BILL NUMBER: AB 372AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 26, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Roger Hernndez (Coauthors: Assembly Members Blumenfield, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Lara, Pan, Williams, and Yamada) FEBRUARY 14, 2011 An act to amend Section 78212 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 372, as amended, Roger Hernndez. California community colleges: matriculation services. Existing law establishes a matriculation process that brings a college and a student who enrolls for credit into agreement for the purpose of realizing the student's educational objectives. The agreement involves the responsibilities of both parties to attain those objectives through the college's established programs, policies, and requirements. This bill would require, to the extent that federal funding is provided, as specified, that military personnel and veterans be given a prior learning assessment to determine college-level learning gained in other than a college credit setting. The bill would require the assessment to meet the standards of the American Council on Education, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, or other equivalent standard for awarding academic credits. 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 has an estimated population of nearly 2 million veterans, with approximately 30,000 veterans who returned from service in 2010. (b) Military service personnel returning from service face many unexpected challenges in assimilating back to civilian life, such as finding employment or getting a higher educational degree. (c) As of 2010, the job market in California was grim for workers of all ages with an unemployment rate still above 12 percent. However, among California veterans between 18 and 24 years of age, the unemployment rate was a staggering 25 percent. (d) Each year, millions of military service personnel receive extensive training experiences equivalent or comparable to the content in credit classes. (e) Depending on the specialty area, returning veterans have received significant education in concepts relating to engineering, management, accounting, leadership, medical treatment, logistics, and computer systems, among others. (f) A recent Council for Adult and Experiential Learning study of more than 62,000 adult students at 48 institutions nationwide showed that students with prior learning experience credit had higher graduation rates, greater persistence, and needed less time to earn degrees, compared to students without prior learning experience credit. (g) Students who are veterans are being denied admission at higher education institutions at an increasingly alarming rate. SEC. 2. Section 78212 of the Education Code is amended to read: 78212. (a) For purposes of this article, "matriculation" means a process that brings a college and a student who enrolls for credit into an agreement for the purpose of realizing the student's educational objectives. The agreement involves the responsibilities of both parties to attain those objectives through the college's established programs, policies, and requirements. The student's responsibilities under the agreement include the expression of at least a broad educational intent upon enrollment, the declaration of a specific educational objective within a reasonable period after enrollment, diligence in class attendance and completion of assigned coursework, and the completion of courses and maintenance of progress toward an educational goal according to standards established by the college, the district, and the state. (b) Matriculation services to be made available by the colleges shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (1) Processing of the application for admission. (2) Orientation and preorientation services designed to provide to students, on a timely basis, information concerning campus procedures, academic expectations, financial assistance, and any other matters the college or district finds appropriate. (3) Assessment and counseling upon enrollment, which shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (A) Administration of assessment instruments to determine student competency in computational and language skills. (B) Assistance to students in the identification of aptitudes, interests and educational objectives, including, but not limited to, associate of arts degrees, transfer for baccalaureate degrees, and vocational certificates and licenses. (C) Evaluation of student study and learning skills. (D) Referral to specialized support services as needed, including, but not limited to, federal, state, and local financial assistance; health services; campus employment placement services; extended opportunity programs and services provided pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 69640) of Chapter 2 of Part 42; campus child care services provided pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 8225) of Chapter 2 of Part 6; programs that teach English as a second language; and disabled student services provided pursuant to Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 67300) of Part 40. (E) Advisement concerning course selection. (F) (i) For military service personnel and veterans, the provision of a prior learning assessment of college-level learning gained in other than a college credit setting. The prior learning assessment will be determined by relevant faculty and related equivalent educational credit will be awarded that meets the standards of the American Council on Education, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, or other equivalent standard for awarding academic credits. (ii) Districts shall only be required to implement clause (i) to the extent that reimbursement for the prior learning assessment is provided by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs pursuantto provisions of the federal Montgomery GI Bill (38 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 et seq.).to provisions of the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-252) or any other federal act establishing veterans education benefits. (4) Postenrollment evaluation of each student's progress, and required advisement or counseling for students who are enrolled in remedial courses, who have not declared an educational objective as required, or who are on academic probation, as defined by standards adopted by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and community college districts.