BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 515
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Date of Hearing: March 29, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Marty Block, Chair
AB 515 (Brownley) - As Introduced: February 15, 2011
SUBJECT : Public postsecondary education: community colleges:
extension program.
SUMMARY : Authorizes California Community College (CCC)
districts to implement extension programs offering credit
courses without the approval of the CCC Board of Governors.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Codifies Legislative intent to provide local communities with
additional flexibility to meet community workforce needs in
areas such as advanced technology and workforce development;
to provide the public access to credit programs offered under
contracted arrangements with other agencies and companies; to
address existing limitations in access to extension programs
due to geographic issues; to augment use of local CCC
facilities; and to provide other benefits both tangible and
intangible.
2)Authorizes the governing board of any CCC district to
establish and maintain an extension program offering credit
courses without the approval of the CCC Board of Governors
(BOG).
3)Prohibits the CCC district governing boards from expending
General Fund moneys to establish and maintain extension
courses.
4)Allows CCC district governing boards to charge students
enrolled in extension classes such fees as they deem
appropriate.
5)Requires degree credit courses offered as extension courses to
meet all of the requirements of Title 5 of the California Code
of Regulations, as specified, which governs the development
and approval of new curriculum for CCC credit courses.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes CCC districts, without the approval of the CCC BOG,
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to operate fee-based community service not-for-credit classes
in civic, vocational, literacy, health, homemaking, technical,
and general education, as specified. CCC districts may not
receive General Funds to support these programs.
2)Authorizes CCC districts to establish fee-based contract
education programs by agreement with any public or private
agency, corporation, association, or any other person or body,
to provide specific educational programs or training to meet
the specific needs of these bodies. CCC districts may not
receive General Funds to support these programs, and the
programs are not open to the public.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is tagged nonfiscal by
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : Background . CCCs offer four basic types of
instruction, including credit, noncredit, community service, and
contract education. Noncredit, community service, and contract
education courses do not generate maximum apportionment for CCC
districts as do credit courses. Title 5 of the California Code
of Regulations provide a framework for the development and
approval of new curriculum at any CCC district or college, and
no course can be offered without thorough local review.
Need for the bill . According to the author, through extension
programs CCC could expand course offerings to meet local
workforce needs at no additional cost to the state, provide
additional credit courses to meet student demand, more fully
utilize facilities, and provide greater access to CCC courses
because they could be offered closer to home and work.
Budget cuts and course reductions . Ongoing budget shortfalls
and the economic downturn have combined to increase CCC
enrollment as the State has reduced CCC's budget, resulting in
greater student demand for CCC courses than the system can
accommodate. Consequently, according to CCC Chancellor Jack
Scott, approximately 140,000 students have effectively been
denied CCC access, over 95% of all classes are at capacity, and
an estimated 10,000-15,000 students are on wait lists for
courses. A proposed $400 million reduction in the Governor's
2011-12 Budget will likely result in more course reductions,
closing the doors to an anticipated 350,000 students. In recent
years the Legislature has directed CCC to prioritize transfer,
basic skills, and career technical education courses in
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implementing budget reductions.
Extension is not defined . This bill does not define "extension
program" or the types of programs that an extension program may
offer. While this bill includes language expressing legislative
intent that these programs would extend contract education
courses to the public, it also includes language that the
extension programs provide "other benefits both tangible and
intangible." Staff suggests the intent language be removed, and
"extension program" be clearly defined and include greater
specificity about the courses that may be offered and the
requirement that the programs be open to the public.
What courses will be offered ? According to sponsors, Santa
Clarita Community College District and Santa Monica Community
College District, CCC extension programs would typically operate
in parallel with State-funded programs, either as separate
sections offered during the spring or fall semester or quarter,
or possibly as separate sessions during winter or summer. The
sponsors also indicate that they would offer workforce training
and degree programs that are currently only available primarily
at for-profit institutions at a higher cost than CCCs would
charge.
Will extension courses supplant State-supported courses ?
According to the author, students in CCC extension programs
would not displace or compete with students enrolled in CCC
State-funded classes. However, nothing in this bill would
preclude extension courses from supplanting State-supported
courses. Staff recommends an amendment that would mirror
statute guiding the California State University's
self-supporting special session courses, as follows: "The
self-supporting extension courses shall not supplant regular
course offerings available on a non-self-supporting basis during
the regular academic year."
Further, since CCC extension programs may be implemented without
CCC BOG approval or oversight, the Committee may wish to
consider whether this broad expansion of CCC district authority
should be more closely monitored. Staff recommends an amendment
to establish a sunset date of December 31, 2019, and require the
Legislative Analyst's Office to report to the Legislature by
January 1, 2019, on the programs approved under this act.
Fee level . This bill allows CCC governing boards to charge
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students enrolled in extension courses "such fees as they deem
appropriate." The Committee may wish to consider whether more
specificity should be provided. For example, should fees be
tied to the cost of the course?
Financial aid . If the same programs were offered through
extension as those offered through the State-supported program,
students would likely be eligible for federal aid. According to
the California Student Aid Commission, if the U.S. Department of
Education deems extension courses eligible for federal aid, they
would be eligible for Cal Grant awards, as well. However,
extension courses would not be eligible for BOG Fee Waivers.
Applicability of existing statutes, regulations, and collective
bargaining agreements . Existing collective bargaining
agreements and the 75/25 full-time to part-time faculty ratio
would appear to apply to extension programs because faculty
would be teaching credit courses. However, the 50% law, which
requires at least 50% of state expenditures to be spent on
instruction, would not.
Related legislation . AB 1029 (Lara), pending in this Committee,
would remove the sunset date on AB 1943 (Nava), Chapter 817,
Statutes of 2006, which deleted the requirement that the CCC BOG
approve stand-alone credit courses offered by CCCs and
authorized CCC districts to offer stand-alone credit courses
that are not part of an educational program without prior
approval by the CCC BOG.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
College of the Canyons
Santa Monica College (sponsor)
Opposition
California Federation of Teachers
Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
AB 515
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