Bill Text: CA AB661 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Public postsecondary education: community college
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-01 - Died on inactive file. [AB661 Detail]
Download: California-2011-AB661-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 661 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 28, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Block
( Coauthor: Assembly Member
Hill )
FEBRUARY 16, 2011
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
AB 661, as amended, Block. Public postsecondary education:
San Diego Community College District:
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 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 in arts and science degrees.
This bill would authorize the San Diego Community College
District the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community
College District and the San Mateo County Community College District
to establish one baccalaureate degree pilot
programs program per campus . This bill would
require a baccalaureate degree pilot program to expire 8 years after
the establishment of the program. If the San Diego Community
College District establishes one or more of the
authorized districts establish a baccalaureate program, this
bill would require the district districts
to meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to,
offering baccalaureate degrees in a limited number of fields of
study, and submitting a report to the Legislature within one year
prior to the expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot program
that would evaluate specified factors.
This bill would also require, if the San Diego Community
College District establishes one or more of the
authorized districts establish a baccalaureate program, the
governing board boards of the
district districts to perform certain functions
and would authorize the governing board
boards to charge baccalaureate degree-seeking students a fee
for enrollment in specified courses, which would be required to be
expended for the purpose of providing a pilot program. This bill
would authorize the governing board boards
of the district districts to
enter into agreements with local businesses and agencies to provide
educational services to students participating in a baccalaureate
degree pilot program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
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) For nearly 50 years, California's higher education system has
been the envy of the world. The University of California and the
California State University campuses have produced groundbreaking
research and millions of professionals. The California Community
Colleges are an often overlooked, yet essential, part of this system.
(b) California needs to produce one million more baccalaureate
degrees than the state currently does to remain economically
competitive in the coming decades.
(c) It is time to change community colleges in a way that will
address job shortages in California's most vital employment areas
that require baccalaureate degrees. Community colleges can help fill
the gaps in the system by granting baccalaureate degrees for a
limited number of specific areas in order to meet a growing demand
for workforce need.
(d) These baccalaureate programs will be limited and will not
detract from the community colleges' mission to advance California's
economic growth and global competitiveness through education,
training, and services that contribute to continuous workforce
improvement, nor will the programs unnecessarily duplicate similar
programs offered by nearby schools.
(e) Community colleges can provide a quality baccalaureate
education with lower costs to their students than a traditional
four-year university, enabling lower income and part-time local
students to earn the baccalaureate degree needed for new job
opportunities and promotion.
(f) Seventeen 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 health, biotechnology, and other needed professionals.
(g) The purpose of the baccalaureate degree pilot program is to
promote economic development by preparing people for occupations that
are in demand and require a baccalaureate degree.
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 the purposes of this article, "district"
means the San Diego Community College District
"districts" means the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
and the San Mateo County Community College District . The
district districts may establish
baccalaureate degree pilot programs pursuant to Section 78041.
78041. Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, the San Diego
Community College District districts may
establish baccalaureate degree pilot programs that meet all of the
eligibility requirements set forth in Section 78042. A pilot program
established pursuant to this section shall expire eight years after
the establishment of the program. For purposes of this section, a
pilot program is established when the first class of students begins
the program.
78042. (a) The district districts
shall seek accreditation as a baccalaureate degree granting college.
(b) The district districts shall
maintain the primary mission of the California Community Colleges
specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 66010.4. The
district districts , 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) The district shall offer baccalaureate degrees in a limited
(c) The districts shall offer one
baccalaureate degree per campus in a limited number of fields
of study subject to the following requirements, as determined by the
governing board of the district boards of the
districts :
(1) The district districts shall
identify and document unmet workforce needs in the subject areas of
the baccalaureate degrees to be offered and offer baccalaureate
degrees in those subject areas possessing unmet workforce needs in
the local community.
(2) The baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not unnecessarily
duplicate similar programs offered by nearby public postsecondary
educational institutions.
(3) The district districts shall
have the expertise, resources, and student interest to offer a
quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field of study.
(d) The district districts 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) The governing board of the district
boards of the districts shall do all of the following:
(1) Determine the appropriate governance system for the
baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(2) Make decisions regarding the baccalaureate degree pilot
program's curriculum, faculty, and facilities.
(3) Establish the level of matriculation, tuition, and other
appropriate costs for students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree
program.
(f) (1) The governing board of the district
boards of the districts may charge baccalaureate
degree-seeking students a fee, of an amount to be determined by the
governing board boards , that covers
the additional costs imposed by providing a baccalaureate degree
pilot program, for enrollment in courses that are not transfer core
curriculum courses, as defined in Section 66720.
(2) All fees collected pursuant to this subdivision shall be
deposited in the designated fund of the district
districts in accordance with the California Community
Colleges Budget and Accounting Manual, and shall be expended for the
purpose of providing a baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(g) The governing board of the district
boards of the districts may enter into agreements with local
businesses and agencies to provide educational services to students
participating in the baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(h) The district shall submit a report
districts shall submit reports to the Legislature within one
year prior to the expiration of the baccalaureate degree pilot
program pursuant to Section 78041. 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 in the California
State University and the University of California as a 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.
(6) The amount of student fees charged pursuant to subdivision (f)
compared to the amount of student fees charged for courses at the
California State University and the University of California.
