Amended in Senate April 25, 2013

Senate Bill No. 440

Introduced by Senator Padilla

February 21, 2013

An act to amend Sections 66746 and 66747 of begin insert , and to add Section 66748.5 to, end insert the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 440, as amended, Padilla. Public postsecondary education: Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.

(1) Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges and the California State University as 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law, the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act begin delete (act) end delete , encourages community colleges to facilitate the acceptance of credits earned at other community colleges toward the associate degree for transfer. The act also requires the California State University to guarantee admission with junior status to a community college student who meets the requirements for the associate degree for transfer. A student admitted to the California State University pursuant to the act is entitled to receive priority over all other community college transfer students, excluding community college students who have entered into a transfer agreement between a community college and the California State University prior to the fall term of the 2012-13 academic year.

This bill would express begin delete the finding and declaration of the Legislature that intersegmental faculty of the California Community Colleges and the California State University have developed transfer model curricula in many of the most commonly transferred majors between the 2 segments. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature to endorse and encourage the use of transfer model curricula as the preferred basis for associate degrees for transfer and the development of community college areas of emphasis that articulate with the 25 most popular majors for transfer students end delete begin insert findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to end insert begin insert timely progression from lower division coursework to degree completion end insert . The bill would require community begin delete college districts end delete begin insert colleges end insert to create an associate degree for transfer in every major offered by that begin delete district end delete begin insert college end insert that has an approved transfer model curriculum before the commencement of the begin delete 2014-15 end delete begin insert 2014- end insert begin insert 15 end insert academic year, begin insert and to create an associate degree for transfer in specified areas of emphasis before the commencement of the 2016-17 academic year, end insert thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.

The bill would require California State University campuses to accept transfer model curriculum-aligned associate degrees for transfer in each of the California State University degree options, as defined, within a major field begin insert , and accept transfer model curriculum-aligned associate degrees for transfer in each of the specified areas of emphasis referenced above. The bill would require the California State University to develop an admissions redirection process for students admitted pursuant to the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act who apply for admission to the California State University, but are not accepted into the campuses specifically applied to end insert .

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The bill would require the California Community Colleges and the California State University, in consultation with specified parties, to develop a student-centered communication and marketing strategy in order to increase the visibility of the associate degree for transfer pathway for all students in California. To the extent that this provision would create new duties for community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program.

end insert

(2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that
intersegmental faculty of the California Community Colleges and
the California State University have developed transfer model
curricula in many of the most commonly transferred majors to
facilitate the transfer of students from community colleges to the
California State University.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to do both of the following:

(1) Endorse and encourage both of the following:

(A) The use of transfer model curricula as the preferred basis
for associate degrees for transfer.

(B) The development of community college areas of emphasis
that articulate with the 25 most popular major courses of study for
students transferring from a community college to a campus of the
California State University.

(2) Establish appropriate steps to be taken by campuses of the
California Community Colleges or the California State University
that fail to meet, in a timely manner, the requirements of Sections
66746 and 66747 of the Education Code, as those sections are
amended in this act.

end delete

begin insert

begin insert SECTIO end insert begin insert N 1. end insert   

end insert begin insert

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

end insert begin insert

(a) Since the enactment of the 1960 Master Plan for Higher
Education, preparing students to transfer to a four-year university
has been a core function of the California Community Colleges.

end insert begin insert

(b) Successful and timely progression from lower division
coursework to degree completion is a basic principle of California
higher education and is critical to the future of the state’s economy.

end insert begin insert

(c) The Public Policy Institute of California projects that
California’s workforce will have one million fewer graduates than
it needs in 2025, and that increasing transfer rates from community
colleges to four-year postsecondary educational institutions could
dramatically reduce the education skills gap.

end insert begin insert

(d) Today, one in every four jobs requires an associate degree
or higher. In the near future, one in every three jobs will require
an associate degree or higher.

end insert begin insert

(e) The size of the California Community Colleges and the
California State University systems, which have the largest share
of postsecondary students in the nation, allow the state to address
the serious projected shortage of educated workers.

end insert begin insert

(f) To meet workforce demands in a cost-effective way, it is
critical that we significantly increase the number of students
obtaining an associate degree while preparing for transfer to a
four-year college or university.

end insert begin insert

(g) Although the community college and state university
segments have undertaken tremendous efforts to institute the new
transfer pathway, current implementation efforts of Sections 66746
and 66747 of the Education Code alone are insufficient to ensure
that the associate degree for transfer becomes the preferred
transfer pathway for all students across the state.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

Section 66746 of the Education Code is amended to
read:

66746.  

(a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2011-12
academic year, a student who earns an associate degree for transfer
granted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be deemed eligible for
transfer into a California State University baccalaureate program
when the student meets both of the following requirements:

(1) Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are
eligible for transfer to the California State University, including
both of the following:

(A) The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum
(IGETC) or the California State University General
Education-Breadth Requirements.

(B) A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a
major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college
district.

(2) Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

(b) (1)  begin insert (A) end insert begin insert   end insert As a condition of receipt of state apportionment
funds, a community college district shall develop and grant
associate degrees for transfer that meet the requirements of
subdivision (a). A community college district shall not impose any
requirements in addition to the requirements of this section,
including any local college or district requirements, for a student
to be eligible for the associate degree for transfer and subsequent
admission to the California State University pursuant to Section
66747. begin delete A end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert B) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert A end insert community college begin delete district shall,before end delete begin insert shall, before end insert the
commencement of the 2014-15 academic year, create an associate
degree for transfer in every major offered by that begin delete district end delete begin insert college end insert
that has an approved transfer model curriculum.

begin insert

(C) A community college shall, before the commencement of
the 2016-17 academic year, create an associate degree for transfer
in areas of emphasis for disciplines including, but not necessarily
limited to, all of the following:

end insert begin insert

(i) Applied sciences.

end insert begin insert

(ii) Formal sciences.

end insert begin insert

(iii) Humanities.

end insert begin insert

(iv) Natural sciences.

end insert begin insert

(v) Social sciences.

end insert

(2) The condition of receipt of state apportionment funding
contained in paragraph (1) shall become inoperative if, by
December 31, 2010, each of the state’s 72 community college
districts has submitted to the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges, for transmission to the Director of Finance,
signed certification waiving, as a local agency request within the
meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 6 of Article
XIII B of the California Constitution, any claim of reimbursement
related to the implementation of this article.

(c) A community college district is encouraged to consider the
local articulation agreements and other work between the respective
faculties from the affected community college and California State
University campuses in implementing the requirements of this
section.

(d) Community colleges are encouraged to facilitate the
acceptance of credits earned at other community colleges toward
the associate degree for transfer pursuant to this section.

(e) This section shall not preclude students who are assessed
below collegiate level from acquiring remedial noncollegiate level
coursework in preparation for obtaining the associate degree.
Remedial noncollegiate level coursework shall not be counted as
part of the transferable units required pursuant to paragraph (1) of
subdivision (a).

SEC. 3.  

Section 66747 of the Education Code is amended to
read:

66747.  

(a)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with
Section 66201), the California State University shall guarantee
admission with junior status to any community college student
who meets all of the requirements of Section 66746. Admission
to the California State University, as provided under this article,
does not guarantee admission for specific majors or campuses.
Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 66201),
the California State University shall grant a student priority
admission to his or her local California State University campus
and to a program or major that is similar to his or her community
college major or area of emphasis, as determined by the California
State University campus to which the student is admitted. A
California State University campus shall accept transfer model
curriculum-aligned associate degrees for transfer in each of the
California State University degree options within a major field.
begin delete As end delete begin insert The California State University shall accept transfer model
curriculum-aligned associate degrees for transfer in each of the
areas of emphasis listed in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of
subdivision (b) of Section 66746. end insert

begin insert (2) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert As end insert used in this section, a “degree option” is an area of
specialization within a degree program.

(b) A student admitted under this article shall receive priority
over all other community college transfer students, in accordance
with subdivision (b) of Section 66202, excluding community
college students who have entered into a transfer agreement
between a community college and the California State University
prior to the fall term of the 2012-13 academic year. A student
admitted pursuant to this article shall have met the requirements
of an approved transfer agreement consistent with subdivision (a)
of Section 66202.

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(c) The California State University shall develop an admissions
redirection process for students admitted under this article who
apply for admission to the California State University, but are not
accepted into the California State University campuses specifically
applied to. This process shall be aligned with the guaranteed
admission into the California State University system under
subdivision (a).

end insert

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begin insert SEC. 4. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 66748.5 is added to the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 66748.5. end insert   

The California Community Colleges and the
California State University, in consultation with students, faculty,
student service administrators, the State Department of Education,
the California Education Round Table, and other key stakeholders,
shall develop a student-centered communication and marketing
strategy in order to increase the visibility of the associate degree
for transfer pathway for all students in California that includes,
but is not necessarily limited to, all of the following:

(a) Outreach to high schools.

(b) Posters, banners, and marquees displayed at all community
colleges and transfer centers.

(c) Radio advertisements.

(d) Outreach materials to students considering attending the
California State University as first-year students.

(e) Information prominently displayed in community college
course catalogs.

(f) Information prominently displayed on the Internet Web sites
of each community college, each campus of the California State
University, and on the CaliforniaColleges.edu Internet Web site.

end insert

begin delete SEC. 4. end delete
begin insert SEC. 5. end insert   

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.