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HSB 55

A bill for an act requiring regents institutions to make certain course syllabus information available to the public online and including effective date provisions.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Regents universities must post online, publicly accessible syllabi for every undergraduate course section, detailing requirements, readings, and assessments.

Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 270.
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Bill Summary · HSB 55

Summary: Syllabus Transparency Act (HSB 55, Renumbered as HF 270)

Overview

  • Bill: HSB 55, introduced January 22, 2025; later approved by committee and renumbered as HF 270.
  • Purpose: Require regent institutions to make publicly available online syllabi for each section of every undergraduate course offered for credit, detailing key course components.
  • Caption: A bill for an act requiring regents institutions to make certain course syllabus information available to the public online and including effective date provisions.
  • Primary subjects: Colleges and universities, public records, regents board.

What the bill would do

  • Direct each institution of higher learning under its control (i.e., regent institutions) to publish on its public website a syllabus for every undergraduate course section offered for credit.
  • Public syllabi must include:
    1. Instructor name.
    2. Brief description of each major course requirement, including major assignments and examinations.
    3. Any required or recommended reading materials.
    4. A general description of the subject matter of each lecture or discussion.
  • The information must be:
    • Accessible from the homepage with no more than five links.
    • Searchable by keywords and phrases.
    • Accessible to the public without requiring registration, usernames, passwords, or other identification.
    • Available no later than the first day of classes for the relevant semester or term.
    • Updated as soon as practicable after changes.
    • Remained available on the institution’s site for at least one year after the date the information first became available.

Scope and applicability

  • Applies to: Each institution of higher learning under the control of the regents (i.e., regents universities) offering undergraduate courses for credit.
  • Coverage includes “each section” of each undergraduate course, ensuring information is provided for all course sections.

Timing and implementation

  • Effective date: Not specified in the provided text. The introduced version sets requirements and deadlines (e.g., first day of classes, ongoing updates), but an explicit effective date is not listed in the excerpt.
  • Timeline (key actions):
    • Jan 22, 2025: Introduced and referred to Higher Education.
    • Jan 23, 2025: Subcommittee meeting scheduled (Hora, Collins, Kurth).
    • Jan 29, 2025: Subcommittee recommends passage.
    • Feb 5, 2025: Committee report recommends amendment and passage; committee vote: Yeas 7, Nays 3, Excused 1.
    • Feb 6, 2025: Committee report approved; renumbered as HF 270.

Administrative and compliance considerations

  • Public records and transparency goals: Provides students, parents, researchers, and the public with accessible course information.
  • Accessibility requirements: Must be retrievable via up to five links, searchable, and free of login barriers, aligning with open data practices.
  • Retention and updates: Requires ongoing updates and a one-year minimum retention period from initial posting.
  • Potential implementation considerations: IT hosting for multiple syllabi, standardization of syllabus elements across diverse departments, and ensuring searchability across large course catalogs.

Impact on stakeholders

  • Regents institutions: Additional administrative duty to compile, maintain, and update syllabi publicly; potential IT/website design considerations; alignment with public records expectations.
  • Public/consumers: Greater transparency into course content, assessment, and required materials prior to enrollment.
  • Instructors: Public visibility of syllabi could affect course planning and expectations; potential privacy considerations for posting instructor names (addressing standard practice to list names).

Status and next steps

  • Current status: Committee report approved; bill renumbered as HF 270.
  • Next steps: Possible floor consideration for HF 270, potential amendments, and final enactment decisions by the legislature.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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