BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2462
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Date of Hearing: April 24, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Paul J. Cook, Chair
AB 2462 (Block) - As Amended: April 9, 2012
SUBJECT : Public postsecondary education: academic credit for
prior military academic experience
SUMMARY : This bill would require the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges (CCC) to implement a process for
awarding credit for prior military academic experience, to be
completed no later than July 1, 2013, that meets the pertinent
standards of the American Council on Education (ACE).
Specifically, this bill :
1. Requires the CCC to implement a process for awarding
credit for prior military academic experience, to be
completed no later than July 1, 2013, that meets the
pertinent standards of the ACE.
2. Makes the following legislative findings and
declarations:
a. CCC are encouraged to facilitate the
acceptance of credits earned at other community
colleges.
b. In addition to accepting credits from other
community colleges, CCC are also encouraged to
recognize the learning acquired by military personnel
during their service and to award credit for that
learning where appropriate. The American Council on
Education or another appropriate entity may offer a
consistent and reasonable method of recognizing that
learning. The Academic Senate for CCC is also
encouraged to develop recommendations regarding
approaches to the use of systems, including, but not
limited to, the ACE system, that provide guidance for
awarding college credit for academic instruction and
experience in a military setting.
c. CCC are encouraged to consider military
education or experience for credit for career
technical education instruction and to develop ways to
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evaluate progress to, or completion of, a professional
or occupational certificate for persons with military
education or experience.
d. Community colleges are also encouraged to
consider awarding credit by examination process for
experience or instruction gained in a military
setting.
3. Creates a reimbursable state mandate if so determined by
the Commission on State Mandates.
EXISTING LAW
1)Establishes a matriculation process at CCCs with the purpose
of realizing a student's educational objectives.
Matriculation services to be made available by the colleges
include, but are not limited to (a) processing of admission
applications, (b) orientation and pre-orientation services
concerning academic expectations and financial assistance,
and (c) assessment and counseling upon enrollment, as
specified. (Education Code § 78212)
2)Requires the California State University (CSU) and CCC to
grant priority registration for enrollment to former members
of the Armed Forces of the United States within four years of
leaving active military duty. (EC § 66025.8)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown at this time.
COMMENTS :
According to the author, CCC do not uniformly evaluate prior
military service for academic credit. Some prior service
students are unable to obtain course credit for their military
service that would be honored at another CCC campus. AB 2462
will require the Chancellor of the CCC to implement a process
for awarding credit for prior military academic experience, to
be completed no later than July 1, 2013, that meets the
pertinent standards of the American Council on Education. This
requirement will ensure uniformity among campuses throughout the
CCC and set a unified standard.
According to the Assembly Higher Education Committee:
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Background . In California, an approximate 30,000 troops
annually are leaving service, and many are pursuing
education. Student veteran enrollment has increased at the
University of California (UC), CSU, and CCC in recent
years: CCC enrolls 44,000 students who utilize some form of
veteran tuition/fee benefit, while CSU enrolls 6,540 and UC
enrolls 949 students who are using GI benefits.
Approximately 90% of UC and CSU student veterans
transferred from a CCC campus.
ACE Guide. The military issues academic transcripts for
active-duty service members and veterans. The transcripts
issued by the various service branches are endorsed and
periodically evaluated by ACE and bear its seal. ACE also
provides recommendations to colleges for evaluating these
transcripts. The Guide's credit transfer recommendations
are based on reviews of military coursework by a panel of
university faculty members convened by ACE. These faculty
members review military coursework and occupational
training descriptions pertaining to their own academic
disciplines, evaluating them according to disciplinary
standards and expectations.
UC and CSU have recently adopted the ACE standards for
evaluating prior military academic credit. In spring 2011,
the CCC statewide Academic Senate passed a resolution
urging local senates to apply credit for educational
experiences during military service toward the associate
degree in accordance with the recommendations listed in the
ACE Guide.
CCC recognition of prior learning . It is difficult to
ascertain to what extent prior learning experiences receive
academic credit at CCC, since the determinations are made
at each campus, but it appears that the application of
prior learning credit is uneven. At present, 46 CCCs are
members of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
Consortium, which require member institutions to, among
other things, provide credit for military training and
experience, including use of the ACE Guide in evaluating
and awarding academic credit for military training and
experience.
Transferability of credit for prior learning experiences .
While faculty at a CCC may grant academic credit for prior
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learning experiences, this does not ensure that these
courses will transfer to a four-year institution. Faculty
at the receiving institution determines whether prior
learning credits are accepted by that institution. This
issue could be considered by the CCC and CSU faculty who
are implementing SB 1440 (Padilla), Chapter 428, Statutes
of 2010, which statutorily prescribes the content of a
community college degree that meets transfer eligibility
requirements.
In "Promising Practices in Veterans' Education: Outcomes and
Recommendations from the Success for Veterans Award Grants,"
(2010, ACE) the report notes:
Overwhelmingly, institutions believed that identifying and
effective method for awarding transfer credit based on ACE
credit recommendations for evaluated military training will
enhance success. Colleges and universities have heard
from veterans who believe their military training has not
been accepted in full capacity. Veterans have voiced
frustration with repeating coursework they feel they
received in the military, increased time to graduation
(when their financial aid benefits have an expiration
date), and perceived lack of recognition of their service
and accomplishments. ÝEmphasis added.]
Furthermore, In "Service Members in School," (November, 2010,
ACE), the report states:
In the focus groups, participants said that whether their
military training counted toward specific degree
requirements was often left to departmental discretion.
This practice sometimes resulted in large inconsistencies
within the same institution.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
The American Legion-Department of California
AMVETS- Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Vietnam Veterans of America-California State Council
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
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Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : John Spangler / V. A. / (916) 319-3550