BILL NUMBER: SB 1785 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 743
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 24, 2004
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 24, 2004
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 26, 2004
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 23, 2004
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 17, 2004
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 30, 2004
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 29, 2004
INTRODUCED BY Senators Scott and Alpert
(Coauthor: Senator McPherson)
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Liu)
FEBRUARY 20, 2004
An act to add Section 66739.5 to the Education Code, relating to
public postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1785, Scott. Public postsecondary education: transfer
requirements.
Existing law establishes the 3 segments of public postsecondary
education in this state. These segments include the California State
University, the campuses of which are administered by the Trustees
of the California State University, the University of California,
which is administered by the Regents of the University of California,
and the California Community Colleges, which is administered by the
Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing
law establishes community college districts, which operate campuses
that provide instruction to students throughout the state.
This bill would establish a program with the purpose of ensuring
that community college students who wish to earn baccalaureate
degrees at a campus of the California State University are able to do
so. The bill would require the Chancellor of the California State
University to carry out specified tasks in connection with the
establishment of this program.
The bill would require the Chancellor of the California State
University to establish admissions requirements for community college
transfer students in accordance with specified criteria. The bill
would require the Chancellor of the California State University, in
consultation with the Academic Senate of the California State
University and with the faculty responsible for each high-demand
baccalaureate degree major program, to specify for each high-demand
baccalaureate program major a systemwide lower division transfer
curriculum.
The bill would require each campus of the California State
University, as allowed by enrollment demand and available space, to
develop a transfer admission agreement with each student who intends
to meet the requirements of the bill. The bill would require this
transfer admission agreement to guarantee admission to the campus and
major identified in that agreement and the transfer of 60 semester
units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, creditable to the
baccalaureate degree, subject to the student's meeting of specified
criteria.
The bill would require campuses of the California State University
to guarantee that transfer students admitted under the bill will be
able to complete the baccalaureate degree in the minimum number of
course units required for that degree.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 66739.5 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
66739.5. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(1) The California Master Plan and supporting statutes place
utmost importance on the effective transfer of community college
students to the University of California (UC) and the California
State University (CSU) as a means of providing access to the
baccalaureate degree.
(2) In 2002, CSU enrolled 55,000 transfer students from community
colleges.
(3) Two out of three students who earn CSU baccalaureate degrees
begin in a community college.
(4) Effective use of state and student time and resources would be
maximized by students accruing fewer unrequired units in earning
their degrees.
(5) Additional access to community colleges and CSU will be
created by higher graduation rates and fewer nonessential units
taken.
(6) The state budget situation makes it urgent to streamline the
path of the transfer student to the baccalaureate degree.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to ensure that
community college students who wish to earn the baccalaureate degree
at CSU are provided with a clear and effective path to this degree.
(c) This section shall not be construed to limit in any way the
ability of students to gain admission through alternative paths to
transfer, such as the Intersegmental General Education Transfer
Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General
Education-Breadth Requirements.
(d) On or before February 1, 2005, the Chancellor of CSU shall
establish transfer student admissions requirements that give highest
priority to transfer students who are qualified in accordance with
subdivision (f) and paragraph (3) of subdivision (g).
(e) (1) CSU campuses admitting students qualified in accordance
with subdivision (f) and paragraph (3) of subdivision (g) will make
it possible for these students to complete their baccalaureate degree
in the minimum number of remaining units required for that degree
major.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, the "minimum number of
remaining units" is the minimum number of units required for a degree
major after subtracting the number of fully degree-transferable
units earned at the community college.
(f) The Chancellor of CSU, in consultation with the Academic
Senate of CSU, shall establish the following components necessary for
a clear degree path for transfer students:
(1) On or before June 1, 2005, the Chancellor of CSU, in
consultation with the Academic Senate of CSU and with the faculty
responsible for each high-demand baccalaureate degree major program,
shall specify for each high-demand baccalaureate program major a
systemwide lower division transfer curriculum composed of at least 45
semester course units, or the quarter-units equivalent, that will be
common across all CSU campuses offering specific major programs.
(2) (A) The systemwide lower division transfer curriculum for each
high-demand baccalaureate major degree program shall be composed of
at least 45 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, and shall
include all of the following:
(i) General education courses.
(ii) Any other lower division courses required for graduation.
(iii) Lower division components of the student's declared major.
(iv) Elective units, as appropriate.
(B) The coursework described in subparagraph in subparagraph (A)
shall be designated by the CSU faculty responsible for the student's
major degree program.
(3) The systemwide lower division transfer curriculum shall be
specified in sufficient manner and detail so that existing and future
community college lower division courses may be articulated,
according to the usual procedures, to the corresponding CSU courses
or course descriptions.
(g) (1) On or before June 1, 2006, the Chancellor of CSU and the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with
the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges, shall
articulate those lower division, baccalaureate-level courses at each
campus of the California Community Colleges that meet for each degree
major the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements
specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (f).
(2) To the extent that the goals of efficiency and urgency are
advanced, existing articulation procedures such as the California
Articulation Number (CAN) program shall be employed.
(3) On or before June 1, 2006, each CSU campus shall have
identified any additional specific, nonelective course requirements
beyond the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements
for each major, up to a maximum of 60 semester units or the
quarter-unit equivalent, for the systemwide and campus-specific
requirements combined. To the extent these additional course
requirements are identified, each CSU campus shall provide that
information to all community colleges.
(4) The Chancellor of CSU shall amend CSU's transfer admissions
procedures to encourage prospective community college transfer
students to identify and, to the extent possible, commit to, a
specific CSU transfer destination campus before earning no more than
45 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, of lower division,
baccalaureate-level courses, as described in subdivision (f).
(h) As allowed by enrollment demand and available space, each CSU
campus shall develop a transfer admission agreement with each student
who intends to meet the requirements of this section, including the
declaration of a major and identification of a choice of a
destination campus, before earning no more than 45 systemwide
semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent. The transfer
admission agreement shall guarantee admission to the campus and major
identified in that agreement and transfer of all 60 semester units,
or the quarter-unit equivalent, as creditable to the baccalaureate
degree subject to the student's meeting the following conditions:
(1) Completion of the 60 semester units of college-level
coursework, or the quarter-unit equivalent, specified for the student'
s major degree program.
(2) Declaration of a major.
(3) Satisfactory completion of the systemwide lower division
transfer curriculum requirements for the student's declared major.
(4) Satisfactory completion of any requirements beyond the
systemwide lower division transfer curriculum that are specified by
the CSU destination campus.
(5) Any impaction criteria for that campus or major.
(i) A CSU campus shall guarantee that the transfer students
admitted under this section will be able to complete the
baccalaureate degree in the minimum number of course units required
for that degree.