BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2069
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GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB
2069 (Medina)
As Enrolled August 26, 2016
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |77-0 |(June 01, |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 15, |
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(August 22, | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED.
SUMMARY: Expands the metrics to be annually reported by each
community college district (CCD) in order to evaluate the
effectiveness of matriculation services at the California
Community Colleges (CCC) to include the ratio of paid part-time
AB 2069
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(P/T) faculty hours.
The Senate amendments delete Section One of the Assembly version
of this bill, and instead:
1)Require on or before August 15 of each year, each CCD to
report the total P/T faculty offices hours paid divided by the
total P/T faculty hours taught during the prior fiscal year.
2)Require the information gathered (as specified in number one
above) to be prominently posted to its Internet Web site.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires that each CCD, with the assistance of the CCC
Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to
evaluate the effectiveness of the Student Success and Support
Program (SSSP), as specified, and of any other programs or
services designed to facilitate students' completion of their
educational goals and course of study. Specifies the metrics
for said research shall include, but be not limited to the
following:
a) Prior educational experience, including transcripts when
appropriate, as determined by the chancellor;
b) Educational goals and courses of study;
c) Criteria for exemption from orientation, assessment, or
required counseling or advisement, if applicable;
d) Need for financial assistance;
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e) Disaggregated data by ethnicity, gender, disability,
age, and socioeconomic status, to the extent this
information is available;
f) Academic performance, such as the completion of
specified unit thresholds, success in basic skills courses,
grade point average, course completion outcomes, transfer
readiness, and degree and certificate completion; and,
g) Any additional information that the chancellor finds
appropriate (Education Code (EC) Section 78214).
2)Requires the CCC Board of Governors (BOG) to develop a formula
for allocating funding for the SSSP in order to implement
services, as specified (EC 78216).
3)Defines "faculty" as those employees of a 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 (EC Section 87003).
4)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).
5)Requires the CCC BOG to adopt regulations regarding the
percent of credit instruction taught by full-time (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.
6)Expresses that the Legislature finds and declares that
community college P/T faculty are required to fulfill the same
teaching responsibilities as F/T faculty although students
have little or no access to P/T faculty outside of the
classroom; that the Legislature intends that students have the
same opportunity for academic assistance and guidance without
regard to whether a course at a CCC is taught by a F/T or P/T
faculty member; and, that the Legislature intends that CCC P/T
faculty teaching a minimum number of courses be compensated
for providing academic counseling and assistance to students
outside of the classroom (EC Section 87880).
7)Creates the Community College Part-Time Faculty Office Hours
Program for the purpose of providing community college
students equal access to academic advice and assistance; and,
authorizes the governing board of a CCD to provide
compensation for office hours to P/T faculty (EC Sections
87881 and 87883).
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS: Background. 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.
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Student success and support. Senate Bill 1456 (Lowenthal),
Chapter 624, Statutes of 2012, was enacted to implement some of
the Student Success Task Force recommendations. Among other
things, SB 1456 revised and recast the Seymour-Campbell
Matriculation Act of 1986 as the Seymour-Campbell Success Act of
2012 in order to target funding to services such as orientation,
assessment, and counseling and advising to assist students with
the development of education plans. It also required that
students define goals, required that students declare a course
of study and mandated student participation in assessment,
orientation and education planning.
At a regulatory level, the BOG has approved regulations that
provide enrollment priority to students who have participated in
assessment, orientation and who have developed an education
plan. A revision of Title 5 regulations is in progress to
implement provisions of SB 1456 to require students to complete
core services as well as to declare a course of study.
Additionally, in 2012 the Board of Governors adopted enrollment
priorities and, in Spring 2013, districts are required to notify
students that accumulating 100 degree applicable units or being
on academic or progress probation for two consecutive terms will
result in the loss of enrollment priority. Finally, as of Fall
2014, students who complete orientation, assessment, and have a
student education plan, will receive a higher enrollment
priority.
The Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012 also 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."
Importance of faculty office hours. Various studies have shown
that office hours play a vital component of higher education;
providing invaluable means for students to interact with faculty
outside of the classroom and/or lecture hall. Office hours have
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been shown to provide students with confidence and motivation.
Many students describe office hour visits just as important as
attending a class. Additionally, office hours have been linked
to student retention.
Need for the measure. According to the author, "the Legislature
has previously acknowledged the importance of this [office hours
for P/T faculty] issue." Funds for the program were cut during
the recession and have not been restored. The author contends
that, P/T faculty have office hours as negotiated by their
contracts, but if contracts do not include office hours, which
many do not, then office hours are not offered.
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE:
I am returning Assembly Bill 2069 without my signature.
This bill requires each community college district to publicly
post the total number of part-time faculty office hours paid
divided by the total number of part-time faculty office hours
that are taught.
The state recognizes the many contributions part-time faculty
make in students' lives. The 2016-17 budget increased payment
for part-time faculty office hours by almost $3.7 million,
bringing the total state investment to $7.2 million. In
2015-16, we created more opportunities for part-time faculty to
become full-time faculty by providing $62.3 million for the
hiring of new full-time faculty.
Although the bill's language is simple, gathering and reporting
this information still has a real cost-about 10 percent of the
entire allocation of funding for part-time office hours.
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We would do better to spend the money on more office hours.
Analysis Prepared by:
Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960
FN: 0005105