Assembly Bill A10594

                                BILL NUMBER:A10594A

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to grant-
ing academic credit at state operated institutions of the state univer-
sity of New York and the senior colleges of the city university of New
York to veterans

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL: Allows the granting of academic
credit at state operated institutions to veterans

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section one of the bill adds a new
section 669-e to the education law which states that State operated
institutions must recognize courses and award educational credits for
courses that were part of a veteran's military training or service if
the courses meet the standards of the American Council on Education or
equivalent standards for awarding academic credits.

JUSTIFICATION: Military service members receive an education each day,
whether it's on the battlefield, through training, or through on the job
experience. Based on their military experiences and training, service
members may have college credit recommendations to apply toward a degree
requirement or program of study.

Earning college credit can be accomplished in a number of ways. The
military transcript of a service member is recognized by the American
Council on Education (ACE), the national accrediting agency, who
              

convenes teams of teaching faculty who travel to military installations
to evaluate military training courses and occupation-based skills, know-
ledge, and abilities. These evaluations are conducted to determine the
learning acquired through these experiences. Team members review train-
ing materials for programs of instruction, including lesson plans,
instructor materials, and examination materials. The evaluators also
interview service members, their supervisors, and subject-matter
specialists.

Review teams then determine if the demonstrated learning outcomes are
equivalent, in part or in whole, to the learning outcomes derived from
college level coursework. Equivalencies are then expressed as credit
recommendations that are quantified in terms of semester hours and qual-
ified in terms of course titles or academic areas.

ACE is the only higher education organization that represents presidents
and chancellors of all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting insti-
tutions: community colleges and four-year institutions, private and
public universities, and nonprofit and for profit colleges. This cross-
sector membership enables ACE to serve as higher education's unifying
voice.

For more than 60 years, ACE has reviewed and made credit recommendations
for thousands of college level courses offered by the military services.
In 1974, ACE started the evaluation of military occupational specialties
as well.

Institutions of higher learning operating in New York State often accept
the military transcript as a source of transfer credit. They law should
be clarified to state that they shall always accept those courses which
are certified by ACE as credit-worthy.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.