Legislature Approves Community Colleges Giving 4-Year Degrees

By Mirna Alfonso/Editor (Patch Staff)

A bill allowing community colleges to offer four-year degrees when a local workforce need can be shown is on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk after being passed by the Senate this week.

State Sen. Ricardo Lara is a co-author of SB 850.

State Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, described SB 850 as a jobs bill.

“This is landmark legislation that is a game changer for California’s higher education system and our workforce preparedness,’’ Block said.

“SB 850 boosts the focus of our community colleges on job training now when California faces a major skills gap in our workforce.’’

Currently, only the University of California and the California State University systems can offer public four-year degrees. Block noted that by 2025, California will need a million more adults with four-year degrees.

“We need to use all of California’s resources -- including our community colleges -- to close that gap,’’ Block said.

Block said that more than 20 states already allow community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees.

SB 850 authorizes the community college system to establish a pilot program that would allow no more than 15 campuses from 15 different districts to offer one baccalaureate degree each starting Jan. 1, 2015, and ending July 1, 2023.

Programs would begin no later than the 2017-18 academic year.

The degrees offered would be in disciplines other than those offered at existing public four-year schools and those sorts of degrees must be in demand, according to the bill.

“The bill would require participating community college districts to meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to, offering baccalaureate degree programs and program curricula not offered by the California State University or the University of California, and in subject areas with unmet workforce needs, as specified,” reads the text of a summary.

--City News Service contributed to this report.