California Senate Bill SR47 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SR 47AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 23, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Senator Leno MAY 19, 2014 Relative to  the  City College of San Francisco. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco, founded in 1935, is a long-running and established entity in the San Francisco Bay area; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco is the largest community college district with a student enrollment of approximately 80,000 students in 2012; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco gives individuals who lack English language skills the ability to learn English to gain employment and participate and contribute to the economy; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco is the first stop for many recent immigrants to take naturalization courses to integrate into the broader society; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco provides a pathway to career and participation in the California dream for thousands of people each year; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco is a valuable tool in maintaining the middle class in the City and County of San Francisco by being one of the few resources low-income students can utilize to climb the economic ladder; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco is an important resource that provides opportunities for low-income students to gain job skills and adults to obtain their graduate equivalency diplomas; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco offers over 50 educational programs and more than 100 work training courses and specializes in training the future workforce of the City and County of San Francisco in the hospitality, culinary, automotive, and construction industries; and WHEREAS, California's Student Success Score Card, a performance measurement system created by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to track student success at all community colleges in California, shows that  the  City College of San Francisco has a higher percentage of students who transfer to a four-year university or earn a vocational certificate than the statewide average; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco is a major job creator in the City and County of San Francisco, employing about 1,500 faculty members; and WHEREAS, The San Francisco Budget and Legislative Analyst has found that  the  City College of San Francisco generates well over $300 million in economic activity every year; and WHEREAS, In July, 2012, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges sanctioned  the  City College of San Francisco with a 'show cause' order, which required the college to remedy issues identified by the commission; and WHEREAS,  On July 31, 2014, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges will determine the accreditation status of the City College of San Francisco;     In July 2013, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges voted to terminate City College of San Francisco's accreditation effective July 31, 2014, subject to review and appeal;  and WHEREAS, Since the 'show cause' order issue in 2012,  the  City College of San Francisco has made substantial progress in remedying the issues identified by the commission; and WHEREAS,  The City College of San Francisco has hired a permanent chancellor, chief financial officer, chief counsel, and chief instructional officer, and filled other leadership positions; and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco has met nearly  85   95  percent of the 350 objectives  laid out   identified  by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior  Colleges to maintain its accreditation   Colleges   and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, and in the college's Roadmap to Success, and is now in substantial compliance with the accreditation standards,  but  is not likely to meet them all by   there are still changes the college must complete that will not be finalized by  July 31, 2014,  when the fate of its accreditation will be determined;   the date upon which the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges revocation decision is scheduled to become final;  and WHEREAS,  The  City College of San Francisco has asked for an extension of time to allow them to fully address the issues identified by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges but the commissioners have declined the request stating that federal law prevented them from granting an extension; and  WHEREAS, The California Community College Board of Governors has requested the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to rescind its termination of City College of San Francisco' s accreditation and send a visiting team to the college to document the progress that has been made; and WHEREAS, The United States Department of Education recently stated that the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges has the flexibility to give  the  City College of San Francisco additional time to remedy all outstanding issues without jeopardizing the commission's standing with the department; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate urges the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to consider the progress  the  City College of San Francisco has made and, as necessary, provide the college with additional time to continue solving problems and keep its accreditation intact; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.