Amended in Senate May 1, 2014

Amended in Senate April 10, 2014

Senate Bill No. 850

Introduced by Senator Block

(Principal coauthor: Senator Hill)

(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Beall, Correa, begin insert Hueso, end insert Lara, Roth, Torres, Vidak, and Wyland)

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Chávez)

January 9, 2014

An act to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 850, as amended, Block. Public postsecondary education: community college districts: baccalaureate degree pilot program.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law requires the board of governors to appoint a chief executive officer, to be known as the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Existing law establishes community college districts, administered by governing boards, throughout the state, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction to students at the community college campuses maintained by the districts.

Existing law requires community colleges to offer instruction through, but not beyond, the 2nd year of college and authorizes community colleges to grant associate degrees in arts and science.

This bill begin delete would end delete begin insert would, commencing January 1, 2015, end insert authorize the board of governors, in consultation with the California State University and the University of California, to establish a begin insert statewide end insert baccalaureate degree pilot program at not more than begin delete 20 end delete begin insert 15 end insert community college districts, to be determined by the chancellor and approved by the board of governors, which would authorize each participating begin delete campus within the end delete district to offer one type of baccalaureate begin delete degree, end delete begin insert degree at one campus within the district, end insert as specified. The bill would require a begin insert district end insert baccalaureate degree pilot program to begin delete expire 8 years after the establishment of the program. end delete begin insert commence by the beginning of the 2017-18 academic year, and would require a student participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program to complete his or degree by the end of the 2022-23 academic year. end insert The bill would require begin delete a end delete participating community college begin delete district end delete begin insert districts end insert to meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to, offering baccalaureate degrees begin insert not offered by the California State University or the University of California, and end insert in subject areas with unmet workforce needs, as begin delete specified, and submitting a report to the chancellor at least one year prior to the expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot program or one year after the first graduating class, whichever occurs first, that would evaluate specified factors. end delete begin insert specified. end insert

This bill would also require the governing board of a participating community college district to submit certain information for review by the chancellor and approval by the board of governors, including the begin delete proposed governance system of end delete begin insert administrative plan for end insert the baccalaureate degree pilot begin delete program, and would authorize the governing board of a community college district to enter into agreements with local businesses and agencies to provide educational services to students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program. end delete begin insert program. The bill would provide that the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall jointly conduct a statewide evaluation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program implemented under this article, as specified, and to report the results of the evaluation, in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1, 2021. end insert The bill would provide that the board of governors shall develop begin insert , end insert and adopt by regulation begin insert , end insert a funding model for the support of the begin insert statewide end insert baccalaureate degree pilot begin delete programs, end delete begin insert program end insert as specified.

begin insert

This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2023, and would repeal the provisions on January 1, 2024.

end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) California needs to produce one million more baccalaureate
degrees than the state currently produces to remain economically
competitive in the coming decades.

(b) The 21st century workplace increasingly demands a higher
level of education in applied fields.

(c) There is demand for education beyond the associate degree
level in specific academic disciplines that is not currently being
met by California’s four-year public institutions.

(d) Community colleges can help fill the gaps in our higher
education system by granting baccalaureate degrees in a limited
number of specific areas in order to meet a growing demand for a
skilled workforce.

(e) These baccalaureate programs will be limited and will not
in any way detract from the community colleges’ traditional
mission to advance California’s economic growth and global
competitiveness through education, training, and services that
contribute to continuous workforce improvement, nor will these
programs unnecessarily duplicate similar programs offered by
nearby public four-year institutions.

(f) Community colleges can provide a quality baccalaureate
education to their students, enabling place-bound local students
and military veterans the opportunity to earn the baccalaureate
degree needed for new job opportunities and promotion.

(g) Twenty-one other states, from Florida to Hawaii, already
allow their community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees.
California is one of the most innovative states in the nation, and
the California Community Colleges will use that same innovative
spirit to produce more professionals in health, biotechnology,
public safety, and other needed fields.

SEC. 2.  

Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) is added
to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education
Code, to read:

 

Article 3.  Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program

 

78040.  

For purposes of this article, “district” means any
community college district identified by the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges as participating in the begin insert statewide end insert
baccalaureate degree pilot program. Each begin insert participating end insert district
may establish begin insert one end insert baccalaureate degree pilot begin delete programs end delete begin insert program end insert
pursuant to Section 78041.

78041.  

Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, begin insert and commencing
January 1, 2015, end insert the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges, in consultation with the California State
University and the University of California, may authorize the
establishment of begin insert district end insert baccalaureate degree pilot programs that
meet all of the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 78042.
A begin insert district end insert pilot program established pursuant to this begin delete section shall
expire eight years after the establishment of the program. end delete begin insert article
shall commence no later than the 2017-18 academic year. A
student participating in a baccalaureate pilot program shall
complete his or her degree by the end of the 2022-23 academic
year. end insert For purposes of this section, a pilot program begin delete is established end delete
begin insert commences end insert when the first class of students begins the program.
The begin insert statewide end insert baccalaureate degree pilot program shall consist of
a maximum of begin delete twenty end delete begin insert fifteen end insert districts, to be determined by the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and authorized
by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

78042.  

(a) A district shall seek approval to offer begin insert a end insert
baccalaureate degree begin delete programs end delete begin insert program end insert through the appropriate
accreditation body.

(b) When seeking authorization from the Board of Governors
of the California Community Colleges, a district shall maintain
the primary mission of the California Community Colleges
specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 66010.4.
The district, as part of the baccalaureate degree pilot program,
shall have the additional mission to provide high-quality
undergraduate education at an affordable price for students and
the state.

(c) A district shall not offer more than one type of baccalaureate
begin delete degree per campus, end delete begin insert degree, end insert as determined by the governing board
of the district and approved by the Governing Board of the
California Community Colleges, and subject to the following
limitations:

(1) A district shall identify and document unmet workforce
needs in the subject begin delete areas end delete begin insert area end insert of the baccalaureate begin delete degrees end delete begin insert degree end insert
to be offered and offer a baccalaureate degree at a campus in a
subject area with unmet workforce needs in the local community
or region of the district.

(2) A baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not begin delete duplicate
similar programs offered by public postsecondary educational
institutions, unless approved by the Chancellor of the California
State University. end delete begin insert offer a baccalaureate degree already offered by
the California State University or the University of California. end insert

(3) A district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
of study.

begin insert

(4) A district shall not offer a baccalaureate degree at more
than one campus within the district.

end insert begin insert

(5) A district shall notify a student who applies to the district’s
baccalaureate degree pilot program that the student is required
to complete his or her baccalaureate degree by the end of the
2022-23 academic year, as specified in Section 78041.

end insert

(d) A district shall maintain separate records for students who
are enrolled in courses classified in the upper division and lower
division of a baccalaureate program. A student shall be reported
as a community college student for enrollment in a lower division
course and as a baccalaureate degree program student for
enrollment in an upper division course.

(e) A governing board of a district seeking authorization to offer
a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall submit all of the
following for review by the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges and approval by the Board of Governors of
the California Community Colleges:

(1) The begin delete proposed governance system end delete begin insert administrative plan end insert for
the baccalaureate degree pilot program.

(2) The baccalaureate degree pilot program’s curriculum,
faculty, and facilities.

(3) The begin delete level of matriculation for students enrolled in a end delete
begin insert enrollment projections for the end insert baccalaureate degree begin insert pilot end insert program.

(f) (1) The Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges shall develop begin insert , end insert and adopt by regulation begin insert , end insert a funding model
for the support of the begin insert statewide end insert baccalaureate degree pilot begin delete programs end delete
begin insert program end insert that is based on a calculation of the number of full-time
equivalent students enrolled in the begin insert district end insert pilot programs.

(2) Funding for each full-time equivalent student shall be at an
agreed upon marginal cost calculation that shall not exceed the
California State Universities marginal cost calculation.

(3) Each student in begin delete the end delete begin insert a end insert baccalaureate degree pilot begin delete programs end delete
begin insert program end insert authorized by this article shall not be charged fees higher
than the mandatory systemwide fees charged for baccalaureate
degree programs at the California State University.

(4) Fees for upper division coursework in begin delete the end delete begin insert a end insert baccalaureate
degree pilot begin delete programs end delete begin insert program end insert shall be set and approved by the
Legislature in a manner consistent with the setting of fees for lower
division coursework at the California community colleges. begin insert Fees
for lower division coursework in a baccalaureate degree pilot
program shall not exceed the fees for other lower division
coursework offered by the California Community Colleges. end insert

begin delete

(g) The governing board of a district may enter into agreements
with local businesses and agencies to provide educational services
to students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program.

(h) A district that received authorization to offer a baccalaureate
degree pilot program shall submit a report to the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges at least one year prior to the
expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot program pursuant to
Section 78041 or one year after the first graduating class of the
baccalaureate degree pilot program, whichever occurs first. The
report shall examine the success of the baccalaureate degree pilot
program by evaluating all of the following factors:

(1) The percentage of students who complete a baccalaureate
degree, calculated by dividing the number of students who graduate
from the baccalaureate degree pilot program by the number of
students who enrolled in the program.

(2) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot program
is self-supporting, such that the student fees charged pursuant to
subdivision (f) cover the costs of the program.

(3) Whether there is a problem with finding and paying
instructors for the baccalaureate degree pilot program.

(4) Whether there was a decline in enrollment at California State
University or University of California campuses in the regions
served by the district as a direct result of the baccalaureate degree
pilot program.

(5) The number of students who received jobs in the area in the
field of study of their baccalaureate degree.

end delete begin insert

(g) (1) The Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s
Office shall jointly conduct a statewide evaluation of the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program implemented under this article.
The results of the evaluation shall be reported, in writing, to the
Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1, 2021. The
evaluation required by this section shall consider all of the
following:

end insert begin insert

(A) The number of new district baccalaureate degree pilot
programs implemented, including information identifying the
number of new programs, applicants, admissions, enrollments,
and degree recipients.

end insert begin insert

(B) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot programs
established under this article are fulfilling identified needs for new
baccalaureate degree programs, including statewide supply and
demand data that considers capacity at the California State
University, the University of California, and in California’s
independent colleges and universities.

end insert begin insert

(C) Information on the place of employment of students and the
subsequent job placement of graduates.

end insert begin insert

(D) Baccalaureate degree program costs and the funding
sources that were used to finance these programs, including a
calculation of cost per degree awarded.

end insert begin insert

(E) The costs of the baccalaureate degree programs to students,
the amount of financial aid offered, and student debt levels of
graduates of the programs.

end insert begin insert

(F) Time-to-degree rates and completion rates for the
baccalaureate degree pilot programs.

end insert begin insert

(G) The extent to which the programs established under this
article are in compliance with the requirements of this article.

end insert begin insert

(2) A district shall submit the information necessary to conduct
the evaluation require by paragraph (1), as determined by the
evaluators, to the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges, who shall provide the information to the evaluators upon
request.

end insert begin insert

(3) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

end insert

begin insert

begin insert 78043. end insert   

This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2023,
and as January 1, 2024, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
that is enacted before January 1, 2024 deletes or extends that date.

end insert