BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2557
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 22, 2014

                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
                                 Das Williams, Chair
                AB 2557 (Williams) - As Introduced:  February 21, 2014
           
          SUBJECT  :   Community colleges: intersession extension programs.

           SUMMARY  :   Removes Pasadena City College from the list of  
          eligible community college campuses that may participate in the  
          California Community Colleges (CCC) summer and winter  
          intersessions pilot program; and, makes technical and clarifying  
          changes to existing law.  

           EXISTING LAW  requires the CCC Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) to  
          establish a voluntary pilot program that authorizes a community  
          college district (CCD) to establish and maintain an extension  
          program meeting specified characteristics during summer and  
          winter intersessions.  Current law also requires the Legislative  
          Analyst's Office (LAO), by January 1, 2017, to submit a report  
          on the pilot program to the Legislature, as specified.   
          Additionally, current law states that it is the intent of the  
          Legislature that at least one campus begin implementation of the  
          pilot program by January 2014 and that an additional five  
          campuses should implement the pilot program by July 1, 2014.   
          Current law defines eligible community college campus for  
          purposes of participating in the pilot to be all of the  
          following campuses:  1) College of the Canyons; 2) Crafton Hills  
          College; 3) Long Beach City College; 4) Oxnard College; 5)  
          Pasadena City College; and, 6) Solano Community College.   
          Lastly, current law sunsets and repeals this pilot program on  
          January 1, 2018, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted  
          before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date (Education  
          Code � 78230 and � 78231).

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown

           COMMENTS  :    Background  .  According to a March 2013 report by the  
          Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), community college  
          course offerings have declined from 420,000 to 334,000 since  
          2008-86,000 or 21% of course offerings-and most were credit  
          courses necessary to transfer or obtain a degree or certificate.  
           PPIC estimates that since 2008, 600,000 students have not been  
          able to enroll in classes, and another 500,000 students were on  
          waiting lists for fall 2012 courses.  








                                                                  AB 2557
                                                                  Page  2


          Assembly Bill 955 (Williams, Chapter 710, Statutes of 2013),  
          responded to the PPIC report authorizing the CCCCO to establish  
          a voluntary pilot program for six specific CCDs.  

           Six CCDs  .   Although participation is voluntary for the six  
          eligible campuses (1) College of the Canyons; 2) Crafton Hills  
          College; 3) Long Beach City College; 4) Oxnard College; 5)  
          Pasadena City College; and, 6) Solano Community College),  
          Pasadena City College (PCC) has gone on the record of stating  
          they will not be participating in the pilot, and they wish to be  
          removed from the statute altogether.

          According to the author, this measure honors PCC's request to be  
          removed from the Community College Intersession Extension Pilot  
          Program created by AB 955.  
           
          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          None on file.

           Opposition 
           
          None on file.
           

          Analysis Prepared by  :    Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)  
          319-3960