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 would, commencing January 1, 2015, authorize the board of governors, in consultation with the California State University and the University of California, to establish a statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program at not more than 15 community college districts, with one baccalaureate degree program each, to be determined by the chancellor and approved by the board of governors. The bill would prohibit each participating district from offering more than one baccalaureate degree program within the district, as specified. The bill would require a district baccalaureate degree pilot program to 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 her degree by the end of the 2022-23 academic year. The bill would require participating community college districts to meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to, offering baccalaureate degree programs and program curricula not offered by the California State University or the University of California, and in subject areas with unmet workforce needs, as specified.
This bill would also require the governing board of a participating community college district to submit certain items for review by the chancellor and approval by the board of governors, including, among other things, the administrative plan for the baccalaureate degree pilot program and documentation of consultation with the California State University and the University of California. The bill would provide that the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall jointly conduct both a statewide interim evaluation and a statewide final evaluation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program implemented under this article, as specified, and to report the results of the interim and final evaluations in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1, 2018, and July 1, 2022, respectively. The bill would provide that on or before March 31, 2015, the board of governors shall develop, and adopt by regulation, a funding model for the support of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program, as specified.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2023, and would repeal the provisions on January 1, 2024.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) California needs to produce one million more baccalaureate
4degrees than the state currently produces to remain economically
5competitive in the coming decades.
6(b) The 21st century workplace increasingly demands a higher
7level of education in applied fields.
8(c) There is demand for education beyond the associate degree
9level in specific academic disciplines that is not currently being
10met by California’s four-year public institutions.
11(d) Community colleges can help fill the gaps in our higher
12education system by granting baccalaureate degrees in a limited
13number of areas in order to meet a growing demand for a skilled
14workforce.
15(e) These baccalaureate programs will be limited and will not
16in any way detract from the community colleges’ traditional
17mission to advance California’s economic growth and global
18competitiveness through education, training, and services that
19contribute to continuous workforce improvement, nor will these
20programs unnecessarily duplicate similar programs offered by
21nearby public four-year institutions.
22(f) Community colleges can provide a quality baccalaureate
23education to their students, enabling place-bound local students
24and military veterans the opportunity to earn the baccalaureate
25degree needed for new job opportunities and promotion.
26(g) Twenty-one other states, from Florida to Hawaii, already
27allow their community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees.
28California is one of the most innovative states in the nation, and
29the California Community Colleges will use that same innovative
30spirit to produce more professionals in health, biotechnology,
31public safety, and other needed fields.
Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) is added
33to Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education
34Code, to read:
For purposes of this article, “district” means any
4community college district identified by the Chancellor of the
5California Community Colleges as participating in the statewide
6baccalaureate degree pilot program. Each participating district
7may establish one baccalaureate degree pilot program pursuant to
8Section 78041.
Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, and commencing
10January 1, 2015, the Board of Governors of the California
11Community Colleges, in consultation with the California State
12University and the University of California, may authorize the
13establishment of district baccalaureate degree pilot programs that
14meet all of the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 78042.
15A district pilot program established pursuant to this article shall
16commence no later than the 2017-18 academic year. A student
17participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall complete
18his or her degree by the end of the 2022-23 academic year. For
19purposes of this section, a pilot program commences when the first
20class of students begins the program. The statewide baccalaureate
21degree pilot program shall consist of
a maximum of 15 districts,
22with one baccalaureate degree program each, to be determined by
23the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and approved
24by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
(a) A district shall seek approval to offer a
26baccalaureate degree program through the appropriate accreditation
27body.
28(b) When seeking approval from the Board of Governors of the
29California Community Colleges, a district shall maintain the
30primary mission of the California Community Colleges specified
31in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 66010.4. The district,
32as part of the baccalaureate degree pilot program, shall have the
33additional mission to provide high-quality undergraduate education
34at an affordable price for students and the state.
35(c) As a condition of eligibility for consideration to participate
36in the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program, a district shall
37have a written policy that requires all potential students who wish
38to apply for a Board of Governors Fee Waiver pursuant to Section
3976300 to complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal
P5 1Student Aid or a California Dream Act application in lieu of
2completing the Board of Governors Fee Waiver application.
3(d) A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
4program, as determined by the governing board of the district and
5approved by the Board of Governors of the California Community
6Colleges, and subject to the following limitations:
7(1) A district shall identify and document unmet workforce
8needs in the subject area of the baccalaureate degree to be offered
9and offer a baccalaureate degree at a campus in a subject area with
10unmet workforce needs in the local community or region of the
11district.
12(2) A baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not offer a
13baccalaureate degree program or program curricula already offered
14by the California State University or the University of California.
15(3) A district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
16interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
17of study.
18(4) A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
19program within the district, which shall be limited to one campus
20within the district.
21(5) A district shall notify a student who applies to the district’s
22baccalaureate degree pilot program that the student is required to
23complete his or her baccalaureate degree by the end of the 2022-23
24academic year, as specified in Section 78041.
25(e) A district shall maintain separate records for students who
26are enrolled in courses classified in the upper division and lower
27division of a baccalaureate program. A student shall be reported
28as a community college student for enrollment in a lower division
29course and as a baccalaureate degree program student for
30enrollment in an upper division course.
31(f) A governing board of a district seeking authorization to offer
32a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall submit all of the
33following for review by the Chancellor of the California
34Community Colleges and approval by the Board of Governors of
35the California Community Colleges:
36(1) Documentation of the district’s written policy required by
37subdivision (c).
38(2) The administrative plan for the
baccalaureate degree pilot
39program, including, but not limited to, the governing board of the
40district’s funding plan for its specific district.
P6 1(3) A description of the baccalaureate degree pilot program’s
2curriculum, faculty, and facilities.
3(4) The enrollment projections for the baccalaureate degree pilot
4program.
5(5) Documentation regarding unmet workforce needs specifically
6related to the proposed baccalaureate degree pilot program, and a
7written statement supporting the necessity of a four-year degree
8for that program.
9(6) Documentation of consultation with the California State
10University and the University of California regarding collaborative
11approaches to meeting regional workforce needs.
12(g) (1) On or before March 31, 2015, the Board of Governors
13of the California Community Colleges shall develop, and adopt
14by regulation, a funding model for the support of the statewide
15baccalaureate degree pilot program that is based on a calculation
16of the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled in all district
17pilot programs.
18(2) Funding for each full-time equivalent student shall be at a
19marginal cost calculation, as determined by the Board of Governors
20of the California Community Colleges, that shall not exceed the
21begin delete California State University’send deletebegin insert community college credit instructionend insert
22 marginal cost calculation for a full-time equivalentbegin delete student.end deletebegin insert
student,
23as determined pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of
24Section 84750.5.end insert
25(3) A student in a baccalaureate degree pilot program authorized
26by this article shall not be charged fees higher than the mandatory
27systemwide fees charged for baccalaureate degree programs at the
28California State University.
29(4) Fees forbegin delete upper divisionend delete coursework in a baccalaureate degree
30pilot program shall bebegin delete set and approved by the Legislature in a begin insert
consistent with Article 1
31manner consistent with the setting of fees for lower division
32coursework at the California Community Colleges. Fees for lower
33division coursework in a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall
34not exceed the fees for other lower division coursework offered
35by the California Community Colleges.end delete
36(commencing with Section 76300) of Chapter 2 of Part 47.end insert
37(5) A district shall, in addition to the fees charged pursuant to
38paragraph (4), charge a fee for upper division coursework in a
39baccalaureate degree pilot program of eighty-four dollars ($84)
40per unit.
P7 1(h) (1) The Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s
2Office shall jointly conduct both an interim and a final statewide
3evaluation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program
4implemented pursuant to this article.
5(2) The results of the interim evaluation shall be reported as a
6 progress report, in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on
7or before July 1,
2018. The interim evaluation shall include, but
8is not limited to, all of the following:
9(A) How many, and which specific, districts applied for a
10baccalaureate degree pilot program, and the baccalaureate degree
11pilot programs they applied for.
12(B) Which potential four-year baccalaureate degrees were denied
13and whybegin delete wereend delete theybegin insert wereend insert denied.
14(C) Baccalaureate degree pilot program costs and the funding
15sources that were used to finance these programs.
16(D) Current trends in workforce demands that require four-year
17degrees for career technical education-related
fields.
18(E) Current completion rates, if available, for each cohort of
19students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program.
20(F) Information on the impact of baccalaureate degree pilot
21program on underserved and underprepared students.
22(F)
end delete
23begin insert(G)end insert Recommendations on whether and how the statewide
24baccalaureate degree pilot program can or should be extended and
25expanded.
26(3) The results of the final evaluation shall be reported, in
27writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1,
282022. The final evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all
29of the following:
30(A) The number of new district baccalaureate degree pilot
31programs implemented, including information identifying the
32number of new programs, applicants, admissions, enrollments,
33and degree recipients.
34(B) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot programs
35established under this article fulfill identified workforce needs for
36new baccalaureate degree programs, including statewide supply
37and demand data that considers capacity at the California State
38University, the University of California, and in California’s
39independent colleges and universities.
P8 1(C) Information on the place of
employment of students and
2the subsequent job placement of graduates.
3(D) Baccalaureate degree program costs and the funding sources
4that were used to finance these programs, including a calculation
5of cost per degree awarded.
6(E) The costs of the baccalaureate degree programs to students,
7the amount of financial aid offered, and student debt levels of
8graduates of the programs.
9(F) Time-to-degree rates and completion rates for the
10baccalaureate degree pilot programs.
11(G) The extent to which the programs established under this
12article are in compliance with the requirements of this article.
13(H) Information
on the impact of baccalaureate degree pilot
14program on underserved and underprepared students.
15(H)
end delete
16begin insert(I)end insert Recommendations on whether and how the statewide
17baccalaureate degree pilot program can or should be extended and
18expanded.
19(4) A district shall submit the information necessary to conduct
20the evaluations required by paragraph (1), as determined by the
21evaluators, to the Chancellor of the California Community
22Colleges, who shall provide the information to the evaluators upon
23request.
24(5) A report to be submitted pursuant
to paragraph (2) or (3)
25shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
26Government Code.
This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2023,
28and as of January 1, 2024, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
29that is enacted before January 1, 2024, deletes or extends that date.
O
94