Notwithstanding Section 66010.4, and commencing January 1,
2015, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, in
consultation with the California State University and the University
of California, may authorize the establishment of district
baccalaureate degree pilot programs that meet all of the eligibility
requirements set forth in Section 78042. A district pilot program
established pursuant to this article shall commence no later than the
2017-18 academic year. A student participating in a baccalaureate
degree pilot program shall complete his or her degree by the end of
the 2022-23 academic year. For purposes of this section, a pilot
program commences when the first class of students begins the
program. The statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program shall
consist of a maximum of 15 districts, with one baccalaureate degree
program each, to be determined by the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges and approved by the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges.
(a) A district shall seek approval to offer a baccalaureate
degree program through the appropriate accreditation body.
(b) When seeking approval from the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges, a district shall maintain the primary
mission of the California Community Colleges specified in paragraph
(3) of subdivision (a) of Section 66010.4. The district, as part of
the baccalaureate degree pilot program, shall have the additional
mission to provide high-quality undergraduate education at an
affordable price for students and the state.
(c) As a condition of eligibility for consideration to participate
in the statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program, a district
shall have a written policy that requires all potential students who
wish to apply for a Board of Governors Fee Waiver pursuant to Section
76300 to complete and submit either a Free Application for Federal
Student Aid or a California Dream Act application in lieu of
completing the Board of Governors Fee Waiver application.
(d) A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
program, as determined by the governing board of the district and
approved by the Board of Governors of the California Community
Colleges, and subject to the following limitations:
(1) A district shall identify and document unmet workforce needs
in the subject area of the baccalaureate degree to be offered and
offer a baccalaureate degree at a campus in a subject area with unmet
workforce needs in the local community or region of the district.
(2) A baccalaureate degree pilot program shall not offer a
baccalaureate degree program or program curricula already offered by
the California State University or the University of California.
(3) A district shall have the expertise, resources, and student
interest to offer a quality baccalaureate degree in the chosen field
of study.
(4) A district shall not offer more than one baccalaureate degree
program within the district, which shall be limited to one campus
within the district.
(5) A district shall notify a student who applies to the district'
s baccalaureate degree pilot program that the student is required to
complete his or her baccalaureate degree by the end of the 2022-23
academic year, as specified in Section 78041.
(e) A district shall maintain separate records for students who
are enrolled in courses classified in the upper division and lower
division of a baccalaureate program. A student shall be reported as a
community college student for enrollment in a lower division course
and as a baccalaureate degree program student for enrollment in an
upper division course.
(f) A governing board of a district seeking authorization to offer
a baccalaureate degree pilot program shall submit all of the
following for review by the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges and approval by the Board of Governors of the California
Community Colleges:
(1) Documentation of the district's written policy required by
subdivision (c).
(2) The administrative plan for the baccalaureate degree pilot
program, including, but not limited to, the governing board of the
district's funding plan for its specific district.
(3) A description of the baccalaureate degree pilot program's
curriculum, faculty, and facilities.
(4) The enrollment projections for the baccalaureate degree pilot
program.
(5) Documentation regarding unmet workforce needs specifically
related to the proposed baccalaureate degree pilot program, and a
written statement supporting the necessity of a four-year degree for
that program.
(6) Documentation of consultation with the California State
University and the University of California regarding collaborative
approaches to meeting regional workforce needs.
(g) (1) On or before March 31, 2015, the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges shall develop, and adopt by
regulation, a funding model for the support of the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program that is based on a calculation of
the number of full-time equivalent students enrolled in all district
pilot programs.
(2) Funding for each full-time equivalent student shall be at a
marginal cost calculation, as determined by the Board of Governors of
the California Community Colleges, that shall not exceed the
community college credit instruction marginal cost calculation for a
full-time equivalent student, as determined pursuant to paragraph (2)
of subdivision (d) of Section 84750.5.
(3) A student in a baccalaureate degree pilot program authorized
by this article shall not be charged fees higher than the mandatory
systemwide fees charged for baccalaureate degree programs at the
California State University.
(4) Fees for coursework in a baccalaureate degree pilot program
shall be consistent with Article 1 (commencing with Section 76300) of
Chapter 2 of Part 47.
(5) A district shall, in addition to the fees charged pursuant to
paragraph (4), charge a fee for upper division coursework in a
baccalaureate degree pilot program of eighty-four dollars ($84) per
unit.
(h) (1) The Legislative Analyst's Office shall conduct both an
interim and a final statewide evaluation of the statewide
baccalaureate degree pilot program implemented pursuant to this
article.
(2) The results of the interim evaluation shall be reported as a
progress report, in writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on
or before July 1, 2018. The interim evaluation shall include, but is
not limited to, all of the following:
(A) How many, and which specific, districts applied for a
baccalaureate degree pilot program, and the baccalaureate degree
pilot programs they applied for.
(B) Which potential four-year baccalaureate degrees were denied
and why they were denied.
(C) Baccalaureate degree pilot program costs and the funding
sources that were used to finance these programs.
(D) Current trends in workforce demands that require four-year
degrees in the specific degree programs being offered through the
statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(E) Current completion rates, if available, for each cohort of
students participating in a baccalaureate degree pilot program.
(F) Information on the impact of baccalaureate degree pilot
program on underserved and underprepared students.
(3) The results of the final evaluation shall be reported, in
writing, to the Legislature and the Governor on or before July 1,
2022. The final evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all
of the following:
(A) The number of new district baccalaureate degree pilot programs
implemented, including information identifying the number of new
programs, applicants, admissions, enrollments, and degree recipients.
(B) The extent to which the baccalaureate degree pilot programs
established under this article fulfill identified workforce needs for
new baccalaureate degree programs, including statewide supply and
demand data that considers capacity at the California State
University, the University of California, and in California's
independent colleges and universities.
(C) Information on the place of employment of students and the
subsequent job placement of graduates.
(D) Baccalaureate degree program costs and the funding sources
that were used to finance these programs, including a calculation of
cost per degree awarded.
(E) The costs of the baccalaureate degree programs to students,
the amount of financial aid offered, and student debt levels of
graduates of the programs.
(F) Time-to-degree rates and completion rates for the
baccalaureate degree pilot programs.
(G) The extent to which the programs established under this
article are in compliance with the requirements of this article.
(H) Information on the impact of baccalaureate degree pilot
program on underserved and underprepared students.
(I) Recommendations on whether and how the statewide baccalaureate
degree pilot program can or should be extended and expanded.
(4) A district shall submit the information necessary to conduct
the evaluations required by paragraph (1), as determined by the
Legislative Analyst's Office, to the Chancellor of the California
Community Colleges, who shall provide the information to the
Legislative Analyst's Office upon request.
(5) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (2) or (3)
shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.
This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2023, and
as of January 1, 2024, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
that is enacted before January 1, 2024, deletes or extends that date.