BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
1440 (Padilla)
Hearing Date: 05/24/2010 Amended: 04/28/2010
Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: ED 8-0
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BILL SUMMARY: SB 1440 would establish the Student Transfer
Achievement Reform Act and require a California Community
College (CCC) district to grant an associate degree that deems
the student eligible for transfer into the California State
University (CSU), subject to specified requirements. The bill
would require the CSU to guarantee admission with junior status
to CCC students meeting those requirements. Further, the bill
would impose specified restrictions on CSU course requirements
for these "transfer" students.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund
Enrollment cost pressure Unknown, dependent on student
General
student response
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STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Current law states the intent of the Legislature that the
University of California and CSU seek to maintain an
undergraduate student population composed of a ratio of lower
division to upper division students of 40 percent to 60 percent,
and that this ratio be maintained primarily by admitting upper
division transfer students. Current law requires the Chancellor
of CSU, in consultation with the Academic Senate of the CSU, to
establish specified components necessary for a clear degree path
for transfer students, including specification of a systemwide
lower division transfer curriculum for each high-demand
baccalaureate major. Current law also requires the governing
board of each public postsecondary education segment to be
accountable for the development and implementation of formal
systemwide articulation agreements and transfer agreement
programs, including those for general education or a transfer
core curriculum, and other appropriate procedures to support and
enhance the transfer function.
As established by this bill, the Student Transfer Achievement
Reform Act would require CCC districts to grant associate
degrees to students in their field of study that deems them
eligible for transfer into a CSU baccalaureate program. The
transfer degree would be required if the student completes 60
semester units (or 90 quarter units) eligible for CSU transfer,
including 18 semester units (or 27 quarter units) in a major or
area of emphasis, as long as the pupil achieves a minimum grade
point average (GPA) of 2.0. The required GPA could be higher
for impacted programs. CCC districts would be prohibited from
imposing additional requirements for the student to receive an
associate's degree and be eligible for transfer to CSU.
Remedial noncollegiate work could not be counted as transferable
work.
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SB 1440 (Padilla)
The Act would require CSU to guarantee admission with junior
status to any community college student who meets the CCC
requirements for transfer. There would not be a guarantee of
admission for any particular majors or campuses, though the bill
would require CSU to grant these transfer students priority
admission to a program or major similar to their community
college major or area of emphasis. While CSU could require
transfer students to take additional courses, there could be no
requirement to take greater than 60 additional semester (or 90
additional quarter units) at the CSU for majors requiring 120
semester (or 180 quarter units). Further, the CSU would be
prohibited from requiring these transfer students to repeat
courses similar to those taken and counted towards their
associate degree.
The Legislative Analyst's Office would be required, within four
years of implementation, on various outcome measures, including
transfer rates, the average amount of time and units it takes a
student to earn an associate's degree pursuant to this bill and
a subsequent baccalaureate degree.
The bill's intent is to streamline the transfer process between
CCC and CSU. Recent reports and data available from CCC and the
CSU suggest that students typically take many more units than
necessary to transfer from the CCC to the CSU and to achieve
their baccalaureate degree through the course of their academic
journey. Further, local requirements imposed CCC districts or
CSU programs or campuses can also serve to delay a student from
transferring or require the completion of courses at CSU that
effectively duplicate work completed at CCC. By imposing
transfer degree requirements on the CCCs and a limitation on
required course taking at CSU, it is hoped that this bill ease a
student's path to transfer and, ultimately, to a baccalaureate
degree.
By imposing CCC districts to award a transfer degree to pupils
upon meeting the bill's provisions, the bill creates a
potentially reimbursable mandate. It is likely that these costs
would be minimal, though some districts may chafe at the loss of
flexibility. The larger potential cost to the state is likely
the requirement that CSU accept all transfer degrees pursuant to
this bill. Currently, approximately 50,000 students transfer
annually from CCC to the CSU. If this number increases due to
the clearer transfer threshold, the state would face pressure to
increase funding for enrollment support at CSU. This could
result in tens of millions in annual costs or cost pressures.
However, it may be the case that these pressures are offset by
the bill's requirements to limit required course taking for
graduation at CSU. Both CCC and CSU are optimistic that the
bill would reduce course taking at a magnitude that they would
be able to enroll more students with neutral funding. The
ultimate costs will depend on student response and the
implementation at CCC and CSU.