BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2153
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2153 (Gray)
As Amended May 23, 2014
Majority vote
HIGHER EDUCATION 11-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-1
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|Ayes:|Williams, Ch�vez, Bloom, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Fong, Fox, Jones-Sawyer, | |Bradford, |
| |Levine, Achadjian, Olsen, | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| |Quirk-Silva, Wilk | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Donnelly |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes a definition for "supplanting" for the
purposes of determining if California State University (CSU)
special session (extension) courses are offered within the
allowances provided in law. Specifically, this bill :
1)Defines "supplant" to mean when a matriculated undergraduate
student is required to take an extension course to graduate
because a state-supported section of that course is
unavailable either because the state-supported course is not
offered in that term and is offered in a special session or
because all state-supported sections are full at the student's
campus and the course is offered in a special session.
2)Requires, to the extent possible, each campus to ensure that
any course required as a condition of degree completion to be
offered as a state-supported course.
3)Provides that a matriculated student who is required to take
an extension course to graduate because a state-supported
section is unavailable at the student's campus shall pay the
lesser of the state-supported section and extension course
fee. Requires, to the extent possible, campuses to not use
general fund dollars to support an extension course.
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4)Except when approved by the CSU Chancellor, as outlined,
prohibits a campus from reducing the number of undergraduate
state-supported section course offerings while increasing
extension offerings of that course.
5)Except when approved by the CSU Chancellor, as outlined,
prohibits campuses from offering extension programs at the
campus at times or in locations that limit the number of
regular course offerings that receive state funding.
6)Except when approved by the CSU Chancellor, as outlined,
prohibits the number of extension courses of any individual
course, including online courses, from exceeding the number of
state-supported sections of that course at a campus.
Specifies that extension courses offered as of January 1,
2015, shall not be considered for purposes of this
requirement.
7)Provides that, with the approval from the CSU Chancellor's
Office, a campus may add an extension section of a
state-supported undergraduate course or degree program course
so long as.
a) The campus has made the determination that state
resources are inadequate to provide for additional
state-supported sections.
b) There is no corresponding reduction in the aggregate
number of state-supported course offerings on that campus;
however, this requirement applies only in academic years
where the Budget Act has not reduced CSU funding.
c) The extension section or sections comply with all
applicable state laws and systemwide and campus policies.
8)Requires the CSU Chancellor to provide guidance to campuses
regarding compliance.
9)Establishes Legislative intent that CSU receive sufficient
funding to provide core curriculum through state-supported
academic programs, that a matriculated student of CSU is
entitled to a postsecondary education within the bounds of a
state-supported tuition and fee structure, and that a campus
of CSU shall not require a student to enroll in a special
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session program, section, or course in order to receive his or
her postsecondary education in a timely manner.
EXISTING LAW requires CSU to establish tuition/fees adequate to
meet the cost of maintaining extension (self-supporting
instructional programs, including, but not be limited to, career
enrichment and retraining programs) and establishes Legislative
intent that extension courses/programs may be provided
throughout the year, but shall not supplant regular course
offerings available on a non self-supporting basis during the
regular academic year.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to Assembly Appropriations Committee,
annual costs of up to several million dollars to the extent CSU
must offer additional state-supported courses in lieu of
undergraduates taking extension courses. According to CSU, in
the most academic year (fall/spring only), undergraduate
matriculating full-time equivalent students (FTES) in extension
courses totaled 1,143. Converting this FTES to state support
would cost $8.1 million. These costs could be reduced to the
extent campuses receive approval from the CSU Chancellor's
Office to offer extension courses. There would be additional
costs to the extent the unavailability of extended education
courses results extending undergraduates time to degree. There
should be no additional state costs for matriculating
undergraduate students in extension courses to pay lower fees
equivalent to those for a state-supported course, as extension
course fees could be increased commensurately for
non-matriculating students. Fulfilling legislative intent to
provide sufficient funding to avoid matriculating students
having to take extension courses could create significant GF
cost pressure during years when state budgets overall are under
stress.
COMMENTS : Governed by CSU Executive Order 1047, extension
courses/programs are offered as part of CSU's Extended Education
to support and extend the mission of the CSU with quality
programs that are affordably priced. Under the CSU Extended and
Continuing Education Program, campuses offer baccalaureate and
graduate degree programs, certificates, and many forms of
specialized education and training for business, industry, and
government.
While the composition of these campus extension programs varies
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considerably, most maintain the following common instructional
elements:
1)Extension degree, certificate, and credential programs.
2)Open University, (permits nonmatriculated students to enroll
in regular university courses on a space available basis, pay
self-support fees and earn university academic credit).
3)Contract and extension credit.
4)Non-credit certificates, courses, and programs.
5)Continuing education units.
Many campus self-support units conduct extension programs during
times when regular academic operations are recessed (early
January and May).
In December 2013, the Bureau of State Audits (BSA) released an
audit report concerning extended education in CSU and the
supplanting of state-supported courses. BSA found difficulty in
determining the extent to which "supplanting" occurred due to
lack of clarity in the term. The BSA audit considered two
interpretations of supplanting: (1) a campus could not require
a student to enroll in a self-supported course as the only path
to their degree; and, (2) the plain meaning definition of
replacing a state-supported section with an extension section.
In analyzing campus course data for fiscal years 2007-08 through
2011-12, BSA found potential instances of supplanting under both
definitions. BSA recommended that the Legislature provide
direction regarding the interpretation of supplanting, and
provided several recommendations to the CSU Chancellor's Office
regarding oversight and compliance of campus extension program
activities.
According to the author, CSU extension programs have "resulted
in increased costs for students who can ill afford the
additional fees but also cannot afford to delay their
graduation. As a result of impacted class enrollment, almost
half of students who enroll exclusively in self-supported
classes have an income of less than $25,000." The author notes
that this bill responds to the State Auditor's recommendations
by "clarifying the definition of the term supplant and requiring
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annual measures to ensure state-sponsored course offerings are
not supplanted or replaced by these added-cost courses."
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0003758