Postsecondary education: associate degrees for transfer.

Existing law establishes systems of public elementary and secondary education in this state, and assigns numerous duties to the State Department of Education for the governance and funding of those systems. Existing law also establishes segments of postsecondary education that include the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, and independent institutions of higher education. Existing law establishes the associate degree for transfer program, under which community college students progressing through designated courses of study may be admitted as juniors to campuses of the California State University, the University of California, or certain other participating institutions of higher education in order to progress to baccalaureate degrees in similar majors or courses of study. The associate degree for transfer program is designed for students to avoid taking duplicate coursework and to progress to these degrees in an efficient manner. This bill would require the State Department of Education to collaborate with the Trustees of the California State University and the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges to examine the feasibility of integrating academic pathways and degrees into the associate degree for transfer program that would require the attainment of more than 120 semester units for a student to progress to a baccalaureate degree. The bill would also require the department to request the Regents of the University of California to participate in this examination.