Amended in Assembly June 26, 2014

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 add and repeal Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040)begin delete toend deletebegin insert ofend insert 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, with one baccalaureate degree program each, to be determined by the chancellor and approved by the board of governors. The bill would prohibit each participating district from offering more than one baccalaureate degree program 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 or her 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 baccalaureate degree programs and program curricula 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 certain items for review by the chancellor and approval by the board of governors, including, among other things, the administrative plan for the baccalaureate degree pilot program and documentation of consultation with the California State University and the University of California. The bill would provide that the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall jointly conductbegin insert bothend insert a statewidebegin insert interimend insert evaluationbegin insert and a statewide final evaluationend insert of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program implemented under this article, as specified, and to report the results of thebegin delete evaluation,end deletebegin insert interim and final evaluationsend insert in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1,begin delete 2021.end deletebegin insert 2018, and July 1, 2022, respectively.end insert The bill would provide thatbegin insert on or before March 31, 2015,end insert the board of governors shall develop, and adopt by regulation, a funding model for the support of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program, 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 of areas in order to meet a growing demand for a skilled
14workforce.

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 baccalaureate degree 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,
22with one baccalaureate degree program each, to be determined by
23the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and approved
24by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

25

78042.  

(a) A district shall seek approval to offer a
26baccalaureate degree program through the appropriate accreditation
27body.

28(b) When seeking approval from the Board of Governors of the
29California Community Colleges, a district shall maintain the
30primary mission of the California Community Colleges specified
31in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 66010.4. The district,
32as part of the baccalaureate degree pilot program, shall have the
33additional mission to provide high-quality undergraduate education
34at an affordable price for students and the state.

begin insert

35(c) As a condition of eligibility for consideration to participate
36in the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program, a district
37shall have a written policy that requires all potential students who
38wish to apply for a Board of Governors Fee Waiver pursuant to
39Section 76300 to complete and submit either a Free Application
P5    1for Federal Student Aid or a California Dream Act application in
2lieu of completing the Board of Governors Fee Waiver application.

end insert
begin delete

3(c)

end delete

4begin insert(d)end insert A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
5program, as determined by the governing board of the district and
6approved by the Board of Governors of the California Community
7Colleges, and subject to the following limitations:

8(1) A district shall identify and document unmet workforce
9needs in the subject area of the baccalaureate degree to be offered
10and offer a baccalaureate degree at a campus in a subject area with
11unmet workforce needs in the local community or region of the
12district.

13(2) A baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not offer a
14baccalaureate degree program or program curricula already offered
15by the California State University or the University of California.

16(3) A district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
17interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
18of study.

19(4) A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
20program within the district, which shall be limited to one campus
21within the district.

22(5) A district shall notify a student who applies to the district’s
23baccalaureate degree pilot program that the student is required to
24complete his or her baccalaureate degree by the end of the 2022-23
25academic year, as specified in Section 78041.

begin delete

26(d)

end delete

27begin insert(e)end insert A district shall maintain separate records for students who
28are enrolled in courses classified in the upper division and lower
29division of a baccalaureate program. A student shall be reported
30as a community college student for enrollment in a lower division
31course and as a baccalaureate degree program student for
32enrollment in an upper division course.

begin delete

33(e)

end delete

34begin insert(f)end insert A governing board of a district seeking authorization to offer
35a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall submit all of the
36following for review by the Chancellor of the California
37Community Colleges and approval by the Board of Governors of
38the California Community Colleges:

begin insert

39(1) Documentation of the district’s written policy required by
40subdivision (c).

end insert
begin delete

P6    1(1)

end delete

2begin insert(2)end insert The administrative plan for the baccalaureate degree pilot
3begin delete program.end deletebegin insert program, including, but not limited to, the governing
4board of the district’s funding plan for its specific district.end insert

begin delete

5(2)

end delete

6begin insert(3)end insert A description of the baccalaureate degree pilot program’s
7curriculum, faculty, and facilities.

begin delete

8(3)

end delete

9begin insert(4)end insert The enrollment projections for the baccalaureate degree pilot
10program.

begin delete

11(4)

end delete

12begin insert(5)end insert Documentation regarding unmet workforce needs specifically
13related to the proposed baccalaureate degree pilotbegin delete program.end delete
14begin insert program, and a written statement supporting the necessity of a
15four-year degree for that program.end insert

begin delete

16(5)

end delete

17begin insert(6)end insert Documentation of consultation with the California State
18University and the University of California regarding collaborative
19approaches to meeting regional workforce needs.

begin delete

20(f)

end delete

21begin insert(g)end insert (1) begin deleteThe end deletebegin insertOn or before March 31, 2015, theend insert Board of
22Governors of the California Community Colleges shall develop,
23and adopt by regulation, a funding model for the support of the
24statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program that is based on a
25calculation of the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled
26in all district pilot programs.

27(2) Funding for each full-time equivalent student shall be atbegin delete an
28agreed uponend delete
begin insert aend insert marginal costbegin delete calculationend deletebegin insert calculation, as determined
29by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges,end insert

30 that shall not exceed the California State University’s marginal
31cost calculation for a full-time equivalent student.

32(3) A student in a baccalaureate degree pilot program authorized
33by this article shall not be charged fees higher than the mandatory
34systemwide fees charged for baccalaureate degree programs at the
35California State University.

36(4) Fees for upper division coursework in a baccalaureate degree
37pilot program shall be set and approved by the Legislature in a
38manner consistent with the setting of fees for lower division
39coursework at the California Community Colleges. Fees for lower
40division coursework in a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall
P7    1not exceed the fees for other lower division coursework offered
2by the California Community Colleges.

begin delete

3(g)

end delete

4begin insert(h)end insert (1) The Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s
5Office shall jointly conductbegin delete aend deletebegin insert both an interim and a finalend insert statewide
6evaluation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program
7implemented pursuant to this article.begin delete Theend delete

begin insert

8(2) The results of the interim evaluation shall be reported as a
9 progress report, in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor
10on or before July 1, 2018. The interim evaluation shall include,
11but is not limited to, all of the following:

end insert
begin insert

12(A) How many, and which specific, districts applied for a
13baccalaureate degree pilot program, and the baccalaureate degree
14pilot programs they applied for.

end insert
begin insert

15(B) Which potential four-year baccalaureate degrees were
16denied and why were they denied.

end insert
begin insert

17(C) Baccalaureate degree pilot program costs and the funding
18sources that were used to finance these programs.

end insert
begin insert

19(D) Current trends in workforce demands that require four-year
20degrees for career technical education-related fields.

end insert
begin insert

21(E) Current completion rates, if available, for each cohort of
22 students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program.

end insert
begin insert

23(F) Recommendations on whether and how the statewide
24baccalaureate degree pilot program can or should be extended
25and expanded.

end insert

26begin insert(3)end insertbegin insertend insertbegin insertTheend insert results of thebegin insert finalend insert evaluation shall be reported, in
27writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1,
28begin delete 2021.end deletebegin insert 2022.end insert Thebegin insert finalend insert evaluationbegin delete required by this sectionend delete shall
29begin delete considerend deletebegin insert include, but is not limited to,end insert all of the following:

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

34(B) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot programs
35established under this article fulfill identified workforce needs for
36new baccalaureate degree programs, including statewide supply
37and demand data that considers capacity at the California State
38University, the University of California, and in California’s
39 independent colleges and universities.

P8    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.

begin insert

13(H) Recommendations on whether and how the statewide
14baccalaureate degree pilot program can or should be extended
15and expanded.

end insert
begin delete

16(2)

end delete

17begin insert(4)end insert A district shall submit the information necessary to conduct
18thebegin delete evaluationend deletebegin insert evaluationsend insert required by paragraph (1), as determined
19by the evaluators, to the Chancellor of the California Community
20Colleges, who shall provide the information to the evaluators upon
21request.

begin delete

18 22(3)

end delete

23begin insert(5)end insert A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraphbegin delete (1)end deletebegin insert (2) or
24(3)end insert
shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
25Government Code.

26

78043.  

This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2023,
27and as of January 1, 2024, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
28that is enacted before January 1, 2024, deletes or extends that date.



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