BILL NUMBER: AB 1455 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 7, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hill
FEBRUARY 27, 2009
An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040)
to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education
Code, relating to community colleges. An act to add
Section 78016.6 to the Education Code, relating to the San Mateo
County Community College District.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1455, as amended, Hill. Community colleges:
baccalaureate degrees: pilot program. San Mateo County
Community College District Baccalaureate Partnership Act.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under
the administration of the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges. Existing law authorizes the establishment of
community college districts under the administration of community
college district governing boards, and authorizes these districts to
provide instruction at community college campuses throughout the
state.
Existing law establishes the California Community College
Baccalaureate Partnership Program to encourage baccalaureate
degree-granting institutions to partner with community colleges to
offer baccalaureate degree programs entirely on participating
community college campuses and provides for up to 2 grants, not to
exceed $50,000 each, to collaboratives formed for this purpose.
This bill would establish the San Mateo Community College District
Baccalaureate Partnership Program to encourage baccalaureate
degree-granting institutions to partner with the San Mateo County
Community College District to offer baccalaureate degree programs on
the district's community college campuses.
Under existing law, the primary mission of the California
Community Colleges is to offer academic and vocational instruction at
the lower division level. Existing law prohibits the California
Community Colleges from offering instruction beyond the 2nd year of
college.
This bill would authorize the San Mateo County Community College
District to establish a pilot program to offer a baccalaureate
degree. The bill would, among other things, require that the
baccalaureate degree program be accredited by the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges.
The bill would require that the program expire 6 years after the
initial offering of a baccalaureate degree unless extended by law.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(1) Since its adoption in 1960, the Master Plan for Higher
Education has served the state exceedingly well, allowing California
to create the largest and most distinguished higher education system
in the nation. A key component of the Master Plan for Higher
Education is the differentiation of mission and function among the
three systems of higher education in the state: the University of
California, the California State University, and the California
Community Colleges.
(2) Until recently, this differentiation of function has allowed
California to provide universal access to postsecondary education
while preserving quality.
(3) Due to current economic realities and a high unemployment rate
in the state, tens of thousands of unemployed or underemployed
Californians are entering or returning to college to improve job
skills or to train for new careers.
(4) Because of enrollment caps imposed by the University of
California and the California State University, thousands of
qualified students have been denied access to a public institution of
higher education where they could pursue a baccalaureate degree.
(5)
(4) In the rapidly emerging "knowledge economy" of
California, it is more important than ever before that California
have a well-educated populace in order for the state to remain
competitive nationally and internationally. Several recent studies
have concluded that a college degree is now required for most of the
highest paying occupations and that, in many areas of the economy,
the baccalaureate degree is replacing the associate degree as the
entry level credential for 21st century jobs.
(6)
(5) Community college students who want to transfer to
public four-year institutions face a number of challenges:
universities have instituted enrollment caps that limit the number of
transfer students they will accept; students are place
bound and do not have the time or money to travel to four-year
colleges; students are accepted, but do not get the financial aid
packages that make enrollment possible; a number of
four-year programs are impacted and students are denied admission or
placed on a wait list; each four-year college or university
has different entrance requirements that limit student options for
transfer if they are not accepted into their first choice university.
(b) Because of these factors, the State of California is hereby
making an exception to the differentiation of function in
baccalaureate education that assigns sole authority among the
California public higher education segments to the University of
California and the California State University for awarding
baccalaureate degrees. This exception to the Master Plan for Higher
Education recognizes the urgency of meeting critical education and
workforce demand needs and the distinctive strengths and respective
missions of the California Community Colleges, the California State
University, and the University of California.
(b) Because of these factors, the State of California supports the
increased use of "university centers" where the California State
University and the University of California partner with the
California Community Colleges to deliver baccalaureate degree
programs on community college campuses.
SEC. 2. Section 78016.6 is added to the
Education Code , to read:
78016.6. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the
San Mateo County Community College District Baccalaureate Partnership
Act. The San Mateo Community College District Baccalaureate
Partnership Program is hereby established to do the following:
(1) To encourage baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to
partner with the San Mateo County Community College District to offer
baccalaureate degree programs that will offer instruction entirely
on the district's participating campuses.
(2) To bring opportunities to earn baccalaureate degrees to San
Mateo County, especially within areas of the county with limited
access to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions.
(b) The San Mateo County Community College District is hereby
authorized to seek collaborative partnerships with the University of
California and the California State University for purposes of
offering baccalaureate degree programs on campuses of the San Mateo
County Community College District.
SEC. 2. Article 3 (commencing with Section
78040) is added to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of
the Education Code, to read:
Article 3. Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program
78040. Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the San Mateo County
Community College District may, subject to Section 78042, establish a
pilot program to offer baccalaureate degrees that meet the
eligibility requirements contained in Section 78041.
78041. (a) A baccalaureate degree program offered pursuant to
Section 78040 shall be accredited by the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges.
(b) The baccalaureate degree may be offered in different fields of
study subject to the following requirements:
(1) The district has identified and documented unmet workforce
needs in the subject area of the degree to be offered.
(2) The degree program shall not, as determined by the district
board, unnecessarily duplicate similar programs offered by nearby
public educational institutions.
(3) The district has the expertise, resources, and interest to
offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field of study.
(c) The district may charge a fee for courses in the baccalaureate
program that is greater than that charged for courses at the
associate degree level; however, the fee charged may not be greater
than that charged by the California State University for similar
baccalaureate programs.
78043. The pilot program provided for in this article shall
expire six years after the initial offering of a baccalaureate
degree, unless otherwise extended by law.