Bill Text: CA AB2786 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 2786 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Public postsecondary education: Donahoe Higher Education

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [AB2786 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB2786-Amended.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 2786	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 21, 2016

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Ch�vez

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2016

   An act to add Section 66011.3 to the Education Code, relating to
public postsecondary education.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2786, as amended, Ch�vez. Public postsecondary education:
Donahoe Higher Education Act: 4-year baccalaureate degree.
   Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act, sets
forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's
public and independent segments of higher education, and the
campuses operated by those segments. The public segments of higher
education include the California State University, under the
administration of the Trustees of the California State University,
and the University of California, under the administration of the
Regents of the University of California.
   This bill would require the Trustees of the California State
University, and request the Regents of the University of California,
to offer eligible students of their respective segments an agreement
guaranteeing that a student who meets certain conditions may complete
a baccalaureate degree within 4 academic years, with the exception
of certain programs that may require up to 5 academic years to
complete. The bill would specify that a student who scores in an
unspecified percentile, or above, on a standardized college readiness
assessment would be presumed to be eligible to enter into an
agreement under the bill. The bill would require the agreement to
outline a general pathway for the coursework that the student must
complete in order to continue to be qualified for the guarantee and
receive his or her baccalaureate degree within the agreed-upon time.

   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 66011.3 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
   66011.3.  (a) The Trustees of the California State University
shall, and the Regents of the University of California are requested
to, offer eligible students of their respective segments an agreement
guaranteeing that a student who meets certain conditions may
complete a baccalaureate degree within four academic years. A campus
may provide for a longer period for programs such as engineering or
teacher training that may require more than four academic years to
complete, but under no circumstances may the time to a baccalaureate
degree agreed to under this section be extended beyond five academic
years.
   (b) An agreement entered into under this section shall comply with
all of the following:
   (1) A student who scores in the ____ percentile or above on any
standardized college readiness assessment test, such as the
Scholastic Aptitude Test, ACT, or any other widely administered
college readiness examination, shall be presumed to be eligible to
enter into the agreement. A student who scores below the top ____
percentile, but above the ____ percentile may take another test
chosen by the campus, and the campus shall establish a cut-off score
for eligibility for the program pursuant to that test.
   (2) The agreement shall be executed by a student and an authorized
representative of the campus before the end of the student's first
semester or quarter of enrollment at the campus.
   (3) The agreement shall outline a general pathway for the
coursework that the student must complete in order to continue to be
qualified for the guarantee and receive his or her baccalaureate
degree within the agreed-upon time. 
   (4) The student shall not be required to declare a major field
until the spring semester or quarter of the student's sophomore year.
 
   (4) Each campus shall, in accordance with policies adopted by the
trustees or the regents, as applicable, determine the latest possible
time for a participating student enrolled in a four-academic-year
degree program, or a degree program that may require up to five
academic years to complete as described in subdivision (a), to
declare a major, but the campus shall require a participating student
to declare his or her major no later than the fall semester, or
quarter, as applicable, of his or her sophomore year. 
   (5) The student shall be required to be a full-time student, and
maintain academic standards equivalent to those required pursuant to
Article 1 (commencing with Section 69430) of Chapter 1.7 of Part 42
for receipt of Cal Grant awards.
   (6) A student may also be required to attend orientation sessions
and student success workshops in order to remain eligible for the
guarantee.
   (7) A student who executes an agreement under this section shall
be granted priority for enrollment for each course that is part of
the general pathway outlined as part of the agreement pursuant to
paragraph (3).
   (8) A student who meets all of the requirements of the agreement
and, through no fault of his or her own, is unable to complete his or
her baccalaureate degree within the guaranteed period shall pay no
tuition to take the additional coursework required to complete that
degree.
   (c) As used in this section, "campus" means a campus of the
California State University or the University of California, as
applicable.