BILL NUMBER: SB 1440 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 14, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 28, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 15, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Senator Padilla
(Principal coauthor: Senator Romero)
( Principal coauthors:
Assembly Members Beall and Fong )
(Coauthors: Senators Hancock
and Price Ashburn, Cedillo,
Correa, Cox, Hancock, Huff,
Liu, Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod,
Pavley, Price, Strickland,
and Wyland )
( Coauthor: Assembly Member
Fong Coauthors: Assembly Members
Arambula, Bradford, Brownley,
Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Davis,
Furutani, Gaines, Huber,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Nielsen,
Portantino, Ruskin, Smyth, Swanson,
and Torlakson )
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745) to Chapter
9.2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code,
relating to public postsecondary education.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1440, as amended, Padilla. California Community Colleges:
student transfer.
Existing law establishes the 3 segments of public postsecondary
education in this state. These segments include the California State
University, the campuses of which are administered by the Trustees of
the California State University, the University of California, which
is administered by the Regents of the University of California, and
the California Community Colleges, which are administered by the
Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
Existing law establishes community college districts throughout
the state, and authorizes them to provide instruction to students at
community college campuses.
Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act,
authorizes the community colleges to grant associate in arts and
associate in science degrees. The act also requires the regents, the
trustees, and the board of governors to have as a fundamental policy
the maintenance of a healthy and expanded program to increase the
number of transfer students from community colleges.
This bill would enact the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act,
which would require a community college district, commencing with
the fall term of the 2011-12 academic year, to grant an associate
degree for transfer to a student in his or her field of
study that would deem the student eligible for transfer into a
California State University baccalaureate program when the student
meets prescribed requirements. This bill would prohibit a community
college district from imposing any requirements, in addition to these
requirements, for a student to be eligible for the associate degree
for transfer , and would prohibit remedial noncollegiate
level coursework from being counted towards the units required for
the associate degree for transfer . This
This bill would require the California State University
to guarantee admission with junior status to any community college
student who meets the requirements for the associate degree for
transfer . This bill would not guarantee a student admission
for specified majors or campuses, but would require the California
State University to grant a student priority admission to a program
or major that is similar comparable to
his or her community college major or area of emphasis. This bill
would authorize the California State University to require a
transferring student to take additional coursework in specified
circumstances, and would prohibit the California State University
from requiring a transferring student to repeat courses that are
similar comparable to those taken at the
community college that counted towards the units required for the
associate degree for transfer . This
This bill would also require the Legislative Analyst's
Office to review and report to the Legislature, within a prescribed
time period, on specified outcomes and recommendations related to
this act.
By requiring a community college district to grant the associate
degree for transfer , 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:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Since the enactment of the Master Plan for Higher Education in
1960, preparing students to transfer to a four-year university has
been a core function of the California Community Colleges.
(b) Successful progression from lower division coursework to
degree completion is a basic principle of California higher education
and is critical to the future of the state's economy.
(c) Currently, the coursework necessary to transfer to a campus of
the California State University or the University of California
differs from the coursework needed to earn an associate degree. As a
result, many transfer students leave the community college system
having completed transfer requirements, but are unable to participate
in community college graduation ceremonies, do not have a degree to
show for their work, and are ineligible for some awards and
scholarships because they did not fulfill current requirements for an
associate degree.
(d) Today, one in every four jobs requires an associate degree or
higher. In the near future, one in every three jobs will require an
associate degree or higher.
(e) The Public Policy Institute of California projects that
California will have one million fewer graduates than it needs in
2025, and that increasing transfer rates from community colleges to
four-year institutions would dramatically reduce the education skills
gap.
(e)
(f) The community college system allows the state to
address the serious projected shortage of educated
workers.
(f)
(g) To meet workforce demands in a cost-effective way,
incentivizing students to earn an associate degree while preparing
for transfer to a four-year college or university, and recognizing
that they have completed a transfer preparation course pattern,
provides students encouragement and support to complete their overall
educational pursuits.
SEC. 2. Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745) is added to
Chapter 9.2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education
Code, to read:
Article 3. Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act
66745. This article shall be known, and may be cited as the
Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act.
66746. (a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2011-12 academic
year, a community college district shall grant an associate degree
for transfer to a student in his or her field of study
that shall deem the student eligible for transfer into a California
State University baccalaureate program when the student meets both of
the following requirements:
(1) Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are
eligible for transfer to the California State University, including
both of the following:
(A) The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum
(IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth
Requirements.
(B) A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major
or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
(2) Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
(b) A community college district shall not impose any requirements
in addition to the requirements of this section, including any local
college or district requirements, for a student to be eligible for
the associate degree for transfer and subsequent admission
to the California State University pursuant to Section 66747.
(c) In the development of an associate degree for transfer, a
community college district is encouraged to consider the local
articulation agreements and other work between the respective
faculties from the affected community college and California State
University campuses to clarify pathways for students.
(d) Community colleges are encouraged to facilitate the acceptance
of credits at other community colleges toward the associate degree
for transfer pursuant to this section.
(c)
(e) This section shall not preclude students who are
assessed at below collegiate level from acquiring
remedial noncollegiate level coursework in preparation for obtaining
the associate degree. Remedial noncollegiate level coursework shall
not be counted as part of the transferable units required pursuant to
paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
66747. Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 66201),
the California State University shall guarantee admission with
junior status to any community college student who meets all of the
requirements of Section 66746. The California State University shall
not guarantee admission for specific majors or campuses.
Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 66201), the
California State University shall grant a student priority admission
to a program or major that is similar
comparable to his or her community college major or area of
emphasis.
66748. (a) The California State University may require a student
transferring pursuant to this article to take additional courses so
long as the student is not required to take any more than 60
additional semester units or 90 quarter units at the California State
University for majors requiring 120 semester units or 180 quarter
units. Specified high unit majors shall be exempt from this
subdivision upon agreement by the Chancellors of the California State
University and the California Community Colleges and their
respective academic senates.
(b) The California State University shall not require students
transferring pursuant to this article to repeat courses that are
similar comparable to those taken at
the community college that counted toward the associate degree
for transfer granted pursuant to Section 66746.
66749. (a) The Legislative Analyst's Office
shall review and report to the Legislature, during budget
committee hearings in spring 2012, an update on the implementation of
this act.
(b) The Legislative Analyst's Office
shall also review and report to the Legislature, within four
years of implementation of this article, on both of the following:
(a)
(1) The outcomes of implementation of this article,
including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1)
(A) Transfer rates.
(2)
(B) The average amount of time and units it takes a
student to earn an associate degree for transfer pursuant
to this article and a subsequent baccalaureate degree.
(3)
(C) Student progression and completion rates.
(4)
(D) Other relevant indicators of student success.
(b)
(2) Recommendations for statutory changes necessary to
facilitate the goal of a clear and transparent transfer process.
SEC. 3. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.