BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 440
AUTHOR: Beall
AMENDED: July 2, 2009
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: July 15, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Nancy Anton
SUBJECT : Community Colleges: optional degree designation.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes California community colleges (CCCs)
to offer an associate degree with the special designation
of "for transfer" subject to specified requirements.
BACKGROUND
Current law (Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations)
requires, in part, that community college governing boards
adopt a policy stating its specific philosophy on General
Education and, in so doing, shall consider the following:
The governing board of a community college district
shall confer the associate degree upon a student who
has demonstrated competence in reading, in written
expression, and in mathematics, and who has
satisfactorily completed at least 60 semester units or
90 quarter units or degree-applicable credit course
work...including at least 18 semester (or 27 quarter)
units in general education and at least 18 semester
(or 27 quarter) units in a major or area of emphasis.
ANALYSIS
This bill authorizes individual community colleges to grant
an associate degree in a student's field of study with a
designation of "for transfer" to students who meet both of
the following requirements:
1) Completion of a minimum of 60 transferable units of
which a minimum of 18 units consist of coursework in a
major or area of emphasis.
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2) Completion of an approved general education course
pattern including but not limited to the California
State University General Education Breadth program or
the Intersegmental General Education Transfer
Curriculum.
The bill further provides that if a community college opts
to provide a degree with the "for transfer" designation, it
may not impose any other requirements other than those
specified above.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Intent . The intent of this bill is to assist students
who have completed all requirements necessary to
transfer to a four-year college to also earn an
associate degree. An estimated 100,000 California
community college (CCC) students transfer to a
four-year college or university annually, about half
of whom have also earned an associate degree.
2) Degrees in Statute ? This will be the first time that
a community college degree is established in statute.
Is this appropriate? In addition, this will be the
only degree for which local community colleges are
expressly precluded in statute from requiring that
students complete any local college degree
requirements (e.g. coursework in ethnic studies,
technology and/or physical education). To so do
reduces the authority for local CCC districts and
their faculty to establish their own unique degree
criteria. Typically, degree content and approval is
governed by the Academic Senate.
3) What is the problem? A question has been raised
regarding the "fairness" of the existing associate
degree earning process as regards the situation under
which a student may have met all the requirements to
transfer to a four-year institution but not have
completed the local college's degree requirements
(e.g. a physical education course or an ethnic studies
course). Such a student would be eligible to transfer
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but would not to earn a degree. Should such students
have to delay transferring and remain at the CCC in
order to earn an associate degree? (Staff notes that
students attending four-year institutions are not
eligible to earn a degree -- associate or otherwise --
after completing their second year of studies. On the
other hand, does this bill have the effect of
weakening the value of the associate degree by
allowing one to be earned by a subset of students who
have completed fewer requirements (i.e. haven't
completed the local requirements) than needed under
current law?
4) Background . In February 2008, the CCC Chancellor's
Office informed approximately 14 community colleges
that their awarding of a "transfer" degree was not in
compliance with the degree requirements specified in
Title 5, California Code of Regulations and the
awarding of the degree was discontinued. Although
individual colleges determine which degrees they will
offer and what the requirements will be to earn each
degree, such degree offerings must meet the Title 5
requirements and first be approved by the CCC
Chancellor's Office.
5) Amendment needed . It is staff's understanding that
page 4, lines 10 - 17 is confusing and does not
reflect the author's intent. Accordingly, staff
recommends that the bill be amended as follows:
On page 4 line 10, delete Section (b) and, instead, insert:
"Meets the requirements of the Intersegmental General
Education Transfer Curriculum; the California State
University General Education Breadth Requirements; or
the local General Education pattern requirements of
the four-year institution."
SUPPORT
California Business Roundtable
California Catholic Conference
Chancellor's Office, California Community Colleges
College OPTIONS, UC Davis
Public Advocates
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
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OPPOSITION
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges