BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 515
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 515 (Brownley)
As Amended May 10, 2011
Majority vote
HIGHER EDUCATION 6-1 APPROPRIATIONS 16-1
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|Ayes:|Donnelly, Achadjian, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Brownley, Galgiani, Lara, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Miller | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Davis, Donnelly, Hall, |
| | | |Hill, Lara, Mitchell, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Solorio, |
| | | |Wagner |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Fong |Nays:|Gatto |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes California Community College (CCC)
districts to implement extension programs until January 1, 2019.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes the governing board of any CCC district to
establish an extension program offering credit courses without
the approval of the CCC Board of Governors (BOG).
2)Requires an extension program to meet several requirements,
including being self-supporting, with all costs recovered;
conforming with the "50% law" regarding minimum expenses
allocated for instruction and the 75/25 split for
full-time/part-time faculty instruction; and, being subject to
collective bargaining agreements.
3)Prohibits districts from expending moneys to establish and
maintain extension courses.
4)Prohibits credit extension courses from supplanting courses
funded with state apportionments, requiring districts to
annually certify compliance with this requirement, and
prohibits extension courses from supplanting the use of
district facilities that would otherwise be used for
apportionment-funded courses.
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5)Authorizes CCC districts to charge students enrolled in
extension classes a fee not to exceed the cost of maintaining
those courses.
6)Requires any district maintaining an extension program to
collect and keep records measuring student participation,
demographics, and outcomes consistent with measures collected
for regular credit programs supported through state
apportionment, including an analysis of program effects, if
any, on district workload and district financial status.
Districts are to submit this information to the CCC
Chancellor's Office by October 1 of each year for each
participating college.
7)Requires the Chancellor's Office to submit all the information
per 6) to the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) by November 1
of each year, and requires the LAO submit a report to the
Legislature by January 1, 2015, summarizing this information,
assessing the extent to which extension programs are operated
in a manner consistent with the provisions of this bill, and
suggesting any needed statutory improvements.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Minor absorbable costs to the Chancellor's Office and the LAO
for the reporting requirements.
2)Any costs to CCC districts would be the result of districts
electing to offer extension courses and would be covered by
fees and other non-state funds.
3)Potential minor increase in General Fund Cal Grant costs for
those likely limited instances where an otherwise qualifying
CCC student, by adding an extension course, is able to meet
the part-time or full-time minimum unit-load requirement for
Cal Grant eligibility and thus receives an award.
COMMENTS : In recent years, demand for CCC courses has increased
as its budget has been reduced. Consequently, according to CCC
Chancellor Jack Scott, approximately 140,000 students have
effectively been denied access, over 95% of all classes are at
capacity, and an estimated 10,000-15,000 students are on wait
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lists for courses. The $400 million reduction to CCC's 2011-12
budget will likely result in more course reductions.
The author states that, through extension programs, CCC could
expand course offerings to meet local workforce needs, 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-at no
additional cost to the state.
According to the sponsors, Santa Clarita Community College
District and Santa Monica Community College District, CCC
extension programs would typically operate in tandem 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
they would offer workforce training and degree programs that are
currently available primarily at for-profit institutions at a
higher cost than CCCs would charge.
The University of California and the California State University
currently offer extension programs, and CCC extension programs
are likely to be rather limited, particularly when compared to a
state-supported enrollment exceeding two million students.
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 United States 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 the BOG Fee Waiver.
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0000479
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