BILL NUMBER: AB 2302 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 25, 2010
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 26, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 20, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 17, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 1, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 28, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fong
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member John A. Perez)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bradford, Carter, Chesbro, Davis, De
Leon, Furutani, Huber, Ma, Portantino, Ruskin, Torlakson, V. Manuel
Perez, and Yamada)
(Coauthors: Senators Alquist, Correa, and Padilla)
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
An act to add Sections 66721.4, 66721.8, and 66739.6 to the
Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2302, Fong. Postsecondary education: student transfer.
(1) Existing law, the Donahoe Higher Education Act, establishes
the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. These
segments include the California State University, administered by
the Trustees of the California State University, the University of
California, administered by the Regents of the University of
California, and the California Community Colleges, administered by
the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. A
provision of the act applies to the University of California only to
the extent that the regents, by resolution, make that provision
applicable.
Existing provisions of the act require the governing bodies of the
3 public postsecondary segments, with appropriate consultation with
the academic senates of the respective segments, to develop,
maintain, and disseminate a common core curriculum in general
education courses for the purposes of transfer. This provision
requires that a person who has successfully completed the transfer
core curriculum is to be deemed to have completed all lower division
general education requirements for the University of California and
the California State University.
Existing law requires the governing board of each community
college district to direct the appropriate officials at their
respective campuses to provide students with a copy of the current
transfer core curriculum and to distribute and publish copies of the
transfer core curriculum in a specified manner and in specified
locations.
This bill would require the California State University and the
Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to work
together to establish the most effective methods to inform students,
college advisers, and the general public about specified transfer
pathways. The bill would require the final methods to be completed
prior to the beginning of the fall term of the 2011-12 academic year
and included as part of a specified report.
The bill would authorize community college districts to use the
methods established by the California State University and the Office
of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to inform
community college students of the California State University majors
that are considered to be similar to community college majors or
areas of emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for
transfer.
(2) Existing law requests the University of California, among
other things, to address deficiencies in the articulation of major
preparation courses between the community colleges and University of
California campuses, to identify commonalities and differences in
similar majors across University of California campuses, to
articulate courses and course sequences at each campus of the
California Community Colleges for specified major degree programs for
purposes of student transfer, and to conduct a specified review of
transcripts of transfer students.
This bill would request the University of California to continue
those efforts with a goal of working in collaboration with the
California Community Colleges to design community college transfer
degrees that provide students adequate preparation for entry into a
major. The bill would also request the University of California to
consider and implement other specified actions to increase transfer
between the university and the California Community Colleges. The
bill would request the University of California to provide an interim
report on the university's review, and a final report on the
university's implementation, of specified transfer pathways to the
relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by specified
dates.
(3) Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California State
University to establish transfer student admissions requirements to
give highest priority to certain transfer students, to specify lower
division transfer curriculum for specified major degree programs, and
to articulate courses at each campus of the California Community
Colleges for specified major degree programs for purposes of student
transfer. Existing law requires each campus of the California State
University to identify nonelective course requirements beyond
systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements for each
major for purposes of student transfer, in accordance with prescribed
requirements.
This bill would require the Office of the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges, in a manner that is consistent with
the general common course numbering system used by community college
districts, to establish a process to facilitate the identification of
courses that satisfy lower division preparation requirements
throughout the California Community Colleges system, which would be
required to be included as part of a specified report.
(4) This bill would provide that it would not become operative
unless SB 1440 of the 2010-11 Regular Session is chaptered.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 66721.4 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
66721.4. (a) The California State University and the Office of
the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall work
together to establish the most effective methods to inform students,
college advisers, and the general public about the associate degree
for transfer and specific details that help students navigate this
transfer pathway, as successfully as possible, pursuant to Article 3
(commencing with Section 66745). The methods established by the
California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges shall include, but not be limited to,
Internet notification. The final methods determined by the two
segments shall be completed prior to the beginning of the fall term
of the 2011-12 academic year and included as part of the report
required by subdivision (a) of Section 66749.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that community college
students be informed of the California State University majors that
are considered to be similar to community college majors or areas of
emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for transfer pursuant
to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745).
(c) A community college district may use the methods established
by the California State University and the Office of the Chancellor
of the California Community Colleges, pursuant to subdivision (a), or
a community college district may use other methods to inform
community college students of the California State University majors
that are considered to be similar to community college majors or
areas of emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for transfer
pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745).
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Office of the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges not mandate community
college districts to perform any new state reimbursable activity or
program for purposes of implementing this section.
SEC. 2. Section 66721.8 is added to the Education Code, to read:
66721.8. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that a
transparent process for transfer that is designed to assist students
in identifying and taking the community college courses that will
prepare them for success in specific University of California majors
is a state priority.
(b) The Legislature recognizes that, pursuant to Section 66721.7,
the University of California has been working with the California
Community Colleges to examine and seek improvements to the transfer
process. It is the intent of the Legislature that, as part of this
ongoing effort, the creation of various viable pathways to transfer,
including the development of an associate degree for transfer granted
by community college districts, be considered by the University of
California as it endeavors to enhance the transfer process.
(c) The University of California is requested to continue its
examination of articulation of lower division major prerequisites in
high-demand transfer majors with a goal of working in collaboration
with the California Community Colleges to design community college
transfer degrees that provide students adequate preparation for entry
into a major. The University of California is also requested to
consider offering guaranteed eligibility for admission into a
University of California campus that accepts a designated community
college transfer degree for admission into a designated University of
California major. Further, the University of California is requested
to implement pathways to qualify community college transfer courses
for a designated University of California major by designating a
series of community college courses that provide sufficient lower
division preparation for a designated University of California major
and that will be accepted by the University of California.
(d) The University of California is requested to provide an
interim progress report on its review of the various transfer
pathways discussed in this section to the relevant policy and fiscal
committees of the Legislature on or before June 30, 2011, and to
provide a final report to those committees, with specific findings
regarding the University of California's implementation of those
transfer pathways, no later than December 31, 2011.
SEC. 3. Section 66739.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:
66739.6. In a manner that is consistent with Section 71027, the
Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall
establish a process to facilitate the identification of courses that
satisfy lower division preparation requirements throughout the
California Community College system.
(b) A description of the process established by the Office of the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to comply with
subdivision (a) shall be included as part of the report required by
subdivision (a) of Section 66749.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that community college
districts accept credits from other community college districts
toward an associate degree for transfer.
(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2011.
SEC. 4. This act shall become operative only if Senate Bill 1440
of the 2010-11 Regular Session is chaptered.