SB 520

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) The Donahoe Higher Education Act authorizes the activities of the 4 segments of the postsecondary education system in the state. These segments include the 3 public postsecondary segments: the University of California, administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, administered by the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Private and independent postsecondary educational institutions constitute the other segment. Provisions of the Donahoe Higher Education Act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the regents act, by resolution, to make them applicable. This bill would establish the California Online Student Access Incentive Grant programs as 3 separate programs under the administration of the President of the University of California, the Chancellor of the California State University, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, for each segment respectively, in consultation with their respective statewide academic senates. The bill would require the President of the University of California, the Chancellor of the California State University, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with their respective statewide academic senates, to each develop a list of 20 high-demand lower division courses at his or her segment that are deemed necessary for program completion, deemed satisfactory for meeting general education requirements, or in areas defined as transferable lower division courses under the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum. For these courses, the bill would require the president and chancellors, in consultation with their respective academic senates, to each provide up to 15 incentive grants to faculty and campuses to facilitate intersegmental and intrasegmental partnerships and partnerships between online course technology providers and faculty to significantly increase online options for students and high school pupils for the fall term of the 2014–15 academic year. The bill would require the online courses supported by incentive grant funds to be placed in the California Virtual Campus. The bill would require that matriculated students of campuses of the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges, and California high school pupils, who complete online courses supported by incentive grant funds and achieve a passing score on corresponding course examinations, be awarded full academic credit for the course at the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges, as applicable. The bill would provide that funding for the implementation of this provision would be provided in the annual Budget Act, and express the intent of the Legislature that the receipt of funding by the University of California for the implementation of this provision be contingent on its compliance with its requirements. The bill would prohibit public funds from being used to fund any private aspect of a partnership developed under the bill between faculty of the University of California, the California State University, or the California Community Colleges and an online course technology provider. This bill would provide that intellectual property developed by a segment in the implementation of the bill would be owned and managed by that segment according to its existing policies. Because this provision would require community colleges to award academic credit under these circumstances, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law, until January 1, 2014, establishes the California Virtual Campus to facilitate ongoing collaboration and joint efforts relating to the use of technology resources and high-speed Internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, workforce development, and research. Existing law, until January 1, 2014, authorizes the California Virtual Campus grant recipient to convene at least 4 leadership stakeholder group meetings annually comprised of representatives from the State Department of Education, the California Technology Assistance Project, and other related programs administered through the department, including adult education, local educational agencies, the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, independent colleges and universities, the California State Library, and representatives from community-based organizations to ensure the efforts affecting segments represented are appropriately meeting the needs of those segments. This bill would extend the provisions establishing the California Virtual Campus until January 1, 2017. This bill would require the representatives in the stakeholder group meetings from the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California to include, but not be limited to, faculty members from these institutions. This bill would make additional nonsubstantive changes in these provisions. By requiring faculty members from community college districts to attend these meetings, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.