ARC 5694C

ARC 5694C

REGENTS BOARD[681]

Notice of Intended Action

Proposing rule making related to admission and providing an opportunity for public comment

The Board of Regents hereby proposes to amend Chapter 1, "Admission Rules Common to the Three State Universities," and rescind Chapter 2, "Supplemental Specific Rules for Each Institution," Iowa Administrative Code.

Legal Authority for Rule Making

This rule making is proposed under the authority provided in Iowa Code section 262.9(3).

State or Federal Law Implemented

This rule making implements, in whole or in part, Iowa Code section 262.9(3).

Purpose and Summary

The proposed amendments to Chapter 1 remove outdated information related to the regent admission index (RAI), remove "regional" terminology, update residency rules regarding domicile, and clarify that application fees for admission are subject to Board approval. In addition, Chapter 2 is proposed to be rescinded.

Fiscal Impact

This rule making has no fiscal impact to the State of Iowa.

Jobs Impact

After analysis and review of this rule making, no impact on jobs has been found.

Waivers

Any person who believes that the application of the discretionary provisions of this rule making would result in hardship or injustice to that person may petition the Board for a waiver of the discretionary provisions, if any, pursuant to rule 681—19.18(17A)

Public Comment

Any interested person may submit written or oral comments concerning this proposed rule making. Written or oral comments in response to this rule making must be received by the Board no later than 4:30 p.m.on July 6, 2021. Comments should be directed to:

Public Hearing

No public hearing is scheduled at this time. As provided in Iowa Code section 17A.4(1)"b," an oral presentation regarding this rule making may be demanded by 25 interested persons, a governmental subdivision, the Administrative Rules Review Committee, an agency, or an association having 25 or more members.

Review by Administrative Rules Review Committee

The Administrative Rules Review Committee, a bipartisan legislative committee which oversees rule making by executive branch agencies, may, on its own motion or on written request by any individual or group, review this rule making at its regular monthly meeting or at a special meeting. The Committee's meetings are open to the public, and interested persons may be heard as provided in Iowa Code section 17A.8(6).

The following rule-making actions are proposed:

Item 1. Amend subrule 1.1(2) as follows:

1.1(2) Admission criteria.

a. Effective for students who seek admission in fall 2009 and thereafter through spring 2020.

(1) A primary regent admission index (RAI) will be calculated for each freshman applicant using the formula below when the high school has provided a class rank. For purposes of calculating the primary RAI, the ACT composite score has a top value of 36 (SAT scores will be converted to ACT composite equivalents), high school rank is expressed as a percentile with 99 percent as the top value, high school GPA is expressed on a four-point scale, and number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas is expressed in terms of years or fractions of years of study.

(2)An alternative RAI will be calculated for each freshman applicant using the equation identified in paragraph 1.1(2)"b" when the high school has not provided a class rank.

b. a. Effective for students who seek admission in summer 2020 and thereafter. An RAI will be calculated for each freshman applicant using the equation below. For purposes of calculating the RAI, the ACT composite score has a top value of 36 (SAT scores will be converted to ACT composite equivalents), high school GPA is expressed on a four-point scale, and number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas is expressed in terms of years or fractions of years of study.

c. b.Freshman applicants from Iowa high schools who have an RAI of at least 245 and who meet the minimum requirements of the regent universities will qualify for automatic admission to any of the three regent universities. Freshman applicants who have an RAI below 245 may also be admitted to a specific regent university; however, each regent university will review these applications on an individual basis, and admission decisions will be specific to each institution.

Item 2. Amend subrule 1.2(1), introductory paragraph, as follows:

1.2(1) Transfer applicants with a minimum of 24 semester hours of graded credit from regionally accredited colleges or universities, who have achieved for all college work previously attempted the grade point required by each university for specific programs, will be admitted. Higher academic standards may be required of students who are not residents of Iowa.

Item 3. Amend subrule 1.2(4) as follows:

1.2(4) Transfer applicants from colleges and universities not regionally accredited will be considered for admission on an individual basis taking into account all available academic information.

Item 4. Amend rule 681—1.3(262) as follows:

681—1.3(262) Transfer credit practices. The regent universities endorse the Joint Statement on Transfer and Award of Academic Credit approved in 1978 by the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA). The current issue of Transfer Credit Practices of Selected Educational Institutions, published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), and publications of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA) are examples of references used by the universities in determining transfer credit. The acceptance and use of transfer credit is subject to limitations in accordance with the educational policies operative at each university.

1.3(1) Students from regionally accredited colleges and universities. Credit earned at regionally accredited colleges and universities is acceptable for transfer except that credit in courses determined by the receiving university to be of a remedial, vocational, or technical nature, or credit in courses or programs in which the institution granting the credit is not directly involved, may not be accepted, or may be accepted to a limited extent.

Of the coursework earned at a two-year college, students may apply up to one-half but no more than 65 hours of the credits required for a bachelor's degree toward that degree at a regent university. This policy becomes effective September 29, 1993.

1.3(2) Students from colleges and universities which have candidate status. Credit earned at colleges and universities which have become candidates for accreditation by a regional an association is acceptable for transfer in a manner similar to that from regionally accredited colleges and universities if the credit is applicable to the bachelor's degree at the receiving university.

Credit earned at the junior and senior classification from an accredited two-year college which has received approval by a regional an accrediting association for change to a four-year college may be accepted by a regent university.

1.3(3) Students from colleges and universities not regionally accredited. When students are admitted from colleges and universities not regionally accredited, they may validate portions or all of their transfer credit by satisfactory academic study in residence, or by examination. Each university will specify the amount of the transfer credit and the terms of the validation process at the time of admission.

In determining the acceptability of transfer credit from private colleges in Iowa which do not have regional accreditation, the regent committee on educational relations, upon request from the institutions, evaluates the nature and standards of the academic program, faculty, student records, library, and laboratories.

In determining the acceptability of transfer credit from colleges in states other than Iowa which are not regionally accredited, acceptance practices indicated in the current issue of Transfer Credit Practices of Selected Educational Institutions will be used as a guide. For institutions not listed in the publication, guidance is requested from the designated reporting institution of the appropriate state.

1.3(4) No change.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 262.9(3).

Item 5. Amend paragraph 1.4(2)"a" as follows:

a. The following general guidelines are used in determining the resident classification of a student for admission, tuition, and fee purposes:

(1)A financially dependent student whose parents move from Iowa after the student is enrolled remains a resident provided the student maintains continuous enrollment. A financially dependent student whose parents move from Iowa during the senior year of high school will be considered a resident provided the student has not established domicile in another state.

(2)In deciding why a person is in the state of Iowa, the person's domicile will be considered. A person's domicile is presumed to be that of the parent(s) or legal guardian unless the person is independent and establishes a separate domicile. A person who comes to Iowa from another state and enrolls in any institution of postsecondary education for a full program or substantially a full program shall be presumed to have come to Iowa primarily for educational reasons rather than to establish a domicile in Iowa.

(3)A student who was a former resident of Iowa may continue to be considered a resident provided absence from the state was for a period of less than 12 months and provided domicile is reestablished. If the absence from the state is for a period exceeding 12 months, a student former resident may be considered a resident if evidence can be presented showing that the student has long-term ties to Iowa and reestablishes an Iowa domicile.

A person or the dependent of a person whose domicile is permanently established in Iowa, who has been classified as a resident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes, may continue to be classified as a resident so long as domicile is maintained, even though circumstances may require extended absence of the person from the state. It is required that a person who claims Iowa domicile while living in another state or country will provide proof of the continual Iowa domicile. as evidence that the person:

1.Has not acquired a domicile in another state,

2.Has maintained a continuous voting record in Iowa, and

3.Has filed regular Iowa resident income tax returns during absence from the state.

(4)A student who moves to Iowa may be eligible for resident classification at the next registration following 12 consecutive months in the state provided the student is not enrolled as more than a half-time student (6 credits for an undergraduate or professional student, 5 credits for a graduate student) in any academic year term at any postsecondary institution, is not enrolled for more than 4 credits in a summer or winter term at any postsecondary institution for any classification, and provides sufficient evidence of the establishment of an Iowa domicile.

(5)A student who has been a continuous student and whose parents move to Iowa may become a resident at the beginning of the next term provided the student is dependent upon the parents for a majority of financial assistance.

(6)A person who has been certified as a refugee or granted asylum by the appropriate agency of the United States who enrolls as a student at a university governed by the Iowa state board of regents may be accorded immediate resident status for admission, tuition, and fee purposes when the person:

1.Comes directly to the state of Iowa from a refugee facility or port of debarkation, or

2.Comes to the state of Iowa within a reasonable time and has not established domicile in another state.

Any refugee or individual granted asylum not meeting these standards will be presumed to be a nonresident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes and thus subject to the usual method of proof of establishment of Iowa residency.

(7)An alien who has immigrant status establishes Iowa residency in the same manner as a United States citizen.

(8)At the regent institutions, American Indians who have origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintain a cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition with one or more of the tribes or nations connected historically with the present state of Iowa, including the Iowa, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, Missouri, Ojibwa (Chippewa), Omaha, Oneida (Narragansett), Otoe (Otto), Ottawa (Odawa), Potawatomi, Sac and Fox (Sauk, Meskwaki), Sioux, and Winnebago (HoCak, Ho Chunk), will be assessed Iowa resident tuition and fees.

(9)Individuals who have received a homeless youth determination may be classified as residents for tuition and fee purposes.

Item 6. Rescind subrule 1.4(3).

Item 7. Rescind and reserve rule 681—1.5(262).

Item 8. Amend subrule 1.6(2) as follows:

1.6(2) Policy on college-bound program.

a. The regent institutions will cooperate with other state and local agencies, including the department of education, the college aid commission, and educational institutions in implementing the college-bound program to provide Iowa minority students with information and experiences relating to opportunities offered at the regents' universities.

b. The universities will develop programs for elementary, middle and secondary school students and their families in the following areas:

(1)Encouragement to consider attending a postsecondary institution;

(2)Enrichment and academic preparation;

(3)Information about how to apply for admission.

c. College-bound program vouchers will be awarded to students on the basis of the participation of the student and the student's family in the college-bound program. One voucher will be awarded for participation in each college-bound program sponsored by a university.

(1)Each university will maintain records concerning those students who participate in the college-bound program, according to its established policies and procedures. The records will include information on those students who have received college-bound program vouchers which are described in Iowa Code section 262.92(2). The University of Iowa will maintain a central record on all students who have received college-bound program vouchers on behalf of all regent institutions and will make appropriate information available to the college aid commission.

(2)College-bound program vouchers may be used by students enrolled at a regent institution or at a private college or university in Iowa.

(3)A student holding vouchers and enrolling at a regent institution will receive priority in the award of funds under the Iowa minority academic grants for economic success (IMAGES) program. Awards under the IMAGES program are made on the basis of financial need. A student may be eligible for an additional award from the institution in which the student is enrolled.

(4)A student holding vouchers and enrolling at a private college or university in Iowa will receive priority in the award of funds under the Iowa minority academic grants for economic success program as provided by the rules of the college aid commission.

(5)The presidents, or their designees, will administer and coordinate the college-bound program at the universities. As part of the coordination, they will establish liaison with the appropriate state and local agencies, serve as the university contact and promote collaborative efforts among the regent universities and other appropriate agencies and institutions. Annual reports to the board of regents shall be prepared by each regent university. The reports shall contain relevant information as to the accomplishments of the program in the past year and a plan of action with goals and objectives for the forthcoming year. Reports shall be submitted to the board of regents on October December 1 of each year.

Item 9. Rescind rule 681—1.7(262) and adopt the following new rule in lieu thereof:

681—1.7(262) Application fees. Mandatory application fees for admission to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa shall be approved by the board of regents and shall be based on reasonable costs anticipated to be incurred by the institution in processing the application, unless otherwise approved by the board of regents.

Item 10. Rescind and reserve 681—Chapter 2.