Amended in Senate April 6, 2015

Senate BillNo. 373


Introduced by Senator Pan

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(Coauthor: Senator Block)

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(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gonzalez)

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February 24, 2015


An act to add Section 84362.5 to the Education Code, relating to community college faculty.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 373, as amended, Pan. California Community Colleges:begin delete overload assignments andend delete full-time faculty percentage.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts, administered by governing boards, throughout the state, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction to students at the community college campuses maintained by the districts. Existing law authorizes the employment of community college faculty and establishes certain rights for these employees.

This bill would require community college districts to report to the board of governors, by March 31, 2016, the total number of full-time equivalent faculty (FTEF)begin delete positions staffed by faculty teaching overload assignmentsend deletebegin insert attributable to part-time temporary faculty and to contract or regular faculty while working on overload assignmentsend insert during the periodbegin insert ofend insert July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015, inclusive. Effective July 1, 2016, the bill would require that reported number to become that district’s maximum allowable number of FTEFbegin delete positionsend delete that may be staffed bybegin delete faculty teaching overload assignmentsend deletebegin insert part-time temporary faculty and by contract or regular faculty while working on overload assignmentsend insert until the district’s full-time faculty percentage is greater than or equal to 75%. Upon reaching the 75% threshold, the bill would require a district to maintain a full-time faculty percentage of 75% or higher, or not exceed the district’s previously calculated maximum allowable number of FTEFbegin delete positionsend delete that may be staffed bybegin delete faculty teaching overload assignments.end deletebegin insert part-time temporary faculty and by contract or regular faculty while working on overload assignments.end insert The bill would require the governing board to determine if a district has failed to comply with the above requirements, and, if so, to designate a specified amount of the district’s apportionment or apportionments that would be required to be deposited in the county treasury, but unavailable to the district. The bill would authorize a district to submit an application for an exemption from the requirements of the bill in cases of serious hardship, as specified. Upon receipt of the exemption application, the bill would require the governing board to grant exemptions, as specified. The bill would require the amount exempted to be immediately available for expenditure by the governing board and the amount not exempted to be returned to the State School Fund. The bill would require the board of governors to enforce the requirements of the bill and would authorize them to adopt necessary rules and regulations.

This bill would prohibit a district from assigning a person hired as a contract faculty member after July 1, 2016, to teach any overload assignment in excess of the equivalent of a full-time teaching load until the person achieves tenured status as abegin delete full-timeend deletebegin insert regularend insert faculty member.

By placing additional requirements on community college districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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SECTION 1.  

In consideration of the diminished numbers of
2full-time faculty in the community college system due to the state
3recession and the concomitant budget cuts in public education
4generally and community colleges specifically, it is the intent of
5the Legislature to improve and enhance the mission of the
6community colleges and the services and opportunities provided
7to students by increasing the number of full-time faculty in the
8California Community Colleges to better situate the community
9colleges to realize their mission goals and the goals and
10recommendations set forth by the Student Success Task Force
11report of 2012.

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SEC. 2.  

Section 84362.5 is added to the Education Code, to
13read:

14

84362.5.  

(a) This section shall be known, and may be cited,
15as the Community College Excellence in Education Act.

16(b) All districts shall report to the board of governors, by March
1731, 2016, the total number ofbegin insert classroom and nonclassroomend insert
18 full-time equivalent faculty (FTEF)begin delete positions staffed by faculty
19teaching overload assignmentsend delete
begin insert attributable to hours worked by
20part-time temporary faculty, and by contract or regular faculty
21while working on overload assignments,end insert
during the periodbegin insert ofend insert July
221, 2014, to June 30, 2015, inclusive.

23(c) Effective July 1, 2016, each district’s calculation pursuant
24to subdivision (b) shall become that district’s maximum allowable
25number ofbegin insert classroom and nonclassroomend insert FTEFbegin delete positionsend delete that may
26be staffed bybegin delete faculty teaching overload assignmentsend deletebegin insert part-time
27temporary facultyend insert
begin insert and by contract or regular faculty while working
28on overload assignmentsend insert
until the district’s full-time faculty
29percentage, as calculated pursuant to Section 53308 of Title 5 of
30the California Code of Regulations, is greater than or equal to 75
31percent.

32(d) Upon reaching the 75-percent threshold pursuant to
33subdivision (c), a district shall do either of the following:

34(1) Maintain a full-time faculty percentage of 75 percent or
35greater.

36(2) Not exceed its maximum allowable number ofbegin insert classroom
37and nonclassroomend insert
FTEFbegin delete positionsend delete that may be staffed bybegin delete faculty
38teaching overload assignments, asend delete
begin insert part-time temporary faculty and
P4    1by contract or regular faculty while working on overload
2assignments, which shall be the numberend insert
calculated pursuant to
3subdivision (b).

4(e) (1) The board of governors shall determine whether a district
5failed to comply with subdivision (b), (c), or (d) during the
6preceding fiscal year, and, if so, shall, in apportionments made to
7the district from the State School Fund after April 15 of the current
8fiscal year, designate an amount of the district’s apportionment or
9apportionments that is equal to the difference between the current
10fiscal year apportionment or apportionments and the lesser of the
11district’s apportionment for the 2014-15 fiscal year or for the
12preceding fiscal year.

13(2) The amount designated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
14deposited in the county treasury to the credit of the district, but
15shall be unavailable for expenditure by the district pending the
16determination to be made by the board of governors pursuant to
17subdivision (g).

18(f) (1) If it appears to the governing board of a district that the
19application of this section will result in a serious hardship to the
20district, the governing board of the district may apply in writing
21to the board of governors for exemption from the requirements of
22this section by no later than September 15 of the fiscal year
23immediately succeeding the serious hardship.

24(2) Immediately upon applying for an exemption described in
25paragraph (1), the governing board of the district shall provide the
26exclusive representative of the district’s academic employees or,
27if none exists, the district or community college academic senate,
28and all academic employee organizations eligible for a payroll
29dues deduction, with a copy of the application. Those persons may,
30within 30 days of receipt of the application, transmit to the board
31of governors a written statement opposing the application, setting
32forth reasons for its opposition.

33(g) Upon receipt of the application and statement of opposition,
34if any, described in subdivision (f), the board of governors shall
35do either of the following:

36(1) Grant the district an exemption for any amount that is less
37than one thousand dollars ($1,000), which shall be immediately
38available for expenditure by the governing board.

39(2) Grant an exemption of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or
40more if a majority of the members of the board of governors finds,
P5    1in writing, that the district will in fact suffer serious hardship unless
2the district is granted an exemption. If the exemption is granted,
3the exempted amount shall be immediately available for
4expenditure by the governing board of the district.

5(h) If no application for exemption is made pursuant to
6subdivision (f), or a portion of the exemption is denied, the board
7of governors shall order the entire designated amount, or the
8amount not exempted, as applicable, to be returned to the State
9School Fund.

10(i) The board of governors shall enforce the requirements
11prescribed by this section, and may adopt necessary rules and
12regulations, which may require, among other things, district
13governing boards to submit reports and information throughout
14the academic year.

15(j) A district shall not assign a person hired as a contract faculty
16member after July 1, 2016, to teach any overload assignment in
17excess of the equivalent of a full-time teaching load until the person
18has achieved tenured status as abegin delete full-timeend deletebegin insert regularend insert faculty member.

19

SEC. 3.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
20this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
21local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
22pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
234 of Title 2 of the Government Code.



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