BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 968| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: AB 968 Author: Williams (D), et al. Introduced:2/26/15 Vote: 21 SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 9-0, 7/8/15 AYES: Liu, Runner, Block, Hancock, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan, Vidak SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/27/15 AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, Leyva, Mendoza, Nielsen ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 80-0, 6/3/15 - See last page for vote SUBJECT: Postsecondary education: transcripts SOURCE: Author DIGEST: This bill requires the governing boards of Californias 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. ANALYSIS: 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) AB 968 Page 2 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. 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. 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 creates a standard and ensures 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 UC makes a general notation when a student is expelled. The CSU 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 requires all California institutions, AB 968 Page 3 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. Existing law provides that any CCD that receives an application for admission from an individual who has been expelled from, or who is undergoing expulsion proceedings in, another district 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. Existing law also requires a formal appeal process be established for any student denied enrollment under these provisions. This bill requires 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 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: AB 968 Page 4 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; 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. FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.:YesLocal: Yes According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill results in costs ranging from about $200,000 to $300,000 for colleges to develop and implement the required notation on student transcripts. If determined to be a reimbursable state mandate, it could create pressure to increase the community college mandate block grant. The UC and CSU do not anticipate additional costs associated with this bill. SUPPORT: (Verified8/27/15) California Coalition Against Sexual Assault California Federation of Teachers California State Student Association California State University University of California OPPOSITION: (Verified8/27/15) None received AB 968 Page 5 ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 80-0, 6/3/15 AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Atkins Prepared by:Kathleen Chavira / ED. / (916) 651-4105 8/30/15 19:42:26 **** END ****