BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 2302
AUTHOR: Fong
AMENDED: As Proposed
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 30, 2010
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Kathleen Chavira
SUBJECT : Student Transfer
KEY POLICY ISSUE
Should existing transfer laws be clarified to ensure the
successful implementation of a new transfer pathway for
community college students?
SUMMARY
This bill makes several changes to current law regarding
transfer admissions to support the transfer pathway
proposed by SB 1440 (Padilla). More specifically it:
1) Requires the California State University (CSU),
notwithstanding existing laws relating to admission
and categories of admission priority, to guarantee
admission with junior status and priority admission to
the CSU campus that serves the local service area, to
any California community college student who meets all
the requirements for transfer established by SB 1440
(Padilla).
2) Requests the University of California (UC),
notwithstanding existing laws relating to admission
and categories of admission priority, to guarantee
admission with junior status and priority admission to
a program or major similar to his or her community
college major or area of emphasis to any California
community college student who meets all the
requirements for transfer established by SB 1440
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(Padilla).
3) Requires specified notice and information be made
available to students regarding the pathways and
degrees established pursuant to SB 1440 (Padilla) by
local community colleges, the Board of Governors (BOG)
of the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the
CSU.
4) Requires the CCC Chancellor's office to establish a
process to facilitate the acceptance of credits
completed toward the degree established by SB 1440
(Padilla) by other community colleges.
5) Sunsets existing law related to UC and CSU
articulation of major preparation courses, transfer
agreements, and transfer pathways.
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes various conditions,
responsibilities, and declarations around admission at the
UC and CSU. Among these are declarations of the
Legislature's intent for admission priority (generally
prioritizing admission of transfer students) and that the
CSU and UC maintain a student body comprised of 60 percent
upper division and 40 percent lower division
students.(Education Code 66201-66207)
Current law establishes a variety of requirements for the
UC in regard to articulation of major preparation courses,
transfer agreements, and transfer pathways. (EC 66721.7)
Current law also establishes a variety of requirements
regarding lower division transfer curriculum requirements,
transfer admission procedures and transfer admission
agreements for the CSU in order to ensure a clear degree
path for transfer students. (EC 66739.5)
Current law requires each department school and major of
the UC and CSU to establish discipline specific
articulation and transform program agreements for majors
with lower division prerequisites and establishes a number
of related reporting and other requirements. (EC 66740,
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66741, 66742)
ANALYSIS
This bill , contingent upon the enactment of SB 1440 of
2010:
1) Requires the CSU, notwithstanding existing laws
relating to admission and categories of admission
priority, for any California community college student
who meets all the requirements for transfer
established by SB 1440 (Padilla), to:
a) Guarantee admission with junior status.
b) Grant priority consideration for admission
to the CSU campus
that serves the local service area in which the
student resides.
2) Requires that each campus of the CSU make available on
its Internet web site, a list of majors considered to
be similar to community college majors or areas of
emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for
purposes of transfer pursuant to the provisions of SB
1440 (Padilla, 2010).
3) Requires the local board of each community college
district to ensure that all students desiring to
transfer to the CSU or UC have appropriate access to a
copy of the transfer core curriculum in general
education courses and major preparation courses
developed pursuant to the provisions established by SB
1440 (Padilla, 2010).
4) Requires that the BOG of the CCC ensure that all CCC
students are informed of the transfer pathways and
transfer degrees established pursuant to the
provisions of SB 1440 (Padilla, 2010).
5) Makes existing law related to UC and CSU articulation
of major preparation courses, transfer agreements, and
transfer pathways inoperative on August 1, 2011
and repeals them as of July 1, 2012.
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6) Operative August 1, 2012 and commencing with the fall
term of the 2011-12 academic year, for any community
college student who meets all the requirements for
transfer established by SB 1440 (Padilla):
a) Requests that the UC guarantee
admission with junior status.
b) Requests that the UC,
notwithstanding existing laws relating to
admission and categories of admission priority,
grant priority admission to a program or major
similar to his or her community college major or
area of emphasis.
7) Requires a community college district, in developing
an associate degree for transfer, to consider the
local articulation agreements and other work between
the respective faculties from the affected community
college and CSU campuses to clarify pathways for
students.
8) Requires the CCC Chancellor's office to establish a
process to facilitate the acceptance of credits at
other community colleges toward the associate degree
for transfer established pursuant to SB 1440
(Padilla).
9) Repeals the authority of the UC and CSU to develop
discipline specific articulation and transfer
agreements and repeals other related statutes as of
August 1, 2011.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Intent of the bill . This committee recently heard and
passed SB 1440 (Padilla) which establishes a new
transfer pathway commencing with the fall term of the
2011-12 academic year. This bill was recently amended
to make several changes to current law to support the
pathway proposed by SB 1440. The bill clarifies that
students who pursue the transfer pathway established
by SB 1440 will be granted admission priority over all
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other students. It also requests the UC to
participate in the new transfer pathway, repeals
existing law related to UC and CSU articulation of
major preparation courses, transfer agreements, and
transfer pathways, and ensures that students are
notified of this option for transfer. SB 1440, if
enacted, should result in a clearer, more transparent,
navigable, student-centered transfer pathway.
According to the author, the elements of this bill are
necessary to facilitate that process.
2) Related legislation . SB 1440 (Padilla) requires a CCC
district to grant an associate degree that deems the
student eligible for transfer into the CSU subject to
specified requirements, requires the CSU to guarantee
admission with junior status to CCC students meeting
those requirements, and imposes specified restrictions
on CSU course requirements for these "transfer"
students. SB 1440 was heard and passed by this
committee on April 2010 by a vote of 8-0, and is
currently awaiting action in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
SUPPORT
None received on this version.
OPPOSITION
None received on this version.