Amended in Assembly August 18, 2014

Amended in Assembly August 4, 2014

Amended in Assembly June 26, 2014

Amended in Assembly June 16, 2014

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, Hueso, Lara, Roth, Torres, Vidak, and Wyland)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chávez, Fong, Levine, and Wilk)

January 9, 2014

An act to add and repeal Article 3 (commencing with Section 78040) of 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 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 begin delete the Department of Finance and end delete the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall begin delete jointly end delete 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 begin delete to end delete 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:

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 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 statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program. Each participating district
may establish one baccalaureate degree pilot program pursuant to
Section 78041.

78041.  

Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, and commencing
January 1, 2015, 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 district baccalaureate degree pilot programs that
meet all of the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 78042.
A district pilot program established pursuant to this article shall
commence no later than the 2017-18 academic year. A student
participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall complete
his or her degree by the end of the 2022-23 academic year. For
purposes of this section, a pilot program commences when the first
class of students begins the program. The statewide baccalaureate
degree pilot program shall consist of a maximum of 15 districts,
with one baccalaureate degree program each, to be determined by
the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and approved
by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

78042.  

(a) A district shall seek approval to offer a
baccalaureate degree program through the appropriate accreditation
body.

(b) When seeking approval 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) As a condition of eligibility for consideration to participate
in the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program, a district shall
have a written policy that requires all potential students who wish
to apply for a Board of Governors Fee Waiver pursuant to Section
76300 to complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal
Student Aid or a California Dream Act application in lieu of
completing the Board of Governors Fee Waiver application.

(d) A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
program, as determined by the governing board of the district and
approved by the Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges, and subject to the following limitations:

(1) A district shall identify and document unmet workforce
needs in the subject area of the baccalaureate degree 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 offer a
baccalaureate degree program or program curricula already offered
by the California State University or the University of California.

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

(4) A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
program within the district, which shall be limited to one campus
within the district.

(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.

(e) 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.

(f) 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) Documentation of the district’s written policy required by
subdivision (c).

(2) The administrative plan for the baccalaureate degree pilot
program, including, but not limited to, the governing board of the
district’s funding plan for its specific district.

(3) A description of the baccalaureate degree pilot program’s
curriculum, faculty, and facilities.

(4) The enrollment projections for the baccalaureate degree pilot
program.

(5) Documentation regarding unmet workforce needs specifically
related to the proposed baccalaureate degree pilot program, and a
written statement supporting the necessity of a four-year degree
for that program.

(6) Documentation of consultation with the California State
University and the University of California regarding collaborative
approaches to meeting regional workforce needs.

(g) (1) On or before March 31, 2015, the Board of Governors
of the California Community Colleges shall develop, and adopt
by regulation, a funding model for the support of the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program that is based on a calculation
of the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled in all district
pilot programs.

(2) Funding for each full-time equivalent student shall be at a
marginal cost calculation, as determined by the Board of Governors
of the California Community Colleges, that shall not exceed the
community college credit instruction marginal cost calculation for
a full-time equivalent student, as determined pursuant to paragraph
(2) of subdivision (d) of Section 84750.5.

(3) A student in a baccalaureate degree pilot program 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 coursework in a baccalaureate degree pilot program
shall be consistent with Article 1 (commencing with Section 76300)
of Chapter 2 of Part 47.

(5) A district shall, in addition to the fees charged pursuant to
paragraph (4), charge a fee for upper division coursework in a
baccalaureate degree pilot program of eighty-four dollars ($84)
per unit.

(h) (1) The begin delete Department of Finance and the end delete Legislative Analyst’s
Office shall begin delete jointly end delete conduct both an interim and a final statewide
evaluation of the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program
implemented pursuant to this article.

(2) The results of the interim evaluation shall be reported as a
progress report, in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on
or before July 1, 2018. The interim evaluation shall include, but
is not limited to, all of the following:

(A) How many, and which specific, districts applied for a
baccalaureate degree pilot program, and the baccalaureate degree
pilot programs they applied for.

(B) Which potential four-year baccalaureate degrees were denied
and why they were denied.

(C) Baccalaureate degree pilot program costs and the funding
sources that were used to finance these programs.

(D) Current trends in workforce demands that require four-year
degrees begin delete for career technical education-related fields. end delete begin insert in the specific
degree programs being offered through the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program. end insert

(E) Current completion rates, if available, for each cohort of
students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program.

(F) Information on the impact of baccalaureate degree pilot
program on underserved and underprepared students.

begin delete

(G) Recommendations on whether and how the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program can or should be extended and
expanded.

end delete

(3) The results of the final evaluation shall be reported, in
writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1,
2022. The final evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all
of the following:

(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.

(B) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot programs
established under this article fulfill identified workforce 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.

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

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

(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.

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

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

(H) Information on the impact of baccalaureate degree pilot
program on underserved and underprepared students.

(I) Recommendations on whether and how the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program can or should be extended and
expanded.

(4) A district shall submit the information necessary to conduct
the evaluations required by paragraph (1), as determined by the
begin delete evaluators, end delete begin insert Legislative Analyst’s Office, end insert to the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges, who shall provide the information
to the begin delete evaluators end delete begin insert Legislative Analyst’s Office end insert upon request.

(5) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3)
shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the
Government Code.

78043.  

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