Amended in Senate April 10, 2014

Senate Bill No. 850

Introduced by Senator Block

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(Principal coauthor: Senator Hill)

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(Coauthors: Senators begin delete Anderson and Hill) end delete begin insert Anderson, Beall, Correa, Lara, Roth, Torres, Vidak, and Wyland) end insert

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(Coauthor: Assembly Member Chávez)

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January 9, 2014

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

SB 850, as amended, Block. Public postsecondary education: community college districts: 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 requires the board begin insert of governors end insert to appoint a chief executive officer, to be known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. 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 degrees in arts and science.

This bill would authorize the begin delete Chancellor of the California Community Colleges end delete begin insert board of governors, in consultation with the California State University and the University of California, end insert to begin delete authorize the establishment of one end delete begin insert establish a end insert baccalaureate degree pilot program begin delete per campus per district. The bill would provide that the baccalaureate degree pilot program shall consist of a limited number of campuses, end delete begin insert at not more than 20 community college districts, end insert to be determined by the begin delete Chancellor. end delete begin insert chancellor and approved by the board of governors, which would authorize each participating campus within the district to offer one type of baccalaureate degree, as specified. end insert The bill would require a baccalaureate degree pilot program to expire 8 years after the establishment of the program. The bill would require a participating begin insert community college end insert district to meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to, offering baccalaureate degrees in begin delete a limited number of fields of study, end delete begin insert subject areas with unmet workforce needs, as specified, end insert and submitting a report to the begin delete Legislature end delete begin insert chancellor end insert at least one year prior to the expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot program begin insert or one year after the first graduating class, whichever occurs first, end insert that would evaluate specified factors.

This bill would also require the governing board of a participating begin insert community college end insert district to begin delete perform certain functions end delete begin insert submit certain information for review by the chancellor and approval by the board of governors, including the proposed governance system of the baccalaureate degree pilot program, end insert and would begin delete 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. The bill would end delete authorize the governing board of begin delete the end delete begin insert a community college end insert district to enter into agreements with local businesses and agencies to provide educational services to students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program. begin insert The bill would provide that the board of governors shall develop and adopt by regulation a funding model for the support of the baccalaureate degree pilot programs, as specified. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. 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) California needs to produce one million more baccalaureate
degrees than the state currently begin delete does end delete begin insert produces end insert to remain
economically competitive in the coming decades.

(b) The 21st century workplace increasingly demands a higher
level of education in applied fields.

(c) There is demand for education beyond the associate degree
level in specific academic disciplines that is not currently being
met by California’s four-year public institutions.

(d) Community colleges can help fill the gaps in our higher
education system by granting baccalaureate degrees begin delete for end delete begin insert in end insert a limited
number of specific areas in order to meet a growing demand for a
skilled workforce.

(e) These baccalaureate programs will be limited and will not
begin insert in any way end insert detract from the community colleges’ begin insert traditional end insert
mission to advance California’s economic growth and global
competitiveness through education, training, and services that
contribute to continuous workforce improvement, nor will begin delete the end delete
begin insert these end insert programs unnecessarily duplicate similar programs offered
by nearby begin insert public end insert four-year institutions.

(f) Community colleges can provide a quality baccalaureate
education begin delete with lower costs to their students than a traditional
four-year university, end delete begin insert to their students, end insert enabling place-bound local
students begin insert and military veterans end insert the opportunity to earn the
baccalaureate degree needed for new job opportunities and
promotion.

(g) Twenty-one 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 begin delete health, biotechnology, and other needed
professionals. end delete begin insert professionals in health, biotechnology, public safety,
and other needed fields. end insert

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 begin delete the end delete purposes of this article, “district” means any
community college district identified by the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges as participating in the
baccalaureate degree pilot program. Each district may establish
baccalaureate degree pilot programs pursuant to Section 78041.

78041.  

Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the begin delete Chancellor of
the California Community Colleges end delete begin insert Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges, in consultation with the California
State University and the University of California, end insert may authorize
the establishment of 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. The baccalaureate degree pilot
program shall consist of a begin delete limited number of campuses, end delete begin insert maximum
of twenty districts, end insert to be determined by the Chancellor of the
California Community begin delete Colleges. end delete begin insert Colleges and authorized by the
Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. end insert

78042.  

(a)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A end insert district shall seek begin delete authorization end delete begin insert approval end insert to
offer baccalaureate degree programs through the appropriate
accreditation body.

(b)  begin delete The end delete begin insert When seeking authorization from the Board of
Governors of the California Community Colleges, a end insert 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)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A end insert district shall begin insert not end insert offer begin insert more than end insert one begin insert type of end insert
baccalaureate degree per campus begin delete in a limited number of fields of
study subject to the following requirements, as determined by the
governing board of the district: end delete begin insert , as determined by the governing
board of the district and approved by the Governing Board of the
California Community Colleges, and subject to the following
limitations: end insert

(1)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A end insert district shall identify and document unmet workforce
needs in the subject areas of the baccalaureate degrees to be offered
and offer begin insert a end insert baccalaureate begin delete degrees end delete begin insert degree at a campus end insert in begin delete those end delete begin insert a end insert
subject begin delete areas possessing end delete begin insert area with end insert unmet workforce needs in the
local begin delete community. end delete begin insert community or region of the district. end insert

(2)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A end insert baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not
begin delete unnecessarily end delete duplicate similar programs offered by begin delete nearby end delete public
postsecondary educational begin delete institutions. end delete begin insert institutions, unless approved
by the Chancellor of the California State University. end insert

(3)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A end insert district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
of study.

(d)  begin delete The end delete begin insert A end insert 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.

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(e) The governing board of the district shall do all of the
following:

end delete begin insert

(e) A governing board of a district seeking authorization to offer
a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall submit all of the
following for review by the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges and approval by the Board of Governors of
the California Community Colleges:

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(1)  begin delete Determine the appropriate end delete begin insert The proposed end insert governance system
for the baccalaureate degree pilot program.

(2)  begin delete Make decisions regarding the end delete begin insert The end insert baccalaureate degree pilot
program’s curriculum, faculty, and facilities.

(3)  begin delete Establish the level of matriculation, tuition, and other
appropriate costs end delete begin insert The level of matriculation end insert for students enrolled
in a baccalaureate degree program.

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(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.

end delete begin insert

(f) (1) The Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges shall develop and adopt by regulation a funding model
for the support of the baccalaureate degree pilot programs that is
based on a calculation of the number of full-time equivalent
students enrolled in the pilot programs.

end insert begin delete

(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.

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(2) Funding for each full-time equivalent student shall be at an
agreed upon marginal cost calculation that shall not exceed the
California State Universities marginal cost calculation.

end insert begin insert

(3) Each student in the baccalaureate degree pilot programs
authorized by this article shall not be charged fees higher than
the mandatory systemwide fees charged for baccalaureate degree
programs at the California State University.

end insert begin insert

(4) Fees for upper division coursework in the baccalaureate
degree pilot programs shall be set and approved by the Legislature
in a manner consistent with the setting of fees for lower division
coursework at the California community colleges.

end insert

(g) The governing board of begin delete the end delete begin insert a end insert district may enter into
agreements with local businesses and agencies to provide
educational services to students participating in begin delete the end delete begin insert a end insert baccalaureate
degree pilot program.

(h)  begin delete The district shall submit a report to the Legislature end delete begin insert A district
that received authorization to offer a baccalaureate degree pilot
program shall submit a report to the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges end insert at least one year prior to the expiration of
the baccalaureate degree pilot program pursuant to Section begin delete 78041. end delete
begin insert 78041 or one year after the first graduating class of the
baccalaureate degree pilot program end insert begin insert , whichever occurs first. end insert 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 begin delete in the end delete begin insert at end insert
California State University begin delete and the end delete begin insert or end insert University of California begin delete as
a end delete begin insert campuses in the regions served by the district as a direct end insert 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.

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(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.

end delete begin delete

(i) A report submitted pursuant to subdivision (h) shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

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