Amended in Assembly June 16, 2014

Amended in Senate May 1, 2014

Amended in Senate April 10, 2014

Senate BillNo. 850


Introduced by Senator Block

(Principal coauthor: Senator Hill)

(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Beall, Correa, Hueso, Lara, Roth, Torres, Vidak, and Wyland)

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Chávez)

January 9, 2014


An act to addbegin insert and repealend insert 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 of governors 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, commencing January 1, 2015, authorize the board of governors, in consultation with the California State University and the University of California, to establish a statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program at not more than 15 community college districts,begin insert with one baccalaureate degree program each,end insert to be determined by the chancellor and approved by the board ofbegin delete governors, which would authorizeend deletebegin insert governors. The bill would prohibitend insert each participating districtbegin delete to offerend deletebegin insert from offering more thanend insert onebegin delete type ofend delete baccalaureate degreebegin delete at one campusend deletebegin insert programend insert within the district, as specified. The bill would require a district baccalaureate degree pilot program to commence by the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year, and would require a student participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program to complete his orbegin insert herend insert degree by the end of the 2022-23 academic year. The bill would require participating community college districts to meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to, offering baccalaureatebegin delete degreesend deletebegin insert degree programs and program curriculaend insert not offered by the California State University or the University of California, and in subject areas with unmet workforce needs, as specified.

This bill would also require the governing board of a participating community college district to submit certainbegin delete informationend deletebegin insert itemsend insert for review by the chancellor and approval by the board of governors,begin delete includingend deletebegin insert including, among other things,end insert the administrative plan for the baccalaureate degree pilotbegin delete program.end deletebegin insert program and documentation of consultation with the California State University and the University of California.end insert The bill would provide that the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall jointly conduct a statewide evaluation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program implemented under this article, as specified, and to report the results of the evaluation, in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1, 2021. The bill would provide that the board of governors shall develop, and adopt by regulation, a funding model for the support of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilotbegin delete programend deletebegin insert program,end insert as specified.

This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2023, and would repeal the provisions on January 1, 2024.

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

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

P3    1

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(a) California needs to produce one million more baccalaureate
4degrees than the state currently produces to remain economically
5competitive in the coming decades.

6(b) The 21st century workplace increasingly demands a higher
7level of education in applied fields.

8(c) There is demand for education beyond the associate degree
9level in specific academic disciplines that is not currently being
10met by California’s four-year public institutions.

11(d) Community colleges can help fill the gaps in our higher
12education system by granting baccalaureate degrees in a limited
13number ofbegin delete specificend delete areas in order to meet a growing demand for a
14skilled workforce.

15(e) These baccalaureate programs will be limited and will not
16in any way detract from the community colleges’ traditional
17mission to advance California’s economic growth and global
18competitiveness through education, training, and services that
19contribute to continuous workforce improvement, nor will these
20programs unnecessarily duplicate similar programs offered by
21nearby public four-year institutions.

22(f) Community colleges can provide a quality baccalaureate
23education to their students, enabling place-bound local students
24and military veterans the opportunity to earn the baccalaureate
25degree needed for new job opportunities and promotion.

26(g) Twenty-one other states, from Florida to Hawaii, already
27allow their community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees.
28California is one of the most innovative states in the nation, and
29the California Community Colleges will use that same innovative
30spirit to produce more professionals in health, biotechnology,
31public safety, and other needed fields.

32

SEC. 2.  

Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) is added
33to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education
34Code
, to read:

 

P4    1Article 3.  Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program
2

 

3

78040.  

For purposes of this article, “district” means any
4community college district identified by the Chancellor of the
5California Community Colleges as participating in the statewide
6baccalaureate degree pilot program. Each participating district
7may establish one baccalaureate degree pilot program pursuant to
8Section 78041.

9

78041.  

Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, and commencing
10January 1, 2015, the Board of Governors of the California
11Community Colleges, in consultation with the California State
12University and the University of California, may authorize the
13establishment of district baccalaureate degree pilot programs that
14meet all of the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 78042.
15A district pilot program established pursuant to this article shall
16commence no later than the 2017-18 academic year. A student
17participating in a baccalaureatebegin insert degreeend insert pilot program shall complete
18his or her degree by the end of the 2022-23 academic year. For
19purposes of this section, a pilot program commences when the first
20class of students begins the program. The statewide baccalaureate
21degree pilot program shall consist of a maximum of fifteen districts,
22begin insert with one baccalaureate degree program each,end insert to be determined
23by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and
24begin delete authorizedend deletebegin insert approvedend insert by the Board of Governors of the California
25Community Colleges.

26

78042.  

(a) A district shall seek approval to offer a
27baccalaureate degree program through the appropriate accreditation
28body.

29(b) When seekingbegin delete authorizationend deletebegin insert approvalend insert from the Board of
30Governors of the California Community Colleges, a district shall
31maintain the primary mission of the California Community
32Colleges specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section
3366010.4. The district, as part of the baccalaureate degree pilot
34program, shall have the additional mission to provide high-quality
35undergraduate education at an affordable price for students and
36the state.

37(c) A district shall not offer more than onebegin delete type ofend delete baccalaureate
38degreebegin insert programend insert, as determined by the governing board of the
39district and approved by thebegin delete Governing Boardend deletebegin insert Board of Governorsend insert
P5    1 of the California Community Colleges, and subject to the following
2limitations:

3(1) A district shall identify and document unmet workforce
4needs in the subject area of the baccalaureate degree to be offered
5and offer a baccalaureate degree at a campus in a subject area with
6unmet workforce needs in the local community or region of the
7district.

8(2) A baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not offer a
9baccalaureate degreebegin insert program or program curriculaend insert already offered
10by the California State University or the University of California.

11(3) A district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
12interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
13of study.

14(4) A district shall not offerbegin delete aend deletebegin insert more than oneend insert baccalaureate
15degreebegin delete at more than one campusend deletebegin insert programend insert within thebegin delete district.end delete
16begin insert district, which shall be limited to one campus within the district.end insert

17(5) A district shall notify a student who applies to the district’s
18baccalaureate degree pilot program that the student is required to
19complete his or her baccalaureate degree by the end of the 2022-23
20academic year, as specified in Section 78041.

21(d) A district shall maintain separate records for students who
22are enrolled in courses classified in the upper division and lower
23division of a baccalaureate program. A student shall be reported
24as a community college student for enrollment in a lower division
25course and as a baccalaureate degree program student for
26enrollment in an upper division course.

27(e) A governing board of a district seeking authorization to offer
28a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall submit all of the
29following for review by the Chancellor of the California
30Community Colleges and approval by the Board of Governors of
31the California Community Colleges:

32(1) The administrative plan for the baccalaureate degree pilot
33program.

34(2) begin deleteThe end deletebegin insertA description of theend insertbegin insert end insertbaccalaureate degree pilot program’s
35curriculum, faculty, and facilities.

36(3) The enrollment projections for the baccalaureate degree pilot
37program.

begin insert

38(4) Documentation regarding unmet workforce needs specifically
39related to the proposed baccalaureate degree pilot program.

end insert
begin insert

P6    1(5) Documentation of consultation with the California State
2University and the University of California regarding collaborative
3approaches to meeting regional workforce needs.

end insert

4(f) (1) The Board of Governors of the California Community
5Colleges shall develop, and adopt by regulation, a funding model
6for the support of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program
7that is based on a calculation of the number of full-time equivalent
8students enrolled inbegin delete theend deletebegin insert allend insert district pilot programs.

9(2) Funding for each full-time equivalent student shall be at an
10agreed upon marginal cost calculation that shall not exceed the
11California Statebegin delete Universitiesend deletebegin insert University’send insert marginal costbegin delete calculation.end delete
12begin insert calculation for a full-time equivalent student.end insert

13(3) begin deleteEach end deletebegin insertAend insertbegin insert end insertstudent in a baccalaureate degree pilot program
14authorized by this article shall not be charged fees higher than the
15mandatory systemwide fees charged for baccalaureate degree
16programs at the California State University.

17(4) Fees for upper division coursework in a baccalaureate degree
18pilot program shall be set and approved by the Legislature in a
19manner consistent with the setting of fees for lower division
20coursework at the California Community Colleges. Fees for lower
21division coursework in a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall
22not exceed the fees for other lower division coursework offered
23by the California Community Colleges.

24(g) (1) The Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s
25Office shall jointly conduct a statewide evaluation of the statewide
26baccalaureate degree pilot program implementedbegin delete underend deletebegin insert pursuant
27toend insert
this article. The results of the evaluation shall be reported, in
28writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1,
292021. The evaluation required by this section shall consider all of
30the following:

31(A) The number of new district baccalaureate degree pilot
32programs implemented, including information identifying the
33number of new programs, applicants, admissions, enrollments,
34and degree recipients.

35(B) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot programs
36established under this articlebegin delete are fulfillingend deletebegin insert fulfillend insert identified
37begin insert workforceend insert needs for new baccalaureate degree programs, including
38statewide supply and demand data that considers capacity at the
39California State University, the University of California, and in
40California’s independent colleges and universities.

P7    1(C) Information on the place of employment of students and
2the subsequent job placement of graduates.

3(D) Baccalaureate degree program costs and the funding sources
4that were used to finance these programs, including a calculation
5of cost per degree awarded.

6(E) The costs of the baccalaureate degree programs to students,
7the amount of financial aid offered, and student debt levels of
8graduates of the programs.

9(F) Time-to-degree rates and completion rates for the
10baccalaureate degree pilot programs.

11(G) The extent to which the programs established under this
12article are in compliance with the requirements of this article.

13(2) A district shall submit the information necessary to conduct
14the evaluationbegin delete requireend deletebegin insert requiredend insert by paragraph (1), as determined
15by the evaluators, to the Chancellor of the California Community
16Colleges, who shall provide the information to the evaluators upon
17request.

18(3) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
19submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
20Code.

21

78043.  

This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2023,
22and asbegin insert ofend insert January 1, 2024, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
23that is enacted before January 1, 2024, deletes or extends that date.



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