AB 387, as introduced, Levine. Public postsecondary education: California State University: online education.
Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law specifies that 25 institutions of higher education comprise the California State University.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature that the California State University have a uniform definition of online education for the purposes of measuring its effectiveness. The bill would require the trustees to establish a series of uniform definitions for online education on or before January 1, 2015, as specified. The bill would require each campus of the California State University to incorporate a common course numbering system for courses offered entirely online. The bill would require the trustees to report performance data about online education to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2015, and every two years until 2019. The bill would require, in the development of new programs of instruction at each campus of the California State University, that not less than 10% of new course offerings be online courses, as defined.
This bill would require the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the Trustees of the California State University to jointly report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2015, on the feasibility of developing an accelerated bachelor’s degree completion program consisting of distance learning courses, aimed at students who started college but never obtained a degree.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares that the
2expansion of online education can increase accessibility, and
3accelerate degree completion. However, the value and effectiveness
4of new online education programs should properly be measured,
5and the Legislature should be provided with data to understand
6the effectiveness of online education.
7(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the California State
8University develop a uniform definition of online education for
9the purposes of measuring its effectiveness.
Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 89225) is added
11to Chapter 2 of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education
12Code, to read:
13
(a) On or before January 1, 2015, for the purposes of
17measuring the effectiveness of online education, the trustees shall
18establish a series of uniform definitions for online education. The
19trustees shall develop a systemwide definition for online education
20that shall apply to a course that can be entirely completed remotely,
21either through online access or other media of distance education,
22and that does not require the student to be physically present at
23the campus of instruction.
24(b) The trustees shall develop a two-tiered definition for courses
25that can be accessed remotely, through online or other media of
26distance education, but cannot be completed entirely through
27remote access, in accordance with both of the following:
28(1) A tier 1 course shall be defined as a course for which not
29less than 50 percent of instruction is taught remotely and requires
P3 1online access or other media of distance education for completion
2of the course, but cannot be completed 100 percent remotely.
3(2) A tier 2 course shall be defined as a course that require online
4access or other media of distance education to a lesser degree than
5Tier 1.
Each campus of the California State University shall
7incorporate a common course numbering system for courses offered
8entirely online as referenced in Section 89225.
(a) On or before January 1, 2015, and on or before
10January 1 every two years thereafter, the trustees shall report to
11the Legislature key performance data on online courses as defined
12in Section 89225, including, but not necessarily limited to, all of
13the following:
14(1) The number of students enrolled at each campus.
15(2) Course completion rates.
16(3) Program completion rates for degree programs that include
17distance learning courses.
18(4) Systemwide grade point average for students enrolled in
19online courses.
20(5) The number of students cross-enrolled in online courses at
21a California State University campus other than the campus at
22which they are matriculated.
23(6) Course completion rates for students enrolled in online
24courses.
25(7) Program completion rates for students enrolled in online
26courses.
27(b) Student enrollment and completion rate data included in a
28report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be made
29available by demographics, including age, gender, and ethnicity.
30(c) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under
31subdivision (a) is inoperative on July 1, 2019, pursuant to Section
3210231.5 of the Government Code.
33(2) The report prepared pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
34submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
35Code.
In the development of new programs of instruction
37at each campus of the California State University, not less than 10
38percent of new course offerings shall be online courses as defined
39in Section 89225.
On or before January 1, 2015, the Board of Governors
2of the California Community Colleges and the Trustees of the
3California State University shall jointly report to the Legislature
4on the feasibility of developing an accelerated bachelor’s degree
5completion program consisting of distance learning courses, aimed
6at students who started college but never obtained a degree. The
7report prepared pursuant to this section shall be submitted in
8compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
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