Plain English Breakdown
The official text does not provide an effective date for these changes.
New Rules for Community College Bachelor's Degrees
This law adds new requirements for community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees, including meeting performance goals and limiting programs that are similar to those offered by state universities in the same area.
What This Bill Does
- Requires districts to show they meet or exceed goals for finishing associate degrees and certificates before starting a bachelor's program, or submit an improvement plan if they have not met these goals yet.
- Prohibits colleges from offering bachelor's programs that are substantially similar to those offered by the California State University or University of California in the same geographic region, unless there is documented unmet local workforce need or state universities do not enroll students from that area.
- Lowers the limit on how many bachelor's programs a college can have from 25% down to 15% of their total associate degree programs.
- Updates the review process so officials check if proposed courses are substantially similar only within the specific geographic region served by the community college district.
- Requires an annual report sent to lawmakers by March 1 on how these bachelor's programs are doing.
Who It Names or Affects
- California Community College districts that want to offer or currently offer bachelor's degrees
- The Board of Governors and Chancellor of the California Community Colleges who approve new programs
- The California State University and University of California systems which review proposed courses for similarity
Terms To Know
- Baccalaureate degree program
- A college course that leads to a bachelor's degree.
- Associate degree programs
- College courses that lead to an associate degree or certificate.
- Geographic region served
- The specific area where a community college draws its students and operates.
Limits and Unknowns
- The text does not state when these new rules will officially start or take effect.
- The bill uses the phrase 'substantially similar' but does not list the exact details of how officials measure this similarity.
- The source material does not explain what happens if a college fails to meet its improvement plan goals.