BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 968
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|Author: |Williams |
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|Version: |February 26, 2015 Hearing Date: |
| | July 8, 2015 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant: |Kathleen Chavira |
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Subject: Postsecondary education: transcripts
SUMMARY
This bill requires the governing boards of California's public
and private postsecondary education institutions to indicate
that a student has been suspended or expelled from the
institution on the student's transcript for the time period of
the student's ineligibility to enroll.
BACKGROUND
Existing law requires the University of California (UC) Regents,
the California State University (CSU) Trustees, and the
governing board of every Community College District (CCD) to
adopt specific rules governing student behavior and applicable
penalties for violations of the rules; as well as the adoption
of procedures by which students are informed of such rules and
applicable penalties.
(Education Code § 66300)
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1)Requires the governing boards of each CCD, the CSU Trustees, the
UC Regents, and the governing board of each independent and
private postsecondary educational institution to indicate on a
student's transcript that the student is ineligible to enroll
due to suspension or expulsion for the time period of the
student's ineligibility.
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2)Makes findings and declarations about the differences in policies
and practices relative to the notation of disciplinary
dismissals on student transcripts, the risk this may create
for the institution and student, and specific reference to
violations related to the commission of a sexual assault.
STAFF COMMENTS
1)Need for the bill. According to the author, ensuring
communication between campuses is a vital step to providing a
safe learning environment for students. This bill would create
a standard and ensure consistency between postsecondary
education segments so that a receiving institution can
determine whether a background check of a potential transfer
student is necessary prior to enrollment.
2)Current practice. According to a recent survey by the American
Association of Collegiate Registrar's and Admissions Officers,
most institutions (84 percent) make transcript notations when
a student is ineligible to re-enroll for academic reasons, but
only a few (29 percent) note suspensions or dismissals for
disciplinary reasons. California's public postsecondary
education institutions do not currently follow a standard
notation method regarding suspensions and expulsions. The
University of California makes a general notation when a
student is expelled. The California State University makes a
permanent general notation if the student is expelled, or
suspended for one academic year or more, withdraws in lieu of
suspension or expulsion, or withdraws pending misconduct
investigations or disciplinary proceedings. The community
colleges report that they provide for a notation on the
transcript if a student was expelled for academic reasons, but
that there is no standard for notations for students expelled
for reasons other than academic deficiencies. This bill would
require all California institutions, public and private, to
indicate when a student is ineligible to re-enroll due to
suspension or expulsion on the student's transcript for the
period of time the student is ineligible to re-enroll.
3)Community Colleges. Current law provides that any community
college district (CCD) that receives an application for
admission from an individual who has been expelled from, or
who is undergoing expulsion proceedings in, another district
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for any of a number of specified offenses may deny, permit, or
permit conditionally, the enrollment of the student. The
district must first hold a hearing, as specified, to determine
whether the individual poses a continuing danger to the
district's students and employees. Current law also requires a
formal appeal process be established for any student denied
enrollment under these provisions.
This bill would require notation of the student's suspension
or expulsion on the transcript regardless of the reason. A
suspended student would only have such noted on their
transcript for the period of the suspension. An expelled
student attempting to transfer to another community college
may already be required to disclose the expulsion, but would
be entitled to a hearing and appeal process if denied
enrollment. It does not appear that the provisions of this
bill would require disclosure of the reason for
expulsion/suspension on the transcript.
4)National guidelines. The Association for Student Conduct
Administration (ASCA), a national membership based
organization that provides education and resources to
facilitate best practices of student conduct administration
and conflict resolution on college campuses, recommends that
all institutions place an appropriate notation on an academic
transcript to indicate when a student is ineligible to
re-enroll at that institution as a consequence of disciplinary
action.
ASCA notes that transcript notations are important, but will
not be effective at reducing the risk of violence to a campus
absent a comprehensive approach to admissions, review of
information, and appropriate action based on that review.
ASCA also recommends that institutions:
a) Ask key questions to solicit information about a
potential student's conduct and/or criminal history prior
to being admitted to the institution;
b) Have systemic ways to review and utilize this
information in relevant admission decisions, as well as to
promote individual student success and safer campus
communities;
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c) Develop and communicate procedures explaining the
notation, duration of notation, and retention and release
of records; and,
d) Communicate these practices to students through their
appropriate institutional privacy or other record policies,
including via website to current and prospective students.
SUPPORT
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
California Federation of Teachers
California State Student Association
California State University
University of California
OPPOSITION
None received.
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