BILL NUMBER: AB 2400 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 23, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Block, Anderson, and Hill
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) to Chapter
1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
relating to public postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2400, as amended, Block. Public postsecondary education:
community colleges: baccalaureate degree pilot program.
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 a governing board, throughout the state,
and authorizes these districts to provide instruction to students at
the community college campuses maintained by the districts.
Existing law requires community colleges to offer instruction
through, but not beyond, the 2nd year of college and authorizes
community colleges to grant associate in arts and science degrees.
This bill would authorize the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community
College District , San Diego Community College District
, and San Mateo County Community College Districts
District to establish and participate in a
baccalaureate degree pilot programs
program . This bill would require a baccalaureate degree pilot
program to expire 8 years after the establishment of the program.
This bill would require a district, as defined, that establishes
and participates in a baccalaureate degree pilot program to
meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to, offering
baccalaureate degrees in a limited number of fields of study, and
submitting a report to the Legislature within one year prior to the
expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot program that would
evaluate specified factors.
This bill would also require the governing board of the district
to perform certain functions and would authorize the governing board
to charge baccalaureate degree-seeking students a fee for enrollment
in specified courses, which would be required to be expended for the
purpose of providing a pilot program. This bill would authorize the
governing board of the district to enter into agreements with local
businesses and agencies to provide educational services to students
participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) For nearly 50 years California's higher education system has
been the envy of the world. The University of California and the
California State University campuses have produced groundbreaking
research and millions of professionals. The California Community
Colleges are an often overlooked, yet essential, part of this system.
(b) California needs to produce one million more baccalaureate
degrees than the state currently does to remain economically
competitive in the coming decades.
(c) It is time to change community colleges in a way that will
address job shortages in California's most vital employment areas
that require baccalaureate degrees. Community colleges can help fill
the gaps in the system by granting baccalaureate degrees for a
limited number of specific areas in order to meet a growing demand
for workforce need.
(d) These baccalaureate programs will be limited and will not
detract from the community colleges' mission to advance California's
economic growth and global competitiveness through education,
training, and services that contribute to continuous workforce
improvement. Nor will the programs unnecessarily duplicate similar
programs offered by nearby schools that have space available to
local students .
(e) Community colleges can provide a quality baccalaureate
education with lower costs to their students than a traditional
four-year university, enabling lower income and part-time local
students to earn the baccalaureate degree needed for new job
opportunities and promotion.
(f) Seventeen other states, from Florida to Hawaii, already allow
their community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees. California
is one of the most innovative states in the nation, and the
California Community Colleges will use that same innovative spirit to
produce more health, biotechnology, and other needed professionals.
(g) The purpose of the baccalaureate degree pilot program is to
promote economic development by preparing people for occupations that
are in demand and require a baccalaureate degree.
SEC. 2. Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) is added to
Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
to read:
Article 3. Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program
78040. For the purposes of this article, "district" means
any of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community
College District , San Diego Community College District
, or San Mateo County Community College Districts that
may establish District that chooses to establish and
participate in a baccalaureate degree pilot program pursuant to
Section 78041.
78041. Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca
Community College District , San Diego Community
College District , and San Mateo County Community College
Districts may establish District may
establish and participate in a baccalaureate degree pilot
programs program that meet all of the
eligibility requirements set forth in Section 78042. A pilot program
established pursuant to this section shall expire eight years after
the establishment of the program. For purposes of this section, a
pilot program is established when the first class of students begins
the program.
78042. (a) A district shall seek accreditation as a baccalaureate
degree granting college.
(b) A district shall maintain the primary mission of the
California Community Colleges specified in paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) of Section 66010.4. The district, as part of the
baccalaureate degree pilot program, shall have the additional mission
to provide high-quality undergraduate education at an affordable
price for students and the state.
(c) A district shall offer baccalaureate degrees in a limited
number of fields of study subject to the following requirements, as
determined by the governing board of the district:
(1) A district shall identify and document unmet workforce needs
in the subject areas of the baccalaureate degrees to be offered and
offer baccalaureate degrees in those subject areas possessing unmet
workforce needs in the local community.
(2) The baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not unnecessarily
duplicate similar programs offered by nearby public postsecondary
educational institutions that have space available to local
students .
(3) A district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
of study.
(d) A district shall maintain separate records for students who
are enrolled in courses classified in the upper division and lower
division of a baccalaureate program. A student shall be reported as a
community college student for enrollment in a lower division course
and as a baccalaureate degree program student for enrollment in an
upper division course.
(e) The governing board of the district shall do all of the
following:
(1) Determine the appropriate governance system for the
baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(2) Make decisions regarding the baccalaureate degree pilot
program's curriculum, faculty, and facilities.
(3) Establish the level of matriculation, tuition, and other
appropriate costs for students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree
program.
(f) (1) The governing board of the district may charge
baccalaureate degree seeking students a fee, of an amount to be
determined by the governing board, that covers the additional costs
imposed by providing a baccalaureate degree pilot program, for
enrollment in courses that are not transfer core curriculum courses,
as defined in Section 66720.
(2) All fees collected pursuant to this subdivision shall be
deposited in the designated fund of the district in accordance with
the California Community Colleges Budget and Accounting Manual, and
shall be expended for the purpose of providing a baccalaureate degree
pilot program.
(g) The governing board of the district may enter into agreements
with local businesses and agencies to provide educational services to
students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(h) A district shall submit a report to the Legislature within one
year prior to the expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot
program pursuant to Section 78041. The report shall examine the
success of the baccalaureate degree pilot program by evaluating all
of the following factors:
(1) The percentage of students who complete a baccalaureate
degree, calculated by dividing the number of students who enroll in
the baccalaureate degree pilot program by the number of students who
graduate from the program.
(2) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot program is
self-supporting, such that the student fees charged pursuant to
subdivision (f) cover the costs of the program.
(3) Whether there is a problem with finding and paying instructors
for the baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(4) Whether there was a decline in enrollment in the California
State University and the University of California as a result of the
baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(5) The number of students who received jobs in the area in the
field of study of their baccalaureate degree.
(6) The amount of student fees charged pursuant to subdivision (f)
compared to the amount of student fees charged for courses at the
California State University and the University of California.