It soon could become much easier for California community colleges to create new bachelor\u2019s degree programs.<\/p>\n
The state\u2019s community colleges, which primarily offer certificates and two-year associate degrees, are permitted to create bachelor\u2019s degrees that fill workforce needs, but existing law allows them to do so only if they don\u2019t duplicate what\u2019s offered at California\u2019s four-year universities.<\/p>\n
Debate over what is and isn\u2019t duplication has created an ongoing turf war between the state\u2019s two largest higher education systems, with California State University campuses often objecting to new community college degrees, claiming duplication of their own programs. Amid those objections, final approvals of several degree offerings have been delayed for years.<\/p>\n
California lawmakers are weighing legislation to clarify \u2014 and significantly restrict \u2014 when the state\u2019s four-year universities can protest new community college bachelor\u2019s degree programs.<\/p>\n
Two separate bills, Senate Bill 960<\/a> and Assembly Bill 2694,<\/a> would prohibit four-year campuses from bringing objections if they aren\u2019t located in the same geographic area as the community college proposing the degree. Both bills are opposed by CSU.<\/p>\n The change would address a major point of frustration for community colleges, which have argued that location should be a relevant factor when determining whether a program is duplicative. In some cases, degrees have been blocked because of objections from CSU campuses located hundreds of miles away from the community college proposing the new program.<\/p>\n Supporters say the legislation would align California with other states, such as Washington and Florida, where duplication rules are much less strict for new community college bachelor\u2019s degrees. Community college officials say many of their students are place bound, meaning they can\u2019t leave their home area to attend college.<\/p>\n \u201cThe north star here is providing more access to bachelor\u2019s degree programs to students who don\u2019t have access to many of our CSUs up and down the state,\u201d said Assemblymember David A. Alvarez (D-San Diego).<\/p>\n How the bills would affect degrees<\/p>\n Alvarez is the author of AB 2694. SB 960 is authored by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon (D-West Sacramento).<\/p>\n Both proposals would also open the door to new community college bachelor\u2019s degrees even if they are similar to what\u2019s offered at a local CSU. The bills would prohibit colleges from claiming duplication if there is a workforce need not being filled by the four-year university\u2019s program.<\/p>\n Alvarez\u2019s bill is endorsed by dozens of community college districts and campuses. That includes some of the largest districts in the state, such as the San Diego Community College District, and some of the state\u2019s smallest and most remote colleges, including College of the Siskiyous.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to navigate this process, and there has not always been a clear and consistent definition of what constitutes duplication. We just want some clear boundaries,\u201d said Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District, which includes four colleges in the San Joaquin Valley.<\/p>\n CSU officials were not made available for an interview for this article. In a letter to lawmakers,<\/a> the system argued that the state should focus on improving transfer pathways between community colleges and CSU campuses rather than expanding community college bachelor\u2019s degrees.<\/p>\n \u201cExisting pathways, particularly the Associate Degree for Transfer and the Transfer Success Pathway, are the most affordable, proven and scalable route to a bachelor\u2019s degree, offering a clear two-year community college to two-year CSU pathway with guaranteed admission,\u201d wrote Christopher Morales, a senior legislative advocate at CSU.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next<\/p>\n Alvarez\u2019s bill cleared the Assembly last month and is headed to the Senate Education Committee. SB 960 similarly sailed through the Senate and Assembly Higher Education Committee.<\/p>\n It is likely that, at some point, the two bills will merge.<\/p>\n The biggest question is whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign whichever bill emerges from the Legislature. Newsom has previously vetoed other bills to expand community college bachelor\u2019s degree programs. Last year, he vetoed a bill, AB 1400, that would have authorized 10 community college districts to create bachelor\u2019s degrees in nursing.<\/p>\n In his veto message, Newsom encouraged community colleges to \u201cfocus on implementing\u201d degrees that existing law already permits.<\/p>\n