BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 515
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 515 (Brownley)
As Amended May 27, 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 : Establishes the California Community Colleges Extension
Pilot Program to permit the governing board of a California
Community College (CCC) district to implement an extension
program, as specified, until July 1, 2016. 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), except those
districts that receive a stability adjustment to their state
apportionments, if the program meets the following requirements:
a) Is self-supporting, with all costs recovered;
b) Conforms with the "50% law" regarding minimum expenses
allocated for instruction;
c) Makes progress toward the 75/25 ratio for
full-time/part-time faculty instruction;
d) Is subject to collective bargaining agreements; and,
e) Is developed in accordance with existing regulation
governing credit courses, subject to annual review by the CCC
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Chancellor.
2)Requires the CCC Chancellor's Office to determine whether a CCC
district's extension programs meet the requirements listed above
and to annually review extension programs established by this
bill.
3)Prohibits CCC districts from expending General Fund moneys to
establish and maintain extension courses.
4)Prohibits credit extension courses from supplanting courses
funded with state apportionments, from supplanting the use of
district facilities that would otherwise be used for
apportionment-funded courses, and requires the following
oversight:
a) CCC districts must annually certify compliance with the
above requirement at a regular meeting of the governing
board;
b) CCC districts must submit to the Chancellor's office a
list of extension courses they will be offering 30 days in
advance of each session; and,
c) The Chancellor must monitor compliance with this section
as part of its annual review of extension programs.
5)Limits the number of semester units completed through a CCC
district's extension programs that can be applied to an
Associate or transfer degree to no more than 24 semester units
and limits students to no more than 12 extension credit course
units per semester, excluding Career Technical Education
Courses.
6)Authorizes CCC districts to establish fees for extension
programs, not to exceed the cost of maintaining those courses,
as follows:
a) Defines "actual costs" as the actual cost of construction,
the cost of necessary equipment and supplies, student
services and institutional support costs, and other costs of
the district used in calculating the cost of education,
consistent with those used to determine nonresident tuition;
b) Requires districts to minimize the costs of administration
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to the extent possible;
c) Requires districts to submit a schedule of course fees to
the CCC Chancellor by October 1 of each year;
d) Authorizes the Chancellor to establish a fee limit
subsequent to the first annual review required by this bill;
and,
e) States legislative intent that surplus seats in extension
courses that are not filled by the students participating in
the extension program be made available to all CCC students
at the fee charged for state-supported courses ($36 per unit)
to the extent possible.
7)Requires CCC campuses that maintain an extension program
offering credit courses to ensure that state and federal
financial aid are available to eligible students, who shall
receive the same priority for enrollment as students not
receiving financial aid, and to develop policies through which
tuition shall be waived in full or in part.
8)Requires any CCC 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. CCC
districts are to submit this information to the Chancellor's
Office by October 1 of each year for each participating college.
9)Requires the Chancellor's Office to submit all the information
per 8) above 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.
10)Sunsets this program effective July 1, 2016.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Minor absorbable costs to the Chancellor's Office and the LAO
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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
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.
Opponents express concerns that these extension programs create a
two-tier system of courses within CCC, opening the door to
privatization of the CCC and allowing different campuses to set
different fees. Opponents state that it is incumbent upon the
Legislature to develop new funding sources to maintain access.
The University of California and the California State University
currently offer extension programs, and CCC extension programs are
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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: 0000854