BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1455
AUTHOR: Hill
AMENDED: May 7, 2009
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: June 17, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : Community College Baccalaureate Partnership
Programs
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes Community College District
Baccalaureate Partnership Program in the San Mateo County
Community College District.
BACKGROUND
Existing law, the California Master Plan for Higher
Education, adopted by the state in 1960, established
different functions for the state's public postsecondary
education segments:
The University of California (UC) is designated as the
State's primary academic research institution and is to
provide undergraduate, graduate, and professional
education. Current law gives UC exclusive jurisdiction
in public higher education for doctoral degrees (with
specified exceptions) and for instruction in law,
medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine.
The California State University (CSU) is to provide
undergraduate and graduate education through a master's
degree including professional and teacher education.
CSU is authorized to award a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
and doctorates jointly awarded with UC or an independent
institution.
The California Community Colleges (CCC) provide academic
and vocational instruction through the first two years
of undergraduate education and is authorized to award
associate degrees.
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Current law establishes the California Postsecondary
Education Commission (CPEC) as the state's planning and
coordinating agency for postsecondary education for the
purpose of "ensuring the effective utilization of public
postsecondary education resources, thereby eliminating waste
and unnecessary duplication, and to promote diversity,
innovation, and responsiveness to student and societal
needs."
Current law requires CPEC to advise the Legislature and the
Governor regarding the need for, and location of, new
institutions and campuses of public higher education and
expresses the intent of the Legislature that the sites for
new institutions or branches of public postsecondary
education will not be authorized or acquired unless
recommended by the Commission. Further, CPEC is required to
review proposals by the public segments for new programs and
make recommendations regarding those proposals to the
Legislature and the Governor.
Existing law establishes the CCC Baccalaureate Partnership
Program for the purpose of encouraging community colleges and
baccalaureate degree-granting institutions to offer bachelor
degree programs on participating community college campuses.
AB 1280 (Maze, Chapter 515, 2005) authorized the CCC
Chancellor's Office to be awarded annually up to two grants,
not to exceed $50,000 each, to a collaborative consisting of
at least one California Community College (CCC) and at least
one baccalaureate degree-granting institution that are
located in areas of the state with the lowest college-going
rates and the lowest rates of earning baccalaureate degrees,
and who meet other specified criteria. This program is
repealed on January 1, 2015.
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Establishes the San Mateo Community College District
Baccalaureate Partnership Program to do the following:
a) Encourage baccalaureate degree-granting
institutions to partner with the San Mateo County
Community College District (SMCCCD) to offer
baccalaureate degree programs entirely on the
district's participating campuses.
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b) Bring opportunities to earn baccalaureate
degrees to San Mateo County.
2) Authorizes the SMCCCD 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 SMCCCD.
3) Makes findings and declarations concerning the benefits
of supporting the increased use of "university centers"
where the California State University (CSU) and
University of California (UC) partner with CCCs to
deliver baccalaureate degree programs on community
college campuses.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Existing collaborative programs . There are a number of
CCCs that have agreements with baccalaureate
degree-granting institutions to offer bachelor's or
master's degree programs on a community college campus.
In these arrangements, the CCC campus serve as a branch
campus for the four-year institution enabling transfer
students to complete their education at their community
college campus. Under these arrangements, the
bachelor's or master's degree is granted by the
four-year institution. For example, CSU Bakersfield
provides variety of bachelor's and master's degree
programs on the Antelope Valley Community College
campus. This long-standing collaboration enables
residents of the Palmdale and Lancaster communities to
access CSU programs without having to travel a
significant distance. Although most of these
arrangements are with CSU campuses, some are with
independent colleges or UCs.
Canada College, a community college within the SMCCCD,
currently partners with both San Francisco State
University and California State University East Bay to
provide various programs. Through the University Center
at Canada College, California State University (CSU)
offers a BS in Nursing, a BA in Child and Adolescent
Development, and a certificate in Spanish-English
Interpretation.
Given that community colleges can already establish
partnerships with four-year institutions to "host" upper
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division courses on a community college campus, and
given the partnership currently in place between Canada
College and CSU, it is unclear why legislation is needed
to authorize San Mateo County Community College District
(SMCCCD) to seek additional collaborative partnerships.
2) California Community College (CCC) Partnership Program .
Most of the existing partnerships between community
colleges and four-year institutions developed without
regard to the existing CCC Baccalaureate Partnership
program. The Baccalaureate Partnership Program was
funded for one year only. The CCC Chancellor's Office
awarded two grants, each for $50,000 in 2007. One was
awarded to Kern Community College District for a program
at Porterville Community College and the other was
granted to the Sequoias Community College District for a
program at the College of the Sequoias. The Budget Act
has not appropriated funds for this program since 2007.
3) California Postsecondary Education Commission review .
This measure authorizes SMCCCD to pursue agreements that
may enable campuses of the district to function as a
branch campus for the baccalaureate degree-granting
institution. To be consistent with current law, staff
recommends amendments to specify that university centers
that would be established by partnerships with the
SMCCCD shall not be exempt from the requirement for CPEC
review.
4) Technical amendment . The bill omits the word "county"
when establishing the partnership program. Staff
recommends a technical amendment to insert the word
"county" into the title of the program.
SUPPORT
American Nurses Association of California
County of San Mateo
OPPOSITION
None received.