BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 626
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
626 (Low)
As Amended June 1, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Higher |11-2 |Medina, Bloom, |Baker, Harper |
|Education | |Chávez, Irwin, | |
| | |Jones-Sawyer, | |
| | |Levine, Linder, | |
| | |Low, Santiago, | |
| | |Weber, Williams | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Appropriations |12-4 |Gomez, Bonta, |Bigelow, Gallagher, |
| | |Calderon, Daly, |Jones, Wagner |
| | |Eggman, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Quirk, Rendon, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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AB 626
Page 2
SUMMARY: Requires the California Community Colleges (CCC)
Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) to convene a group of stakeholders to
develop recommendations on funding strategies in order for CCC
districts (CCDs) to achieve the statutory goal of 75% full-time
(F/T) to 25% part-time (P/T) faculty teaching at CCCs.
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 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.
AB 626
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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.
2)Requires the CCCCO to convene a group of stakeholders, which
shall include faculty and students, on or before July 1, 2016,
and every four years thereafter, to develop recommendations on
funding strategies to enable the community colleges to achieve
the 75% standard and increase the participation of districts in
the support of P/T faculty, including, but not limited to,
support of P/T faculty office hours.
3)Requires the CCCCO, on or before March 1, 2017, and every four
years thereafter, to report the recommendations developed by the
stakeholder group to the Legislature.
4)Makes technical and clarifying changes to existing law.
AB 626
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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 percent goal
(commonly referred as "75/25") (EC Section 87482.6).
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: According to the Appropriations Committee,
absorbable costs for the Chancellor's Office to convene the
stakeholders and report to the Legislature.
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
AB 626
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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."
Analysis Prepared by:
Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN:
0000756