66048.1.
For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:(a) “Cal-Bridge Program” means the statewide program established pursuant to this article.
(b) “CCC” means the California Community Colleges.
(c) “CSU” means the California State University.
(d) “PhD” means doctor of philosophy.
(e) “Scholars” means students participating in the Cal-Bridge Program.
(f) “STEM” means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(g) “STEM disciplines” include, but are not limited to, physics, astronomy, computer science, computer engineering, mathematics, and statistics disciplines.
(h) “UC” means the University of California.
66048.2.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) The Cal-Bridge Program is an intersegmental partnership of the California State University, the University of California, and the California Community Colleges.
(b) The mission of the Cal-Bridge Program is to create a pathway that promotes the advancement of California’s diverse undergraduate public postsecondary student population who major in STEM disciplines to pursue STEM PhDs and become members of California’s professorate or leaders in California’s technology industry.
(c) By providing a comprehensive, end-to-end pathway for the diverse undergraduates of the state’s
public postsecondary system to attain a PhD and join the California STEM professorate and technology industry leadership, the Cal-Bridge Program would transform higher education in California.
(d) By diversifying the California STEM professorate, the number of STEM majors from groups traditionally excluded from those disciplines would increase as those students see faculty who look like them.
(e) Training the next generation of technology industry leaders with PhDs in their disciplines would similarly transform the technology industry to make it more diverse and effective by using the full potential of the diverse California population.
66048.3.
(a) The Cal-Bridge Program is hereby established as a fully intersegmental partnership program between the CCC, CSU, and UC. The Cal-Bridge Program shall be independent of the CCC, CSU, and UC, but it shall be administratively housed at either a CSU or UC campus. The UC, CSU, and CCC shall collaboratively hire an executive director to administer the Cal-Bridge Program. The executive director shall hire support staff for the Cal-Bridge Program.(b) CCC, CSU, and UC students majoring in STEM disciplines shall be recruited into the Cal-Bridge Program. The Cal-Bridge Program shall have all of the following goals:
(1) Preparing students to apply to PhD programs in STEM disciplines, particularly UC STEM PhD programs.
(2) Supporting students in becoming PhD scholars and preparing them to become competitive postsecondary faculty candidates and leaders in California’s technology industry.
(3) Offering postdoctoral opportunities in the UC and CSU systems to further prepare students to become faculty in California’s postsecondary education system.
(4) Maintaining an ongoing support network of scholars and faculty to support the continuation and growth of the Cal-Bridge Program and to create a community of support.
(c) The Cal-Bridge Program shall consist of the following three distinct but interrelated programs:
(1) The Cal-Bridge Undergraduate Program, which shall provide all of the following types of support to CCC and CSU undergraduate scholars majoring in STEM disciplines with the goal of supporting them to successfully apply to STEM PhD programs:
(A) Mentorship by CSU and UC faculty.
(B) Financial support towards completing their undergraduate degrees.
(C) Professional development focused on guiding them through the PhD application process.
(D) Research opportunities in their STEM disciplines.
(2) The Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program, which shall provide all of the following types of support to students in CSU and UC STEM PhD programs,
particularly those in the UC system, to prepare them to become competitive postsecondary faculty candidates or leaders in California’s technology industry:
(A) Financial support towards completing their PhD degrees.
(B) Professional development in pedagogy and research leadership.
(C) Mentorship by Cal-Bridge Program-participating faculty that supplements the doctoral mentorship that these scholars receive in their PhD programs.
(3) The Cal-Bridge Postdoctoral Program, which shall provide additional preparation for postdoctoral scholars to become competitive faculty candidates. The Cal-Bridge Postdoctoral Program shall include all of the following:
(A) Cal-Bridge postdoctoral scholar
positions shall each be a two-year postdoctoral position.
(B) UC and CSU Cal-Bridge postdoctoral scholars shall be sponsored by a STEM-instructing faculty member of the applicable segment and receive on-campus research opportunities under the direct supervision of the faculty member.
(C) CSU postdoctoral scholars shall teach classes at the segment as the instructors of record.
(d) Funding appropriated for purposes of this article may be used to offer any of the following:
(1) Financial support to Cal-Bridge Undergraduate and Doctoral Program scholars.
(2) Summer research opportunities to Cal-Bridge Undergraduate Program scholars.
(3) Salaries and benefits to Cal-Bridge Postdoctoral Program scholars.
(4) Financial support for Cal-Bridge Program meetings and workshops relating to professional development, including travel expenses, venue rentals, stipends, and hiring consultants.
(5) Stipends to UC, CSU, and CCC faculty who take on Cal-Bridge Program mentorship or professional development roles.
(6) Financial support to UC, CSU, and CCC faculty who take on leadership roles in the Cal-Bridge Program, including course release funding, summer salaries, and stipends.
(7) Cal-Bridge Program administrative salaries or stipends, including funding to hire the Cal-Bridge Program executive director and support staff.
stipends.