Bill Summary for S 114 (2023-2024)

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Summary date: 

Feb 15 2023

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
Senate Bill 114 (Public) Filed Wednesday, February 15, 2023
AN ACT TO REQUIRE AT LEAST THREE CREDIT HOURS OF INSTRUCTION IN AMERICAN HISTORY OR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO GRADUATE FROM A CONSTITUENT INSTITUTION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WITH A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE OR A COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITH AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE.
Intro. by Sanderson, Perry, Galey.

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Bill summary

Part I titles the act as the "North Carolina Reclaiming College Education on America's Constitutional Heritage (REACH) Act."

Parts II and III

Enacts GS 116-11.5 relating to UNC constituent institutions, and GS 115D-10 relating to community colleges, to require students to complete at least three credit hours of instruction in American history or American government that provides a comprehensive overview of the major events and turning points of American history and government, as a condition of graduation with a baccalaureate or associate degree, respectively. Requires reading the following six documents in their entirety and taking a final exam that focuses on the specified topics, accounting for at least 20% of a student's grade, of these principles: the US Constitution; the Declaration of Independence; the Emancipation Proclamation; at least five essays from the Federalist Papers; Dr. Martin Luther King's Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail; and the Gettysburg Address. Allows for satisfying the requirement in postsecondary-level courses outside of these institutions. Requires the Board of Governors (BOG), the State Board of Community Colleges (SBCC), and the board of trustees of each institution to ensure incorporation of these requirements into degree requirements without adding to the total number of credit hours required for a degree or conflicting with the accreditation process for each institution. Charges the BOG and the SBCC with ensuring compliance. Requires the BOG and SBCC to annually report to the specified NCGA committee on compliance, beginning November 15, 2024, with required content. Grants the BOG and SBCC discretionary authority to remove the chancellor of a constituent institution for willful neglect or noncompliance over more than one academic year.

Enacts GS 116-11(15) and GS 115D-5(z) requiring the BOG and SBCC to adopt policies requiring each constituent institution and community college to require the instruction mandated under new GS 116-11.5 and GS 115D-10, respectively, as a condition of graduation.

Part III makes the act applicable beginning with the 2024-25 academic year to students accepted for initial enrollment in a bachelor's or associate degree program.