(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 commence the student’s baccalaureate degree by the beginning 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 degree 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 the 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 February 1, 2020. 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 the 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.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 98. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021. Inoperative July 1, 2026. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 78043.)