BILL NUMBER: AB 661 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Block
FEBRUARY 16, 2011
An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) to Chapter
1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
relating to public postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 661, as introduced, Block. Public postsecondary education: San
Diego Community College District: baccalaureate degree pilot
program.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under
the administration of the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary
education in this state. Existing law establishes community college
districts, administered by governing boards, throughout the state,
and authorizes these districts to provide instruction to students at
the community college campuses maintained by the districts.
Existing law requires community colleges to offer instruction
through, but not beyond, the 2nd year of college and authorizes
community colleges to grant associate in arts and science degrees.
This bill would authorize the San Diego Community College District
to establish baccalaureate degree pilot programs. This bill would
require a baccalaureate degree pilot program to expire 8 years after
the establishment of the program. If the San Diego Community College
District establishes a baccalaureate program, this bill would require
the district to meet specified requirements, including, but not
limited to, offering baccalaureate degrees in a limited number of
fields of study, and submitting a report to the Legislature within
one year prior to the expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot
program that would evaluate specified factors.
This bill would also require, if the San Diego Community College
District establishes a baccalaureate program, the governing board of
the district to perform certain functions and would authorize the
governing board to charge baccalaureate degree-seeking students a fee
for enrollment in specified courses, which would be required to be
expended for the purpose of providing a pilot program. This bill
would authorize the governing board of the district to enter into
agreements with local businesses and agencies to provide educational
services to students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot
program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) For nearly 50 years, California's higher education system has
been the envy of the world. The University of California and the
California State University campuses have produced groundbreaking
research and millions of professionals. The California Community
Colleges are an often overlooked, yet essential, part of this system.
(b) California needs to produce one million more baccalaureate
degrees than the state currently does to remain economically
competitive in the coming decades.
(c) It is time to change community colleges in a way that will
address job shortages in California's most vital employment areas
that require baccalaureate degrees. Community colleges can help fill
the gaps in the system by granting baccalaureate degrees for a
limited number of specific areas in order to meet a growing demand
for workforce need.
(d) These baccalaureate programs will be limited and will not
detract from the community colleges' mission to advance California's
economic growth and global competitiveness through education,
training, and services that contribute to continuous workforce
improvement, nor will the programs unnecessarily duplicate similar
programs offered by nearby schools.
(e) Community colleges can provide a quality baccalaureate
education with lower costs to their students than a traditional
four-year university, enabling lower income and part-time local
students to earn the baccalaureate degree needed for new job
opportunities and promotion.
(f) Seventeen other states, from Florida to Hawaii, already allow
their community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees. California
is one of the most innovative states in the nation, and the
California Community Colleges will use that same innovative spirit to
produce more health, biotechnology, and other needed professionals.
(g) The purpose of the baccalaureate degree pilot program is to
promote economic development by preparing people for occupations that
are in demand and require a baccalaureate degree.
SEC. 2. Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) is added to
Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
to read:
Article 3. Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program
78040. For the purposes of this article, "district" means the San
Diego Community College District. The district may establish
baccalaureate degree pilot programs pursuant to Section 78041.
78041. Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the San Diego Community
College District may establish baccalaureate degree pilot programs
that meet all of the eligibility requirements set forth in Section
78042. A pilot program established pursuant to this section shall
expire eight years after the establishment of the program. For
purposes of this section, a pilot program is established when the
first class of students begins the program.
78042. (a) The district shall seek accreditation as a
baccalaureate degree granting college.
(b) The district shall maintain the primary mission of the
California Community Colleges specified in paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) of Section 66010.4. The district, as part of the
baccalaureate degree pilot program, shall have the additional mission
to provide high-quality undergraduate education at an affordable
price for students and the state.
(c) The district shall offer baccalaureate degrees in a limited
number of fields of study subject to the following requirements, as
determined by the governing board of the district:
(1) The district shall identify and document unmet workforce needs
in the subject areas of the baccalaureate degrees to be offered and
offer baccalaureate degrees in those subject areas possessing unmet
workforce needs in the local community.
(2) The baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not unnecessarily
duplicate similar programs offered by nearby public postsecondary
educational institutions.
(3) The district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
of study.
(d) The district shall maintain separate records for students who
are enrolled in courses classified in the upper division and lower
division of a baccalaureate program. A student shall be reported as a
community college student for enrollment in a lower division course
and as a baccalaureate degree program student for enrollment in an
upper division course.
(e) The governing board of the district shall do all of the
following:
(1) Determine the appropriate governance system for the
baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(2) Make decisions regarding the baccalaureate degree pilot
program's curriculum, faculty, and facilities.
(3) Establish the level of matriculation, tuition, and other
appropriate costs for students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree
program.
(f) (1) The governing board of the district may charge
baccalaureate degree-seeking students a fee, of an amount to be
determined by the governing board, that covers the additional costs
imposed by providing a baccalaureate degree pilot program, for
enrollment in courses that are not transfer core curriculum courses,
as defined in Section 66720.
(2) All fees collected pursuant to this subdivision shall be
deposited in the designated fund of the district in accordance with
the California Community Colleges Budget and Accounting Manual, and
shall be expended for the purpose of providing a baccalaureate degree
pilot program.
(g) The governing board of the district may enter into agreements
with local businesses and agencies to provide educational services to
students participating in the baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(h) The district shall submit a report to the Legislature within
one year prior to the expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot
program pursuant to Section 78041. The report shall examine the
success of the baccalaureate degree pilot program by evaluating all
of the following factors:
(1) The percentage of students who complete a baccalaureate
degree, calculated by dividing the number of students who graduate
from the baccalaureate degree pilot program by the number of students
who enrolled in the program.
(2) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot program is
self-supporting, such that the student fees charged pursuant to
subdivision (f) cover the costs of the program.
(3) Whether there is a problem with finding and paying instructors
for the baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(4) Whether there was a decline in enrollment in the California
State University and the University of California as a result of the
baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(5) The number of students who received jobs in the area in the
field of study of their baccalaureate degree.
(6) The amount of student fees charged pursuant to subdivision (f)
compared to the amount of student fees charged for courses at the
California State University and the University of California.