This bill directs the Secretary of Higher Education to establish standards for academic credit transfer and reverse credit transfer at public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. It eliminates the requirement for each institution to enter into a collective Statewide transfer agreement and a collective Statewide reverse transfer agreement, replacing them with standards developed by the Secretary in consultation with the New Jersey Presidents' Council. The bill also introduces the New Jersey Transfer Ombudsman, whose role is to facilitate the resolution of disputes regarding compliance with these new credit transfer standards.

The New Jersey Transfer Ombudsman will have the authority to make final administrative decisions on disputes, conduct periodic reviews of institutions' credit transfer policies, and prepare an annual report on credit transfer outcomes. Additionally, public institutions will be required to provide transfer students with data on program outcomes, including completion rates. The bill aims to improve the transfer process and academic success for students transitioning between institutions while updating existing laws to remove outdated references to collective agreements.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:62-46, 18A:62-47, 18A:62-48, 18A:62-49, 18A:62-50, 18A:71B-86.5