BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
AB 851 (Nestande)
Hearing Date: 08/15/2011 Amended: 07/13/2011
Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-HernandezPolicy Vote: Education 10-0
_________________________________________________________________
____
BILL SUMMARY: AB 851 defines distance learning for purposes of
data collection and reporting. This bill 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 course workload and key performance data, as
specified. This bill also requires the Legislative Analyst's
Office (LAO) to convene a work group by February 1, 2012, as
specified, to evaluate whether it is necessary or advisable to
establish to establish the Western Governor's University,
California. The work group is required to report its findings to
the Legislature by February 1, 2013.
_________________________________________________________________
____
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Fund
CCC reporting Likely reimbursable
mandate: $140-$200; General
$24
for Chancellor's Office
CSU reporting $60-100,
one-time costs General
UC reporting Minor and absorbable
costs, if elects to report General
LAO work group Minor and absorbable workload
increase General
_________________________________________________________________
____
STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
AB 851 (Nestande)
Page 1
This bill requires the CSU and the CCC, and requests the UC, by
January 1, 2014, and every two years thereafter, to report to
the Legislature on distance learning course workload and
performance data, 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; and c)
program completion rates for programs that include exclusively
distance learning courses. It further requires student
enrollment and completion rate data to be made available by
specified demographic categories.
The CCC Chancellor's Office has indicated that CCC districts
already report much of the information required by the bill to
its Board of Governors. However, they do not currently report
program completion rates for distance education degree programs.
Requiring campuses to report that information would likely
constitute a new state reimbursable mandate on CCCs. Most CCC
districts would likely need relatively minor, one-time
programming changes to their reporting systems, in order to
collect and report that data. (There is some variation because
districts use different systems). Assuming that each of the 72
CCC districts incurred $2,000 in programming costs, the state
(General Fund/Prop 98) would pay $144,000 in mandate costs.
Additionally, the Chancellor's Office indicates that is would
need to update the curriculum inventory to include distance
education relevant to programs, and estimates it will cost
$24,000.
The CSU indicated that it would incur one-time system
programming costs of $60,000 - $100,000 to report newly required
information. Once the system is updated to collect new
information, ongoing costs should be minimal. The UC, which is
requested to participate, believes that any changes needed would
be minor, and could be absorbed within existing resources. The
LAO has also indicated it would not need additional resources to
convene the required work group and carry out its activities.