BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 851
AUTHOR: Nestande
AMENDED: April 25, 2011
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: July 6, 2011
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Kathleen Chavira
SUBJECT : Distance learning.
SUMMARY
This bill defines distance learning for purposes of data
collection and reporting and requires the California State
University (CSU) and the California Community Colleges
(CCC), and requests the University of California (UC), by
January 1, 2014, and every two years thereafter, to report
on distance learning courses workload and key performance
data, as specified. This bill also requires the
Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) to convene a task force
by February 1, 2012, as specified, to identify the steps
needed to establish the Western Governor's University,
California.
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes the California Distance Learning
Policy, which sets forth the guiding goal and principles
for the utilization of technology in California
postsecondary education. (Education Code � 66940)
Current law, until January 1, 2014, establishes the
California Virtual Campus, under the stewardship of the
Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and
pursuant to annual Budget Act funding to, among other
things enhance the awareness of, and access to, highly
engaging online courses of study, increase access to next
generation Internet services, 21st century workforce
development programs, and e-government services for
students and staff served or employed by education entities
and students served primarily online through partnerships
with public libraries and community-based organizations.
(Education Code � 78910.10)
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ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Defines "distance learning," for purposes of data
collection and reporting by the CCC, CSU, and the UC,
to mean a course conducted with a majority of the
instructional content delivered when faculty and
students are in different locations and instruction is
delivered through the use of technology.
2) Requires the CSU and the CCC, and requests the UC, by
January 1, 2014, and every two years thereafter, to
report on distance learning courses workload and key
performance data to the Legislature, including but not
limited to:
a) The number of students enrolled at
each campus categorized by delivery mode.
b) Completion rates for distance
learning courses.
c) Program completion rates for
programs that include exclusively distance
learning courses.
3) Requires student enrollment and completion rate data
to be made available by demographics such as age,
gender and ethnicity.
4) Requires the LAO to convene a task force by February
1, 2012, to identify the steps needed to establish the
Western Governor's University, California.
5) Requires that the task force convened by the LAO be:
a) Composed of members of the
Legislature, members of the administration, and
representatives of the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC).
b) Consult with representatives of
the UC, CSU, CCC and the California Postsecondary
Education Commission (CPEC).
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6) Declares the Legislature's intent that the task force:
a) Evaluate the establishment of the
Western Governors University, California as a
degree-granting institution that is
self-supporting and that does not receive state
funding.
b) Is not precluded from evaluating
the Western Governors University, California as a
potential qualifying institution for the purposes
of California's student financial aid programs.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Source of the bill . In October 2010, the LAO issued a
report titled, The Master Plan at 50: Using Distance
Education to Increase College Access and Efficiency,
which is the impetus of this measure. According to the
LAO report, while distance education is not suitable
for everyone, it offers an important alternative means
of providing instruction that can expand options for
the state's students and segments. The LAO recommended
the adoption of a standard definition of distance
education by the UC, CSU, and CCC as well as the need
for periodic reporting on student enrollment and
performance in distance education coursework offered
by these segments. Among other things, the LAO also
recommended creation of a task force to pursue a
public/private partnership with the Western Governor's
University.
2) Western Governor's University . Western Governors
University (WGU) is a Utah-based private, non-profit
online university founded by the governors of 19 U.S.
States in the 1990's. California is one of the 19
member states. WGU is governed by a Board of Trustees
consisting of educators, industry leaders, and state
governors. The stated mission of WGU is to improve
quality and expand access to post-secondary
educational opportunities by providing a means for
individuals to learn independent of time and place and
to earn competency-based degrees and other credentials
that are credible to both academic institutions and
employers. WGU offers nationally and regionally
accredited online bachelor's and master's degrees and
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serves over 25,000 students from all 50 states.
According to the LAO, about 1,900 Californian's attend
WGU.
3) Current distance learning activity in California .
According to the LAO the main providers of distance
education in California are private for-profit
colleges, and, among the state's public higher
education segments, the California community colleges.
All 112 campuses of the CCC offer distance education,
which comprises around 10 percent of the total FTES
claimed (about 120,000 FTES students).
The CSU reports that all 23 colleges offer courses via
distance education. The CSU does not offer any
completely online bachelor's degrees, but does offer
20 bachelor degree completion programs in which
students can complete all upper-division requirements
on-line or through distance-education technology.
Limited data is collected on these courses and the CSU
does not have a standard definition of a distance
education course.
The UC reports that most of its online courses are run
through their extension programs. The UC has recently
launched an Online Instruction Pilot Project to test
whether online instruction can be used to give
undergraduates educational opportunities comparable to
classroom instruction. The project will involve the
coordinated development, delivery, and formal
evaluation of online, credit-bearing, UC-quality
courses for undergraduate students. Instruction is
scheduled to begin in January 2012.
4) Inter-segmental on-line efforts . The California
Virtual Campus (CVC) began under the name of the
California Virtual University in 1997 as an
inter-segmental effort to establish and maintain a
catalog of online courses and to help faculty convert
traditional courses into an online format. The name
changed to the CVC in 1999 when the stewardship of the
inter-segmental effort passed to the California
Community Colleges. As a project funded by the
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office by a
grant to the Butte-Glenn Community College District,
the CVC currently operates to develop, construct, and
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maintain core services and relationships that support
and enable distance education efforts at all
California colleges for all students.
5) Beyond the authority of the LAO . This bill requires
the LAO to convene a task force that includes members
of the Legislature and the administration to identify
the steps necessary to establish a WGU California. Who
is to decide which members of the administration and
which members of the Legislature will participate? Is
it appropriate for the LAO to make this determination?
Should a task force presuppose an outcome? Are we
ready to establish the WGU California, or should the
first step be a closer examination of the impacts of,
and alternatives to, this option?
Traditionally, the Legislature has directed the LAO to
convene staff-level work-groups to examine these types
of questions and to inform their public policy
deliberations. Staff recommends the bill be amended to
instead:
o Direct the LAO to convene a work group
comprised of the LAO, legislative education
policy and fiscal staff, and the Department of
Finance to evaluate whether it is necessary, or
advisable to establish a WGU California.
o Direct the workgroup to consult with
representatives of the public segments of higher
education, the independent California colleges
and universities, and Western Association of
Schools and Colleges.
o Require the LAO to report the findings and
recommendations of the work group to the relevant
policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature.
SUPPORT
EdVoice
OPPOSITION
None received.
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