-hundred-twenty-hour baccalaureate degree, not including specific professional degree programs that have additional degree requirements recognized by the commission.

(3)

Core courses.
The department, in consultation with each Colorado public institution of higher education, is directed to outline a plan to implement a core course concept that defines the general education course guidelines for all public institutions of higher education. The core of courses shall be designed to ensure that students demonstrate competency in reading, critical thinking, written communication, mathematics, and technology. The core of courses shall consist of at least thirty credit hours but shall not exceed forty credit hours. Individual institutions of higher education shall conform their own core course requirements with the guidelines developed by the department and shall identify the specific courses that meet the general education course guidelines. Any such guidelines developed by the department shall be submitted to the commission for its approval. In creating and adopting the guidelines, the department and the commission, in collaboration with the public institutions of higher education, may make allowances for baccalaureate programs that have additional degree requirements recognized by the commission. If a statewide matrix of core courses is adopted by the commission, the courses identified by the individual institutions as meeting the general education course guidelines shall be included in the matrix. The commission shall adopt such policies to ensure that institutions develop the most effective way to implement the transferability of core course credits.

(4)

Competency testing.
On or before July 1, 2010, the commission shall, in consultation with each public institution of higher education, define a process for students to test out of core courses, including specifying use of a national test or the criteria for approving institutionally devised tests. Beginning in the 2010-11 academic year, each public institution of higher education shall grant full course credits to students for the core courses they successfully test out of, free of tuition for those courses.

(4.5)

Prior learning.
Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, each public institution of higher education shall adopt and make public a policy or program to determine academic credit for prior learning.

(4.7)

Prior work-related experience.
Pursuant to section 23-5-145.5, the council created and existing pursuant to section 23-1-108.5, in collaboration with the commission, shall create, adopt, and implement a plan to determine and award postsecondary academic credit for work-related experience.

(5)

Nonpublic institutions of higher education.

(a)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(I)

A nonpublic institution of higher education may choose to conform its core course requirements with, or adopt core course requirements that meet, the general education course guidelines developed by the department pursuant to subsection (3) of this section and identify the specific courses that meet the general education course guidelines. The nonpublic institution of higher education may require all of the students enrolled in the institution to take the core course requirements that are conformed or adopted as provided in this paragraph (a) or may require only those students who are concurrently enrolled, pursuant to article 35 of title 22, C.R.S., in a high school and in the nonpublic institution of higher education to take said core course requirements.

(II)

The core course requirements that a nonpublic institution of higher education conforms or adopts pursuant to this paragraph (a) shall comply with the number of credit hours required by the department and shall include courses in each of the subject areas identified by the department. The nonpublic institution of higher education shall submit to the department a description of its core course requirements with the initial review fee established pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (5), and the department shall determine whether the nonpublic institution’s core course requirements comply with the department’s general education course guidelines. If the department determines that the nonpublic institution of higher education’s core course requirements comply with the guidelines, then the nonpublic institution’s core course credits shall be transferable to public institutions of higher education, and the nonpublic institution of higher education shall accept transfers of core course credits from the public institutions of higher education.

(b)

A nonpublic institution of higher education that chooses to seek transferability of its core course credits pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (5) shall, prior to the beginning of each academic year in which it seeks transferability, allow the department to review its general education core course requirements and its general education courses to ensure that they continue to meet the general education core course guidelines. The department may assess a fee as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection (5) to offset the costs of the annual review.

(c)

The commission, in consultation with the department, shall establish the amounts of the initial review fee and the annual review fee of a nonpublic institution of higher education’s general education core course requirements and core courses, which amounts shall not exceed the direct and indirect costs incurred by the department in initially reviewing and in annually reviewing the nonpublic institution’s general education core course requirements and core courses. The department is authorized to collect the fees from nonpublic institutions of higher education as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (5).

(d)

On or before March 1, 2016, the commission shall submit to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committees, a report concerning the implementation of this subsection (5). At a minimum, the report shall include:

(I)

The names of the nonpublic institutions of higher education that are participating in the general education core course requirements;

(II)

The number of students who have transferred core course credits to or from a nonpublic institution of higher education;

(III)

Any issues that have arisen in the course of implementing this subsection (5); and

(IV)

Any recommendations for changes to this subsection (5).

(e)

As used in this subsection (5), “nonpublic institution of higher education” means an educational institution operating in this state that:

(I)

Does not receive state general fund moneys in support of its operating costs;

(II)

Admits as regular students only persons having a high school diploma or the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma;

(III)

Is accredited by an accrediting agency or association approved by the United States department of education;

(IV)

Provides an educational program for which it awards a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree;

(V)

Is authorized by the department of higher education to do business in Colorado pursuant to section 23-2-103.3;

(VI)

Maintains a physical campus or instructional facility in Colorado; and

(VII)

Has been determined by the United States department of education to be eligible to administer federal financial aid programs pursuant to Title IV of the federal “Higher Education Act of 1965”, as amended.

Source: Section 23-1-125 — Commission directive - student bill of rights - degree requirements - implementation of core courses - competency test - prior learning - prior work-related experience, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-23.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

23‑1‑101
Legislative declaration
23‑1‑101.1
Definitions
23‑1‑102
Commission established - terms of office
23‑1‑103
Advisory committee to the Colorado commission on higher education
23‑1‑104
Financing the system of postsecondary education - report
23‑1‑105
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to appropriations
23‑1‑105.5
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to student fees - report on tuition and fees
23‑1‑106
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to capital construction and long-range planning - legislative declaration - report - definitions
23‑1‑106.3
Duties and powers of the commission - capital construction projects - federal mineral lease revenues fund - higher education institutions financed purchase of an asset cash fund
23‑1‑106.7
Duties and powers of the department with respect to technology transfers
23‑1‑107
Duties and powers of the commission with respect to program approval, review, reduction, and discontinuance
23‑1‑108
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to systemwide planning - reporting - definitions
23‑1‑108.5
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to common course numbering system - council of higher education representatives - definitions - repeal
23‑1‑109
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to off-campus instruction - provision of concurrent enrollment programs - legislative declaration - definitions
23‑1‑109.3
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to student data - memorandum of understanding
23‑1‑109.7
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to the provision of educational services
23‑1‑109.8
Duties and powers of the commission with regard to employment first policies
23‑1‑110
Organization, meetings, and staff
23‑1‑112
Tuition - reciprocal agreements
23‑1‑113
Commission directive - admission standards for baccalaureate and graduate institutions of higher education - policy - report - definitions
23‑1‑113.2
Department directive - admission standards for students holding international baccalaureate diplomas - legislative declaration
23‑1‑113.3
Commission directive - developmental education courses - report
23‑1‑113.5
Commission directive - resident admissions - report - definitions
23‑1‑113.7
Commission directive - nursing programs - employer-based gift and scholarship fund - reporting requirement - legislative declaration
23‑1‑119
Department directive - transition between K-12 education system and postsecondary education system
23‑1‑119.1
Department directive - notice of postsecondary educational opportunities and higher education admission guidelines
23‑1‑119.2
Commission directive - notice of college preparatory courses for high school students
23‑1‑119.3
Department directive - exchange of student records
23‑1‑119.5
Online career platform - appropriations from Colorado work force development council
23‑1‑120
Commission directive - incentives for improvement initiative grants
23‑1‑121.2
Department directive - educator preparation pathways - public information
23‑1‑121.7
Commission directive - paraprofessional programs
23‑1‑121.8
Department directive - workgroup on diversity in the educator workforce - duties - recommendations - report - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal
23‑1‑125
Commission directive - student bill of rights - degree requirements - implementation of core courses - competency test - prior learning - prior work-related experience
23‑1‑126
Commission directive - nursing programs
23‑1‑127
Commission directive - regional education providers - criteria
23‑1‑128
Commission directive - American sign language in higher education institutions
23‑1‑129
Commission directive - student loans
23‑1‑131
Commission directive - associate degree completion program - legislative declaration - definitions
23‑1‑131.5
Commission directive - Colorado re-engaged (CORE) initiative - four-year institutions - associate degrees - report - definitions
23‑1‑132
Commission directive - tuition waivers for exonerated persons
23‑1‑133
Commission directive - bachelor of science degree in nursing program - Aims community college - approval
23‑1‑134
Commission directive - open educational resources - course notice - report - definitions
23‑1‑135
Department directive - undergraduate degree and certificate programs - annual return on investment report - definition - repeal
23‑1‑136
Department directive - federal student loan repayment and forgiveness program information
23‑1‑137
Prohibition on use of American Indian mascots - exemptions - definitions
23‑1‑137.5
Tribal regalia at college graduation ceremonies - definitions
23‑1‑139
Department directive - contract for use of online platform for public benefits
23‑1‑140
Commission directive - statewide student success measures - definitions
23‑1‑141
Student success data system - student success data transparency - appropriation - definition - repeal
23‑1‑142
Commission directive - expansion of forestry and wildfire mitigation degree and certificate programs - simulator - legislative declaration - definitions - repeal
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 23-1-125’s source at colorado​.gov