BILL NUMBER: HR 41 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 23, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Ting and Ammiano
MAY 19, 2014
Relative to the City College of San Francisco.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco,
founded in 1935, is a long-running and established entity in the San
Francisco Bay area; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco is
the largest community college district with a student enrollment of
approximately 80,000 students in 2012; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco
gives individuals who lack English language skills the ability to
learn English to gain employment and participate and contribute to
the economy; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco is
the first stop for many recent immigrants to take naturalization
courses to integrate into the broader society; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco
provides a pathway to career and participation in the California
dream for thousands of people each year; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco is a
valuable tool in maintaining the middle class in the City and County
of San Francisco by being one of the few resources low-income
students can utilize to climb the economic ladder; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco is
an important resource that provides opportunities for low-income
students to gain job skills and adults to obtain their graduate
equivalency diplomas; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco
offers over 50 educational programs and more than 100 work training
courses and specializes in training the future workforce of the City
and County of San Francisco in the hospitality, culinary, automotive,
and construction industries; and
WHEREAS, California's Student Success Score Card, a performance
measurement system created by the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges to track student success at all
community colleges in California, shows that the
City College of San Francisco has a higher percentage of students who
transfer to a four-year university or earn a vocational certificate
than the statewide average; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco is a
major job creator in the City and County of San Francisco, employing
about 1,500 faculty members; and
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Budget and Legislative Analyst has
found that the City College of San Francisco
generates well over $300 million in economic activity every year; and
WHEREAS, In July 2012, the Accrediting Commission for Community
and Junior Colleges sanctioned the City College of
San Francisco with a 'show cause' order, which required the college
to remedy issues identified by the commission; and
WHEREAS, On July 31, 2014, the Accrediting Commission for
Community and Junior Colleges will determine the accreditation
status of the City College of San Francisco; In July
2013, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
voted to terminate City College of San Francisco's accreditation
effective July 31, 2014, subject to review and appeal; and
WHEREAS, Since the 'show cause' order issued in 2012, the
City College of San Francisco has made substantial
progress in remedying the issues identified by the commission; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco has
hired a permanent chancellor, chief financial officer, chief counsel,
and chief instructional officer, and filled other leadership
positions; and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco has
met nearly 85 95 percent of the 350
objectives laid out identified by the
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to
maintain its accreditation and the Fiscal
Crisis and Management Assistance Team, and in the college's Roadmap
to Success, and is now in substantial compliance with the
accreditation standards, but is not likely to meet
them all by there are still changes the college must
complete that will not be finalized by July 31, 2014,
when the fate of its accreditation will be determined;
the date upon which the Accrediting Commission for Community and
Junior Colleges revocation decision is scheduled to become final;
and
WHEREAS, The City College of San Francisco has
asked for an extension of time to allow them to fully address the
issues identified by the Accrediting Commission for Community and
Junior Colleges but the commissioners have declined the request
stating that federal law prevented them from granting an extension;
and
WHEREAS, The California Community College Board of Governors has
requested the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior
Colleges to rescind its termination of City College of San Francisco'
s accreditation and send a visiting team to the college to document
the progress that has been made; and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Education recently stated
that the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
has the flexibility to give the City College of
San Francisco additional time to remedy all outstanding issues
without jeopardizing the commission's standing with the department;
now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly urges the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior
Colleges to consider the progress the City College
of San Francisco has made and, as necessary, provide the college
with additional time to continue solving problems and keep its
accreditation intact; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.