California Assembly Bill AB2302 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2302AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 1, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 28, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 8, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fong FEBRUARY 19, 2010 An act to  amend Section 66720 of, to add Section 66721.4 to, to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745) to Chapter 9.2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of,   add Sections 66721.3 and 66721.4 to,  to repeal Sections 66740, 66741, and 66742 of, and to amend, repeal, and add Sections 66721.7 and 66739.5 of, the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2302, as amended, Fong. Postsecondary education: student transfer. (1) Existing law, the Donahoe Higher Education Act, establishes the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state. These segments include the California State University, administered by the Trustees of the California State University, the University of California, administered by the Regents of the University of California, and the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. A provision of the act applies to the University of California only to the extent that the regents, by resolution, make that provision applicable. Existing provisions of the act require the governing bodies of the 3 public postsecondary segments, with appropriate consultation with the academic senates of the respective segments, to develop, maintain, and disseminate a common core curriculum in general education courses for the purposes of transfer. This provision requires that a person who has successfully completed the transfer core curriculum is to be deemed to have completed all lower division general education requirements for the University of California and the California State University. This bill would  additionally require the governing bodies of those segments to develop, maintain, and disseminate a common core curriculum in major preparation courses. The bill would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California State University, and would request the President of the University of California, to jointly develop and implement a transfer degree program for purposes of granting transfer degrees to community college students who meet specified general education and major preparation requirements. The bill would require community colleges, commencing with the fall term of the 2012-13 academic year, to grant a transfer degree to a community college student meeting those requirements, and would guarantee upper division status to certain students who are awarded the transfer degree and admitted as transfer students to the University of California or California State University. The bill would  require the California State University, and request the University of California, to guarantee admission  with junior status  to a campus of their respective segments to each student who earns a transfer degree, subject to prescribed requirements.  The bill would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California State University, and would request the President of the University of California, to report to the Legislature on progress toward compliance with the development of the common core curriculum in general education courses and major preparation courses and the transfer degree program by June 30, 2011.  By imposing new requirements on community college districts with respect to granting transfer degrees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the governing board of each community college district to direct the appropriate officials at their respective campuses to provide students with a copy of the current transfer core curriculum and to distribute and publish copies of the transfer core curriculum in a specified manner and in specified locations.  This bill would additionally require the governing board of each community college district to ensure that all students desiring to transfer to the California State University or the University of California have appropriate access to a copy of the transfer core curriculum in general education courses and major preparation courses. By imposing these additional requirements on the governing boards of community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.   The   This  bill would require the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to ensure that all California community college students are informed of transfer pathways and transfer degrees. (3) Existing law requests the University of California, among other things, to address deficiencies in the articulation of major preparation courses between the community colleges and University of California campuses, to identify commonalities and differences in similar majors across University of California campuses, to articulate courses and course sequences at each campus of the California Community Colleges for specified major degree programs for purposes of student transfer, and to conduct a specified review of transcripts of transfer students. Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California State University to establish transfer student admissions requirements to give highest priority to certain transfer students, to specify lower division transfer curriculum for specified major degree programs, and to articulate courses at each campus of the California Community Colleges for specified major degree programs for purposes of student transfer. Existing law requires each campus of the California State University to identify nonelective course requirements beyond systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements for each major for purposes of student transfer, in accordance with prescribed requirements. This bill would make these provisions inoperative on  July 1, 2013   August 1, 2011  , and would repeal these provisions on January 1,  2014   2012  . The bill also would repeal other provisions of existing law requiring the University of California and the California State University to develop discipline-specific articulation agreements and transfer program agreements.  The bill would require that, in the development of an associate degree for transfer, a community college consider local articulation agreements and other work between the respective faculties from the affected community college and California State University campuses to clarify pathways for students. To the extent this provision would impose new duties on community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program.   (4) This bill would provide that it would not become operative unless SB 1440 of the 2010-11 Regular Session is chaptered.   (4)   (5)  The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 66720 of the Education Code is amended to read: 66720. (a) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the Regents of the University of California, and the Trustees of the California State University, with appropriate consultation with the Academic Senates of the respective segments, shall jointly develop, maintain, and disseminate a common core curriculum in general education courses and a common core curriculum in major preparation courses for the purposes of transfer. (b) The common core curriculum in general education courses developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be the same for all transfer students, regardless of the public four-year institution, or the campus or location of that institution, to which the student transfers. However, the common core curriculum may allow for minor variations for students declaring majors requiring a high number of units, as determined by the public postsecondary education institutions. (c) The common core curriculum in major preparation courses developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be the same for all transfer students in each respective major that has lower division requirements, regardless of the public four-year institution, or the campus or location of that institution, to which the student transfers. (d) (1) A person who has successfully completed the transfer core curriculum in general education courses and major preparation courses shall be deemed to have thereby completed all lower division general education requirements for the University of California and the California State University. (2) Commencing with the fall term of the 2012-13 academic year, a California community college student who has successfully completed the applicable transfer core curriculum in general education courses and major preparation courses shall be eligible for a transfer degree in accordance with Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745). (e) This section does not limit the authority of the University of California and the California State University to impose posttransfer curriculum requirements on transfer students.   SECTION 1.   Section 66721.3 is added to the   Education Code   , to read:   66721.3. Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 66201), the California State University shall guarantee admission with junior status to any community college student who meets all of the requirements of Section 66746. Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 66201), the California State University shall grant a student priority consideration for admission to the California State University campus that serves the local service area in which the student resides.  SEC. 2. Section 66721.4 is added to the Education Code, to read:  66721.4. (a) The governing board of each community college district shall ensure that all students desiring to transfer to the California State University or the University of California have appropriate access to a copy of the transfer core curriculum in general education courses and major preparation courses developed pursuant to Section 66720.   66721.4.   (a) Each campus of the California State University shall make available on its Internet Web site a list of majors considered to be similar to community college majors or areas of emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for purposes of transfer pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745).  (b) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall ensure that all California community college students are informed of the transfer pathways and transfer degrees  established by this chapter   pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745)  . SEC. 3. Section 66721.7 of the Education Code is amended to read: 66721.7. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that community college students who wish to earn the baccalaureate degree at the University of California (UC) are provided with clear and effective directions that specify curricular paths to this degree. (b) This section shall not be construed to limit in any way the ability of students to gain admission through alternative paths to transfer, such as the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or any other means. (c) The University of California is requested to address deficiencies in the articulation of major preparation courses between the California Community Colleges and the various UC campuses to make it easier for prospective transfer students to identify which community college courses meet major preparation requirements across the various campuses of the university. (d) The University of California is requested to identify commonalities and differences in similar majors across all UC campuses in order to accomplish all of the following: (1) To provide students with general descriptions of each major. (2) To identify lower division degree requirements that are common across UC campuses. (3) To identify additional academic requirements at each UC campus. (4) To describe additional criteria that students must achieve to be admitted at the various UC campuses. (e) (1) When four or more UC campuses that award undergraduate degrees have articulated specific courses and course sequences of the California Community Colleges for common requirements in similar majors, the remaining UC campuses that offer undergraduate degrees are requested to also articulate these specific community college courses and course sequences. The Legislature recognizes that UC may adopt provisions allowing individual UC campuses to opt out of this articulation process on a case-by-case basis; however, these provisions should be infrequently used. The Academic Senate of the University of California is requested to notify the California Community Colleges when an articulation request is denied, and to provide information that will enable the California Community Colleges to achieve course comparability with UC. (2) For at least the 20 most high-demand undergraduate majors, and with the ultimate goal of including all majors for which it is feasible, UC is requested to specify lower division transfer paths clearly identifying commonalities, as well as differences, on a comparative basis across UC campuses offering specific major programs. The Academic Senate of the University of California is requested to review the existing differences in lower division major preparation in each major across UC campuses, recognizing that one goal of these requirements should be to achieve similarity to the greatest degree that is academically appropriate. (3) The University of California is requested to include all of the following in the systemwide lower division transfer paths for the high-demand baccalaureate major degree programs: (A) Lower division general education requirements for the university. (B) Lower division major preparation requirements that are common across undergraduate campuses. (C) Additional lower division degree requirements that are unique to an individual campus. (D) Elective units, as appropriate. (E) Additional criteria, such as grade point averages and minimum grades, to ensure that students are competitive in selective majors. (4) The systemwide lower division transfer paths shall be specified in sufficient manner and detail so that existing and future community college lower division courses may be articulated, according to the usual procedures, to the corresponding UC courses or course descriptions. (f) (1) The University of California is requested to, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall, in consultation with the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges, on or before January 1, 2008, facilitate the articulation of those lower division, baccalaureate-level courses at each campus of the California Community Colleges that meet the lower division transfer path requirements for each major specified by UC in paragraph (1) of subdivision (e). (2) The University of California is requested to annually review, and update as appropriate, the lower division transfer paths and articulation to ensure that they reflect current UC campus degree requirements and community college curricula, and share the results of that review with the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. (g) As allowed by enrollment demand and available space, UC is requested to develop transfer admission agreement programs for students at each campus of the California Community Colleges who demonstrate the intent to meet the requirements of this section, including the declaration of a major and identification of a choice of a destination campus. The transfer admission agreement shall guarantee admission to the campus and major identified in the agreement and transfer of all units specified in the agreement, subject to the student's successful completion of the requirements of the agreement. It is the intent of the Legislature that the transfer admission agreements entered into under this section be made available to students early in their academic coursework. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude or limit the development or issuance of transfer admission agreements for students at any appropriate time up to the point of application. (h) A path to transfer, as specified in this section, shall be available to any community college student who desires to transfer to UC, and shall not be limited to students who secure a transfer admission agreement as specified in subdivision (g). A student who successfully completes a path to transfer, but who does not secure a transfer admission agreement, shall be guaranteed the transferability and degree applicability for all units that the student has earned pursuant to the path to transfer. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to guarantee admission to UC, or to a specific UC campus, for a student who has not secured a transfer admission agreement. (i) The University of California is requested to, and the California Community Colleges shall, on a three-year periodic cycle, jointly conduct a review of a random representative sample of transcripts of students who have transferred to UC, and of students preparing for transfer, to determine the effectiveness of the transfer preparation pathways referenced in this section. (j) This section shall become inoperative on  July 1, 2013   August 1, 2011  , and, as of January 1,  2014   2012  , is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1,  2014   2012  , deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed. SEC. 4. Section 66721.7 is added to the Education Code, to read:  66721.7. (a) As allowed by enrollment demand and available space, the University of California is requested to develop transfer admission agreement programs for students at each campus of the California Community Colleges who demonstrate the intent to meet academic requirements for transfer, including declaration of a major and identification of a choice of a destination campus. The transfer admission agreement shall guarantee admission to the campus and major identified in the agreement and transfer of all units specified in the agreement, subject to the student's successful completion of the requirements of the agreement. It is the intent of the Legislature that the transfer admission agreements entered into under this section be made available to students early in their academic coursework. However, this section shall not be construed to preclude or limit the development or issuance of transfer admission agreements for students at any appropriate time up to the point of application.   66721.7.   (a) Commencing with the fall term of the 2011-12 academic year, the University of California is requested to guarantee admission with junior status to any community college student who meets all of the requirements of Section 66746. Notwithstanding Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 66201), the University of California is requested to grant a student priority admission to a program or major that is comparable to his or her community college major or area of emphasis.  (b) This section shall become operative on  July 1, 2013   August 1, 2011  . SEC. 5. Section 66739.5 of the Education Code is amended to read: 66739.5. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The California Master Plan and supporting statutes place utmost importance on the effective transfer of community college students to the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) as a means of providing access to the baccalaureate degree. (2) In 2002, CSU enrolled 55,000 transfer students from community colleges. (3) Two out of three students who earn CSU baccalaureate degrees begin in a community college. (4) Effective use of state and student time and resources would be maximized by students accruing fewer unrequired units in earning their degrees. (5) Additional access to community colleges and CSU will be created by higher graduation rates and fewer nonessential units taken. (6) The state budget situation makes it urgent to streamline the path of the transfer student to the baccalaureate degree. (b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to ensure that community college students who wish to earn the baccalaureate degree at CSU are provided with a clear and effective path to this degree. (c) This section shall not be construed to limit in any way the ability of students to gain admission through alternative paths to transfer, such as the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements. (d) On or before February 1, 2005, the Chancellor of CSU shall establish transfer student admissions requirements that give highest priority to transfer students who are qualified in accordance with subdivision (f) and paragraph (3) of subdivision (g). (e) (1) CSU campuses admitting students qualified in accordance with subdivision (f) and paragraph (3) of subdivision (g) will make it possible for these students to complete their baccalaureate degree in the minimum number of remaining units required for that degree major. (2) For purposes of this subdivision, the "minimum number of remaining units" is the minimum number of units required for a degree major after subtracting the number of fully degree-transferable units earned at the community college. (f) The Chancellor of CSU, in consultation with the Academic Senate of CSU, shall establish the following components necessary for a clear degree path for transfer students: (1) On or before June 1, 2005, the Chancellor of CSU, in consultation with the Academic Senate of CSU and with the faculty responsible for each high-demand baccalaureate degree major program, shall specify for each high-demand baccalaureate program major a systemwide lower division transfer curriculum composed of at least 45 semester course units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, that will be common across all CSU campuses offering specific major programs. (2) (A) The systemwide lower division transfer curriculum for each high-demand baccalaureate degree major program shall be composed of at least 45 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, and shall include all of the following: (i) General education courses. (ii) Any other lower division courses required for graduation. (iii) Lower division components of the student's declared major. (iv) Elective units, as appropriate. (B) The coursework described in subparagraph (A) shall be designated by the CSU faculty responsible for the student's major degree program. (3) The systemwide lower division transfer curriculum shall be specified in sufficient manner and detail so that existing and future community college lower division courses may be articulated, according to the usual procedures, to the corresponding CSU courses or course descriptions. (g) (1) On or before June 1, 2006, the Chancellor of CSU and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges, shall articulate those lower division, baccalaureate-level courses at each campus of the California Community Colleges that meet for each degree major the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (f). (2) To the extent that the goals of efficiency and urgency are advanced, existing articulation procedures such as the California Articulation Number (CAN) program shall be employed. (3) On or before June 1, 2006, each CSU campus shall have identified any additional specific, nonelective course requirements beyond the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements for each major, up to a maximum of 60 semester units or the quarter-unit equivalent, for the systemwide and campus-specific requirements combined. To the extent these additional course requirements are identified, each CSU campus shall provide that information to all community colleges. (4) The Chancellor of CSU shall amend CSU's transfer admissions procedures to encourage prospective community college transfer students to identify and, to the extent possible, commit to, a specific CSU transfer destination campus before earning more than 45 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, of lower division, baccalaureate-level courses, as described in subdivision (f). (h) As allowed by enrollment demand and available space, each CSU campus shall develop a transfer admission agreement with each student who intends to meet the requirements of this section, including the declaration of a major and identification of a choice of a destination campus, before earning more than 45 systemwide semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent. The transfer admission agreement shall guarantee admission to the campus and major identified in that agreement and transfer of all 60 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, as creditable to the baccalaureate degree, subject to the student's meeting the following conditions: (1) Completion of the 60 semester units of college-level coursework, or the quarter-unit equivalent, specified for the student' s major degree program. (2) Declaration of a major. (3) Satisfactory completion of the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements for the student's declared major. (4) Satisfactory completion of any requirements beyond the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum that are specified by the CSU destination campus. (5) Any impaction criteria for that campus or major. (i) A CSU campus shall guarantee that the transfer students admitted under this section will be able to complete the baccalaureate degree in the minimum number of course units required for that degree. (j) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2013   August 1, 2011  , and, as of January 1,  2014   2012  , is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1,  2014   2012  , deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed. SEC. 6. Section 66739.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:  66739.5. (a) As allowed by enrollment demand and available space, each campus of the California State University shall develop a transfer admission agreement with each California community college student who demonstrates the intent to meet academic requirements for transfer, including declaration of a major and identification of a choice of a destination campus, before earning more than 45 systemwide semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, as creditable to the baccalaureate degree. The transfer admission agreement shall guarantee admission to the campus and major identified in the agreement and transfer of all units specified in the agreement, subject to the student's successful completion of the requirements of the agreement. (b) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2013.   66739.5. (a) In the development of an associate degree for transfer, a community college district shall consider the local articulation agreements and other work between the respective faculties from the affected community college and California State University campuses to clarify pathways for students. (b) The Chancellor's office of the California Community Colleges shall establish a process to facilitate the acceptance of credits at other community colleges toward the associate degree for transfer. (c) This section shall become operative on August 1, 2011.  SEC. 7. Section 66740 of the Education Code is repealed. SEC. 8. Section 66741 of the Education Code is repealed. SEC. 9. Section 66742 of the Education Code is repealed.  SEC. 10.   Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745) is added to Chapter 9.2 of Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read: Article 3. Transfer Degree Program 66745. (a) Prior to the commencement of the fall term of the 2012-13 academic year, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, jointly with the California State University and the University of California, shall develop and implement a transfer degree program in accordance with this article. (b) (1) The transfer degree shall be granted by each California community college commencing with the fall term of the 2012-13 academic year. (2) A community college student who commences enrollment in a California community college prior to the fall term of the 2012-13 academic year may elect to prepare for transfer in compliance with the transfer degree requirements developed pursuant to this article, and shall be eligible for a transfer degree and the rights conferred upon transfer degree holders pursuant to this article. (c) In developing the transfer degree pursuant to this section, the Board of Governors shall ensure that the requirements for the degree provide sufficient unit capacity to allow a student a choice of electives and allow a student to fulfill local community college degree requirements. 66746. (a) A transfer degree shall constitute a recognized educational credential awarded by a community college, equivalent to satisfactory completion of the requirements of a postsecondary educational program at the associate degree level. (b) (1) The community college shall grant a transfer degree to a student who completes the common core curriculum in general education courses and major preparation curriculum requirements for his or her major, developed pursuant to Section 66720. The transfer degree shall guarantee a student, if he or she is admitted to a campus of the California State University or the University of California, upper division status upon enrollment in the major for which the student completes the applicable lower division curriculum. (2) If a student completes a transfer degree, but applies for admission to a campus of the California State University or the University of California without declaring a major, or applies for admission to a major program in a major other than the major for which the student completed the lower division major preparation curriculum, the institution may admit the student at the upper division level, and may require the student to complete lower division major preparation requirements specified by the institution. (c) Subject to a competitive application process, the California State University shall, and the University of California is requested to, guarantee admission to a campus of their respective segments to each student who earns a transfer degree pursuant to this article and completes the applicable lower division major preparation curriculum, if the student meets academic standards developed and published by the respective institution. (d) This section does not limit the authority of the University of California and the California State University to impose posttransfer academic requirements on transfer students. 66747. The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the Chancellor of the California State University shall, and the President of the University of California is requested to, in consultation with the Academic Senate of each respective segment, jointly develop and implement academic requirements for purposes of this article.   SEC. 11.   (a) On or before June 30, 2011, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the Chancellor of the California State University, and the President of the University of California shall report to the Legislature on progress toward compliance with Sections 1 to 10, inclusive, of this act. (b) (1) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. (2) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on June 30, 2015.   SEC. 10.   This act shall become operative only if Senate Bill 1440 of the 2010-11 Regular Session is chaptered.   SEC. 12.   SEC. 11.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.