BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1969
AUTHOR: Levine
AMENDED: May 27, 2014
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 25, 2014
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Daniel Alvarez
SUBJECT : Postsecondary education: intersegmental
coordination in
governance.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Chancellor of the California State
University (CSU) and the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges (CCC), and requests the President of the
University of California (UC) to coordinate the efforts of
their respective segments when procuring systemwide
information technology and software for the purposes of
enhancing student achievement.
BACKGROUND
Current law confers upon the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges the ability to appoint the
Chancellor of the CCC. The chancellor shall execute the
duties and responsibilities as may be delegated to him or
her by the board. Whenever in this code a power is vested
in the board, the board, by a majority vote, may adopt a
rule delegating that power to the chancellor or any
officer, employee, or committee as the board may designate.
(Education Code � 71090 et. seq.)
Current law establishes the California State University
trustees and requires that they administer the California
State University. (EC � 66600) Current law also outlines
the authorities, responsibilities and requirements of the
trustees relative to personnel matters. (EC � 89500
et.seq.)
The California Constitution establishes the University of
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California as a public trust to be administered by the
Regents of the UC with full powers of organization and
government, subject only to such legislative control as may
be necessary to insure the security of its funds and
compliance with the terms of the endowments of the
university and such competitive bidding procedures as may
be made applicable to the university for letting
construction contracts, selling real property, and
purchasing materials goods and services. (Constitution of
California, Article IX, Section 9)
ANALYSIS
Requires the Chancellor of the California State University
(CSU) and the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges (CCC), and requests the President of the
University of California (UC) to coordinate the efforts of
their respective segments when procuring systemwide
information technology and software for the purposes of
enhancing student achievement. In addition, this bill:
1) Requires that coordination shall only apply to
information technology and software purchases of more
than $1 million.
2) Requires that as the segments of public postsecondary
education invest in, and upgrade, infrastructure and
software for data storage and analysis, these segments
shall develop procedures to coordinate the collection
of, and to share, student performance data in a manner
that is consistent with state and federal privacy
laws.
3) Declares legislative intent that the following occur:
a) That the segments of public higher
education coordinate their efforts to invest
state resources in technologies that are useful
to multiple segments or campuses;
b) That, as these segments invest in new
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technologies, the public segments jointly
leverage their combined purchasing power;
c) That investments in new technology made
by these segments prioritize the ability to
coordinate with other segments of higher
education; and,
d) That these segments ease the student
transfer process between systems through
increased coordination in the purchasing of new
technology platforms
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . According to the author's office,
this measure seeks to require that the three segments
of higher education (CCC, CSU, and UC) coordinate when
purchasing new technologies. The author states, "In
the past, services and resources across and within the
three segments have developed in silos. That has
resulted in both duplicative work and posed challenges
for information to be shared." The author contends
that this bill would allow for "cross communication
doors between the segments to remain open or even be
opened in the future."
2) Current collaboration of segments . During the March
26, 2014, CSU Board of Trustees meeting, CSU
Chancellor Timothy P. White, UC President Janet
Napolitano, and CCC Chancellor Brice W. Harris gave a
joint presentation about collaboration among the three
systems. The three leaders highlighted a number of
efforts that are leading to extended collaboration
among the systems including, but not limited to,
streamlining student transfer pathways, shared
administrative services, and contracts.
3) Broad authority already provided to the segments to
collaborate . The permissive nature of the Education
Code allows for the segmental leaders of public
postsecondary education to pursue any type of
collaboration as long as it is not in violation of any
law. Staff could not find any prohibition that would
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not allow for the collaboration as required by this
measure.
4) According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee
costs for the three segments to coordinate the
specific procurements should be absorbable. To the
extent successful coordination and implementation of
new systems takes place that would not have otherwise
occurred absent this bill, the segments may realize
significant administrative and procurement-related
cost savings.
SUPPORT
California State Student Association
OPPOSITION
None on file.