Assembly Bills 928 and 1111 reimagine transfer from a student-centered perspective
SACRAMENTO – At a signing ceremony at California State University, Northridge earlier today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed historic legislation easing the path for community college students to transfer to a four-year university. Assembly Bills 928 and 1111, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), address unnecessary barriers within the transfer process and require greater collaboration between California’s higher education systems.
“Over the last five years I’ve held hearings across California to discuss higher education issues,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman, Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education in California. “When students discussed their experience with the transfer process from community college to four-year university their message was loud and clear: transfer is too complex, confusing, and difficult to navigate. Instead of being a clear path, it’s a maze, and it’s costing students time and money that they can’t afford. Together AB 928 and 1111 will make it easier for students to achieve their educational goals. I am grateful that Governor Newsom signed these historic bills, and for the advocates and students who inspired these reforms.”
AB 928 transforms the transfer process from the student perspective, removing barriers to the successful but underutilized Associate Degree for Transfer and establishing a single general education pathway that meets transfer admission to both CSU and UC. AB 1111 removes another transfer barrier by requiring comparable community college classes to have the same course number through a common course numbering system, reducing student confusion.
What Others Are Saying:
“We’re turning commitments into reality by ensuring that our students have more access to high-quality educational opportunities, creating a change of course for generations to come and bolstering California’s innovation economy. Californians have thrived at our world class universities for decades, but not everyone has had similar access – today that’s changing. Everyone deserves a shot at the ‘California Dream’ – we’re eliminating equity gaps and increasing opportunities at our universities to make those dreams a reality for more California students.” – Governor Gavin Newsom
“California continues to lead the way in creating an equitable path to a bachelor’s degree for millions of students across the state. AB 928 builds on the work I envisioned ten years ago, working with the Campaign for College Opportunity, students, civil rights and business leaders in creating the Associate Degree for Transfer to help support and streamline the process for community college students to transfer to a university. I applaud Assemblymember Berman, the California state legislature and Governor Newsom for continuing this critical work to ensure our students are prepared for success and ready to meet future workforce needs.” – U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
“For the millions of community college students in California who dream of attending a university, today’s action ensures that dreams can become a reality. Fixing transfer is one of the most significant ways to improve student success, close racial equity gaps in higher education, and ensure our state can meet future workforce needs. We thank Governor Newsom for his commitment to strengthening higher education in California and commend the unwavering leadership of higher education and student champion Assemblymember Marc Berman, Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis, and the Legislature for fixing transfer so that more community colleges have a clear path into our universities.” – Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity.
About AB 928 and AB 1111:
Only 19 percent of students with a transfer goal successfully transfer within four years, and only 28 percent transfer within six years. AB 928 addresses these unacceptable, yet persistent community college transfer rates by increasing coordination between California’s public colleges and universities and eliminating unnecessary hurdles that keep students from transferring.
Specifically, AB 928 establishes a committee to provide coordination between California’s higher education systems to significantly increase transfer and close racial equity gaps, requires the creation of a single lower division general education pathway that meets transfer admission requirements to both CSU and UC, and ensures every community college student wanting to transfer is placed on the Associate Degree for Transfer pathway.
AB 1111 requires all California Community Colleges to adopt a common course numbering system for all general education requirement courses and transfer pathway courses. The State Budget includes $10 million to fund the creation of a common course numbering system.
Both bills passed out of the Legislature with unanimous support. AB 928 is co-sponsored by the Campaign for College Opportunity, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, the Cal State Student Association, and the University of California Student Association. AB 1111 is co-sponsored by the Campaign for College Opportunity, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.
Contact: Kaitlin Curry, (916) 319-2024