WHEREAS, California Education Code § 78042 restricts the number of bachelor’s programs to 30 per academic year and prohibits California Community Colleges from offering bachelor’s degrees that duplicate programs already offered by the California State University or University of California systems [1], leading to the Cal State University system campuses consistently interjecting into the bachelor's degree applications, even when the bachelor's degree would not be a duplicate, citing duplicate upper divisional courses, specifically in the case of San Diego Mesa, they had been opposed by CSU San Bernardino because three upper divisional courses apart of the degree were offered at CSU San Bernardino's Campus, creating barriers that prevent the California Community Colleges from addressing critical workforce shortages [2] and diversifying academic offerings;
WHEREAS, The total cost of a baccalaureate degree at a California community college is approximately $10,560, with 72% of students graduating debt free [3], offering a lower cost of attendance than California State University or University of California systems, which result in a disproportionate debt burden on low-income students [4];
WHEREAS, Many students in rural or underserved areas face significant geographical and financial barriers that prevent them from transferring to a California State University or University of California campus, resulting in ending their education at the Associate degree level [5], and 63% of students in California Community College Baccalaureate Degree Programs were students of color and 75% fall under one or more underrepresented groups [3]; and
WHEREAS, The California Community College Baccalaureate Degree Program has paved the way for students to gain access to a bachelor's degrees in specialized and practical fields of studies, like Nursing, Health care, Wildfire Resilience, Forest Management, and Industrial and Mechanical Trades [6], with 56% of California Community College Baccalaureate Degree Program graduates stating they would not have otherwise pursued a degree [7], with graduates earning an average of $28,000 more annually, and with 98% of graduates earning a job in their field of study after graduation [3]; Now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges advocate for state legislation that removes the annual 30-program cap on new baccalaureate degree programs, allowing colleges to respond more actively to local labor market needs;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges collaborate with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to establish a student-led task force that identifies needed workforce sectors where new bachelor's programs should be prioritized for approval;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges seek, either to co-sponsor or sponsor legislation that removes or alleviates the barriers for baccalaureate degrees from needing to be one of the few baccalaureate programs reviewed every year, and institutes limitations to what the Cal State University system and the University of California system can object to, when a CCC Baccalaureate degree is considered a “duplicate”; and
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges collaborate in their advocacy for the expansion of Baccalaureate pathways in the CCC system with our system partners, the Cal State Student Association, and the University of California Student Association.
[1]-https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sec… deTreePath=3.2.7.1.6&lawCode=EDC
[2]-https://www.kqed.org/news/12023065/standstill-for-community-college-bac… mid-cal-state-dispute
[3]-https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/docs/general/CCCReasonsToSu… lorsDegreeOnePager-31723.pdf
[4]-https://www.ppic.org/publication/college-affordability-in-california/
[5]-https://civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CCB-CRP-…
[6]-https://www.ccleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-Baccalaureate-Degree-P… s.pdf
[7]-https://www.cccco.edu/-/media/CCCCO-Website/docs/presentation-slides/20… e-Degree-Workshop-Day-2-June-10-2025.pdf