A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct the president, or the President's designee, and the board of governors of the university of north carolina to consider and evaluate the feasibility of applying for and implementing the uteach program as part of the curricula offered by the university of north carolina system.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  The President, or the President's designee, and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall jointly consider and evaluate the feasibility of applying for and implementing the UTEACH program as part of the curricula offered by The University of North Carolina System.
UTEACH is a model program originally developed by the University of Texas at Austin. It is designed as a secondary STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teacher preparation program with the goal of attracting high‑caliber students, experienced and successful master teachers, and tenure‑track faculty who are interested in STEM education. The UTEACH program is a course of study that combines the requirements for rigorous STEM degrees and for secondary teaching certification without adding time or cost to four-year degrees.
SECTION 1.(b)  In their evaluation of the UTEACH program, the President, or the President's designee, and the Board of Governors may consider the following:
(1)	How the UTEACH program would match up with the curricula currently offered through The University of North Carolina System and what adjustments, if any, would be required for implementation of the UTEACH program.
(2)	Which constituent institutions and which departments and programs at those institutions would participate and collaborate in the UTEACH program if it was implemented.
(3)	The application process and time frame required to develop a UTEACH program tailored to fit within the curricula of The University of North Carolina System.
(4)	The cost of implementing and maintaining a UTEACH program and the alternatives for financing the program.
(5)	Any statutory amendments or other legislative action that would be needed for the implementation of a UTEACH program.
(6)	Any other issues the President, or the President's designee, and the Board of Governors deem relevant in their evaluation of the UTEACH program.
SECTION 2.  The President, or the President's designee, and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by April 1, 2018, their findings and recommendations regarding the feasibility of applying for and implementing the UTEACH program as part of the curricula offered through The University of North Carolina System.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.