Bill Text: CA SB547 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Public postsecondary education: online courses.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-03 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB547 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SB547-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 547	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Block

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to add Chapter 11.5 (commencing with Section 66950) to Part
40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to
public postsecondary education.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 547, as introduced, Block. Public postsecondary education:
online courses.
   (1) Existing law, the Donahoe Higher Education Act, sets forth the
missions and functions of the segments of the public postsecondary
education system in the state, including 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. Provisions of the act are applicable to the University of
California only to the extent that the regents, by appropriate
resolution, make them applicable.
   Existing law requires the Board of Governors, the Trustees, and
the Regents, with appropriate consultation with the academic senates
of the respective segments, to jointly develop, maintain, and
disseminate a common core curriculum in general education courses for
the purpose of transfer. Existing law deems any person who completes
this transfer core curriculum as having completed all lower division
general education requirements for the University of California and
the California State University.
   This bill would require the academic senates of the University of
California, the California State University, and the California
Community Colleges to jointly develop and identify online courses
that would be made available to students of each of the 3 segments
for enrollment by the fall of 2014. The bill would require the online
courses to be in areas defined as high demand transferable lower
division courses under the Intersegmental General Education Transfer
Curriculum and to be deemed to meet the lower division transfer and
degree requirements for the 3 segments. The bill would require the
board of governors to create an Internet portal through the
California Virtual Campus that facilitates enrollment in the online
courses. The bill would require funding for implementation of the
bill to be provided for in the annual Budget Act, and would state the
intent of the Legislature that the University of California's
receipt of this funding be contingent upon its compliance with the
bill's requirements.
   Pursuant to existing law, this bill would be applicable to the
University of California only upon the adoption of an appropriate
resolution by the Regents.
   By placing additional requirements on community college districts,
the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
   (2) 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.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Chapter 11.5 (commencing with Section 66950) is added
to Part 40 of Division 5 of Title 3 of the Education Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 11.5.  ONLINE COURSES


   66950.  (a) The academic senates of the University of California,
the California State University, and the California Community
Colleges shall jointly develop and identify online courses that shall
be made available to students of each of the three segments for
enrollment by the fall of 2014. The online courses shall be in areas
defined as high demand transferable lower division courses under the
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum.
   (b) The online courses developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall
be deemed to meet the lower division transfer and degree
requirements for the University of California, the California State
University, and the California Community Colleges.
   (c) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges
shall create an Internet portal through the California Virtual Campus
that facilitates enrollment in the courses developed pursuant to
subdivision (a).
   (d) The University of California, the California State University,
and the California Community Colleges shall do both of the
following:
   (1) Develop a process for determining and identifying which
students are most likely to succeed in the online courses developed
pursuant to subdivision (a) and target enrollment efforts toward
those students.
   (2) Inform students of the technical requirements a student must
satisfy in order to successfully participate in and complete the
online courses developed pursuant to subdivision (a).
   (e) (1) Funding for the implementation of this section shall be
provided for in the annual Budget Act.
   (2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the University of
California's receipt of funding for the implementation of this
section be contingent upon its compliance with the requirements of
this section, notwithstanding Section 67400.
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.