BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 626
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Date of Hearing: April 21, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 626
(Low) - As Amended April 13, 2015
SUBJECT: Community colleges: employees
SUMMARY: Repeals the requirement of existing law to expend a
portion of the program improvement allocation to increase the
ratio of full-time (F/T) to part-time (P/T) faculty and, with
respect to California Community College (CCC) districts (CCD)
that have not reached the 75% standard, would require similar
expenditures of Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) funds
to increase the ratio, and to support P/T faculty.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Finds and declares the following intent of the Legislature:
a) In 1988, the Education Code was amended to read that
"the Legislature wishes to recognize and make efforts to
address longstanding policy of the board of governors that
at least 75 percent of the hours of credit instruction in
the California Community Colleges, as a system, should be
taught by full-time instructors;"
b) The expectations for F/T faculty go beyond classroom
instruction to include, among other full-service
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activities, all of the following: developing and
evaluating academic programs; holding office hours and
participating in meetings after classes; student advising;
participation in institutional governance; and,
accreditation-related responsibilities such as the
assessment of departmental and student learning outcomes,
curriculum development, and preparing institutional
self-studies;
c) In 2014, the percentage of credit courses taught by F/T
faculty in the system was only 56.14%;
d) The Legislature acknowledged the commitment of the CCC
Board of Governors (BOG), through its regular budget
process, to evaluate resource needs and seek funding for
essential educational priorities that contribute to student
success. These priorities include, but are not necessarily
limited to, the hiring of more F/T faculty and increasing
support for P/T faculty;
e) In the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, the
Legislature acknowledged the importance of counselors, who,
along with librarians, are considered to be faculty for
purposes of the 75% goal;
f) Students enrolled in noncredit education are most often
deprived of the benefit of working with F/T faculty, as
statewide goals relating to the ratio of F/T to P/T faculty
have yet to be developed with respect to noncredit courses;
and,
g) The CCC BOG work together with the Academic Senate for
the CCC and other relevant entities to develop goals for
the F/T to P/T faculty ratio in noncredit education.
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2)Reiterates the long standing intent of the Legislature to
improve the equity and predictability of community college
funding in order to enhance the ability of both the F/T and
P/T faculty of the CCC to provide high-quality instructional
services.
3)Specifies that until the provisions of existing law regarding
program-based funding are implemented by a standard adopted by
the BOG, CCDs that have less than 75% of their hours of credit
instruction taught by F/T instructors shall be subject to both
of the following:
a) In a fiscal year when funds are specifically
appropriated for purposes of the SSSP, as specified, and in
which funds have not been specifically designated to
increase the ratio of F/T faculty to P/T faculty, and to
support P/T faculty in programs, one-half of the amount of
the district match requirement, as specified, shall be
allocated in the following manner: i) districts that, in
the prior fiscal year, had between 67% and 75% of their
hours of credit instruction taught by F/T instructors shall
apply up to 33% of this allocation as necessary to reach
the 75% standard. Districts that, in the prior fiscal
year, had less than 67% of their hours of credit
instruction taught by F/T instructors shall apply up to 40%
of this allocation as necessary to reach the 75% standard;
and, ii) the funds remaining after allocations are made, as
specified, shall, to the extent feasible, and in a manner
consistent with an applicable collective bargaining
agreement, be divided between expenditures in support of
functions performed by F/T faculty and expenditures in
support of functions performed by P/T faculty, with the
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allocations for P/T faculty support used, to the extent
feasible, for the funding of the participation of P/T
faculty in areas that contribute to student success, which
may include office hours, as determined locally; and,
b) In a fiscal year when funds are specifically
appropriated for purposes of the SSSP, as specified, and in
which funds have not been specifically designated to
increase the ratio of F/T faculty to P/T faculty, and to
support P/T faculty in programs, but in which there is no
district matching requirement, one-half of the SSSP funds
received by the district shall be allocated, as specified.
4)Once a district has achieved the goal of at least 75% of
credit instruction hours being taught by F/T faculty, with P/T
faculty being fully supported for those activities that
contribute to student success as determined locally, the
district may use the funds, as specified, for other purposes
that are consistent with the SSSP.
5)Specifies that the BOG shall adopt regulations for the
effective administration of this section. Unless and until
amended by the board of governors, the regulations shall
provide as follows:
a) Specifies CCC Chancellor shall compute and report to
each CCD the number of F/T faculty which are to be secured
through the use of the prescribed portion of the SSSP
revenue allocated to each district, or district matching
funds, as applicable. This computation shall be made by
dividing revenue required to be expended, as specified;
and,
b) Specifies by March 15 of each year, the CCC Chancellor
shall report to each district an estimate of the number of
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F/T faculty to be secured based upon the appropriation of
revenues contained in the annual Budget Bill and the
district match requirement.
6)Requires, should the Commission on State Mandates determine
this measure contains state mandated costs, that the
appropriate entities receive reimbursement.
7)Makes technical and clarifying changes to existing law.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Defines "faculty" as those employees of CCD who are employed
in academic positions that are not designated as supervisory
or management, as specified. Faculty include, but are not
limited to, instructors, librarians, counselors, community
college health services professionals, handicapped student
programs and services professionals, and extended opportunity
programs and services professionals (Education Code Section
87003).
2)Defines any person who is employed to teach for not more than
67% of the hours per week considered a full-time assignment to
be a temporary (P/T) employee (EC Sections 87482.5 and 87882).
3)Requires the CCC BOG to adopt regulations regarding the
percent of credit instruction taught by F/T faculty and
authorizes CCDs with less than 75% F/T instructors to apply a
portion of their "program improvement" funds toward reaching
the 75% goal (commonly referred as "75/25") (EC Section
87482.6).
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The state has stopped providing program improvement funds and
the BOG has since required CCDs to provide a portion of their
growth funds to hiring more F/T faculty.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: Background. The Education Code, in 1988, was amended
to read, "The Legislature wishes to recognize and make efforts
to address longstanding policy of the board of governors that at
least 75 percent of the hours of credit instruction in the
California Community Colleges, as a system, should be taught by
full-time instructors." As stated in the Legislative findings
of this measure, in 2014, the percent of credit courses taught
by F/T faculty was only 56.14%, indicating the system has not
come close to reaching the goal of 75%.
Part-time faculty have been expected to provide the same high
quality instruction as their F/T colleagues, but they often
times are not able to provide regular student office hours and
are not necessarily compensated for professional
responsibilities linked to student success.
The Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012 specifies that
hiring of F/T faculty, including counselors, and providing for
P/T faculty support, are "essential educational priorities that
contribute to student success."
Purpose of the measure. According to the author, with F/T
faculty and P/T faculty support being "essential educational
priorities that contribute to student success," "logic follows
that if there are no other state directed monies for purposes of
improving the "75/25", full-time hiring or part-time support,
that SSSP funds should be used for these purposes." The author
contends this measure follows current Education Code that
outlines a differentiated amount of spending for districts based
on their local "75/25" ratio.
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AB 626 suggests that when a local match is required for
districts to secure their SSSP funds, then one-half of the match
would be used to advance on the "75/25" scale and support P/T
faculty. In years where there is no match, then one-half of the
state allocation of the SSSP funds would be used for the full-
and part-time faculty support. Once a district reaches the 75%
goal and supports P/T faculty consistent with local needs, then
all new SSSP monies would be applied consistent with the Student
Success and Support Act.
Policy consideration. Existing funding for the SSSP is targeted
to fully implement core services: orientation; assessment;
counseling; advising; and other education planning services
needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about
his/her education goal and course of study and to develop an
education plan; and, follow up for at-risk students.
Additionally, SSSP funds may only be used for core services and
any CCD or college receiving SSSP funding must agree to
implement the CCC BOG's system of common assessment.
This bill stipulates that in a fiscal year when funds are
specifically appropriated for purposes of the SSSP, and in which
funds have not been specifically designated to increase the
ratio of F/T faculty to P/T faculty, and to support P/T faculty
in programs, one-half of the amount of the district match
requirement shall be allocated, as specified, to increasing the
ratio of F/T faculty. It is presently unclear as to what core
services may not receive full funding if a CCD has to use
one-half of its SSSP match requirement for the sole purpose of
increasing the ratio of F/T faculty.
The author and Committee may wish to consider lowering the
amount of the CCD match requirement having to be allocated for
purposes of increasing the ratio of F/T faculty.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
AB 626
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Support
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
California Community College Independents
California Federation of Teachers
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
AB 626
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