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AB-387 Public postsecondary education: California State University: online education.(2013-2014)

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 30, 2013
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 15, 2013

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 387

Introduced by Assembly Member Levine

February 15, 2013

An act to add Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 89225) to Chapter 2 of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 387, as amended, Levine. Public postsecondary education: California State University: online education.
Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law specifies that 25 institutions of higher education comprise the California State University.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature that the California State University have a uniform definition of online education for the purposes of measuring its effectiveness. The bill would require the trustees to establish a series of uniform definitions for online education on or before January 1, 2015, as specified. The bill would require the trustees to report performance data about online education to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2017, and every 2 years until 2021. The bill would require, in the development of new programs of instruction at each campus of the California State University, that not less than 10% of new course offerings be online courses, as defined.
This bill would require the Trustees of the California State University trustees to report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2015, on the feasibility of developing an accelerated bachelor’s degree completion program consisting of online courses, courses aimed at students who started college but never obtained a degree.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares that the expansion of online education can increase accessibility, and accelerate degree completion. However, the value and effectiveness of new online education programs should properly be measured, and the Legislature should be provided with data to understand the effectiveness of online education.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the California State University develop a uniform definition of online education for the purposes of measuring its effectiveness.

SEC. 2.

 Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 89225) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  3.5. Online Education

89225.
 On or before January 1, 2015, for the purposes of measuring the effectiveness of online education, the trustees shall establish a series of uniform definitions for online education. The definitions developed by the trustees under this section shall, at a minimum, include a systemwide definition for an online course where the course can be entirely completed remotely.

89226.
 (a) On or before January 1, 2017, and on or before January 1 every two years thereafter, the trustees shall report to the Legislature key performance data on online courses as defined in Section 89225, including, but not necessarily limited to, all of the following:
(1) The number of students enrolled at each campus.
(2)  Course completion rates for courses other than online courses.
(3) Completion rates for degree programs that include no online courses.
(4) Grade point average for students enrolled in online courses.
(5) The number of students cross-enrolled in online courses at a California State University campus other than the campus at which they are matriculated.
(6) Course completion rates for students enrolled in online courses.
(7) Completion rates for degree programs that include online courses.
(b) Student enrollment and completion rate data included in a report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision section shall be made available by demographics, including age, gender, and ethnicity.
(c) (1) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (a) is inoperative on July 1, 2021, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
(2) The report prepared pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

89226.5.

In the development of new programs of instruction at each campus of the California State University, not less than 10 percent of new course offerings shall be online courses as defined in Section 89225.

SEC. 3.

 On or before January 1, 2015, the Trustees of the California State University shall report to the Legislature on the feasibility of developing an accelerated bachelor’s degree completion program consisting of online courses, courses aimed at students who started college but never obtained a degree. The report prepared pursuant to this section shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.