BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1455
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1455 (Hill)
As Amended May 7, 2009
Majority vote
HIGHER EDUCATION 9-0
--------------------------------
|Ayes:|Portantino, Conway, |
| |Block, Cook, Fong, |
| |Galgiani, Huber, Ma, |
| |Ruskin |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes the San Mateo County Community College
District (SMCCCD) Baccalaureate Partnership Act. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Authorizes SMCCCD to seek collaborative partnerships with the
California State University (CSU) and the University of
California (UC) for the purposes of offering baccalaureate
degree programs on SMCCCD campuses.
2)Generally finds and declares: the economic downturn and high
unemployment rate is resulting in tens of thousands of
unemployed or underemployed individuals entering and returning
to college; the rapidly emerging "knowledge economy" demands a
well-educated workforce. California Community College
students who want to transfer to public four-year institutions
face a number of challenges; and, because of these factors the
State supports the increased use of "university centers" where
CSU and UC partner with CCC to deliver baccalaureate degree
programs on CCC campuses.
EXISTING LAW establishes the CCC Baccalaureate Partnership
Program, formed for the purpose of offering baccalaureate degree
programs on participating CCC campuses. Authorizes the CCC
Chancellor's Office to award annually two grants, not to exceed
$50,000 each, to a collaborative consisting of at least one CCC
and at least one baccalaureate degree-granting institution,
formed for the purpose of offering a baccalaureate degree
program at participating CCCs.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
AB 1455
Page 2
COMMENTS : Purpose of this bill: According to the author,
SMCCCD is in a unique position to participate in the
baccalaureate partnership program established by this bill
because of the successful University Center program at Ca?ada
College. The University Center is a model whereby specific
four-year college degree programs are offered by San Francisco
State University (SFSU) and CSU East Bay on the Ca?ada College
campus. In addition, the author notes that "San Mateo County
has no public four-year university which is why this program
could be valuable for local residents, allowing San Mateo
residents access to a baccalaureate degree program within their
county."
Examples of CCC/CSU partnerships: As noted above, Ca?ada
College partners with SFSU and CSU East Bay to provide
bachelor's degrees at the University Center located on the
Ca?ada College campus in Child and Adolescent Development,
Nursing, and Health Sciences. The city of Stockton receives
baccalaureate-level instruction provided by CSU Stanislaus at an
off-campus site in Stockton. CSU Fullerton maintains a branch
campus in El Toro, serving approximately 1,140 full-time
equivalent students annually. Partnerships between CCC and CSU
campuses have been established to deliver upper-division
instruction at community sites away from the main CSU campus;
this bill seeks to expand this model at SMCCCD.
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0000605