BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1942
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Date of Hearing: May 14, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1942 (Bonta) - As Amended: May 6, 2014
Policy Committee: Higher
EducationVote:9-4
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill:
1) Requires the Board of Governors (BOG) of the California
Community Colleges (CCC) to establish a task force to
determine whether it is appropriate for a community college
district that is unaccredited and seeking accreditation to
continue receiving state aid on a limited term basis, and
if so, what conditions should be placed on receipt of that
aid. The Chancellor of the CCC is to report on the task
force findings by March 31, 2015.
2) Establishes requirements of the accrediting agency for
the CCC regarding (a) evaluation standards, (b) composition
of the evaluation teams, (c) considerations when assessing
whether to impose a sanction of show cause or revocation of
accreditation, (d) establishing an appeals process for a
proposed sanction of show cause or revocation, (e)
requiring a public hearing prior to making accreditation
decisions, and (f) reporting annually to the Legislature on
decisions affecting a college's accreditation status.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)The Chancellor's Office indicates that the task force would
require more time than allowed for in the bill, likely six to
eight months and require the equivalent of three to five
positions. One-time General Fund costs would be up to
$200,000.
2)As accrediting agencies are nonpublic entities regulated by
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the federal government, it is doubtful that the CCC
accreditor, the Accrediting Commission for Community and
Junior Colleges (ACCJC), would comply with the mandates in
this bill unless compelled to do so by some future court
decision. ACCJC's operations are funded by annual dues, based
on enrollment, from all accredited institutions and by
additional fees for specific institutions undergoing
accreditation review. To the extent any compliance with this
bill increased ACCJC's costs, this would result in higher fees
to the institutions.
COMMENTS
Background . Prior to the most recent amendments, this bill
removed the requirements that community colleges be accredited
and instead required the BOG to establish minimum conditions for
colleges to be eligible for state apportionment, which could
include consideration of colleges' accreditation status. The
bill, among other things, also added six members to the BOG.
Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental peer review
process used to determine academic quality. Accrediting
agencies are private organizations that establish operating
standards for educational or professional institutions and
programs, determine the extent to which the standards are met,
and publicly announce their findings. Accreditation is regulated
by the federal government, and institutional accreditation is a
requirement for participation in federal financial aid programs.
Under federal regulations, accrediting agencies are required to
meet general outlined standards, but specific processes and
quality standards are left to each accrediting agency to
determine.
The ACCJC is the regional accrediting agency for community
colleges in the western region (California, Hawaii, and U.S.
territories). Commission membership consists of the
institutions ACCJC has accredited; the 19 ACCJC commissioners
are elected by a vote of the presidents of the member-colleges
and serve up to two three-year terms. ACCJC bylaws govern, among
other areas, commission meetings, responsibilities of
commissioners, and the appeal process for institutions appealing
a denial or termination of accreditation.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
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