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AB-2302 Postsecondary education: student transfer.(2009-2010)

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Assembly Bill No. 2302
CHAPTER 427

An act to add Sections 66721.4, 66721.8, and 66739.6 to the Education Code, relating to postsecondary education.

[ Approved by Governor  September 29, 2010. Filed with Secretary of State  September 29, 2010. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2302, 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.
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 require the California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to work together to establish the most effective methods to inform students, college advisers, and the general public about specified transfer pathways. The bill would require the final methods to be completed prior to the beginning of the fall term of the 2011–12 academic year and included as part of a specified report.
The bill would authorize community college districts to use the methods established by the California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to inform community college students of the California State University majors that are considered to be similar to community college majors or areas of emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for transfer.
(2) 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.
This bill would request the University of California to continue those efforts with a goal of working in collaboration with the California Community Colleges to design community college transfer degrees that provide students adequate preparation for entry into a major. The bill would also request the University of California to consider and implement other specified actions to increase transfer between the university and the California Community Colleges. The bill would request the University of California to provide an interim report on the university’s review, and a final report on the university’s implementation, of specified transfer pathways to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by specified dates.
(3) 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 require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in a manner that is consistent with the general common course numbering system used by community college districts, to establish a process to facilitate the identification of courses that satisfy lower division preparation requirements throughout the California Community Colleges system, which would be required to be included as part of a specified report.
(4) This bill would provide that it would not become operative unless SB 1440 of the 2010–11 Regular Session is chaptered.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 66721.4 is added to the Education Code, to read:

66721.4.
 (a) The California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall work together to establish the most effective methods to inform students, college advisers, and the general public about the associate degree for transfer and specific details that help students navigate this transfer pathway, as successfully as possible, pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745). The methods established by the California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall include, but not be limited to, Internet notification. The final methods determined by the two segments shall be completed prior to the beginning of the fall term of the 2011–12 academic year and included as part of the report required by subdivision (a) of Section 66749.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that community college students be informed of the California State University majors that are considered to be similar to community college majors or areas of emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for transfer pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745).
(c) A community college district may use the methods established by the California State University and the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, pursuant to subdivision (a), or a community college district may use other methods to inform community college students of the California State University majors that are considered to be similar to community college majors or areas of emphasis required to obtain an associate degree for transfer pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 66745).
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges not mandate community college districts to perform any new state reimbursable activity or program for purposes of implementing this section.

SEC. 2.

 Section 66721.8 is added to the Education Code, to read:

66721.8.
 (a) The Legislature finds and declares that a transparent process for transfer that is designed to assist students in identifying and taking the community college courses that will prepare them for success in specific University of California majors is a state priority.
(b) The Legislature recognizes that, pursuant to Section 66721.7, the University of California has been working with the California Community Colleges to examine and seek improvements to the transfer process. It is the intent of the Legislature that, as part of this ongoing effort, the creation of various viable pathways to transfer, including the development of an associate degree for transfer granted by community college districts, be considered by the University of California as it endeavors to enhance the transfer process.
(c) The University of California is requested to continue its examination of articulation of lower division major prerequisites in high-demand transfer majors with a goal of working in collaboration with the California Community Colleges to design community college transfer degrees that provide students adequate preparation for entry into a major. The University of California is also requested to consider offering guaranteed eligibility for admission into a University of California campus that accepts a designated community college transfer degree for admission into a designated University of California major. Further, the University of California is requested to implement pathways to qualify community college transfer courses for a designated University of California major by designating a series of community college courses that provide sufficient lower division preparation for a designated University of California major and that will be accepted by the University of California.
(d) The University of California is requested to provide an interim progress report on its review of the various transfer pathways discussed in this section to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before June 30, 2011, and to provide a final report to those committees, with specific findings regarding the University of California’s implementation of those transfer pathways, no later than December 31, 2011.

SEC. 3.

 Section 66739.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:

66739.6.
 In a manner that is consistent with Section 71027, the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall establish a process to facilitate the identification of courses that satisfy lower division preparation requirements throughout the California Community College system.
(b) A description of the process established by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to comply with subdivision (a) shall be included as part of the report required by subdivision (a) of Section 66749.
(c)  It is the intent of the Legislature that community college districts accept credits from other community college districts toward an associate degree for transfer.
(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2011.

SEC. 4.

 This act shall become operative only if Senate Bill 1440 of the 2010–11 Regular Session is chaptered.