Oppose Expansion of Former CPEC Mission and Creation of a Higher Education Oversight Body That Does Not Contain Segmental Representation

Spring
2015
Resolution Number
06.01
 
Contact
Assigned to
Legislative and Advocacy Committee
Category
State and Legislative Issues
Status
Completed
Status Report

The ASCCC submitted a "watch with concern" letter dated 12/02/14 to the author of SB42 in opposition to the legislation as written. In partnership with FACCC, the ASCCC submitted a letter on 4/27/15 to the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee opposing SB42. SB42 was vetoed by the Governor on 10/07/15. AB 1837 (Low) would establish the Office of Higher Education Performance and Accountability as a replacement for CPEC. The ASCCC submitted a "support, if amended" letter on 04/26/16 requesting inclusion of representatives from higher education on the advisory board. AB2434 (Bonta) would establish a Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Postsecondary Education to make recommendations on improving access and affordability in postsecondary education for Californians. The ASCCC submitted an "oppose, unless amended" letter requiesting inclusion of representative from higher education on the commission.  The ASCCC will continue to oppose any legislation that is in contradiction to the principles stated in Resolution 6.01 S15.

Whereas, California law establishes the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) as the coordinating and planning agency for statewide postsecondary education, but CPEC was defunded by the governor in 2011 and its statutory functions did not include oversight of higher education;

Whereas, SB 42 (Liu, 2015, as of December 2, 2014), according to the Legislative Council’s Digest, “would change the composition of, and rename, CPEC as the California Commission on Higher Education Performance and Accountability, and would recast and revise its various functions and responsibilities,” significantly broadening the previous functions of CPEC;

Whereas, Among the functions assigned to the California Commission on Higher Education Performance and Accountability under SB 42 (Liu, 2015, as of December 2, 2014) is to “increase educational achievement in postsecondary educational institutions, close educational achievement gaps, and prepare citizens for the workforce,” which demonstrates the potentially intrusive and inappropriate new scope of the proposed commission charge; and

Whereas, SB 42 (Liu, 2015, as of December 2, 2014) specifically excludes segmental representation on the California Commission on Higher Education Performance and Accountability, stating that “aperson who is employed byany institution of public or private postsecondary education shall not be appointed to or serve on the commission, except that a person who is not a permanent, full-time employee and who has part-time teaching duties that do not exceed six hours per week may be appointed to and serve on the commission,” thus ensuring that a commission composed of individuals who may not have understanding of higher education will have an oversight role in California higher education;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges oppose SB 42 (Liu, 2015, as of December 2, 2014) and any further legislation that would seek to create an oversight body for California higher education that is not primarily composed of segmental representation; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges oppose legislation that proposes to expand the former role of CPEC into areas that intrude on decisions properly made by representatives of the California higher education segments themselves.

MSA