. GOOD AFTERNOON. THE ASSEMBLY
HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE IS
CALLED TO ORDER. WELCOME TO THE
ASSEMBLY. HIGHER EDUCATION
COMMITTEE'S FIRST WEEKLY
HEARINGS THIS MONTH. WHETHER
YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON OR
WATCHING VIRTUALLY, I EXTEND A
WARM WELCOME TO YOU ALL. I WILL
NOW GO OVER SOME KEY ELEMENTS OF
THE STRUCTURE OF TODAY'S
HEARING. PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE
THIS HEARING WILL NOT HAVE PHONE
TESTIMONY, WE ARE ACCEPTING
WRITTEN TESTIMONY THROUGH THE
POSITION LETTER PORTAL ON THE
COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE AT.
WAHID.ASSEMBLY.CA.GOV. BILLS
WILL BE TAKEN UP AND SIGN IN
ORDER. AUTHORS, YOU CAN PLEASE
SIGN IN AT THE SERGEANT'S DESK
IN ROOM 437. ADDITIONALLY,
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GUIDELINE
FOR BILL IS HEARD IN THIS
COMMITTEE IS TO ALLOW FOR
TESTIMONY FROM TWO LEAD
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT AND TWO
LEAD WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION TO
SPEAK FOR NO MORE THAN TWO
MINUTES EACH. STAKEHOLDER GROUPS
AND ENTITIES THAT ARE NEITHER IN
SUPPORT NOR IN OPPOSITION WILL
BE ALLOWED TO GIVE TESTIMONY FOR
NO MORE THAN TWO MINUTES. WHEN A
CALL FOR TWEENERS. IF A MEASURE
HAS MORE THAN TWO ENTITIES IN
THE TWEENER CATEGORY, ONLY TWO
WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK FOR TWO
MINUTES EACH. FOR MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS. IF YOU LIKE
TO RESPOND TO A ROLL CALL, ASK A
QUESTION AND PROVIDE A COMMENT.
PLEASE BE SURE TO ACTIVATE YOUR
MIC AND SPEAK INTO YOUR MIC FOR
AUTHORS UP FOR AUTHORS OF BILLS
UP TODAY AUTHORS, EACH MEMBER
PRESENTING TODAY WILL PROVIDE AN
OPENING STATEMENT AND A CLOSING
STATEMENT. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED,
YOUR TWO LEAD WITNESSES WILL
EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES TO PROVIDE
TESTIMONY. AND THEN IN TERMS OF
TODAY'S ACTUAL HEARING, PLEASE
NOTE THAT ASSEMBLYMEMBER MIGUEL
SANTIAGO WILL BE PRESENTING FILE
ITEM NUMBER FOR ASSEMBLY BILL
2070 ON BEHALF OF ASSEMBLY
MEMBER SABRINA CERVANTES.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE 12
MEASURES ON THE AGENDA TODAY AND
ONCE WE HAVE QUORUM, WE'LL TAKE
UP THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND
MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE. WE
HAVE FIVE MEMBERS RIGHT NOW.
DOCTOR JACKSON, IT'S, MEMBER CAN
COME IN AND CAN ESTABLISH
QUORUM. THANK YOU. SO MUCH,
DOCTOR JACKSON. AND THEN WE'LL
TAKE UP THE CONSENT CALENDAR. AT
THE TIME, THE CONSENT CALENDAR
ITEMS AS ARE AS FOLLOWS. ITEM
NUMBER THREE FIVE. ITEM SIX,
SEVEN AND EIGHT. SO WE'LL START
Þ. PERFECT. LET'S, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR JACKSON. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. BERNARD. WE'RE
GOING TO CALL THE ESTABLISH A
QUORUM. PLEASE COME HERE TO HEAR
ARAMBULA BURNER. CHEN A SALLY
ERWIN JACKSON HERE. LO Þ. DOCTOR
JACKSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
APPRECIATE IT. MURATSUCHI
QUIRK-SILVA. ALL RIGHT. PERFECT.
WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS ON CONSENT.
CONSENT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A
MOTION AND A SECOND. SO WE'LL DO
THE CONSENT. I'M SORRY. BUT WE
HAVE QUORUM. BUT IF WE CAN. OH
I'M SORRY. YEAH. OKAY OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AT THIS TIME,
WE'LL TAKE UP THE CONSENT
CALENDAR. I KNOW IT'S A VERY
BUSY DAY IN COMMITTEES AND
APPRECIATE, MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE AND ALL THE AUTHORS
FOR THE FLEXIBILITY WE HAVE FOR
MEMBERS ON CONSENT. FILE ITEM
NUMBER THREE, ASSEMBLY BILL
2044, AUTHORED BY ASSEMBLY
MEMBER PHIL CHEN. FILE ITEM
NUMBER SIX. ASSEMBLY BILL 2184,
AUTHORED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER
LAURIE DAVIES. FILE NUMBER
SEVEN. ASSEMBLY BILL 2275,
AUTHORED BY MYSELF AND FILE ITEM
NUMBER EIGHT, AB 2305, AUTHORED
BY MYSELF, WITH THAT WE HAVE A
MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL.
PLEASE. FILE ITEM NUMBER THREE,
THE MOTION AB 2044. THE MOTION
IS TO PASS APPROPRIATIONS FILE
ITEM NUMBER 62184. THE MOTION IS
DUE PASSED TO APPROPRIATIONS
FILE. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN AB 2275.
THE MOTION IS Dð. PASS TO
APPROPRIATIONS FILE. ITEM NUMBER
EIGHT AB 2305. THE MOTION IS Dð.
PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS. FONG I
FONG. EYE TO EYE TO EYE.
ARAMBULA ARAMBULA. EYE BURNER.
EYE BURNER I CHEN AZALI. IRWIN
JACKSON. LOW, LOW I MURATSUCHI
QUIRK-SILVA. THAT MEASURE HAS
FIVE EYES, AND WE'LL KEEP THE
ROLL OPEN FOR ADDITIONAL MEMBERS
TO SIGN ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NOW WE'LL GO THROUGH THE BILLS
AND AUTHOR SIGN IN ORDER, THE
FIRST AUTHOR WAS SUMMER
SANTIAGO. I DON'T SEE HIM. NEXT
IS A SUMMER BERMAN, BERMAN. SO
WE HAVE A SIMILAR LIST. GÓMEZ.
REYES. WELCOME. PRESENTING ITEM
NUMBER TWO, ASSEMBLY BILL 2033
ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER
CARDS. WELCOME, SUMMER. GÓMEZ
REYES. SECOND MOTION A SECOND.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS, AB 2033 BASICALLY DOES
TWO THINGS. WE KNOW THAT STUDENT
. HUNGER ON OUR CAMPUSES IS A
SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE CALIFORNIA
STUDENT AID COMMISSION, HAS A
REPORT THAT SHOWS THAT BETWEEN
400,000 AND $750,000 OF
CALIFORNIA'S POST-SECONDARY
STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR
CALFRESH. HOWEVER, ONLY 127,000
STUDENTS RECEIVE THESE BENEFITS.
CGRTS AB 2033. THE EBT ACCESS
FOR STUDENT EMPOWERMENT OR EASE
ACT WILL DO TWO THINGS. ONE IS
THAT IT WILL REQUIRE OUR
COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND CSUS AND
REQUEST THAT OUR UCS HAVE AT
LEAST ONE VENDOR ON CAMPUS THAT
ACCEPTS EBT. THE SECOND IS THAT
THEY WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE
RESOURCES, AND THIS IS WHEN THEY
PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE
STUDENTS. THEY LET THEM KNOW
WHAT THE RESOURCES ARE ON OTHER
EBT VENDORS WAS WITHIN A 25 MILE
RADIUS FROM THE CAMPUS. THIS IS
A LINK. AND WHEN THE STUDENTS
COME IN, IT IS PROVIDED IN THE
WRITTEN LITERATURE THAT THEY
RECEIVE THE LINK THAT THAT SHOWS
WHAT THIS IS. WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS DO HAVE
ACCESS TO THE VERY BENEFITS
THEY'VE ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR
CAL FRESH. THEY HAVE THEIR EBT
CARD. WE NEED OUR CAMPUSES TO
PROVIDE THIS. ALSO, MANY CSUS
AND UC CAMPUSES HAVE BASIC
NEEDS. CENTERS AND THEY THESE
BASIC NEEDS CENTERS ALSO HAVE
COORDINATORS, SO THIS WILL
CODIFY THE EXISTENCE OF THESE
CENTERS. AND THE COORDINATORS
WILL US TO TESTIFY HERE TODAY IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL ARE ROBERT
ALEXANDER, A STUDENT FROM SAN
BERNARDINO VALLEY COLLEGE AND
VICE PRESIDENT OF REGIONAL
AFFAIRS FOR THE STUDENT SENATE
FOR CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES. AND HEATHER
WILLOUGHBY, A RECENT GRADUATE OF
UC SANTA CRUZ, A STUDENT, PARENT
AND AN EBT ADVOCATE. THANK YOU.
WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS, MY
NAME IS ROBERT ALEXANDER. I'M
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF REGIONAL
AFFAIRS FOR THE STUDENT SENATE
OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES, THE SS TRIPLE C
STUDENT SENATE FOR CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES REPRESENTS
116 COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OVER
2 MILLION STUDENTS. THE VOICES
OF THE STUDENTS, ONE OF THE MOST
COMMON STUDENT ELIGIBILITY FOR
SNAP BENEFITS. ONE OF THE TOP
REASONS ISSUES OF STUDENTS FACE
TODAY IS FOOD INSECURITIES. IT
IS NOT EASY TO ACCESS FOOD AND
MEALS ON CAMPUS SOMETIMES IF YOU
ONLY HAVE EPI BENEFITS AND YOUR
LOW INCOME MEALS. OUR STUDENTS
SUCCESS. IF YOU ARE HUNGRY AND
YOU'RE STARVING, YOU CANNOT
THINK ABOUT A TEST. YOU THINK
ABOUT HUNGER, YOUR FOOD. IT
AFFECTS YOUR GRADES. IT AFFECTS
YOUR YOUR SUCCESS. IN COLLEGE,
IT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT. STUDENT
ACCESS TO, EBT BENEFITS AND SNAP
BENEFITS ON CAMPUS WILL BE A
SIGNIFICANT ROLE TO PLAY FOR
STUDENTS NOT HAVING TO LEAVE
CAMPUS, AND THAT'S VERY
SIGNIFICANT, I HAVE A STORY OF A
STUDENT LEADER THAT WAS ON MY
CAMPUS, A COLLEGE STUDENT,
SENATE, COLLEGE PRESIDENT AT
CRAFTON HILLS COLLEGE WITHIN OUR
DISTRICT. AND, HE WENT SOFA TO
SOFA, LIVED IN A CAR. HE
COULDN'T, RELOCATE, MOVE AROUND,
DUE TO, YOU KNOW, HE'S AFRAID
THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WOULDN'T HAVE
ENOUGH GAS TO GET BACK TO CAMPUS
TO UTILIZE, YOU KNOW, FOOD, THAT
WAS REALLY SIGNIFICANT TO HIM.
HE STRUGGLED WITH IT, BEING A
SINGLE FATHER OF TWO CHILDREN, I
STRUGGLED WHEN I FIRST INITIATED
INTO COLLEGE, TRYING TO SUPPORT
THEM. I LOOKED AT THE FACTORS
OF, YOU KNOW, DO I DRIVE HOME ON
DAYS THAT I WAS LOW ON GAS? DO I
EAT OUT, YOU KNOW WHERE THAT
DOLLAR GOES, I HAD ATE,
OBVIOUSLY ATE WAS NOT SO
ACCESSIBLE, AND IT WOULD HAVE
MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. I KNOW
FOR MYSELF AND MANY COLLEGE
STUDENTS, AS I SAID BEFORE, FOOD
INSECURITY IS A BIG THING FOR
COLLEGE STUDENTS, THE SS TRIPLE
C IS VERY PROUD TO SPONSOR THIS
BILL BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY GOING
TO GIVE ACCESS TO SNAP BENEFITS
TO STUDENTS THAT ALREADY ARE
ENTITLED TO THEM, BUT IT'S GOING
TO GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE FOOD
ON CAMPUSES, AND NOT ONLY THAT,
IT'S GOING TO BROADEN THE FOOD
ITEMS ON CAMPUSES FOR STUDENTS
THAT CAN AFFORD IT. THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE MORE NUTRITIOUS
MEALS AS WELL, YES, I WOULD I
THINK I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
CHAIR AND THE MEMBERS FOR YOUR
TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. WELCOME. AND SORRY,
I DON'T KNOW ALL THE NICETIES OF
HOW TO ANNOUNCE MYSELF OR SUCH,
BUT INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR
COMMENTS. WELCOME, HEATHER
WILLOUGHBY. AND I'M HERE IN
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. MY
EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT PARENT,
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AS A, YOU
KNOW, A STUDENT THAT HAD STOPPED
OUT AND LEFT MY DEGREE FOR 20
YEARS AND DECIDED TO COME BACK
TO IT WHEN I BECAME A SOLO
PARENT, I HAD A LOT OF STRUGGLES
WITH FOOD ON CAMPUS, ONE OF MY
BIGGEST STRUGGLES WAS ACTUALLY
THE FACT THAT I LIVED IN A
STUDIO WITH MY DAUGHTER, AND SO
IT MADE MAKING MEALS VERY
DIFFICULT BECAUSE OFTENTIMES I
WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO DISHES OR
ANYTHING BECAUSE BASICALLY IT
WOULD WAKE MY CHILD. IT WAS
STILL IN THE SAME ROOM. SO I
REALLY RELIED HEAVILY ON A LOT
OF THE SERVICES THAT WERE
PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY IN
CHILDCARE. SHE WAS ABLE TO HAVE
BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND SNACKS AND
SO OFTENTIMES I, I FOCUSED ON
JUST GETTING HER TO SCHOOL AND
MAYBE NOT MY OWN FOOD NEEDS AS
MUCH, ALSO, SHE WAS A VERY
FINICKY TODDLER. SO, YOU KNOW,
SOMETIMES I WOULD TRY TO FEED
HER AND SHE'D BE LIKE, NO. AND
I'D BE LIKE, I DON'T HAVE ANY
MORE MONEY TO GET MORE FOOD.
BUT, MORE TO THE POINT, WE'VE
DONE A LOT OF, LIKE, BUILD UP OF
BASIC NEEDS STUFF. IT'S BEEN
REALLY AMAZING AND REALLY
INCREDIBLE. BUT SOMETIMES WHEN I
GO TO GET A, YOU KNOW, A BOX OF
CEREAL AT A FOOD PANTRY, I ALSO
AM NOT GETTING A THING OF MILK.
YOU KNOW, AND SO NOT BEING ABLE
TO UTILIZE ET ON CAMPUS REALLY
KIND OF LIKE CREATES THAT VACUUM
OF LIKE I HAVE MORE TIME POVERTY
NOW BECAUSE NOW I HAVE TO GET IN
MY CAR AND GO DOWN TO THE STORE,
WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US
ARE IN FOOD DESERTS IF WE'RE NOT
GETTING OUR FOOD ON CAMPUS, IT
CREATES A KIND OF SNOWBALL
EFFECT OF WHERE I'M LOSING MORE
TIME WITH MY, MY FAMILY AND I'M
LOSING MORE TIME WITH MY
STUDIES. SO I'M REALLY DEEPLY IN
SUPPORT OF THIS BILL BECAUSE
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN
WORKING SUPER HARD TO MAKE SURE
IT HAPPENS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ARE THERE WITNESSES IN SUPPORT
IN THE HEARING ROOM? THE
WITNESSES PLEASE COME UP TO THE
MIC.
A.J. JOHNSON WITH CALIFORNIA
COMPETES HIGHER EDUCATION FOR A
STRONG ECONOMY AND SUPPORT.
THANK YOU, STEPHANIE GOLDMAN, ON
BEHALF OF THE STUDENT SENATE FOR
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, IS
PROUD TO SPONSOR THIS BILL. GOOD
AFTERNOON. PORTION WOULD YOU
ASPIRE? WE ARE ALSO PROUD TO BE
A CO-SPONSOR IN THIS BILL. AND
THANK YOU TO THE MEMBER FOR
INTRODUCING IT. GOOD AFTERNOON.
DANIELA RODRIGUEZ WITH THE
CALIFORNIA STUDENT COMMISSION
AND SUPPORT. HI. MY NAME IS
CRYSTAL BAILEY AND I'M A UCSC
STUDENT PARENT UNDERGRAD
STUDENT. AND I'M IN SUPPORT.
HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON, WENDY
BRILL WYNKOOP, PRESIDENT OF THE
FACULTY ASSOCIATION OF THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES,
PROUD CO-SPONSOR. AND THANK YOU,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER REYES FOR THIS
BILL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE
THERE WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION IN
THE HEARING ROOM? ARE THERE
TWEENERS IN THE HEARING ROOM?
COLLEAGUES, ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. YES I'M
SORRY. CAN I DO A QUICK WIENER?
YES. GO AHEAD. HI. JUST A VERY
QUICK COMMENT. MAGGIE WHITE,
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY. WE
DON'T YET HAVE A POSITION, BUT
JUST WANT TO THANK THE AUTHOR,
HER HARD WORKING STAFF AND THE
SPONSORS FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS
IMPORTANT TOPIC. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH COLLEAGUES.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
SEEING NONE. ASSEMBLYMAN, I
WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE. THANK YOU.
I DO WANT TO THANK MY WITNESSES
FOR BEING HERE. IT'S IMPORTANT
TO HEAR FROM THE STUDENTS AND
WHAT THEIR STRUGGLES ARE, FOOD
INSECURITY IS A SERIOUS ISSUE ON
CAMPUS, AND THIS IS JUST ONE WAY
TO ADDRESS IT. AND WITH THAT, I
WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR
AYE VOTE WHEN YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, THANK YOU SO
MUCH, REYES, FOR BRINGING THIS A
VERY IMPORTANT MEASURE FORWARD
AND PROVIDING RESOURCES TO
ADDRESS STUDENT BASIC NEEDS IS
SO CRITICAL, AND IT SHOULD BE A
BASIC TENET OF CAMPUS CULTURE. I
APPRECIATE YOUR THE AUTHOR'S
WILLINGNESS AND THOUGHTFUL
CONSIDERATION FOR EXPANDING
PREVIOUSLY SUCCESSFUL
LEGISLATION FOR OUR CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, NOW
EXPANDING IT TO THE CSU AND UC.
I CITED ANALYSIS I URGE TO OFFER
TO CONTINUE IN CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE CSU AND UC TO ENSURE
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS
MEASURE WILL NOT RESULT IN A
REDUCTION OF STAFF OVERSEEING A
BASIC NEEDS RESOURCES PROGRAM.
AND WITH THAT, I LOOK FORWARD TO
SUPPORTING THE MEASURE HERE
TODAY. AND WE ACTUALLY
ESTABLISHED QUORUM EARLIER. SO
WE'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL AND THEN
WE'LL ADD ON AFTERWARDS. SO
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU CAN CALL
THE ROLL PLEASE FILE ITEM NUMBER
TWO AB 2033. THE MOTION IS DUE.
PASS TO THE HUMAN SERVICES
COMMITTEE. FONG I FONG I TO I TO
I ARAMBULA BURNER I BURNER I
CHEN A SALLY ERWIN JACKSON.
JACKSON I LOW LO I MURATSUCHI
QUIRK-SILVA. THAT MEASURE HAS
FIVE EYES. AND WE'LL KEEP THE
ROLL OPEN FOR ADDITIONAL MEMBERS
ADD ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT
UP, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME
ASSEMBLYMAN BERMAN WITH ITEM
NUMBER 11, ASSEMBLY BILL
2402458. WELCOME GOOD.
TO SEE. SO WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW
UP ONE GOOD STUDENT PARENT BILL
WITH ANOTHER ONE, I WOULD LIKE
TO BEGIN BY THANKING COMMITTEE
STAFF FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS
BILL. I WILL BE ACCEPTING THE
COMMITTEE'S AMENDMENTS DESCRIBED
IN THE ANALYSIS. I'M SECOND.
LOVE IT. SECOND, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. I'M PROUD TO CONTINUE TO
HIGHLIGHT AND AUTHOR LEGISLATION
TO MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION
ATTAINABLE FOR STUDENT PARENTS.
FOR STUDENT PARENTS, THE COST OF
COLLEGE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
BARRIERS TO ACCESSING AND
COMPLETING THEIR HIGHER
EDUCATION. WHILE STUDENT PARENTS
HAVE ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE
EXPENSES, THESE COSTS ARE NOT
CURRENTLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN A
COLLEGE'S ESTIMATE OF A STUDENT
PARENTS COST OF ATTENDANCE.
FEDERAL REGULATIONS ALREADY
ALLOW FINANCIAL AID
ADMINISTRATORS TO ADJUST A
STUDENT'S COST OF ATTENDANCE TO
INCLUDE THE EXPENSES INCURRED
FOR DEPENDENT CARE. HOWEVER,
THIS PROCESS IS NOT WELL
UNDERSTOOD BY STUDENT PARENTS OR
CONSISTENTLY APPLIED ACROSS
INSTITUTIONS. RESULTS IN
UNNECESSARY BURDENS ON BOTH
STUDENTS AND FINANCIAL AID
ADMINISTRATORS. HB 2458 WOULD
ENSURE THAT STUDENT PARENTS
OBTAIN THE FINANCIAL AID THEY
ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE BY
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR
CHILDCARE EXPENSES. THIS BILL
WOULD ALSO REQUIRE INSTITUTIONS
TO UNIFORMLY COLLECT AND REPORT
STUDENT PARENT DATA TO SUPPORT
THEIR SUCCESS. AND I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE VOTE
AND I AM PROUD TO BE JOINED
TODAY BY TWO WITNESSES CHRISTINE
PAULEY, A STUDENT PARENT AT UC
SANTA CRUZ, AND AJ JOHNSON,
POLICY DIRECTOR AT CALIFORNIA,
COMPETES. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELCOME GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M
CHRIS VOEPEL, A STUDENT PARENT
FROM SACRAMENTO WORKING ON MY BA
AT UC SANTA CRUZ. MY JOURNEY TO
HIGHER EDUCATION IS ROOTED IN MY
CHILDREN IN BREAKING BARRIERS. I
SUPPORT AB 2458 AS IT ALIGNS
WITH MY EXPERIENCE AS A LOW
INCOME STUDENT, PARENT OF COLOR,
PARENTS AND STUDIES HAVE BEEN
HARD. I WAKE UP, I TAKE CARE OF
MY KIDS, DO SCHOOLWORK, MY
INTERNSHIPS, MANAGE THE
HOUSEHOLD, TAKE MY CHILDREN TO
THEIR SPORTS, CHILDCARE TO
AFFORD EVERYTHING. I HAD TO WORK
16 HOUR WEEKEND SHIFTS AS A
FREELANCE CNA. THIS IS
EXHAUSTING. HAVING TO BALANCE
ALL THIS LEFT ME STRUGGLING WITH
MY ACADEMICS AND MY CHILDREN. MY
TRUE COST OF ATTENDANCE IS MORE
THAN DOUBLED COMPARED TO MY NON
PARENTING PEERS. TO MEET THE
BASIC NEEDS OF MYSELF AND MY
CHILDREN, GETTING FINANCIAL AID
IS DAUNTING AT A POINT WHERE I
CONSIDER PART TIME STUDY OR
DROPPING OUT BECAUSE I COULDN'T
FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE ENDS MEET
AS A FULL TIME STUDENT. EVEN
THOUGH I KNEW THIS PATH WAS THE
PATH TO ECONOMIC FREEDOM.
HOWEVER, THANKS TO THE SUPPORT
OF VARIOUS PROGRAMS, I SECURED A
COST OF ATTENDANCE ADJUSTMENT
AND DEPENDENT CARE ALLOWANCE
THAT RAISED MY ANNUAL AID. THIS
TAILORED SUPPORT ALLOWED ME TO
PURSUE MY EDUCATION AND
PRIORITIZE MY CHILDREN. AT THE
SAME TIME, I URGE YOU TO
CONSIDER AB 2458, A BILL THAT
WOULD REMOVE HOURS OF SYSTEMIC
STRUGGLE AND ALSO ALLOW STUDENT
PARENTS TO FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY
MATTERS. BEING A PARENT AND
STUDYING ÁP 2458 WOULD
STREAMLINE ACCESS TO BENEFITS
THAT STUDENT PARENTS ALREADY
HAVE AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR. WE'RE
NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING NEW OR
ADDITIONAL. WE'RE ASKING FOR
STUDENT PARENT EXPENSES TO BE
TREATED THE SAME WAY WE TREAT
OTHER STUDENT EXPENSES, LIKE
HOUSING, FOOD, AND
TRANSPORTATION. I URGE YOU TO
SUPPORT AB 2845. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WELCOME. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE I'M AJ JOHNSON
WITH CALIFORNIA COMPETES HIGHER
EDUCATION FOR A STRONG ECONOMY,
THIS CRITICAL LEGISLATION AIMS
TO EMPOWER STUDENT PARENTS ON
THEIR JOURNEY THROUGH HIGHER
EDUCATION AND INTO FAMILY
SUSTAINING CAREERS. THERE ARE
APPROXIMATELY 300,000
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PARENTS IN
CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW. 61% ARE
FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS AND
70% ARE STUDENTS OF COLOR. SO
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT EQUITY
CONVERSATION FOR US TODAY. AB
2458 STREAMLINES COST OF
ATTENDANCE ADJUSTMENTS FOR
STUDENT PARENTS, ENSURING THEY
RECEIVE THE FINANCIAL AID
THEY'RE ACTUALLY ENTITLED TO
UNDER FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID
RULES. AND THIS IS NECESSARY
SUPPORT IT ALSO IMPROVES DATA
COLLECTION TO BETTER INFORM
DECISION MAKING AND PROVIDE
TAILORED SERVICE. AS CRYSTAL
MENTIONED, BY ADDRESSING THESE
FINANCIAL BARRIERS AND ENHANCING
DATA COLLECTION, AB 2458 WILL
BOOST STUDENT PARENT SUCCESS. IT
WILL IMPROVE MULTIGENERATIONAL
OUTCOMES FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND
PROMOTE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES
IN OUR STATE. I URGE YOUR
SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL AND FOR
CALIFORNIA FAMILIES. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE THERE
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT IN THE
HEARING ROOM? I KNOW WE ROLL
DEEP. JULIET TERRY, ON BEHALF OF
THE CHILDCARE RESOURCE CENTER
AND SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON.
MELISSA BARTO ON BEHALF OF THE
EDUCATION TRUST WAS A PROUD
CO-SPONSOR AND SUPPORTER. AND
THANK YOU TO SOME MEMBER OF
THURMOND FOR AUTHORING. HI ALL.
MY NAME IS VALERIE JOHNSON WITH
THE CAMPAIGN FOR COLLEGE
OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORT. HI,
CAROL GONZALEZ HERE ON BEHALF OF
LONG BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DISTRICT IN STRONG SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. ASSEMBLYWOMAN BERMAN.
HI, MARY WASHINGTON WITH THE CAL
STATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION AND
SUPPORT ROBERT ALEXANDER WITH
THE STUDENT SENATE FOR
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
SUPPORT. MY NAME IS KAYLEE BYRD.
I'M A STUDENT PARENT FROM UC
DAVIS, AND I'M IN STRONG SUPPORT
OF THIS. BILL FOR THE IMPACT FOR
STUDENT PARENTS AND THE POSITIVE
IMPACT FOR THEIR CHILDREN, AS
WELL. BELLA KERN, ON BEHALF OF
MICHELSON CENTER FOR PUBLIC
POLICY, IN SUPPORT. PATTY
GARCIA, A STUDENT PARENT AT UC
DAVIS IN SUPPORT AND ON BEHALF
OF IMAGINABLE FUTURES, PROUDLY
IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL. HI. I'M
A STUDENT PARENT AT SACRAMENTO
STATE AND I AM IN SUPPORT. HI,
MY NAME IS DENISE MENDEZ. I AM A
STUDENT PARENT AT UC BERKELEY
AND I'M IN STRONG SUPPORT OF
THIS. BILL GILBERT. HI, MY NAME
IS PAULINA ROJAS. I'M FROM UC
DAVIS AND I'M A HEAVILY SUPPORT
THIS BILL. THANK YOU. HI, MY
NAME IS HEATHER WILLOUGHBY AND
I'M A FORMER GRADUATE OF UC
SANTA CRUZ AND STUDENT PARENT.
AND I WAS ALSO THE STUDENT
PARENT ORG PRESIDENT WHEN I WAS
THERE. AND I AM IN DEFINITE
SUPPORT OF THIS. HELLO AGAIN,
WOULD YOU ASPIRE, WE ARE PROUD
TO BE CO-SPONSOR AND SUPPORT.
THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING IT.
AND RESPECTFULLY, WE LOVE THE
BIRDS. BUT GO ANTEATERS. IT'S A
GOOD COMPETITION. DAVID NEVIN,
ON BEHALF OF TCUS, THE INSTITUTE
FOR COLLEGE ACCESS AND SUCCESS
AND SUPPORT. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. MEMBERS TONY RICE,
REPRESENTING UNITED LÀ PROUD TO
CO-SPONSOR THE BILL. THANK YOU.
HELLO, ANDREW AVILA, ON BEHALF
OF EARLY EDGE CALIFORNIA AND
EARLY LEARNING, EDUCATION AND
CARE ORGANIZATION IN SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. I'M ALI TUCKER. I
REPRESENT GRADUATE STUDENTS AT
UC DAVIS IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU
KEVIN. COALITION CALIFORNIA
WELFARE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
STRONG SUPPORT. THANKS. I WISH
ALL MY BILLS HAD THAT MUCH
SUPPORT. THERE YOU GO, MR.
BERMAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, TO
ALL THE WITNESSES OF SUPPORT,
ARE THE WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION
IN THE HEARING ROOM? ARE THERE
TWEENERS IN THE HEARING ROOM?
COLLEAGUES ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS? A SIMILAR BURNER. I
REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I READ IT
IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY AND
BOTH MY STAFF AND I SAID, WHY AM
I NOT THE AUTHOR? HOW ABOUT
JOINT JOINT AUTHOR? I'LL BE
HAPPY TO BE A JOINT AUTHOR. IT'S
REALLY AN EXCELLENT BURNER AND
BURNER BURNER, BURNER AND
BERMAN, WHY HAVEN'T WE DONE THAT
BEFORE? IT'S A LAW FIRM IN THE
MAKING. I'M NOT A LAWYER. THAT'S
OKAY, THAT'S FINE. YEAH. YOU
KNOW, I CAN PLAY ONE. SO, BUT
THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. AND,
YOU KNOW, I THINK I ALREADY
MOVED IT, BUT THANK YOU. AND I
CAN'T IMAGINE I HAVE KIDS, AND I
WENT TO COLLEGE. I CAN'T IMAGINE
DOING BOTH AT ONCE. YOU'RE A
SUPERHERO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS
OR COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES?
CNN, SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO
CLOSE. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH,
TO CRYSTAL AND AJ, FOR, FOR
BEING WITNESSES TODAY. THANK YOU
TO EVERYBODY FOR SUPPORTING IT.
I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT
TO MY ALLEGED DIRECTOR, ELLEN
GREEN, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT
WHO'S BEEN A LEADER ON A LOT OF
THESE EFFORTS, AND RESPECTFULLY
ASK FOR YOUR VOTE. THANK YOU SO
MUCH, BURNER, FOR BRINGING THIS.
I MEAN, BERMAN, FOR BRINGING
THIS VERY IMPORTANT MEASURE AND
JOINT AUTHOR TO SUMMER BURNER,
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, BURN, FOR
BRINGING THIS VERY IMPORTANT
MEASURE FORWARD. WE KNOW THAT WE
NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO MORE TO
SUPPORT OUR STUDENT PARENTS.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE WITNESSES
HERE TODAY AS WELL. AND YOUR
MEASURE TODAY BEFORE PUTS US, TO
BUILD UPON THE GREAT WORK THAT
YOU HAVE CHAMPIONED ON BEHALF OF
STUDENT PARENTS AND ARE GRATEFUL
FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE, AND
LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE
MEASURE HERE TODAY, WITH THAT,
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL FILE ITEM NUMBER 11. THE
MOTION AB 2458. THE MOTION IS DO
PASS AS AMENDED TO
APPROPRIATIONS. FONG. FONG I TAW
A TO I ARAMBULA ARAMBULA I
BURNER I BURNER I CHEN A SALIH
ERWIN JACKSON. JACKSON I LO LO I
MURATSUCHI. QUIRK SILVA. THAT
MEASURE HAS SIX EYES. IT'S OUT
AND WE'LL KEEP THE ROLL OPEN FOR
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE ADD
ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU
EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. AND,
SIMILAR. WILSON. WELCOME. AND
BEFORE WE DO THAT, LET'S TAKE UP
THE CONSENT CALENDAR. I KNOW
IT'S A VERY BUSY DAY IN
COMMITTEE, AND WE HAVE THE
CONSENT CALENDAR, BEFORE US. AND
WE'D LIKE TO ADD HAVE MEMBERS
WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON TO ADD
ON, PLEASE, MADAM SECRETARY, IF
YOU CAN CALL THE ROLL ON THE
CONSENT CALENDAR, PLEASE FILE
ITEM NUMBER THREE AB 2044 Dð
PASS TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE. FILE ITEM NUMBER SIX
AB 2184. DO PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE FILE.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN AB 2275. DO
PASS TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE A FILE ITEM NUMBER
EIGHT AB 2305 DO PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
JACKSON A, JACKSON AYES, THE
CONSENT CALENDAR IS OUT, AND
WE'LL KEEP THE ROLL OPEN FOR
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO ADD ON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, WELCOME.
SUMMER WILSON, PRESENTING ITEM
NUMBER NINE, ASSEMBLY BILL 2349.
WELCOME SECOND, WE HAVE A
MOTION. SECOND. AWESOME. I LOVE
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. I WILL KEEP
IT BRIEF THEN. THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. THANK YOU. MEMBERS. THANK
YOU FOR THE EARLY MOTION. AND
SECOND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, A
WONDERFUL BILL. AB 2349. IT'S A
BILL THAT FORMALIZES THE CAL
BRIDGE PROGRAM, OFFERING A
COMPLETE PATHWAY FOR DIVERSE
STEM STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA'S
PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES TO ACHIEVE
PHDS AND DIVERSIFY THE STATE'S
STEM UNIVERSITY PROFESSORIATE
AND TECHNOLOGICAL WORKFORCE.
NOW, CALIFORNIA SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES ARE A
MAJOR ECONOMIC DRIVER OF THE
STATE'S ECONOMY, GENERATING OVER
A HALF A TRILLION OF ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY ANNUALLY. HOWEVER, DUE
TO THE LACK OF DIVERSITY IN
THESE INDUSTRIES, THE STATE
GROSSLY UNDERUTILIZED ITS
TALENT. ONLY 15% OF CALIFORNIA'S
1.5 MILLION TECH WORKERS ARE
BLACK OR LATINO, AND ONLY 26%
ARE WOMEN. LAUNCHED IN 2014, CAL
BRIDGE WAS CREATED AS AN
INTERSECTIONAL SEGMENTAL BRIDGE
BETWEEN THE CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA AND CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES SYSTEMS TO
TACKLE THE PERSISTENT
UNDERREPRESENTATION IN
CALIFORNIA'S STEM WORKFORCE. ITS
SUCCESS AND SIGNIFICANTLY
INCREASING THE PARTICIPATION OF
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IN STEM
PHDS, AND HOLDS THE POTENTIAL TO
TRANSFORM THE STATE'S HIGHER
EDUCATION. PROFESSORIATE AND
TECH INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP. THE
CAL BRIDGE PROGRAM OFFERS
FINANCIAL SUPPORT, INTENSIVE
MENTORING, PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT, AND RESEARCH
OPPORTUNITIES, GIVING STUDENTS
THROUGH THEIR EDUCATIONAL
JOURNEY FROM UNDERGRADUATE TO
POST-GRADUATE EXCUSE ME TO
POST-DOCTORAL LEVELS. NOW, BY
DIVERSIFYING THE STEM
PROFESSORIATE, CAL BRIDGE NOT
ONLY INCREASES REPRESENTATION,
BUT ALSO INSPIRES MORE STUDENTS
FROM TRADITIONALLY EXCLUDED
GROUPS TO PURSUE STEM MAJORS,
FOSTERING A MORE INCLUSIVE AND
SUPPORTIVE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT
FOR STUDENTS. THE PROGRAM HAS
GROWN FROM FIVE SCHOLARS IN THE
FIRST YEAR TO ALMOST 70 CAL.
BRIDGE SCHOLARS ACCEPTED JUST
THIS YEAR. NOW CAL SCHOLARS HAVE
A 70% ACCEPTANCE RATE TO PHD
PROGRAMS, WITH THEIR FIRST
APPLICATION, A STATISTIC THAT IS
UNMATCHED ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE
COUNTRY. TRULY, CALIFORNIA IS A
LEADER, WITH THE PROGRAM'S
EARLIEST PARTICIPANTS NOW
EARNING THEIR DEGREES AND
JOINING CALIFORNIA'S PUBLIC
UNIVERSITY FACULTY. THEY SET AN
INSPIRATIONAL PATH FOR FUTURE
SCHOLARS WHO WILL SEE THEMSELVES
REPRESENTED IN THIS NEW
GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP. NOW
NOW, ALONG WITH THIS
LEGISLATION, I HAVE ALSO PUT
FORTH A BUDGET REQUEST LETTER TO
SUSTAIN THE CAL BRIDGE PROGRAM,
SUPPORT A SCHOLAR FROM
UNDERGRADUATE THROUGH THEIR PHD
TO FACULTY OR TECH WORKFORCE.
JOB TAKES BETWEEN NINE AND TO
TEN YEARS. WE ENCOURAGE OUR
STATE TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN
THE CAL BRIDGE PROGRAM'S
CONTINUED SUCCESS. PLEASE NOTE
DESPITE PUTTING IN THAT BUDGET
LETTER, THAT SHOULD NOT, STOP
ANYONE FROM VOTING ON THIS BILL
TODAY. IT STILL CAN HAPPEN,
WITHOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE
BUDGET. IN SHORT, AB 2349 WOULD
ALLOW THE CAL BRIDGE SCHOLARS TO
CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND PURSUE
THEIR EDUCATION AT SCALE. WE
ANTICIPATE THIS PROGRAM WILL
SUPPORT UP TO 2000 DIVERSE PHDS
AND 300 DIVERSE FACULTY MEMBERS
PER DECADE IN STEM DISCIPLINES.
LIKE I SAID, CONTINUE IT WITH
CALIFORNIA BEING THE LEADER.
NOW, I HAVE TWO WITNESSES HERE
WITH ME TODAY. GABRIEL ROSSI,
PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF ASTRONOMY
AT UC BERKELEY AND SENIOR
ADVISOR TO THE CAL BRIDGE
PROGRAM, AND KATIE RODRIGUEZ
WIMBERLY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT
CSU SAN BERNARDINO AND FORMER
COWBRIDGE SCHOLAR. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. AND WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR
GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ADDRESS YOU, PART OF WHAT I WAS
GOING TO SAY, THE ASSEMBLY
MEMBER HAS ALREADY SAID, VERY
WELL, SO I WON'T TAKE UP YOUR
TIME WITH THAT EXCEPT TO REMIND
YOU THAT CALIFORNIA'S STEM,
WORKFORCE IS A VERY IMPORTANT
PART OF THE ECONOMY. AND WE'RE
BASICALLY LEAVING HALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA POPULATION ON THE
TABLE. AND THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A
GOOD IDEA IN THIS TODAY'S WORLD,
ONE WAY TO INCREASE THAT, THAT
REPRESENTATION, THAT UTILIZATION
OF THE TALENT POOL WOULD BE TO
HAVE MORE A MORE DIVERSE FACULTY
TEACHING THOSE STUDENTS, BECAUSE
IT'S WELL KNOWN THAT STUDENTS
ARE MORE LIKELY TO PURSUE,
ESPECIALLY A DIFFICULT CAREER IN
STEM IF THERE'S SOMEBODY THERE
THAT THAT SEEMS LIKE A ROLE
MODEL OR REPRESENTS THEM. TO
GIVE YOU MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE,
FOR MOST OF MY CAREER, I WAS THE
ONLY BLACK PROFESSOR IN THE
ENTIRE DIVISION OF MATHEMATICAL
AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES AT UC
BERKELEY. OUT OF MORE THAN 100
FACULTY MEMBERS. 20 YEARS AGO, I
WAS ON A TASK FORCE LOOKING AT
FACULTY DIVERSITY, AND WE FOUND
THAT THE ENTIRE UC SYSTEM HAD
FEWER THAN ONE BLACK PROFESSOR
IN THOSE FIELDS, PER CAMPUS. 20
YEARS LATER, AFTER A LOT OF
EFFORTS, THE UC SYSTEM HAS FEWER
THAN TWO BLACK PROFESSORS IN ALL
THOSE THOSE FIELDS OUT OF OUT OF
MORE THAN A THOUSAND FACULTY
MEMBERS. IN THE SAME WAY,
REPRESENTATION AMONG HISPANIC
PROFESSORS IS AT AN EQUALLY LOW
PERCENTAGE OF THE AVAILABLE
TALENT POOL. BECAUSE THE STATE'S
STUDENT POPULATION, HIGH SCHOOL
POPULATION, IS NOW HALF HISPANIC
. AND OF COURSE, WOMEN ARE
ANOTHER HALF OF THE POPULATION
WHO ARE SIGNIFICANTLY
UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE STEM
AREA. THE MASTER PLAN FOR
CALIFORNIA HIGHER EDUCATION
PROVIDES PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS
FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS TO
POTENTIALLY SUCCEED. THE CAL
BRIDGE PROGRAM RECRUITS STUDENTS
FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE
CSU SYSTEM, WHO SHOW INTEREST
AND TALENT IN STEM FIELDS AND
ENGAGES THEM AS COLLEGE JUNIORS.
AS MENTIONED, A STUNNING 70% OF
THEM ARE ACCEPTED INTO EXCELLENT
PHD PROGRAMS AFTER THEY GET
THEIR THEIR UNDERGRADUATE
DEGREE. WITH THE STATE'S HELP IN
THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE PROGRAM
NOW ALSO SHEPHERDS STUDENTS
THROUGH THEIR DOCTORAL WORK,
POSITIONING THEM FOR
POSTDOCTORAL AND FACULTY
POSITIONS AND ALSO POSITIONS AS
LEADERS IN THE STEM WORKFORCE.
CAL BRIDGE HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE
FOR A DECADE, AND THAT IS ABOUT
THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT TAKES
FOR A STUDENT TO GO FROM COLLEGE
JUNIOR TO LEADER OR PROFESSOR IN
THE WORKFORCE. AND TWO SCHOLARS
FROM OUR FIRST COHORTS ARE
ALREADY FACULTY MEMBERS AT THE
IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, ONE OF
WHOM IS ABOUT TO SPEAK, SO OUR
PATHWAY IS NOW FULL OF STUDENTS
AT ALL LEVELS HERE, AND IT WOULD
REALLY BE AN ENORMOUS SHAME AND
LOSS IF THIS PROGRAM WERE TO
SUDDENLY EVAPORATE AND LOSE THAT
ENTIRE PATHWAY, THE BILL WOULD
WOULD MAKE THE PROGRAM A REAL A
REAL THING. AND OF COURSE, WE
KEEP FIGHTING FOR FUNDING TO
KEEP THIS SUSTAINED. THIS IS
REALLY THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING
TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THIS
PROBLEM, WHICH HAS BEEN
RESISTANT TO PROGRESS FOR
SEVERAL DECADES. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WELCOME.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON MY PATH
AS AN ALUMNI OF THE FIRST COHORT
OF CAL BRIDGE SCHOLARS, TEN
YEARS AGO, I WAS AN UNDERGRAD
PHYSICS MAJOR AT CAL STATE LONG
BEACH AT A WHOLE LOT OF PASSION,
ASTRONOMICAL DREAMS, BUT LITTLE
DIRECTION AND NO FAMILIAL,
FAMILIAL, OR CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE
TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME AN
ASTRONOMER AS A MIXED ETHNICITY
LATINA FROM A VERY LARGE FAMILY,
I KNEW ALL I KNEW IN HIGH SCHOOL
WAS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO
FINANCIALLY SUPPORT MYSELF AND
WHAT I. WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS
TO CONTINUE TO LIFT MY FAMILY
UP, AS THE GENERATIONS DID
BEFORE ME THROUGH CAREER
ACHIEVEMENT, SOCIAL MOBILITY,
AND REACHING MY ALWAYS VERY
GRAND DREAMS. I STARTED
ADULTHOOD BY JOINING THE ARMY
RESERVES AND GOING TO COMMUNITY
COLLEGE TO SUPPORT MYSELF. I,
WAS JUST ON THIS WINDING PATH TO
TRY TO FIND A CAREER THAT I
COULD BE PASSIONATE ABOUT. IN MY
MID 20S, I FINALLY TRANSFERRED
TO CAL STATE LONG BEACH. I WAS
EQUALLY THRILLED TO HAVE FOUND
THIS REALLY EXCITING CAREER PATH
, AND TERRIFIED BECAUSE I WAS
THE VERY FIRST PERSON IN MY
FAMILY TO DO SO, CAL BRIDGE TOOK
A CHANCE ON ME. I WAS ONE OF THE
FIRST FIVE SCHOLARS AT MONTHLY
WORKSHOPS. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
MY LIFE, I COMMUNED WITH PEOPLE
THAT NOT ONLY LOOKED LIKE ME,
THAT GREW UP LIKE ME, BUT ALSO
HAD THE SAME PASSIONS AS I DID,
AND THANKS TO PREVIOUS
CALIFORNIA STATE FUNDING, THIS
FEELING, THIS COMMUNITY OF WOMEN
, OF PEOPLE OF COLOR, WE'RE JUST
NERDS. WE STILL HAVE THIS,
HEALING PLACE FOR OVER THE 100
SCHOLARS THAT THIS PROGRAM IS
SUPPORTING. LAST SUMMER, IN
FACT, WE HAD THE INAUGURAL CAL
BRIDGE SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR CAL
BRIDGE ALUMNI THAT ARE NOW IN
PHD PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND WE THERE WAS LITERAL TEARS
MANY TIMES BECAUSE OF HOW
SPECIAL THIS COMMUNITY WE HAVE
BUILT IS FOR US, THE STRENGTH WE
GIVE ONE ANOTHER. AND REALLY,
THE CLASS THAT WE'RE CREATING
FOR OURSELVES AND FOR THE FOLKS
THAT ARE COMING UP BEHIND US,
CAL BRIDGE REALLY JUST CREATES
TRAILBLAZERS, WE'RE EXCELLENT
SCIENTISTS, PROFESSORS,
LABORATORY RESEARCHERS, PEOPLE
WHO CARE DEEPLY NOT ONLY ABOUT
THEIR SCIENCE, BUT ABOUT DOING
WORK TO CREATE CHANGE, IN
ACADEMIA, TO IMPROVE STEM IN
CALIFORNIA. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
BY CODIFYING OUR PROGRAM INTO
LEGISLATION TO ENABLE US AND
FUTURE GENERATIONS TO LIFT UP
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND OTHER
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, ALONG
WITH JUST CALIFORNIA AS A WHOLE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ARE THERE WITNESSES IN SUPPORT
IN THE HEARING ROOM? GOOD
AFTERNOON. COMMITTEE RYAN HIGH
WITH THE CALIFORNIA FACULTY
ASSOCIATION. WE HAVE AN OFFICIAL
SUPPORT POSITION AS OF YESTERDAY
. HELLO, WENDY BRILL WYNKOOP,
PRESIDENT OF THE FACULTY
ASSOCIATION OF THE CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ARE THERE WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION IN THE HEARING ROOM?
ARE THERE TWEENERS IN THE
HEARING ROOM? COLLEAGUES, ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? DO I
THINK WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND
ALREADY? YES A SIMILAR WE LIKE
TO CLOSE. THANK YOU. JUST LIKE
TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THIS IS
A GRASS ROOTS, FACULTY DRIVEN
EFFORT THAT HAS NO FORMAL
EXISTENCE AND WE ALWAYS LIKE TO
LOOK AT IS THERE DATA FOR
THINGS? THIS HAS EXISTED FOR TEN
YEARS AND HAS AND THE DATA IS
PRESENT, AND SO LEGISLATION
WOULD FORMALIZE ITS EXISTENCE
AND FACILITATE LONG TERME
FUNDING. WITH THAT I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR I
VOTE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUMMER
WILSON, FOR BRINGING THIS VERY
IMPORTANT MEASURE FORWARD. I
BELIEVE THAT BY CODIFYING THE
CAL BRIDGE PROGRAM, IT SHOWS THE
LEGISLATURE'S ONGOING COMMITMENT
TO REALLY SEEING MORE DIVERSE
STEM FACULTY IN OUR CAMPUSES AND
THE LEGISLATURE. AND THIS
COMMITTEE HAS HELD OVERSIGHT
HEARINGS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS
AT VARIOUS CAMPUSES, IS TO LOOK
AT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO
DIVERSIFY OUR FACULTY RANKS AND
ACKNOWLEDGE THE LACK OF
DIVERSITY THAT WAS EVEN MORE
DIRE IN STEM DISCIPLINES IS
TODAY'S BILL WILL CONTINUE TO
LOOK AT CONTINUE TO INCREASE
DIVERSE STEM EXPERTS AND STEM
RELATED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SECTOR ROLES. AND WITH THAT, I
LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE
MEASURE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU,
MADAM SECRETARY. PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL FILE ITEM NUMBER NINE AB
2349. THE MOTION IS DUE PASSED
TO THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
FONG FONG I TOR I TOR I ARAMBULA
ARAMBULA I BURNER BURNER I CHEN
CHEN I A SALLY ERWIN. JACKSON.
JACKSON I LO MURATSUCHI
QUIRK-SILVA. THAT MEASURE HAS
SIX EYES. IT'S OUT AND WILL
LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OUT ON. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. CAN YOU GET
SOMEONE? NEXT UP IS, WHO SIGNED
IN FIRST. FONG SUMMER, VINCE
FONG. WELCOME, PRESENTING ITEM
NUMBER ONE. EARLY AND MIDDLE
COLLEGE. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
PROGRAMS. COLLEGE CAREER ACCESS
PARTNERSHIPS. WELCOME. SECOND,
WE HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND,
WELCOME, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS WITH BOTH FONG'S IN THE
SAME ROOM, WE CAN DEFINITIVELY
PROVE THAT WE ARE DIFFERENT
INDIVIDUALS. THANK YOU. SIR
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
CHAIR AND COMMITTEE STAFF FOR
WORKING WITH ME ON AMENDMENTS TO
ENSURE THE BILL ACCOMPLISHES OUR
GOAL OF HELPING CALIFORNIA'S
STUDENTS. FOR MANY HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS, ATTENDING COLLEGE IS
ONLY MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WHICH BEGINS
WITH ALLOWING STUDENTS TO ENROLL
BOTH IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
COURSES. HIGHER EDUCATION
UNLOCKS ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL
MOBILITY, ESPECIALLY FOR
DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS. MANY
SCHOOLS HAVE REALIZED THE
BENEFITS OF PROVIDING HIGHER
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AND HAVE
STEPPED UP BY PARTNERING
TOGETHER WITH THEIR LOCAL
COLLEGES TO EXPAND DUAL
ENROLLMENT, DUAL ENROLLMENT
PROGRAMS ARE TRIED AND TRUE WAYS
TO OPEN MORE DOORS TO CALIFORNIA
STUDENTS. STUDENTS AND
ADMINISTRATORS IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY ARE OFTEN FACED WITH
ISSUES OF FUNDING, SCHEDULING,
AND THE SHEER DISTANCE BETWEEN
SCHOOL SITES. THIS BILL, AB
2019, HELPS REMEDY THESE
PROBLEMS, SO STUDENTS CAN TAKE
FULL ADVANTAGE OF EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES. THIS BILL SEEKS
TO AID STUDENTS WHO WISH TO TAKE
FULL ADVANTAGE OF EARLY AND
MIDDLE COLLEGE PROGRAMS THAT USE
THE, QUOTE, SCHOOL WITHIN A
SCHOOL END QUOTE MODEL, MEANING
THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN
TAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE CLASSES
ON THEIR OWN TRADITIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL CAMPUS, OFTEN IN A
SMALLER COHORT OF STUDENTS WHOSE
SCHEDULES ARE STRATEGICALLY
ARRANGED TO ALLOW FOR
SUBSTANTIAL COLLEGE CREDITS TO
BE EARNED, WHETHER THEY ARE
TAKING COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSES
ON A COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS OR
AT THEIR OWN LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL.
STUDENTS WHO SHOW INITIATIVE TO
ACHIEVE HIGHER EDUCATION GOALS
SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.
I AM JOINED BY CARLOS ROJAS WITH
THE KERN COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT
OF SCHOOLS AND DOCTOR APRIL
MOORE WITH THE SIERRA SANDS
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. WELCOME THANK YOU,
CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, FOR
THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE COMMENT
ON AB 2019. SO I'M CARLOS ROJAS
WITH THE KERN COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOLS OFFICE.
ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE
PUBLIC POLICY POLICY INSTITUTE
OF CALIFORNIA, IN 2021, DUAL
ENROLLMENT PARTICIPATION AND
OUTCOMES VARY ACROSS RACIAL AND
ETHNIC GROUPS. IN GENERAL, BLACK
AND LATINO STUDENTS ARE
UNDERREPRESENTED IN DUAL
ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS, AND
OVERALL, BLACK AND LATINO
STUDENTS HAVE LOWER DUAL
ENROLLMENT GRADE POINT AVERAGES
AND EARN FEWER UNITS THAN
STUDENTS AND OTHERS. OTHER
STUDENT GROUPS PROMOTING DUAL
ENROLLMENT PARTICIPATION, AND
SUCCESS AMONG HISTORICALLY
UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS IS VITAL
AND IS KEY, AND IS EXACTLY WHAT
AB 2019 AIMS TO DO IN 2023. FOUR
OF THE NINE CALIFORNIA EXEMPLARY
DUAL ENROLLMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
WERE LOCATED IN KERN COUNTY, ALL
OF WHICH HAVE A HIGH
CONCENTRATION OF LATINO STUDENTS
AND STUDENTS OF POVERTY WHO HAVE
HISTORICALLY BEEN
UNDERREPRESENTED IN DUAL
ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS IN THESE
SCHOOLS. IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE
A SCHOOL WIDE COMPREHENSIVE DUAL
ENROLLMENT PROGRAM. HOWEVER AS
SCHOOLS WHERE STUDENTS WHO HAVE
BEEN HISTORICALLY
UNDERREPRESENTED MAKE UP A
SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF THE
STUDENT POPULATION, AB 2019
WOULD CREATE A SYSTEM IN WHICH
UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS IN
THOSE SCHOOLS COULD ALSO BENEFIT
FROM THE DUAL ENROLLMENT, WHILE
ADHERING TO THE SAME
INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTE
REQUIREMENTS. CURRENTLY IN
STATUTE FOR EARLY AND MIDDLE
COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGH
PARTICIPATION IN EARLY AND
MIDDLE COLLEGE PROGRAMS OR
SCHOOLS WITHIN THE SCHOOL,
CALIFORNIA CODE 11,302 DEFINES
EARLY COLLEGES AS SMALL
AUTONOMOUS SCHOOLS. ALL SMALL
AUTONOMOUS SCHOOLS THAT BLEND
HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE INTO A
COHERENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. AB
2019 CODIFIES THE PROGRAMS
ALREADY IN EXISTENCE AND SIMPLY
PROVIDES THE SAME INSTRUCTIONAL
MINUTE FLEXIBILITY FOR ALL
STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THESE
DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. WELCOME. APRIL
MOORE, SUPERINTENDENT OF SIERRA
SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT,
AND HAPPY TO SPEAK ON THIS BILL.
AS CARLOS MENTIONED, EXISTING
PROGRAMS, THEY'RE ALREADY IN
PLACE. THEY'VE BEEN IN PLACE FOR
OVER A DECADE. AND THEY'RE
FINDING SUCCESS. SO BUILDING OFF
OF THOSE MODELS AND WITH THE
BUDGET TRAILER, THE BUDGET ACT
OF 2223 FUNDING, THE DUAL
ENROLLMENT GRANTS THAT ARE
CURRENTLY AROUND ONE HAS BEEN
RECEIVED AND ROUND TWO WAS JUST
APPLIED FOR LAST MONTH. OVER 50%
OF THE GRANTEES THAT APPLIED FOR
THE MIDDLE COLLEGE EARLY COLLEGE
GRANTS ARE PLANNING TO START OR
EXPAND PROGRAMS SUCH AS THESE.
HOWEVER THEY'RE EXPECTING TO
HAVE THE SAME FLEXIBILITY THAT
THESE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN
IMPLEMENTING, AND IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR US TO CODIFY THAT AS WELL.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, MY DISTRICT IN
SIERRA SANDS, WE'RE PLANNING TO
START IN CONSULTATION WITH AND
PARTNERSHIP WITH SARA COSO
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, A MIDDLE
COLLEGE PROGRAM ON THE CAMPUS OF
OUR COLLEGE. IT'LL BE A SCHOOL
WITHIN A SCHOOL, PART OF ONE OF
OUR EXISTING SCHOOLS ON THE
CAMPUS. AND THIS BILL AND
FLEXIBILITY PROVIDED IS GOING TO
BE CRITICAL FOR US AND FOR OUR
STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE
SUBSTANTIAL COLLEGE CLASSES
WHILE GETTING THE HIGH SCHOOL
SUPPORT. IN YOUR OWN PUBLIC
HEARING ON NOVEMBER SIXTH, ON
THE STATE OF DUAL ENROLLMENT IN
CALIFORNIA, A QUESTION WAS ASKED
ON WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS FOR
DUAL ENROLLMENT EXPANSION ON THE
K-12 SIDE OF THE HOUSE?
UNFORTUNATELY, I AND MY
COLLEAGUES WEREN'T AWARE OF THE
HEARING AND TIME TO BE WITH YOU
IN PERSON, BUT WANTED TO SHARE.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BARRIERS.
THE INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTE
REQUIREMENT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO
ADDRESS IN THIS BILL TO REMOVE
THAT SO THAT OUR SCHOOLS AND
PROGRAMS CAN EXPAND AND SERVE
MORE STUDENTS. WE ARE JOINED IN
THE AUDIENCE BY THE CALIFORNIA
COALITION OF EARLY AND MIDDLE
COLLEGES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND
THE BOARD PRESIDENT. SO MELISSA
MADIGAN IS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF BOARD. PRESIDENT IS
JAMES ESPINOZA. HE'S ALSO A
PRINCIPAL OF A MIDDLE COLLEGE
HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN BERNARDINO AT
SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY COLLEGE.
AND THEY'RE SUPPORTING, AS IS
SARAH SANDS, A NEW MIDDLE
COLLEGE PROGRAM IN THEIR VERY
LARGE DISTRICT. BECAUSE OF THE
NEED, THEY HAVE A STANDALONE
MIDDLE COLLEGE. IT'S FULL, IT
HAS A WAITING LIST, AND THEY
WANT TO SUPPORT MORE STUDENTS.
SO WE'RE FINDING THIS MODEL WITH
THE SUPPORTS, WITH EVERYTHING WE
COULD PACKAGE AS SUCCESSFUL. AND
WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE THERE
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT IN THE
HEARING ROOM? GOOD AFTERNOON.
JAMES ESPINOSA, PRINCIPAL OF
MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL IN
SAN BERNARDINO AND ALSO
PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA
COALITION OF EARLY AND MIDDLE
COLLEGES. WE ARE STRONGLY IN
SUPPORT. LETICIA GARCIA, ON
BEHALF OF THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND
SUPPORT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR.
CHAIR. COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND
COMMITTEE STAFF, MICHELLE GIL,
ON BEHALF OF CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS
OFFICIALS IN SUPPORT. SANDRA
MORALES, ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL COALITION
IN SUPPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ARE THERE WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION IN THE HEARING ROOM?
ARE THERE TWEENERS IN A HEARING
ROOM? GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS
JULIE DUNCAN. I'M SUPERINTENDENT
OF TRI-VALLEY ROP. I SERVE
DUBLIN, LIVERMORE VALLEY AND
PLEASANTON UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICTS. WE RUN A MIDDLE
COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM. AND
THIS BILL I WANT TO JUST MAKE
SURE THAT THE TRAILER BILL
LANGUAGE WE RECOGNIZE AS IF WE
WERE GOING TO DO IT BROADLY WITH
EARLY COLLEGE AS WELL. WHAT ARE
THE MINIMUM UNITS TO BE
CONSIDERED FOR THAT 180 MINUTES?
ADA, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
ALL FORMS OF THE PROGRAMS ARE
SUPPORTED BY ALL ENTITIES COUNTY
OFFICES OF ED, K-12 SCHOOL
DISTRICTS, RFPS WITH JPAS WITHIN
THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO I
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE
PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. THERE
ARE MANY OF US IN THE STATE THAT
ALSO HAVE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, COLLEAGUES. ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
SENATOR MURATSUCHI. SOUNDS LIKE
IT'S WORKING. ALL RIGHT. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. MR. FONG. I
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE A
NUMBER OF EARLY, AND MIDDLE
COLLEGE PROGRAMS IN YOUR
DISTRICT, AND, IT SOUNDS LIKE A
GREAT, PROPOSAL AND CONCEPT. YOU
KNOW, HOWEVER, I ALWAYS WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE
AREN'T ANY BAD ACTORS THAT, THAT
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, YOU KNOW,
LESS, MINUTES WITHOUT VERIFYING
THE, THAT THE STUDENTS ARE
ACTUALLY BEING ENROLLED SO THAT
THEY DON'T JUST TRY TO MILK THE
SYSTEM FOR ADA FUNDING. CAN YOU,
GIVE SOME ASSURANCES AS TO HOW,
YOU KNOW, WE THIS PROPOSAL WILL
ENSURE THAT, THAT THE PROGRAM
WILL FUNCTION AS, AS INTENDED
WITHOUT OUT THE ABUSES. SURE.
THAT WAS PROBABLY ADDRESSED BY A
LOT OF AMENDMENTS, BUT BUT I'LL
TALK TO I'LL LET DOCTOR MOORE
ADDRESS. THANK YOU,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER FONG. IN FACT,
THIS CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION IS AHEAD OF THE GAME
ON THIS. SO MUCH SO THAT LAST
SPRING THEY'RE PLANNING TO
CHANGE THEIR AUDIT GUIDELINES TO
AUDIT. AND IF WE DON'T PASS THE
EXISTING SCHOOLS WILL GET A 25%
FINE BECAUSE OF JUST THE
INTERPRETATION OF ED CODE. SO
YES, THEY WILL BE AUDITED AND
THE EXISTING AUDIT TAKES PLACE
FOR ALL THE SCHOOLS, THE
STANDALONE MIDDLE COLLEGE AND
EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT
AUDIT CHECKS THEIR MINUTES AND
THEY LOOK AT STUDENTS. SO I WAS
A MIDDLE COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
MYSELF AND THEY CHECK OUR
STUDENTS. ARE THEY ENROLLED IN
BOTH? ARE THEY MEETING ALL OF
THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS?
BUT THAT AUDIT HAD NOT BEEN IN
PLACE FOR PROGRAMS AND THAT IS
BECOMING IN PLACE. SO WE WANT
THE AUDIT THAT IS MOVING
FORWARD. WE ALSO JUST NEED THE
MINUTES TO BE CODIFIED SO THAT
THEY CAN DO BOTH, BUT THEY WILL
BE AUDITED. OKAY. AND I BELIEVE
THIS BILL WILL BE MOVING TO YOUR
COMMITTEE. SO HAPPY TO CLARIFY
OR PUT ANY MORE GUARDRAILS THAT
YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER FURTHER
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, SO I
WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE, THANK YOU,
MR. CHAIR. THIS BILL WILL HELP
PREPARE STUDENTS FOR
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND THE
COMPETITIVENESS OF THE GLOBAL
ECONOMY. DUAL ENROLLMENT
PROGRAMS ARE EXCELLENT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO
TAKE COLLEGE COURSES AND EARN
COLLEGE CREDITS WHILE STILL
ENROLLED IN HIGH SCHOOL. AS
SCHOOLS PLAN TO GROW DUAL
ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS, AB 2019
WILL GIVE CERTAINTY TO STUDENTS
IN SCHOOLS WHO WISH TO PARTAKE
IN EARLY AND MIDDLE COLLEGE
PROGRAMS TO MAXIMIZE FUNDING AND
ACCESS TO CLASSES, INCLUDING
EARLY AND MIDDLE COLLEGE
PROGRAMS IN THE CURRENT
FRAMEWORK AND ADJUSTING
INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTE
REQUIREMENTS WILL GIVE MORE
CERTAINTY TO ADMINISTRATORS AND
OPEN NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STUDENTS TO GET A STEP AHEAD IN
PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION. I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR I VOTE
. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SENATOR
VINCE FONG, FOR WORKING WITH OUR
COMMITTEE STAFF AND TO FOR
BRINGING THIS. I CAN'T VOTE NO
AND FOR BRINGING THIS VERY
IMPORTANT MEASURE FORWARD AS WE
CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS
EXPANDING DUAL ENROLLMENT
PROGRAMS. HAVING ACCURATE DATA
IS IMPERATIVE AND CRITICAL TO
HELP ENSURE THE FINITE RESOURCES
ARE GOING TO PROGRAMS THAT ARE
FULFILLING THEIR LEGISLATIVE
INTENT. I APPRECIATE YOUR
THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION TO
INCLUDE THE DATA COMPONENT OF
THIS MEASURE, SO THAT WE CAN
CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS
INFORMED BY DATA, AND WITH THAT,
I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING
THIS MEASURE TODAY. MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
FILE ITEM NUMBER ONE AB 2019.
THE MOTION IS DUE PASSED TO THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE. FONG FONG I
TO I TO I ARAMBULA. ARAMBULA I
BERNER. BERNER I CHEN CHEN I
ASALI ERWIN. JACKSON. JACKS
THÀNH I LO LO I MURATSUCHI.
MURATSUCHI I QUIRK-SILVA. THAT
MEASURE HAS EIGHT EYES, AND
WE'LL KEEP THE ROLL OPEN FOR
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS. ADD ON AND
IT'S OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
GOOD TO SEE YOU. NEXT UP IS ITEM
NUMBER TEN BY A SUMMER ASSEMBLY
BILL 2398. WELCOME SECOND, WE
HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND
MEMBERS. AB 2398 WOULD REQUIRE
THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM TO CONDUCT AN EXTERNAL
AUDIT OF EACH CAMPUSES EVERY
THREE YEARS. IT WOULD ALSO
REQUIRE ALL AUDITS OF THE CSU
SYSTEM OR ITS CAMPUSES TO BE
MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
CURRENTLY, THE CSU SYSTEM
CONDUCTS AN EXTERNAL SYSTEM WIDE
AUDIT EACH YEAR. IT ALSO
CONDUCTS SMALLER, IRREGULAR
AUDITS OF VARIOUS PROGRAMS
OPERATED BY INDIVIDUAL CAMPUSES.
HOWEVER IT DOES NOT CURRENTLY
CONDUCT REGULAR EXTERNAL AUDITS
OF EACH OF ITS 23 CAMPUSES,
WHILE EXISTING AUDITS CONTAIN
SOME INFORMATION REGARDING EACH
CAMPUSES FINANCIAL STATUS AND
ACTIVITIES, THEY DO NOT
CONSTITUTE THE FULL INSPECTION
THAT WOULD BE OFFERED BY A
COMPLETE CAMPUS LEVEL AUDIT. FOR
EXAMPLE, WHILE THESE GENERAL
OVERVIEWS REFERENCED
INSTRUCTIONAL EXPENSES AND
PAYMENTS TO EMPLOYEES, THEY DO
NOT INCLUDE ANY DETAILED
INFORMATION ABOUT FACULTY
SALARIES. JUST LAST YEAR, THE
IMPACT OF THIS DATA DEFICIT WAS
ILLUSTRATED BY A TURBULENT
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS
BETWEEN THE CSU SYSTEM AND THE
CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION.
WHILE CFA ASKED FOR A 12% RAISE,
THE CSU SYSTEM SAID THAT IT
COULD ONLY 4 TO 5% RAISE.
HOWEVER, AN ANALYSIS BY
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTING PROFESSOR
DOCTOR HOWARD BUNCE CONCLUDED
THAT IN 2022, THE CSU SYSTEM HAD
AROUND $13.8 BILLION IN NET
ASSETS AND 8.1 BILLION IN AND
MOSTLY UNRESTRICTED RESERVES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DIFFERENCE
IN FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT WAS NOT
IMMEDIATELY RESOLVED, LEADING TO
A SERIES OF HISTORIC SYSTEM WIDE
STRIKES ACROSS ACROSS ALL 23 CSU
CAMPUSES. EVENTUALLY CFA AND CSU
SYSTEM CAME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT
INCLUDED AN APPROXIMATELY 10%
PAY INCREASE. AB 2398 WILL SHED
MUCH LIGHT ON THE GENERAL
FINANCIAL HEALTH OF ONE OF OUR
STATE'S MOST CRUCIAL EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS BY REQUIRING
REGULAR AUDITS OF EACH OF THE 23
CSU CAMPUSES, THIS BILL WILL
HELP US MAKE BETTER FINANCIAL
DECISIONS THAT WILL POSITIVELY
IMPACT FACULTY, STUDENTS AND THE
CSU SYSTEM ALIKE AND HOPEFULLY
AVOID WORK STOPPAGES THAT OCCUR
BECAUSE OF LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
OR LACK OF INFORMATION WITH ME
TO PROVIDE SUPPORTING TESTIMONY
ARE DOCTOR STEPHEN FILLING,
PROFESSOR OF ACCOUNTING AND
ETHICS AT CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY, STANISLAUS, AND
BRIAN HALL, DIRECTOR OF
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR THE
CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELCOME GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR
MEMBERS STEPHEN FILLING I NOTED
I'M A CHAIR. I'M A PROFESSOR OF
ACCOUNTING AND ETHICS AT
STANISLAUS STATE. I'M ALSO CFA'S
POLITICAL ACTION AND LEGISLATION
CHAIR. I TEACH AUDITING.
AUDITING IS ABOUT ASSURANCE.
ASSURANCE THAT INFORMATION IS
CORRECT. IT COMES WITH A COST IN
THE SAME SENSE THAT THE BAR EXAM
COMES WITH A COST. THERE IS A
REASON PEOPLE TAKE THE BAR EXAM
TO ENSURE THAT THAT LEGAL
EDUCATION THEY RECEIVED STUCK.
LIKEWISE THERE IS A REASON FOR
AUDITS TO ENSURE THAT THE
FINANCIAL INFORMATION PRESENT
PRESENTED IS ACCURATE AND IS AT
A LEVEL WHICH ENABLES
ACCOUNTABILITY. AS ASSEMBLY
MEMBER KALRA NOTED, AT THE
MOMENT, THE CSU SYSTEM IS
AUDITED, BUT NOT THE 23 CAMPUSES
HE MENTIONED THE $8.1 BILLION IN
RESERVES THAT THE CSU SITS ON.
WHEN WE ASK THE CSU ABOUT THAT,
THEIR RESPONSE WAS, OH, YOU
DON'T UNDERSTAND. THAT'S AT THE
CAMPUS LEVEL. IT SEEMS
APPROPRIATE IF THEIR RESERVES
ARE AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL, IF
THEIR DECISIONS ARE AT THE
CAMPUS LEVEL, THAT THE AUDITS BE
AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL AS WELL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO MUCH.
WELCOME, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS
BRIAN HOWE WITH THE CALIFORNIA
FACULTY ASSOCIATION. I WANT TO
FIRST APPLAUD THE AUTHOR FOR
CARRYING THIS BILL ON OUR
BEHALF. IF YOU REMEMBER, EARLIER
THIS YEAR, WE WENT ON THIS
UNPRECEDENTED STRIKE, THE FIRST
IN THE NATION AS THE LARGEST
UNIVERSITY IN THIS NATION. WE
WERE FORCED TO GO ON STRIKE
BECAUSE THE NUMBERS THAT WE WERE
BARTERING WERE APPLES TO
ORANGES. THIS BILL WOULD ALLOW
AN AUDIT EVERY THREE YEARS.
WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR A FIGHTING
CHANCE SO THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT
FIGURES, SO THAT THERE IS NO
GAMES BEING PLAYED AND WE WON'T
HAVE TO CONSTANTLY THREATEN THE
INSTITUTION TO GO ON STRIKE,
BECAUSE CURRENTLY THAT'S THE
ONLY VOICE WE HAVE. SO I'M HERE
TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS FROM
THE COMMITTEE. AND AGAIN, THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. ARE THERE WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT IN THE HEARING ROOM? ARE
THERE WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION IN
THE HEARING ROOM? ARE THERE
TWEENERS IN THE HEARING ROOM?
WAITING FOR THAT TWEENER. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH, ERIC BAKER WITH
THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE. I
APPRECIATE THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS
PROVIDED BY THE COMMITTEE. I
THINK IT ACCURATELY REFLECTS THE
CSU'S COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY
. WE DON'T DISAGREE THAT THERE
SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABILITY OF OUR
INSTITUTIONS, AND WE FEEL WE
ACTUALLY ALREADY ACHIEVED THAT.
WE PROVIDE ANNUAL REPORTS
THROUGH KPMG TO OUR BOARD OF
TRUSTEES. TYPICALLY IN EVERY
MAY. WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ONE
COMING UP HERE TO REFLECT ON THE
2023 FINANCIALS. BUT THE PROCESS
WE APPLY IS WE LOOK AT THE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR EACH
INSTITUTION. AND KPMG DOES AN
ANALYSIS AND REVIEW OF THOSE
AUDITS OR THOSE FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS TO VERIFY THE
ASSURANCE OF THE PROCEDURES AND
POLICIES AS WELL AS THE FIGURES.
SO WE FEEL LIKE AT THIS POINT IN
TIME, WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH
THE EXPECTATIONS OF THIS BILL.
AND AT THE MOMENT WE DO NOT HAVE
A POSITION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
SO MUCH, COLLEAGUES. ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? A SIMILAR
BURNER, YES. THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I TOTALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT THE YOU KNOW,
PERHAPS ONE OF THROUGH THE
STRIKES, WE CAN SEE THAT YOU
WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH HOW THE
NEGOTIATIONS WENT, BUT
ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET
SITUATION GOING FORWARD AND
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE WE
ALL KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
MAKE VERY DIFFICULT TRADE OFFS.
SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
ANYTHING THAT ADDS AN EXTRA
REQUIREMENTS OF WHAT'S ALREADY
DONE. SO, IF WE DID ADDITIONAL
AUDITS OF EACH CAMPUS AND I KNOW
THIS IS A QUESTION FOR A
PROCESS, BUT IT'S ALSO A
QUESTION OF HOW THE MONEY IS
GOING TO BE. HOW SHOULD WE BE
SPENDING MONEY, AND WHAT WOULD
BE THE COST OF INCREASE OF
TUITION. AND I DON'T SUPPORT
ANYTHING THAT WILL INCREASE THE
COST OF TUITION BECAUSE BECAUSE
STUDENTS ARE BARELY STRUGGLING
NOW. RIGHT SO WHO'S GOING TO
BEAR THIS COST? IN THE AUTHOR'S
STATEMENT, I BELIEVE IT SAYS THE
CSUS COULD BEAR THE COST. I
DON'T KNOW HOW THE CSU CAN BEAR
THIS COST BECAUSE THE COST IS
GOING TO BE EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER
IF YOU DO IT MORE FREQUENTLY AND
BY EVERY CAMPUS. THANK YOU FOR
THE QUESTION, AND LEGITIMATE
CONCERNS, AND I AGREE, I HAVE
PUBLICLY I THINK MANY OF WELL, I
DON'T WANT TO SAY WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE HAVE DONE, BUT I HAVE
VERY PUBLICLY OPPOSED TUITION
INCREASES AT DIFFERENT MOMENTS
IN TIME. SO I'M DEFINITELY
SENSITIVE TO THAT. A COUPLE OF
THINGS. ONE IS CURRENTLY THE CSU
DOES A SYSTEM WIDE AUDIT EVERY
SINGLE YEAR. THIS WOULD BE A
CAMPUS AUDIT EVERY THREE YEARS.
AND THEY DON'T. IT DOESN'T HAVE
TO BE DONE ALL AT ONCE. SO EACH
CAMPUS CAN EVALUATE, WHERE THEY
ARE IN TERMS OF THEIR BUDGETING
AND DETERMINE WHEN THE
APPROPRIATE TIME IS AS
INDICATED. EVEN BY THE CSU
REPRESENTATIVE. THERE'S THERE IS
SOME LEVEL OF AUDITING OR AT
LEAST OF FISCAL ANALYSIS DONE AT
THE CAMPUS LEVEL. THIS WOULD
REQUIRE AN ACTUAL IN-DEPTH
AUDIT. I BELIEVE IT'S
ABSORBABLE. IF IT'S EVERY THREE
YEARS AND IT'S AND THE CAMPUS
CAN DECIDE WHEN THEY WANT TO DO
IT AS OPPOSED TO CURRENTLY THE
ENTIRE SYSTEM. DOES IT EVERY
SINGLE YEAR. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I
, I THE BUDGET SCENARIO, YOU
KNOW, I THE BUDGET SCENARIO THAT
WE'RE IN OBVIOUSLY MAKES IT
CHALLENGING FOR US TO CONSIDER
ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS. BUT I
THINK THAT AN AUDIT WILL
ACTUALLY END UP ULTIMATELY
SAVING MONEY, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SEE WHERE
THESE RESERVES ARE, IF YOU'RE
ABLE TO ACTUALLY SEE WHERE MONEY
IS GOING IN AN IN-DEPTH MANNER
AND MAKE IT TRANSPARENT, YOU CAN
EXPOSE UNNECESSARY COSTS, YOU
CAN DRIVE DOWN COSTS, AND
ULTIMATELY YOU AVOID WORK
STOPPAGES BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS
THE NUMBERS OUT IN THE OPEN AND
THEY CAN BARGAIN FAIRLY. SO, YOU
KNOW, I THINK ULTIMATELY BY
HAVING AUDITS LIKE, YOU KNOW,
FRANKLY, MANY OF US SERVE ON A
LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS,
NONPROFITS, THEY DO AUDITS EVERY
YEAR. I DON'T THINK IT'S MUCH TO
EXPECT A CSU CAMPUS, ONE OF
WHICH IS IN MY DISTRICT, SAN
JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY, TO EXPECT
THEM TO DO AN AUDIT EVERY EVERY
THREE YEARS, WHICH I THINK IS A
PRETTY GENEROUS TIMELINE. SO
YOU'RE EXPECTING YOU'RE
EXPECTING THE CSU'S TO SUPPLANT
THE CURRENTLY YEARLY SYSTEMWIDE
AUDIT WITH EVERY THREE YEARS,
AND THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GOING TO
DO THE TRADE OFF IN FUNDING. IS
THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? NO. THE
CSU SYSTEMWIDE AUDIT IS
SOMETHING THEY ALREADY DO, SO
IT'S ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR. NOW
IF THE CSU WANTS TO MAKE A
MASTER CONTRACT WITH THAT SAME
EXTERNAL AUDITOR TO AUDIT EACH
INDIVIDUAL CAMPUS INDIVIDUALLY
TO SAVE COST, THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY
THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. SO THE
CURRENT AUDITS, THEY DO YOUR
BILL. PLEASE DESCRIBE THIS TO ME
BECAUSE I THAT WASN'T IN THE
COMMITTEE ANALYSIS AND IT WASN'T
IN THE BILL THAT THE WAY I
UNDERSTOOD IT. SO THE CURRENT
AUDITS THAT THEY DO THEY DO THE
YEARLY FINANCIALS AND THEN THEY
DO A SYSTEMWIDE EVERY FIVE
YEARS. NO, THEY THEY'RE DOING IT
EVERY YEAR. THE I THINK THE LAW
REQUIRES EVERY FIVE YEARS. BUT
CSU IS ACTUALLY DOING IT EVERY
YEAR. SO THEY'RE GOING TO STILL
DO THEIR SYSTEMWIDE EVERY YEAR.
YOU'RE GOING TO ADD A BY CAMPUS
EVERY THREE YEARS. AND YOU'RE
SAYING THERE'S NO COST INCREASE.
WELL NO. BUT I'M SAYING IS THAT
BY DOING AN AUDIT THERE'S THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY HAVE
COST SAVINGS. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW
THERE THERE ISN'T AN AUDIT BEING
DONE. AND PART OF THE REASON WHY
YOU DO AN AUDIT IS TO EXPOSE
HIDDEN OR UNNECESSARY COSTS, BE
ABLE TO DRIVE DOWN COSTS AND
WHAT HAVE YOU. I'M NOT
SUGGESTING AUDITS ARE FREE.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S GOING TO COST
MONEY FOR EACH CAMPUS TO DO IT
EVERY THREE YEARS, BUT I THINK
IT'S WELL WORTH IT, TO ENSURE
THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCY IN HOW
CSU IS SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY
AND STUDENTS MONEY AND WHAT
INFORMATION DO YOU THINK WILL
HAPPEN IN YOUR VERSION OF THE
AUDITS THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY
HAPPENED BY THEIR EITHER THEIR
INTERNAL AUDITS OR THEIR
EXTERNAL AUDITS? ONE EXAMPLE
THAT THE PROFESSOR NOTED IS THAT
THE RESERVES DURING NEGOTIATION,
WHEN THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT
THE $8.1 BILLION IN RESERVES,
THE CSU SAID, WELL, MOST OF
THOSE RESERVES ARE AT THE CAMPUS
LEVEL. AND THERE WAS NOT IF
THERE IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAMPUS
BY CAMPUS AUDIT, THEN YOU CAN
ACTUALLY SAY, OKAY, THIS IS
WHERE CUMULATIVELY WHERE THE
RESERVES ARE AND WITH
SPECIFICITY, THIS IS WHERE THE
RESERVES ARE. SO NØ CAMPUS IN
THEIR INTERNAL AUDIT SPECIFIES
WHERE THE RESERVES ARE. THEY DO
AN INTERNAL BY CAMPUS AUDIT
EVERY YEAR. IT'S SENT TO THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES. RIGHT. WELL
THEN THEY CAN EXPOSE THEY THEY
CAN MAKE THAT CURRENTLY WHAT
THEY DO THEN THEY CAN MAKE THAT
PUBLIC. IT IS PUBLIC. IT'S ON
THEIR WEBSITE. IT'S IN THE
COMMITTEE ANALYSIS THAT WE HAVE
THE LINK TO IT. YEAH. THROUGH
THE CHAIR. GO AHEAD. MR. CHAIR.
MAY I. YES. I THINK PART OF THE
ISSUE IS THAT THERE'S A
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERNAL
AUDIT AND EXTERNAL AUDIT.
EXTERNAL AUDITS ARE TREATED AS A
MECHANISM FOR ASSURANCE FROM AN
OUTSIDE PARTY WHO ISN'T
INTERESTED IN HOW THINGS WORK
INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION.
INTERNAL AUDITS TO ALL THEIR
BEST EFFORTS ARE STILL DONE BY
PEOPLE THAT ARE EMPLOYED BY THAT
ORGANIZATION. THERE IS A LOT
MORE, CREDIBILITY SLASH FACE
VALUE IN AN EXTERNAL AUDIT.
PEOPLE ARE A LOT MORE CAREFUL
AND I WANT TO NOTE AS WELL, THAT
WHEN WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
THE COST CHANGE WOULD BE, IT'S
NOT AS EASY AS SAYING, WELL, THE
COST WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 23
AUDITS BECAUSE THERE IS SOME
LEVEL OF REVIEW OF WHAT GOES ON
AT THE CAMPUSES NOW, NOT AN
AUDIT, SOME LEVEL OF REVIEW THAT
WON'T NEED TO BE DONE BECAUSE
THE PEOPLE THAT AUDIT THE SYSTEM
CAN RELY UPON THE AUDITS OF THE
CAMPUSES. SO IT'S NOT AS IF IT'S
GOING TO BE I UNDERSTAND I SAID
ON THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE AUDIT
COMMITTEE, I UNDERSTAND THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERNAL
AUDITS. WE DEAL WITH THAT ALL
THE TIME. MY QUESTION IS THE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BY CAMPUS
RESERVES THAT YOU'RE POINTING
OUT AS YOUR EXAMPLE OF WHY WE
NEED THIS? THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
CLEAR IN THE INTERNAL AUDITS,
BECAUSE THOSE INTERNAL AUDITS,
MY UNDERSTANDING IS BY CAMPUS.
IS THAT CORRECT? I DON'T KNOW
WHO CAN. YEAH. THERE ARE THERE
ARE CURRENT KIND OF GENERALIZED
AUDITS THAT ARE LIKE 4 OR 4 AND
A HALF PAGES THAT FROM EACH
CAMPUS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THE
BOARD, WHICH I THINK IS A FAR
CRY FROM AN ACTUAL FULL EXTERNAL
AUDIT. OKAY AND WHAT PRECEDENT?
SO WHAT PRECEDENT DO IS THERE
ANY PRECEDENT THAT YOU DECIDED
ON THREE YEARS VERSUS WHAT WE
HAVE CURRENT LAW IS FIVE YEARS.
WHAT WAS THE PRECEDENT
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 3 AND 5?
WELL, I THINK GIVEN THE FACT
THAT THE CURRENT PRACTICE IS
EVERY YEAR, EVEN IF THE IT'S
CODIFIED AS FIVE YEARS, THE
CURRENT PRACTICE IS EVERY YEAR,
I THINK THREE YEARS IS PLENTY OF
TIME, AND WOULD PROVIDE
ACCURATE, UP TO DATE INFORMATION
HALF A DECADE IS LONG IS TOO
LONG IN MY ESTIMATION, FOR A
CAMPUS AUDIT. AND THAT CAMPUS
AUDIT FEEDS INTO THE LARGER
AUDIT AS WELL. OKAY IF I MAY,
PLEASE. AND WE, WE GO ON TO
BARGAINING EVERY 2 TO 3 YEARS.
SO THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE
CAME UP WITH. WE THOUGHT IT WAS
FEASIBLE. SO THAT LEADS MY NEXT
QUESTION. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER
PRECEDENT. AND I THINK OUR CHAIR
OF LABOR WILL KNOW THIS, DO YOU
HAVE ANY OTHER PRECEDENT FOR
DOING AUDITS OF PUBLIC
INSTITUTIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
INFORMATION? YEAH. I MEAN, ARE
THERE EXAMPLES WHERE WE'VE DONE
LEGISLATION TO CREATE MORE
TRANSPARENCY FOR THE PURPOSE OF.
YEAH, I'VE SEEN LEGISLATION LIKE
THAT. IN WHAT AREA DO YOU
REMEMBER, ALSO IN, IN,
COLLECTIVE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU
HAVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, BUT WHEN
I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER, I DIDN'T
PREP YOU GUYS WITH THESE
QUESTIONS. YEAH, YEAH. CAME UP
TO ME WHILE YOU'RE DOING YOUR
TESTIMONY. SO SORRY. WELL, MY
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, IN TERMS
OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, I
CAN'T RECALL AN ORGANIZATION,
BUT THERE HAS BEEN OTHER STATE
AGENCIES WHERE THERE HAS BEEN
PRECEDENTS THAT HAS BEEN SET,
LIKE THE DMV. AND IN FACT, THIS
THIS, THIS INSTITUTION, THIS
ACTUALLY BODY, THIS ASSEMBLY,
ACTUALLY CONDUCTED SEVERAL
AUDITS A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THEY
WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY BY,
SEVERAL MISHAPS. AND WE WERE
ABLE TO FIND SIGNIFICANT COST
SAVINGS, MOVING FORWARD, IT'S
NOT YOU WANT AUDITS TO YOU WANT
TO CORRECT PROCESSES, YOU WANT
TO CORRECT PROCEDURES. YOU WANT
TO CORRECT ALL THESE DIFFERENT
THINGS. AUDITS HAVE MULTI
PURPOSE. I'M SPECIFICALLY ASKING
FOR TAXPAYERS TO FUND AUDITS FOR
THE PURPOSE OF COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING. AND THE PRECEDENT
THAT THAT HAS IS BASED ON OR
THIS IS SETTING FOR THIS BODY. I
MEAN THERE'S BEEN NUMEROUS
OCCASIONS OF LEGISLATION THAT
PLACES GUARDRAILS ON
NEGOTIATIONS THAT I'VE DONE ONE
WITH SAG-AFTRA THAT THAT I HAVE.
I WAS THE CHAIR AT THE TIME,
REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED. YEAH.
WELL, NO, BUT THERE'S OTHER
THAT'S NOT THE ONLY EXAMPLE. I
MEAN, I DID ONE WITH THE AIRLINE
PILOTS. WE'VE DONE IT MANY TIMES
WHERE WE SET UP GUARDRAILS ON
NEGOTIATIONS BECAUSE IT'S IN
PUBLIC POLICY. IT'S IN OUR
PUBLIC POLICY INTEREST TO DO SO.
YEAH. SO THIS IS WHERE I AM I
HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ALL THOSE
THINGS. THIS IS I THINK YOUR
FIRST COMMITTEE THAT YOU'RE IS
BEING HEARD IN. I SEE YOUR
INTENTIONS AND I ALWAYS WANT TO
HAVE TRANSPARENCY. I THINK THERE
ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I
RAISE THAT I HOPE YOU WILL
CONSIDER AS YOU MOVE FORWARD. SO
WITH THAT, I'LL GIVE YOU A
COURTESY TODAY AND HOPE THAT YOU
WORK ON THESE THESE ISSUES OF
WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, WHAT IS
THE OTHER PRECEDENTS? AND THEN
WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR
QUESTIONS SIMILAR. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. MR. CHAIR. I JUST
ALSO WANT TO COMMEND THE AUTHOR
AND THE SPONSORS AND
ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPORTANCE OF
TRANSPARENCY. BUT FOR MEMBERS OF
THIS COMMITTEE AND THIS
LEGISLATURE WHO HAVE LONGER
TENURE, TO BE REMINDED ABOUT THE
HIGHER EDUCATION MASTER PLAN AND
ULTIMATELY GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN
THE DOCUMENT THAT WE SHOULD LOOK
UPON OURSELVES AND ADEQUATELY
FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION VERSUS
THAT OF FIGHTING OVER CRUMBS,
THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT WE SHOULD
REALLY BE FOCUSED ON. AND THIS,
OF COURSE, IS GOING TO HELP
PROVIDE A GREATER TRUST AND
TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS. BUT
THE OVERALL PICTURE THAT WE
SHOULD BE TAKING A LOOK AT IS
THE HIGHER EDUCATION MASTER PLAN
AND HELPING TO GUIDE US ON WHAT
FUNDING LOOKS LIKE. SO THAT WE
CAN HELP ENSURE THAT THERE'S
EQUITY ALL ACROSS FROM WORKERS
AND STUDENTS. LIKE, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR SOLO AND FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND EFFORTS AROUND
THE MASTER PLAN AND WORKING TO
CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE ON THOSE
EFFORTS, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR
QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES SEEING
NONE A SIMILAR WE'D LIKE TO
CLOSE RESPECTFULLY ASK. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ROBUST
CONVERSATION HERE TODAY. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS
MEASURE FORWARD, CONTINUE TO
PLEASE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE
CSU TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS
RAISED IN THE ANALYSIS AND
REALLY APPRECIATE, YOU BRINGING
THIS FORWARD HERE TODAY. WITH
THAT, I LOOK FORWARD TO
SUPPORTING THE MEASURE HERE
TODAY. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL FILE ITEM NUMBER
TEN AB2398. THE MOTION IS Dð.
PASS TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE FOR A PHONG I TAWT I
TAW I ARAMBULA ARAMBULA I BURNER
I BURNER I CHEN A SALLY IRWIN
JACKSON JACKSON I LOW LOW I
MURATSUCHI MURATSUCHI I
QUIRK-SILVA QUIRK-SILVA I. THAT
MEASURE HAS EIGHT EYES, AND
WE'LL KEEP THE ROLL OPEN FOR
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO ADD ON.
AND THE MEASURE IS OUT. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH
COLLEAGUES, FOR ROBUST MEETING
THUS FAR. WE'RE WAITING FOR A
COUPLE ADDITIONAL AUTHORS IN THE
MEANTIME, MAYBE WE CAN GO
THROUGH THE ITEMS, FOR
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO ADD ON,
PLEASE, WE'LL GO THROUGH ITEM
NUMBER ONE, ASSEMBLY BILL 2019.
THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY,
PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON. ITEM
NUMBER ONE, ASSEMBLY BILL 2019,
FILE ITEM NUMBER ONE AB 2019.
THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS TO
EDUCATION QUIRK-SILVA
QUIRK-SILVA I. THAT MEASURE HAS
NINE EYES. WE'LL KEEP THEM OPEN
FOR ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT
WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON. NEXT UP IS
ITEM NUMBER TWO, A SUMMER FILE.
ITEM NUMBER TWO AB 2033. THE
MOTION IS DUE PASSED. THE HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE ARAMBULA Ã
ARAMBULA I. MURATSUCHI
MURATSUCHI II I QUIRK-SILVA
QUIRK-SILVA I. THAT MEASURE HAS
EIGHT EYES, AND WE'LL KEEP THE
ROLL OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL
MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD
ON. I WILL GO THROUGH THE
CONSENT CALENDAR. PLEASE OKAY.
WE'LL DO ITEM NUMBER 92349.
BIOSIMILAR WILSON FILE ITEM
NUMBER NINE AB 2349. THE MOTION
IS Dð. PASS TO APPROPRIATIONS
MARCELLO LO I MURATSUCHI
MURATSUCHI I QUIRK-SILVA
QUIRK-SILVA I. THAT MEASURE HAS
NINE EYES. WILL KEEP THE ROLL
OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS
THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON. NEXT
UP IS ITEM NUMBER TEN. MADAM
SECRETARY, ARE YOU GOOD ON IT?
OKAY ITEM NUMBER 11, PLEASE FILE
ITEM NUMBER 11 AB 2458. THE
MOTION IS DUE. PASS AS AMENDED
TO THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
ERWIN OAN MURATSUCHI MURATSUCHI
I QUIRK-SILVA QUIRK-SILVA I.
THAT MEASURE IS EIGHT EYES.
WE'LL KEEP THE ROLL OPEN FOR ANY
MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD
ON. AND WE CAN DO THE CONSENT
CALENDAR. PLEASE FILE ITEM
NUMBER THREE AB 2044. THE MOTION
IS Dð. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE FILE
ITEM NUMBER SIX AB 2184. THE
MOTION IS DO PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. FILE
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN AB 2275. THE
MOTION IS DO PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE FILE
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AB 2305. THE
MOTION IS DO PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
MURATSUCHI MURATSUCHI I
QUIRK-SILVA QUIRK-SILVA I THANK
YOU SO MUCH, COLLEAGUES, AND GO
AHEAD, THIS IS ON THE CONSENT
CALENDAR OR ERWIN. ERWIN, I SAID
IT HAS NINE EYES. AND THAT
MEASURE IS OUT. WE'LL KEEP THEM
OPEN FOR ANY MEMBERS THAT WOULD
LIKE TO ADD ON FOR THE CONSENT
CALENDAR, WITH THAT, SERGEANTS
ARE CALLING THE ADDITIONAL
AUTHORS, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO
EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS.
WE'LL GO THROUGH, ITEM NUMBER
ONE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.
ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE. FILE
ITEM NUMBER ONE AB 2019. THE
MOTION IS Dð. PASS TO EDUCATION
COMMITTEE. ERWIN ERWIN I. THAT
MEASURE HAS TEN EYES. WILL KEEP
THE ROLL OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL
MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD
ON. NEXT UP IS ITEM NUMBER TWO.
FILE ITEM NUMBER TWO AB 2033.
THE MOTION IS Dð. PASS TO THE
HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE. ERWIN
ERWIN I. THAT MEASURE IS NINE.
EYES WILL KEEP THE OPEN FOR ANY
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT WOULD
LIKE TO ADD ON FILE ITEM NUMBER
NINE HÌNH AB 2349. THE MOTION IS
DUE PASSED TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE. IRWIN IRWIN I THAT
MEASURE IS TEN. EYES WILL KEEP
THEIR OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL
MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD
ON FILE ITEM NUMBER TEN AB 2398.
THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. ERWIN
ERWIN NOT VOTING. THAT MEASURE
IS EIGHT EYES WHEN NOT VOTING,
AND WE'LL KEEP THE OPEN FOR ANY
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT WOULD
LIKE TO ADD ON FILE ITEM NUMBER
11 AB 2458. THE MOTION IS Dð
PASS AS AMENDED TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. IRWIN
IRWIN I THAT MEASURE IS NINE.
EYES WILL KEEP THE DOOR OPEN FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT
WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON. AND, THANK
YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR PATIENCE,
WE'LL AN AUTHOR IS ON IS ON HIS
WAY, SO THANK YOU. YOU HAVE FIVE
MINUTES. SHE'S ABSENT. OH I HAVE
TO START. TO HOW MANY AUTHORS
ARE WE WAITING FOR?
MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
MADAM SECRETARY, WE CAN, OPEN
THE ROLL FOR ANY MEMBERS THAT
WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON. PLEASE THE
CONSENT CALENDAR FILE ITEM
NUMBER THREE AB 2044. DO PASS TO
THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
FILE ITEM NUMBER SIX AB 2184. DO
PASS TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE FILE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN
AB 2275. DO PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE FILE.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AB 2305 DO
PASS TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE CHEN. CHEN I THAT
MEASURE HAS TEN EYES, AND WE'LL
KEEP THE OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL
MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD
ON. NEXT UP IS ITEM NUMBER ONE.
OH YOU GOT YOU'RE GOOD. ITEM
NUMBER TWO FILE ITEM NUMBER TWO
AB 2033. THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS
TO THE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE.
CHEN CHEN I THAT MEASURE TEN
AYES. WE'LL KEEP THEM OPEN FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT
WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON. NEXT UP
IS, ITEM NUMBER TEN. FILE ITEM
NUMBER TEN AB 2398. THE MOTION
IS Dð PASSED TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. CHEN
CHEN. AN EYE THAT MEASURES NINE
EYES WHEN NOT VOTING. WE'LL KEEP
THEM OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL
MEMBERS TO ADD ON. NEXT UP IS
ITEM NUMBER 11. FILE ITEM NUMBER
11 AB 2458. THE MOTION IS Dð
PASS AS AMENDED TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. CHEN
CHEN I THAT MEASURE IS TEN AYES
WILL KEEP THEIR OPEN FOR ANY
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT WOULD
LIKE TO ADD ON. AND WITH THAT
WE'LL, AUTHORS AND ROUTE. SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
PATIENCE. THANK YOU.
EDUCATION. NOW THAT
.
YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH. THIS
ADMINISTRATION'S INFLEXIBILITY
.
MOORLACH HIGH SCHOOL
.
I MEAN, OUR MOMS. WE HAD A LOT
OF. YEAH.
WE'RE WAITING FOR SOME. GUARDIAN
AND SANTIAGO'S ON HIS WAY.
PARTY. SO HE'S LIKE. ALWAYS
DOWNSTAIRS. OKAY, OKAY. YEAH.
OKAY. I.
RIGHT. YEAH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, WE'LL HAVE,
THIS TIME AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
MEMBERS TO ADD ON, ITEM NUMBER.
WE'LL DO THE CONSENT CALENDAR
FIRST. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU
CAN CALL THE ROLL ON THE CONSENT
CALENDAR, PLEASE FILE ITEM
NUMBER THREE AB 2044. THE MOTION
IS Dð. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. FILE
ITEM NUMBER SIX AB 2184. THE
MOTION IS DUE PASSED TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. FILE
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, AB 2275. THE
MOTION IS DUE. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE FILE
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AB 2305. THE
MOTION IS DUE PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. Ã
SALIH A SALIH I THANK YOU SO
MUCH, THAT MEASURE HAS 11 EYES
AND IS OUT. THANK YOU. NEXT UP
IS ITEM NUMBER ONE, FILE ITEM
NUMBER ONE, AB 2019. THE MOTION
IS DUE. PASS TO THE EDUCATION
COMMITTEE. Ã SALIH Ã SALIH.
AYE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT
MEASURE HAS 11 EYES AND IS OUT.
NEXT UP IS ITEM NUMBER TWO. FILE
ITEM NUMBER TWO. AB 2033. THE
MOTION IS DUE. PASS TO THE HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE. A SALIH, NOT
VOTING A SALIH NOT VOTING. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. THAT MEASURE IS TEN
EYES AND ONE NOT VOTING AND IS
OUT. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS ITEM
NUMBER NINE. FILE ITEM NUMBER
NINE, AN AB 2349. THE MOTION IS
DUE. PASS TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE. A SALIH I A SALIH. I
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT MEASURE
IS 11 EYES AND IS OUT. NEXT UP
IS ITEM NUMBER TEN. FILE ITEM
NUMBER TEN AB 2398. THE MOTION
IS Dð. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. Ã
SALIH NÓ A SALIH NØ. THAT
MEASURE HAS NINE EYES, ONE NOT
VOTING AND ONE NO. AND IS OUT.
THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS ITEM
NUMBER 11. FILE ITEM NUMBER 11
AB 2458. THE MOTION IS Dð PASS
AS AMENDED TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE. Ã SALIH SALIH I.
THAT MEASURE HAS 11 EYES AND IS
OUT. THANK YOU. AND NOW WE ARE
AWAITING OUR TWO AUTHORS,
AUTHORS, PLEASE JOIN US IN THE
HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE ROOM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
PATIENCE. IS IT 2 OR 3 BILLS?
THREE BILLS LEFT. OKAY I'LL BE
BACK. JUST LIKE PRESENTING. OKAY
THANK YOU. I'M STILL REPLACING
THAT ONE. SO.
THERE ARE SOME
.
QUESTIONS.
OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COLLEAGUES,
FOR YOUR PATIENCE, NEXT UP IS
ITEM NUMBER 12. ASSEMBLY BILL
2516, BIOSIMILAR. MIGUEL
SANTIAGO. WELCOME HEY, HOW ARE
YOU? GOOD CHAIR. WOULD JUST
INDULGE ME ONE SECOND TO GET MY
STUFF OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OKAY. AND IF THE CHAIR IS OKAY,
I WAS ALSO, I THINK YOU WERE
BRIEFED IN ADVANCE THAT I WOULD
BE PRESENTING FOR, MISS
CERVANTES AS WELL, CORRECT? YES.
IT IS OKAY WITH THAT. I'LL DO
BOTH. YES, WE'LL DO YOUR BILL
FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP
BY MISS CERVANTES AS WELL. THANK
YOU. WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND,
CHAIR, FOR LETTING US PRESENT ON
AB 2516. AND THIS BILL IS A
PRETTY SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD
BILL. THE GOVERNOR WOULD BE ABLE
TO APPOINT A BARGAINING UNIT
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE CSU BOARD
OF TRUSTEES, THE BOARD, AS YOU
KNOW, CURRENTLY ADOPTS
REGULATIONS, RULES AND POLICY
GOVERNING THE, THE CSU.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 25 MEMBERS
ON THERE. THERE IS ONE FACULTY,
BUT THERE'S NOT A
REPRESENTATIVE, THAT IS A LABOR
REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTING THE,
THE BARGAINING UNITS. I THINK
THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR
A VARIETY OF REASONS, BESIDES
ITS OVERSIGHT THAT HAVING
FACULTY INPUT AND BARGAINING
UNIT REPRESENTATION WOULD BE
IMPORTANT GIVEN THE 500,000
STUDENTS AND 25,000 FACULTY
MEMBERS, AND, MR. CHAIR, IF IT'S
OKAY, I BROUGHT TWO WITNESSES TO
PRESENT AS WELL, AND I
RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COMMITTEE
FOR AN AYE VOTE. AND LOOK
FORWARD TO A ROBUST
CONVERSATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELCOME MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS BRIAN
HOWE WITH THE CALIFORNIA FACULTY
ASSOCIATION. BEFORE I START, I
WANT TO ADDRESS, PAGE FOUR, OF
YOUR COMMITTEE ANALYSIS THAT
SAYS COMMITTEE STAFF NOTES THAT
UNLIKE FACULTY MEMBERS APPOINTED
TO THE POT, THE BARGAINING UNIT
REPRESENTATIVE WOULD BE ALLOWED
TO SIT IN ANY SUBCOMMITTEE K¾T
OF THE BOARD RESPONSIBLE FOR
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
NEGOTIATIONS, I WAS UNDER THE
IMPRESSION THAT THE BILL,
CLARIFIED UNDER SECTION ONE,
SUBDIVISION TWO, THAT THE
FACULTY MEMBER OF THE BOARD
APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR
PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION,
SHALL NOT PARTICIPATE ON ANY
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE BOARD
RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS. SO, I
UNDERSTAND THERE WERE SOME
CONCERNS COMING FROM THIS
COMMITTEE, AND IF THERE IS ANY
WAY THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THIS
CONCERN, WE'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE A
SIMPLE AMENDMENT IF THAT WOULD
RECTIFY IT. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU, WITH THAT, I WOULD YIELD MY
TIME TO MY PRESIDENT, CHARLES
TOMBS. THANK YOU. WELCOME GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR FONG AND
COMMITTEE. I'M CHARLES TOMBS,
AND I'M PRESIDENT OF THE
CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION
AND PROFESSOR OF AFRICANA
STUDIES AT SAN DIEGO STATE
UNIVERSITY, THE GOAL IS OF THIS
BILL IS FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE CSU
, THE PEOPLE WHO SPEND EVERY
DAY, WORKING TO MEET OUR MISSION
TO HAVE A PRESENCE IN THE
LEADERSHIP DECISIONS THAT COME
OUT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
THE BILL IS A CRITICAL STEP
TOWARDS ENSURING THAT THE VOICES
OF THOSE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN
THE DAY TO DAY OPERATION, THÀNH
AND SUCCESS OF OUR UNIVERSITIES
ARE HEARD AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
OF DECISION MAKING, THIS
REPRESENTATIVE WILL PROVIDE
ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS AND
PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORKING
CONDITIONS, CHALLENGES AND NEEDS
OF FACULTY AND STAFF WHO ARE THE
BACKBONE OF OUR INSTITUTIONS,
THE TALENTED EMPLOYEES OF THE
CSU SHOULD BE REPRESENTED BY AT
LEAST ONE PERSON ON THE BOARD.
IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE ARE FEW,
IF ANY, BOARD ACTIONS IN RECENT
BLT HISTORY THAT WOULD HAVE MADE
A DIFFERENCE BY A SINGLE VOTE,
NEVERTHELESS, YES, IT SHOULD BE
CLEAR THAT HAVING A TRUSTEE WHO
CAN BRING THE THEIR COWORKERS
WISDOM AND COUNSEL TO THE BOARD,
IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND
NEEDED AT THIS TIME WHEN OUR
SYSTEM IS SO DIVERSE AND IS SO
DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS WHEN THE
BILL WAS ORIGINALLY CONFIGURED
AS OUR RECENT LABOR STRUGGLES
REVEALED, INCLUDING THE FIRST
SYSTEMWIDE STRIKE IN 30 YEARS,
CSU LEADERSHIP IS OFTEN OUT OF
TOUCH WITH THE LIVED REALITIES
OF THE FACULTY AND STAFF. ADDING
AN ADDITIONAL UNIT TRUSTEE WOULD
BE A FIRST STEP TOWARD REMEDY IN
THAT, AND WOULD ENABLE BETTER
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION
BETWEEN ALL THAT ARE INVOLVED IN
SUPPORTING THIS GREAT SYSTEM.
THIS REPRESENTATIVE WILL PROVIDE
ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS AND
PERSPECTIVES ON WORKING
CONDITIONS, YES, BUT ON OTHER
CHALLENGES THAT ARE WAY OUTSIDE
OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
PROCESS. YES, IT IS A CULTURE OF
HOW WE LIVE AND WORK AND
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CSU THAT THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFTEN DOES NOT
HEAR IN OUR 60 MINUTE PUBLIC
COMMENTS, WHICH ARE OFTEN
INSULTS ING TO ALL OF THE UNIONS
WHO PRESENT AT EVERY BLT.
COMMITTEE MEETING. SO THAT'S IT.
WE THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE LOOK
AT THE BLT IN A DIFFERENT WAY,
AND THAT WE HAVE SOME MORE
REPRESENTATION OF THE WORKERS
AND NOT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE
APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. AND
THE ADDITIONAL, STUDENT TRUSTEES
AND FACULTY TRUSTEES. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. ARE THERE WITNESSES IN
SUPPORT IN THE HEARING ROOM? ARE
THERE WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION IN
THE HEARING ROOM? ARE THERE
TWEENERS OR OPPOSITION? OKAY.
WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON. CHAIR AND MEMBERS. MY
NAME IS ADRIANA GOMEZ. I'M A
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE AT THE CSU
OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR. HERE
TO SPEAK IN RESPECTFUL
OPPOSITION TO AB 2516, WHICH
WOULD ADD A BARGAINING UNIT
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE CSU BOARD
OF TRUSTEES. THAT IS TO BE
SELECTED BY THE UNIVERSITY LABOR
COUNCIL. THE CSU RECOGNIZES THE
VALUE OF CSU EMPLOYEES AND THE
IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THEY PLAY
ACROSS OUR UNIVERSITIES. THE CSU
ALSO SHARES THE AUTHOR'S GOAL OF
ENSURING THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR
THEIR VOICE ON THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES. UP TO THAT POINT, ALL
CSU EMPLOYEES HAVE THE MEANS AND
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN
BOARD MEETINGS VIA WRITTEN IN
PERSON AND VIRTUAL PUBLIC
COMMENT. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
WELCOMES INPUT FROM ALL STAFF
AND STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT THEIR
VOICE IS CURRENTLY PRESENT AND
HEARD. I ALSO WANT TO TOUCH ON
THE POINT ABOUT THE CONFLICT
WITH A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
UNIT. REPRESENTATIVE MENTIONED
ON PAGE FOUR. CURRENT CODE SAYS
A FACULTY REP CANNOT BE ON THE
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COMMITTEE.
HOWEVER, WITH THIS BILL, THE
REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT
NECESSARILY BE A FACULTY MEMBER.
IT COULD BE SOMEONE FROM ANOTHER
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT. SO
WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CONFLICT
OF INTEREST THERE. EMPLOYEES
ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
RAISE PRIORITIES AND CONCERNS
THAT ARE UNIQUE TO THEIR UNIONS
THROUGH THE COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING PROCESS, THE
APPROPRIATE, AT THE APPROPRIATE
PLACE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES IS
IN THAT PROCESS. FOR EXAMPLE,
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE CSU AND
OUR LABOR PARTNERS WERE ABLE TO
AGREE TO TERMS ON THE EXPANSION
OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE AND THE
CREATION OF A SALARY STEP
STRUCTURE. THESE CONCERNS WERE
RAISED TO THE BOARD THROUGH THE
COMMITTEE ON COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING, BARGAINING UNIT
MEMBERS CONCERNS AND NEEDS WERE
HEARD AND SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESSED
AND ADOPTED IN THE LABOR
AGREEMENTS. THE CSU DEEPLY
VALUES THE PERSPECTIVES OF OUR
EMPLOYEES, UNDERSTANDING THAT
THEY ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO THE
SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS. FOR
THIS REASON, OPPORTUNITIES HAVE
AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED
TO ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEES ARE
AUTHENTICALLY REPRESENTED BEFORE
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. FOR THESE
REASONS, THE CSU RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTS A NO VOTE ON AB 2516.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ARE THERE TWEENERS IN THE
HEARING ROOM? COLLEAGUES? ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES,
SENATOR. DOCTOR JACKSON, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. MR. CHAIR. YOU
KNOW, AS A PAST MEMBER OF THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I DON'T
NECESSARILY SEE A PROBLEM WITH
HAVING A FACULTY MEMBER ON THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, HOWEVER, WE
DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S
EXPLICIT IN TERMS OF THE VARIOUS
COMMITTEES ENSURING THAT WE ARE,
EVEN GOING BEYOND THE APPEARANCE
RIGHT OF ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE
A CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR
UNETHICAL. SO LET'S JUST MAKE
SURE THAT WE CLEAN UP ANY
LANGUAGE, IF THE LANGUAGE IS
ALREADY IN THERE, THAT'S GREAT.
BUT IF NOT, I THINK THAT'S GOING
TO BE IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE THE INTEGRITY OF THE
PROCESS, IS MADE. BUT I BELIEVE,
THOSE WHO ARE, I DO BELIEVE THAT
RARELY, IF ANY TIME ARE THERE
ANY REALLY CLOSE VOTES WHEN IT
COMES TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES?
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD
THING OR A BAD THING. I'LL LEAVE
THAT UP FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT I
THINK OVERALL, JUST HAVING ONE
MEMBER BASED UPON THE VAST
AMOUNT OF OTHER MEMBERS THAT ARE
ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES,
DOESN'T NECESSARILY, I BELIEVE
WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC. BUT THAT'S
MY $0.02. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, DOCTOR JACKSON. AND
I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCY AND NO
CONFLICT OF INTEREST. SO
APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS.
SUMMER BURNER YES. THANK YOU.
I'VE ACTUALLY WRITTEN BILLS THAT
HAVE LABOR REPRESENTATIVES PUT
ON BOARD. SO I DON'T THINK
THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH PUTTING A
LABOR REPRESENTATIVE ON A BOARD.
YOUR LANGUAGE IS NOT EXPLICIT
THAT ANY LABOR REPRESENTATIVE
CANNOT SERVE ON THE MOU
COMMITTEE. SO YOU SAY FACULTY,
BUT YOU COULD HAVE, LABOR
REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S NOT FACULTY
, RIGHT? YEAH. SO THAT NEEDS TO
BE CLEARED UP UNTIL I SEE THAT
LANGUAGE THAT THAT'S SIGNIFICANT
GUARDRAILS. THE OTHER THING,
WHICH IS MAYBE NEITHER HERE NOR
THERE, THE AUTHOR AND I TALKED
ABOUT IT, WAS IT YESTERDAY OR
TODAY? I DON'T KNOW, YESTERDAY,
I DON'T KNOW, TIME, BUT, 27
MEMBERS WITH BETWEEN THIS AND
THE CERVANTES BILLS IS AN
UNWIELDY THING, AND EVERY VOTE
IS DILUTED WITH THAT, INCLUDING
THE LABOR REPRESENTATIVE VOTE.
WHAT REALLY SHOULD BE DONE IS A
RESTRUCTURING OF HOW THE BOARDS
OF TRUSTEES ARE DONE. SO 25 IS
TOO MUCH. I DON'T KNOW HOW
ANYBODY MAKES A DECISION ON 25.
THAT'S CRAZY. THINK ABOUT US
LIKE WE'RE EVEN HERE, YOU KNOW,
LIKE 27 IS DILUTING EVERYBODY'S
VOTE. AND SO WE REALLY SHOULDN'T
DO THAT. WHAT WHAT I REALLY LIKE
TO SEE AND I DON'T KNOW IF
YOU'LL DO IT, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE
TO ASK IS YOU GO BACK, YOU AND
CERVANTES GET TOGETHER, AND YOU
THINK, HOW DO WE REALLY DO THIS?
THE GOVERNOR ALREADY HAS A BUNCH
OF Ã TRUSTEES. YOU CAN MAKE ANY
OF THE GOVERNORS TRUSTEES. YOU
CAN PUT REQUIREMENTS ON THAT SO
YOU'RE NOT ADDING TO THE VOTES.
AND DILUTING THE POWER MORE.
THAT WOULD BE A MORE ELEGANT
SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. AND
SAY ONE OF THE GOVERNOR'S
APPOINTMENTS HAS TO BE A LABOR
REPRESENTATIVE, AND THEN YOU
HAVE TO PUT IN A GUARDRAIL THAT,
THAT LABOR REPRESENTATIVE, OR
FACULTY OR STAFF MEMBER WHO ENDS
UP BEING ON THAT BOARD CANNOT BE
ON THE MOU COMMITTEE THERE. YOU
CAN'T HAVE THAT CONFLICT. SO
THAT'S WHAT I'D SUGGEST. SO WITH
THAT, I'M NOT GOING TO BE VOTING
ON THIS TODAY. I SUPPORT THE
GENERAL THEORY BECAUSE I THINK
IT'S FINE, BUT WE SHOULD NOT BE
CREATING MORE ONEROUS GOVERNANCE
STRUCTURES FOR SOMETHING THAT'S
SO IMPORTANT FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR SUMMER BURNER. ANY FURTHER
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? SEEING
NONE, SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO
CLOSE PLEASE? YEAH, I'LL CLOSE,
BUT I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU
KNOW, I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR
ANOTHER VOTE, BUT I ALSO JUST
WANT TO PAUSE ON ON. JUST TO
CLARIFY THAT I WILL GO WITH WHAT
THE AUTHORS WANT IN TERMS OF
CREATING, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T
APPEAR, TO HAVE A CONFLICT OF
INTEREST. THAT SAID, I'M GOING
TO GIVE YOU MY OWN PERSONAL
VIEWS. I DON'T SEE IT AS A
CONFLICT OF INTEREST. I DON'T OR
EVEN SEE IT AS UNETHICAL. I
MEAN, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT YOU
WANT TO PUT SOMEBODY ON THERE
THAT'S A LABOR REP. WHY HIDE
BEHIND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW
THAT THEY WOULD REPRESENT A
LABOR VOICE, WHATEVER THAT MAY
BE? I MEAN, I COME FROM A
SYSTEM. WHEN I WAS AT LACCD
WHERE YOU HAD SHARED GOVERNANCE,
THERE WAS NO THERE WAS NO ONE
WAS SHY ABOUT TALKING ABOUT
LABOR VOICES, WHETHER IT WAS
WAGES, WHETHER IT WAS BENEFITS,
WHETHER IT WAS ANYTHING ELSE. I
MEAN, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE ALL
PART OF WHAT MAKES A STAKEHOLDER
GROUP. NOW THAT MAY SEPARATE
FROM THE OPINION THAT THE
SPONSORS HAVE. BUT FOR MY OWN,
FOR MY OWN AIRING, OUT OF
OPINIONS, I WOULD BE OKAY WITH
THEM TALKING ABOUT, WAGES OR
WORKING CONDITIONS OR WHATEVER
IT MAY BE, SO LONG AS IT
CONTRIBUTES TO THE EDUCATION,
MISSION OF THE INSTITUTION. NOW
I REMEMBER WHEN BEING ON THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD AND
FOLKS AT THAT TIME, BOARD
MEMBERS, PREVIOUS TO YOU BEING
ON WHERE THEY DID NOT WANT LABOR
REPRESENTATION AND ON SOME OF
THE MAINTENANCE AND SOME OF THE
MAINTENANCE BARGAINING UNITS.
BUT THEN IT BECAME VERY CLEAR AS
WE, WE, WE, WE BECAME ENGAGED,
THAT HAVING AN INSTITUTION THAT
IS CLEAN, HAVING AN INSTITUTION
WHERE A STUDENT CAN LEARN AND
CREATE THAT SORT OF LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT, WAS IMPORTANT TO
THE TO THE MISSION OF THAT
ORGANIZATION, WHICH WAS TO HELP
EDUCATE STUDENTS. AND IT WASN'T
UNTIL WE BEGAN TO TALK TO SOME
OF THE LABOR PARTNERS WITHIN THE
DIFFERENT BARGAINING UNITS, THAT
IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THEIR
VOICES WERE IMPORTANT, EVEN IF
THEY DID TALK ABOUT WAGES, EVEN
IF THEY DID, WE THEN IF YOU
RECALL, CREATED TIME AND MOTION
STUDIES AFTERWARDS THAT HELPED
CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING A BETTER
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. I JUST
WANT TO PAUSE ON THOSE TWO
THINGS TO SAY CONFLICT OF
INTEREST OR TO SAY, POTENTIAL,
YOU KNOW, UNETHICAL AND NO
DISRESPECT, RIGHT. BUT BECAUSE
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT IT IS
IT'S ONE THING IF YOU WERE
TRYING TO HIDE IT. IT'S ONE
THING IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO PULL IT
UP FROM UNDERNEATH A RUG OR
SOMETHING, BUT WHEN WE'RE
CLEARLY SAYING THESE ARE
IMPORTANT VOICES BECAUSE IT'S A
PERSPECTIVE THAT WE WANT ON
THERE, I DON'T SEE IT AS AS
ANYTHING BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO DO, WHICH IS HAVE THAT VOICE
REPRESENTED ON THERE, WHICH I
BELIEVE WILL BE A STRONG STEP
FORWARD AND TO HELPING MAKE AN
INSTITUTION, MEET ITS MISSION TO
EDUCATE STUDENTS. BUT I'M NOT
SAYING THAT TO ARGUE AGAINST
WHAT WE'VE AGREED ON, BUT I JUST
WANTED TO SAY THAT THE AIRED OUT
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MISLEAD
ANYBODY TO SAY LIKE, YEAH, I
AGREE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A
CONFLICT OF INTEREST, NO,
BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO PUT
SOMEBODY ON THERE WHO'S A LABOR
REP, EVEN IF THEY DO TALK ABOUT
THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE, TO, TO
THE BARGAINING UNITS. BUT AT THE
END OF THE DAY, WE KNOW THAT
THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING A
BETTER INSTITUTION, SERVE ITS
MISSION, WHICH IS EDUCATING
STUDENTS. YEAH. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THANKS APPRECIATE THE
COMMENTS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
SUMMER, SANTIAGO, FOR BRINGING
THIS IMPORTANT MEASURE FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU AS WE LOOK FORWARD
TO CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS
OF EXPANDING ANY OVERSIGHT
BOARD, ESPECIALLY ONE AS MUCH
RESPONSIBILITY AS THE CSU BOARD
OF TRUSTEES, WE KNOW THE
BARGAINING UNITS ENSURE THAT
WORKERS ARE TREATED WITH THE
DIGNITY THEY DESERVE AND WITH
THE RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW AND
THEIR LABOR CONTRACT, AND THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE WORKERS WHO
ARE SO INTEGRAL TO THE
OPERATIONS EVERY DAY, EACH AND
EVERY DAY AT OUR CSU CAMPUSES
SHOULD BE HEARD AND SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD, NOT
JUST IN PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT AS
AN EQUAL MEMBER OF THE BOARD. SO
LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE
MEASURE HERE TODAY, WITH THAT,
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL. I'M SORRY, DO WE HAVE A
MOTION? SO MOVED. MOTION BY
MOTION A SECOND. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. AND WITH THAT, MADAM
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL
FILE ITEM NUMBER 12, AB 2516.
THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. FONG
I, FONG I TOR ARAMBULA BURNER.
BURNER NOT VOTING. CHEN CHEN I A
SALIH IRWIN. IRWIN I JACKSON.
JACKSON I LO I LO I MURATSUCHI
MURATSUCHI I QUIRK-SILVA
QUIRK-SILVA I. THANK YOU SO
MUCH, COLLEAGUES. THAT MEASURE
HAS SEVEN EYES. ONE NOT VOTING.
AND WE'LL KEEP THE ROLL OPEN FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO ADD
ON. THAT MEASURE IS OUT. THANK
YOU. SIMILAR SANTIAGO, NEXT UP
IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AUTHORED BY
SIMILAR CERVANTES AND PRESENTED
BY A SIMILAR MIGUEL SANTIAGO
ASSEMBLY ABOUT 2070. WELCOME.
THANK YOU. AND I VERY MUCH
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PRESENT ON BEHALF AND THIS BILL
SIMILARLY PARALLELS. SO I'LL
GIVE YOU THE QUICKER VERSION IF
IT'S OKAY WITH THE CHAIR. YES,
SIMPLY PUT THIS THIS BILL WOULD
INCREASE FACULTY REPRESENTATION
TO THE CSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES BY
REQUIRING THE GOVERNOR TO
APPOINT ADDITIONAL FACULTY
MEMBER TO A TOTAL OF TWO FACULTY
MEMBERS ON THE BOARD, GIVEN
TODAY THAT THERE'S ONLY, 25
MEMBERS, FACULTY BEING ONE OF
THE LARGER STAKEHOLDERS, OF THE
INSTITUTION, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE
THAT YOU WOULD ADD AN ADDITIONAL
FACULTY MEMBER, BECAUSE IT'S A
VERY IMPORTANT VOICE, IN THE CSU
SYSTEM, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR AN AYE VOTE. LOOK FORWARD TO
A ANOTHER ROBUST CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. A
SIMILAR SANTIAGO. AND, WELCOME
TO YOUR WITNESSES. ALL RIGHT.
HI, I'M BETH STOFFEL, CHAIR OF
THE ACADEMIC SENATE OF THE
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND
PROFESSOR OF DESIGN AT CSU SAN
BERNARDINO ON BEHALF OF THE
ACADEMIC SENATE OF THE
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY,
WHICH REPRESENTS MORE THAN
28,000 FACULTY OF THE CALIFORNIA
STATE UNIVERSITY ON ACADEMIC
MATTERS OF SYSTEMWIDE CONCERN.
WE'RE HERE IN SUPPORT OF AB
2070. AT PRESENT, THERE'S A
SINGLE FACULTY TRUSTEE. THE GOAL
OF THIS LEGISLATION IS TO ADD A
SECOND FACULTY TRUSTEE TO THE
BOARD. CSU ADMINISTRATION THÀNH
NOTES IN ITS LETTER ON THIS BILL
THAT THE CSU SHARES THE AUTHOR'S
GOAL OF ENSURING THAT FACULTY
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A
VOICE ON THE CSU BOARD OF
TRUSTEES. WE'RE PLEASED THAT
THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF
FACULTY VOICE. IT IS FACULTY,
THOSE WHO INTERACT DAILY WITH
OUR STUDENTS WHO EMPOWER STUDENT
SUCCESS, WHO UNDERSTAND OUR
STUDENTS AS INDIVIDUALS RATHER
THAN AS STATISTICS, WHO POSSESS
A DISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE THAT
ARE BEST ENABLED TO PROVIDE WISE
COUNSEL ON CURRICULAR AND POLICY
ISSUES. THAT'S A PRIMARY REASON
THAT HERA RECOGNIZES THE ROLE OF
FACULTY AND THE CONDUCT OF THE
AFFAIRS OF THE UNIVERSITY. OUR
STUDENTS ARE ALLOTTED TWO
TRUSTEES IN RECOGNITION OF THE
NEED FOR THEIR VOICE AND BOARD
DISCUSSIONS. WE BELIEVE THAT
LIKEWISE, THERE IS A CRITICAL
NEED FOR THE VOICE OF FACULTY
AND BOARD DISCUSSIONS,
REGARDLESS OF VOTING STATUS. IT
SHOULD BE EVIDENT THAT HAVING AN
ADDITIONAL VOICE CARRYING THE
PERSPECTIVE OF FACULTY WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE. IT'S CLEAR THAT
THERE ARE FEW, IF ANY, BOARD
ACTIONS WERE A SINGLE VOTE WOULD
HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. HOWEVER,
IT SHOULD ALSO BE CLEAR THAT
HAVING AN ADDITIONAL TRUSTEE WHO
CAN BRING THEIR COLLEAGUES
EXPERTISE AND COUNSEL TO BOARD
DISCUSSIONS CAN ONLY ENRICH
THOSE DISCUSSIONS. IT'S ALSO
TRUE THAT THE ACADEMIC SENATE OF
THE CSU IS ALLOWED TO PRESENT
ITS REPORT TO THE BOARD.
HOWEVER, PRESENTATION OF A
REPORT IS HARDLY FULSOME.
PARTICIPATION IN BOARD
DELIBERATIONS FOR FACULTY HAVE
RARELY, PERHAPS ON TWO MATTERS.
IN THE LAST DECADE, BEEN ALLOWED
TO PRESENT DIRECTLY TO THE BOARD
ON POLICY ISSUES. IN FACT, AT
THE MOST RECENT BOARD MEETING,
MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WERE FORCED
TO JOIN THE QUEUE FOR PUBLIC
COMMENT TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS
OVER A CRITICAL CURRICULUM
POLICY ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY, AT
THE MOST RECENT BOARD MEETING,
THE ACADEMIC SENATE CHAIR WAS
DENIED OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE
TO THE DISCUSSION ON GENERAL
EDUCATION CURRICULUM. IT'S NOT.
IT'S JUST NOT THE CASE THAT THE
CURRENT MAKEUP AND PRACTICES OF
THE CSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ENABLES THE THOUGHTFUL AND
INFORMED DISCUSSION AND DECISION
MAKING THAT RESULTS IN THE BEST
OUTCOMES FOR THE CSU, FOR OUR
STUDENTS, AND FOR THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON
AGAIN, CHAIR FONG, MEMBERS
STEPHEN FILLING I'M A PROFESSOR
OF ACCOUNTING AND ETHICS AT
STANISLAUS STATE, A PAST CHAIR
OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE OF THE
CSU, AND CFA'S POLITICAL ACTION
AND LEGISLATION CHAIR, FACULTY
INVOLVEMENT IN THE AFFAIRS OF
THE UNIVERSITY IS CRITICAL NOT
ONLY BECAUSE FACULTY
PERSPECTIVES ARE GROUNDED IN
DIRECT AND CONTINUING
INTERACTIONS WITH STUDENTS, BUT
ALSO BECAUSE OF OUR FIRSTHAND
AND COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING
OF THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
WE EXIST IN. I'VE APPEARED AT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS
MULTIPLE TIMES DURING MY CAREER
AT CSU. I FREELY CONFESS TO
ONGOING FRUSTRATION WITH TRYING
TO, AS MY COLLEAGUE NOTES, FORCE
A STATEMENT ON A COMPLEX ISSUE
SUCH AS GENERAL EDUCATION,
CURRICULUM AND THE IMPACT OF
CHANGES IN THAT CAN HAVE ON OUR
STUDENTS IN THE 60S. THAT JUST
IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO INFORMATION
FLOW, NOR DOES IT ENABLE FULLY
INFORMED DELIBERATION ON ISSUES
THAT AFFECT LITERALLY MILLIONS
OF STUDENTS. AND ADDITIONAL
FACULTY. TRUSTEE AND THE BOARD
WOULD EFFECTIVELY DOUBLE THE
CHANCE THAT THE VOICE OF THE
FACULTY IS HEARD BOTH FORMALLY
AND INFORMALLY, AND CANNOT BUT
ENRICH THE BOARD'S
DELIBERATIONS. WE RESPECTFULLY
REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE THERE ANY
ADDITIONAL WITNESSES IN SUPPORT
IN THE HEARING ROOM? SEEING
NONE, ARE THERE WITNESSES IN
OPPOSITION IN HERRINGHAM?
WELCOME. THANK YOU. HELLO AGAIN
EVERYONE. ADRIANA WITH THE CSU
OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR HERE TO
SPEAK IN RESPECTFUL OPPOSITION
TO AB 2070, WHICH WOULD ADD AN
ADDITIONAL FACULTY MEMBER TO THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES. ONCE AGAIN, I
WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE CSU
VALUES, VALUES, OUR FACULTY AND
THE CENTRAL ROLE THEY PLAY
ACROSS OUR UNIVERSITIES. AS THE
SUPPORT MENTIONED, WE SHARE THE
AUTHOR'S GOAL OF ENSURING
FACULTY HAVE A VOICE ON THE
BOARD. THE BOARD CURRENTLY HAS A
VOTING FACULTY MEMBER WHO
REPRESENTS WHO REPRESENTS
FACULTY. THE TRUSTEE IS
NOMINATED BY THE ACADEMIC SENATE
AND APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.
THE FACULTY TRUSTEE SITS ON FOUR
INFLUENTIAL COMMITTEES,
INCLUDING THE COMMITTEE ON
EDUCATION POLICY ON AUDIT,
FINANCE AND THE COMMITTEE ON
CAMPUS PLANNING, BUILDING AND
GROUNDS. THROUGH PARTICIPATION
ON THESE COMMITTEES, THE
PERSPECTIVES OF FACULTY ARE
CONSISTENTLY AND AUTHENTICALLY
ELEVATED TO THE BOARD TO ENSURE
FACULTY ARE PART OF EACH BOARD
MEETING. AS THE PROPONENTS HAVE
MENTIONED, THE ACADEMIC SENATE
OF THE CSU, WHICH IS THE
OFFICIAL VOICE OF FACULTY IN
MATTERS OF SYSTEM WIDE CONCERN,
ALSO HAS A STANDING REPORT IN
EACH BOARD MEETING. BEYOND THIS
REPORT, FACULTY ALSO PRESENT
DIRECTLY TO THE BOARD ON POLICY
MATTERS, AND THEY ROUTINELY
PARTICIPATE IN BOARD MEETINGS
VIA WRITTEN IN PERSON AND
VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT. THE
BOARD ENCOURAGES AND WELCOMES
INPUT FROM FACULTY AND STRONGLY
BELIEVES THEIR VIEWPOINTS ARE
CONSISTENTLY PRESENT AND HEARD.
ONCE AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO
REITERATE THAT THE CSU DEEPLY
VALUES THE PERSPECTIVES OF OUR
FACULTY, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY
ARE FOUNDATIONAL TO THE SUCCESS
OF OUR STUDENTS. FOR THIS
REASON, OPPORTUNITIES HAVE AND
WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED TO
ENSURE FACULTY ARE AUTHENTICALLY
REPRESENTED WITH THE BOARD. THIS
IS DEMONSTRATED BY THE CURRENT
VOTING MEMBER. THE STANDING
REPORT FROM THE ACADEMIC SENATE,
AND OTHER CONSISTENT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE CSU
RESPECTS A NO VOTE THANK YOU
REQUESTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE
THERE ANY ADDITIONAL WITNESSES
IN OPPOSITION? ARE THERE ANY
TWEENERS IN THE HEARING ROOM?
CNN COLLEAGUES, ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS? AS LIMÓN BERNARD
FOLLOWED BY SUMMER DOCTOR
JACKSON YEAH, SO, ONE, I THINK
WITH THE CSU CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE, YOU HAVE TWO, MEMBERS OF
YOUR FACULTY WHO SAY THEY DON'T
FEEL THAT ON COMPLEX ISSUES,
THEY HAVE TIME. SO I THINK IT'S
A SLIGHTLY DISINGENUOUS THAT YOU
SAY THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH TIME
BECAUSE THEY JUST TOLD YOU THEY
DIDN'T HAVE OR THEY JUST TOLD US
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME. SO I
THINK THERE'S SOMETHING THAT
THAT CAN BE DONE PROCEDURALLY
WITHOUT WITH WITH THAT, BECAUSE
I DO THINK THE FACULTY HAVE SO
MUCH I MEAN, THIS IS A HIGHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTION WITHOUT
THE FACULTY, THERE'S NO HIGHER
EDUCATION, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT
OF BUREAUCRACY IN NØ HIGHER
EDUCATION, WITH THAT, I'M GOING
TO ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS
FROM THE LAST BILL IS I DON'T
THINK IT'S A GREAT PLAN TO BE
ADDING MORE MEMBERS. I SEE THE
PARITY BETWEEN STUDENTS AND
FACULTY AND MAYBE THAT WAS A
MISTAKE. MAYBE WHEN WE RAN THE
FIRST BILL, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD
TWO. I BET THE REASON WE DID TWO
HAD TO DO WITH EVEN AN ODD
NUMBERS AND VOTING. SO THIS BILL
GOES THROUGH AND THE OTHER BILL
DOESN'T GO THROUGH. YOU END UP
WITH AN EVEN NUMBER OF MEMBERS
AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A
VOTING PROBLEM. WHAT MIGHT BE A
BETTER PROCESS IS TO REQUIRE ONE
OF THE GOVERNOR APPOINTEES BE
ALSO FACULTY RIGHT, OR REQUIRE
FIVE OF THEM TO BE FACULTY. I
DON'T CARE, THAT'S FINE, I DON'T
CARE. I THINK THAT FACULTY VOICE
IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. I
STRUGGLE WITH AND I DON'T HAVE
THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS ONE
BECAUSE THE FACULTY IS CLEARLY
CAN'T BE ON THE MOU NEGOTIATING
COMMITTEE. SO I DON'T HAVE SO
MUCH OF AN ISSUE WITH THAT. SO
I'D LIKE THE AUTHOR, WHEREVER
SHE IS, TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
WHAT OTHER WAY WE COULD DO IT.
THAT DOESN'T INCREASE COSTS AND
DOESN'T, DOESN'T INCREASE COSTS
AND FINDS ANOTHER WAY TO GET THE
FACULTY VOICE ON THERE. BECAUSE
AND ALSO, I WOULD SAY YOU WOULD
WANT DIVERSE FACULTY ON THERE.
YOU WANT FACULTY FROM MANY
DISCIPLINES ON THERE BECAUSE
YOU'RE DEALING WITH SO MANY
DIFFERENT AREAS. AND THE ISSUES
SAY IN THE HUMANITIES MAY NOT BE
THE SAME ISSUES, AND SOME OF
THEM ARE TECHNICAL, ONES, YOU
KNOW, SO I'LL GIVE IT AN I VOTE
TODAY. I'LL SEE WHAT ENDS UP
COMING TO US ON THE FLOOR. BUT
THOSE ARE THE THOUGHTS THAT I
HAVE THAT WOULD MAKE THIS BILL
REALLY, REALLY IMPACTFUL, AND SO
WITH THAT, THAT'S THE END OF MY
COMMENTS. SORRY I WAS FUNNIER
EARLIER TODAY. I'M HOT AND
TIRED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. A SLOW
BURNER, A SLOWER DOCTOR JACKSON,
FOR THE MEMBER OF THE CSU, YOU
WERE SAYING THAT THE FACULTY
ALREADY HAVE A GOVERNOR
APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE, ON
THERE. AND HOW LONG IS THEIR
TURN? I BELIEVE THEIR TURN IS
TWO ONE, TWO YEAR TERMS. OKAY.
YEAH, ONE TWO YEAR TERMS. LIKE
THE STUDENT TRUSTEE ALUMNI
ACTUALLY ALSO HAS A
REPRESENTATIVE. AM I CORRECT?
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE
BEEN ON THE TRUSTEES. AND SO
NOW, SPONSORS OF THE BILL, YOU
ARE SAYING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE
TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S TWO
MEMBERS ON THE BOARD. RIGHT. AND
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE RATIONALE OF
HAVING THE TWO, OR IS IT KIND OF
LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE
STUDENT TRUSTEES OR WHAT IS THE
UP TO THE CHAIR? YES. IF I MAY,
CHAIR, PLEASE, PART OF THE
RATIONALE IS THAT A LOT OF THE
BUSINESS OF THE TRUSTEES IS
CONDUCTED IN CONVERSATION,
HAVING TWO PEOPLE AS PART OF
THAT CONVERSATION INSTEAD OF
ONE, OBVIOUSLY INCREASES THE
CHANCES THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT HEAR
YOU. ANOTHER PART OF THAT IS
THAT HAVING TWO TRUSTEES WITH
STAGGERED TERMS, AS I THANK THE
STUDENT TRUSTEES WORK, ENABLES A
LITTLE CONTINUITY OF ACTION,
CONTINUITY OF INFORMATION
FLOWING THERE. I DEFINITELY
AGREE WITH THE CONTINUITY, AND I
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I
UNDERSTOOD THE REASONING BEHIND
THERE. I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT,
THERE'S SO MUCH DISCUSSION THAT
GOES ON OUTSIDE OF THOSE
MEETINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, CONTEXT
AND STORYTELLING AND ALL THAT
KIND OF STUFF PLAYS A FACTOR IN
TERMS OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS
WELL. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE
I UNDERSTOOD. THANKS THANK YOU
SO MUCH. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR
QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, DID WE
HAVE A MOTION? BEALL SECOND, A
MOTION AND A SECOND. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. MR. SANTIAGO, WOULD YOU
LIKE TO CLOSE? YES. I
RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR AN AYE A
VOTE AND WOULD RELAY THE
COMMENTS OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE
AUTHOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO
MUCH, SENATOR SANTIAGO, FOR
PRESENTING THE BILL HERE TODAY.
ON BEHALF OF SENATOR CERVANTES,
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE AUTHOR FOR
INTRODUCING THE BILL, AS WELL
AS, COMMENTED EARLIER, WE SHOULD
ALWAYS CONSIDER SERIOUSLY
CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF
EXPANDING ANY OVERSIGHT BOARD,
ESPECIALLY ONE AS MUCH
RESPONSIBILITY AS THE CSU BOARD
OF TRUSTEES. FUNDAMENTALLY, I
BELIEVE THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR
OUR BOARDS INCLUDE THE VOICES OF
THOSE INDIVIDUALS AT THE
INSTITUTION SERVES, AND
INCREASING FACULTY
REPRESENTATION WILL HELP TO
GUARANTEE THAT NOT ONLY FACULTY
VOICES ARE HEARD, BUT ALSO TO
UPLIFT THE VOICES OF ALL
INDIVIDUALS THAT OUR FACULTY
INTERACT WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND WITH THAT, I LOOK FORWARD TO
SUPPORTING THE BILL HERE TODAY,
WITH THAT. I SAID WITH THAT,
ROLL CALL, PLEASE FILE ITEM
NUMBER FOUR AB 2070. THE MOTION
IS DUE. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. FONG.
FONG AYE TO ARAMBULA BURNER.
BURNER. AYE. CHEN CHEN AYE.
ASALI. IRWIN. IRWIN AYE.
JACKSON. JACKSON. AYE. LO LOH
AYE. MURATSUCHI. MURATSUCHI. AYE
QUIRK-SILVA. AYE. QUIRK-SILVA.
AYE THANK YOU SO MUCH,
COLLEAGUES. THAT MEASURE HAS
EIGHT EYES, AND WE'LL KEEP THE
ROLL OPEN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL
MEMBERS TO ADD ON. THANK YOU SO
MUCH, COLLEAGUES. WE HAVE ONE
FINAL ITEM, MR. MCCARTY, IF YOU
CAN JOIN US IN THE HIGHER
EDUCATION COMMITTEE, PLEASE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. A FEW MINUTES
OF ROLL OPEN FOR, HE WAS JUST
RIGHT HERE. THANK YOU,
COLLEAGUES, FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS
WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SORRY
YOU'RE JUST COMING RIGHT BACK.
MIGUEL'S GOOD. HOLD ON TO HIM.
DO YOU SEE HIM? DON'T LET HIM
GO. I CAN ASK SOMEBODY ELSE
.
THERE WE GO. FIVE MINUTES. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. WELCOME MR. MCCARTY,
PRESENTING OUR FINAL BILL OF
TODAY. MEASURE ITEM FIVE, NUMBER
FIVE, ASSEMBLY BILL 2152 WITH A
MOTION AND A SECOND. SENATOR
MCCARTY, WELCOME. THIS IS A
GREAT BILL. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU, MR, MR. CHAIR AND COMMITTEE
MEMBERS ON THE LAST BILL TODAY,
THIS IS ABOUT SERVICE LEARNING.
WE ALL KNOW THAT COLLEGE IS
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO GETTING
A CAREER IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, BUT SO IS GETTING
INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. SO
WE HAVE SOME CAMPUSES THAT DO
THIS ALREADY. WE KNOW THAT THE
CSU SYSTEM, CSU MONTEREY BAY,
HAS A ROBUST SERVICE LEARNING
PROGRAM. WE WENT THROUGH THIS
PROCESS LAST YEAR IN THIS
COMMITTEE, AND THIS IS A LITTLE
BIT MORE TARGETED. AND THIS
WOULD ASK THE UC AND CSU TO HAVE
A PILOT AT THEIR CAMPUSES,
THREE, THREE AT EACH SYSTEM TO
HELP STUDENTS EXPAND STUDENT
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. WE KNOW
THIS NOT ONLY HELPS THEM WITH
THEIR CAREER, BUT INCREASES
GRADUATION RATES AND HELPS OUR
STATE OF CALIFORNIA AS WELL.
WITH ME TODAY IS A RESEARCHER ON
THIS TOPIC THAT CAN LEND SOME
INSIGHT, RESPECTFULLY ASK YOUR
AYE VOTE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. WELCOME. THANK YOU,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER MCCARTY, THANK
YOU FOR THE INVITATION
COMMITTEE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME. MY NAME IS DOCTOR LUKE
TERRA. I SERVE AS THE DEPUTY
DIRECTOR AT THE CENTER FOR
PUBLIC SERVICE AT STANFORD
UNIVERSITY AND SERVE ON THE
BOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH ON
SERVICE LEARNING AND COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT, I'M PROVIDING
TESTIMONY THIS AFTERNOON AS AN
EXPERT IN THE FIELD, BUT
TESTIMONY THAT I PROVIDE IS MY
OWN OPINION AND DOESN'T REFLECT
POSITIONS OF ANY OF THOSE
ORGANIZATIONS. BUT I WOULD
ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT AB
2152. IN MY LIMITED TIME, I'LL
JUST OFFER THREE QUICK REASONS.
FIRST, THIS BILL SUPPORTS THE
PUBLIC SERVICE MISSION OF THE UC
AND CSU SYSTEMS AT A TIME WHEN
WE SEE PUBLIC SUPPORT DECLINING
FOR OUR NATION'S COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES, THIS BILL PROVIDES
A WAY TO STRENGTHEN THE
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR STATE
UNIVERSITIES AND THE COMMUNITIES
THEY SERVE. SECOND, RESEARCH
SUGGESTS THAT A SERVICE LEARNING
REQUIREMENT WILL IMPROVE STUDENT
LEARNING, INCREASE RETENTION AND
GRADUATION RATES, AND BENEFIT
COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE RESEARCH
ON SERVICE LEARNING IS ROBUST
AND COMPELLING. I'LL JUST OFFER
ONE SHORT EXAMPLE THAT RELATES
TO THE WORK OF THIS PARTICULAR
BILL. A 2017 STUDY AT A LARGE
PUBLIC UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT
STUDENTS WHO TOOK A SERVICE
LEARNING CLASS HAD HIGHER GPAS
AND WERE TWO AND A HALF TIMES
MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE WITHIN
SIX YEARS. SO IN A UNIVERSITY
THAT HAS, SAY, 3,001ST
GENERATION STUDENTS IMPLEMENTING
A SERVICE LEARNING REQUIREMENT
LIKE THE ONE PROPOSED TODAY
WOULD MEAN THAT 400 ADDITIONAL
STUDENTS WOULD GRADUATE IN SIX
YEARS. FINALLY, THE APPROACH OF
THIS BILL I SEE AS BOTH
REALISTIC AND ACHIEVABLE BY
PILOTING WITH CAMPUSES THAT
ALREADY HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE
IN TERMS OF DEDICATED STAFF AND
SERVICE LEARNING CENTERS, AND
YOU HAVE A MODEL, AN EXEMPLARY
ONE IN THE CAMPUS OF CSU
MONTEREY BAY TO USE AS A
TEMPLATE. FOR ALL OF THOSE
REASONS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO
SUPPORT AND APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY
. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ARE THERE
WITNESSES IN SUPPORT IN THE
HEARING ROOM? ARE THERE
WITNESSES IN OPPOSITION IN THE
HEARING ROOM? ARE THERE TWEENERS
IN THE HEARING ROOM? GOOD
AFTERNOON. MARY MOYLE WITH THE
CSU. AND WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH
WITH THE AUTHORS ON THE BILL,
CSU IS FINE WITH THE PART OF THE
BILL WHICH WOULD HAVE THE CAMP
CAMPUSES PROVIDE INFORMATION, TO
STUDENTS ABOUT SERVICE LEARNING.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SERIOUS
CONCERNS WITH THE PART OF THE
BILL WHICH MANDATES THAT
STUDENTS TAKE A SERVICE LEARNING
COURSE AS THE COMMITTEE ANALYSIS
NOTES, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO
ADD ADDITIONAL COURSES TO THE
STUDENTS SCHEDULES, ESPECIALLY
TO STUDENTS IN STEM, WHO HAVE NO
REAL EXPERT AROUND SERVICE
LEARNING COURSES ARE ALSO VERY
TIME AND INTENSIVE SINCE THEY
INCLUDE BOTH VOLUNTEER AND
CLASSROOM HOURS, AND THIS CAN
CREATE CHALLENGES FOR STUDENTS
WHO WORK AND D¯ÚI PARENTS.
FINALLY, THESE COURSES ARE VERY
COSTLY, SO THEY NEED FUNDING FOR
FACULTY ADMINISTRATION AND IN
ORDER TO CREATE THE PARTNERSHIPS
WITH COMMUNITY ENTITIES, SO WE
WANT TO THANK THANK YOU FOR THIS
TIME, AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT YOU WITH THE OFFER ON
THIS BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
SO MUCH, COLLEAGUES. ANY
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, SIMILAR
QUIRK-SILVA FOLLOWED BY A
SIMILAR ERWIN, I HAVE, SOME
COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, THERE'S
A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT THIS BILL,
BUT I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS
ABOUT IT, I HAVE BEEN AROUND IN
EDUCATION LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE
ACTUALLY HAD SERVICE LEARNING
STUDENTS, AS AN EDUCATOR MYSELF,
I'VE PUT MANY HOURS IN MY
CLASSROOM, SO I SAW THIS. THIS
IS NOT NEW. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING
FOR, MANY, MANY YEARS, MY
CONCERNS, THOUGH, ARE ARE, WHAT
WE SEE NOW, IS OUR STUDENTS WHO
ARE, WORKING STUDENTS WHO MAY
BE, GOING OFF TO THEIR OWN JOBS,
MAY BE RAISING FAMILIES TO
SQUEEZE IN THESE ADDITIONAL
HOURS. I THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE
ON THE COMMITTEE HERE WHO HAS
ADULT KIDS WHO HAVE ALL. WELL,
MAYBE NOT THE ONLY 1IC ASSEMBLY
MEMBER ERWIN, BUT WHO HAVE ADULT
KIDS WHO DID GO THROUGH CSU'S,
AND HAD TO DO SERVICE LEARNING.
AND THE FEW THINGS THAT THAT I
KNOW IS FOR THE PROFESSORS THAT
EMBRACE THIS, IT'S MAGIC. THEY
FIND PLACEMENTS FOR THEIR
STUDENTS, THEY WORK WITH
PROVIDERS, BUT IF YOU'RE
MANDATING IT, NOT EVERY
PROFESSOR IS GOING TO WANT TO
HAVE THAT ENGAGEMENT. FINDING
THE PLACEMENTS AND SO AN EXAMPLE
FOR ME IS AS AN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL TEACHER, I GOT MANY
STUDENTS WHO CAME TO MY CLASS,
BUT IT WASN'T NECESSARY BECAUSE
THEY WANTED TO BE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL TEACHERS. IT WAS BECAUSE
IT WASN'T A PLACEMENT THAT THEY
COULD FIND EASILY. SO THEY WOULD
PUT THOSE 20 OR 30 HOURS IN MY
CLASSROOM, BUT VERY WELL MIGHT
BE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, SO
HAVING THE FLEXIBILITY OF A
PLACEMENT IS IMPORTANT, BUT FOR
SOMEBODY JUST TO HAVE TO PUT
HOURS INTO SERVICE LEARNING
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IS REQUIRED
OR MANDATING MANDATED ISN'T
ALWAYS THE OPPORTUNITY THEY'RE
LOOKING FOR, SO I WOULD JUST
NOTE, I THINK THE TASK OF REALLY
, HAVING THE PROFESSORS
UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE TO
CREATE, RELATIONSHIPS IN THE,
THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO HAVE
THESE PLACEMENTS FOR THEIR
STUDENTS. IS ANOTHER PART OF THE
JOB THAT THEY'D HAVE TO ENGAGE
IN, OR SOMEBODY ON THE FACULTY
WOULD HAVE TO DO THIS BECAUSE IN
THE END, STUDENTS ARE MANY TIMES
YOUNG AND THEY MAY KNOW THAT
THEY HAVE THESE SERVICE LEARNING
HOURS TO PUT IN. THEY WAIT 3 OR
4 WEEKS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
IT'S AUGUST AND THEN IT'S
SEPTEMBER. AND NOW THEY HAVE TO
GET THIS PLACEMENT AND THEY'RE
SCRAMBLING. SO THIS IS MY KIND
OF FIRST HAND PRACTICAL. SO I'M
GOING TO SUPPORT THE BILL TODAY.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE HAS TO
BE SOME REAL OUTLINE OF HOW DOES
THIS WORK. NOT FOR THE ENGAGED
FACULTY, BUT FOR THE FACULTY WHO
MAY NOT REALLY WANT TO DO IT.
HOW DO THEY MAKE THIS A POSITIVE
EXPERIENCE? AND THERE'S GOT TO
BE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY FOR
THOSE WORKING STUDENTS. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ERWIN.
FOLLOWED BY SUMMER MURATSUCHI.
I, I FOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER MCCARTY
ON THE IN THE ANALYSIS, IT SAYS
THAT THE, THE UC STUDENT
ASSOCIATION IS OPPOSED TO THIS
AND PARTIALLY BECAUSE IT'S AN
EQUITY ISSUE AND THERE IS A BIG
EFFORT AT THE CAL STATES TO HAVE
KIDS GRADUATE MORE QUICKLY, AND
THIS COULD WORK AGAINST THAT. SO
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAD,
IF EITHER ONE OF YOU HAD A
RESPONSE. YEAH. WE, WE HAD THE
SAME CONVERSATION A YEAR AGO.
YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THAT A YEAR
IS A LONG TIME AGO. ABOUT WITH
THE SAME GROUP HERE. AND ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT I BROUGHT UP IS
THEY HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IN
THE CSU SYSTEM, WHICH IS BY FAR
THE MOST DIVERSE FOR YOUR
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN CALIFORNIA,
IF NOT THE COUNTRY. AND, YOU
KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE
CAMPUSES IN THE CSU IS CSU
MONTEREY BAY. THEY HAVE IT THERE
FOR THAT POPULATION. THÀNH VERY
DIVERSE, VERY LOW INCOME. AND
THOSE STUDENTS ARE DOING QUITE
WELL. AND, I THINK THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T DO
OVERNIGHT TO SOMEWHAT ADDRESS,
SOME MEMBER QUIRK-SILVA
QUESTION. WE HAVE A TEN YEAR
IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD HERE,
KNOWING THAT THERE'S MULTIPLE
YEARS TO WORK WITH THE TWO
SYSTEMS TO, TO GET IT RIGHT. YOU
KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A PRIORITY
THAT OUR GOVERNOR HAS BEEN
FOCUSING ON, ON SERVICE
LEARNING. AND IT'S SOMETHING
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE THINK CAN,
HELP THE STUDENTS AND HELP
CALIFORNIA AT THE SAME TIME. I
ASSUME YOU'RE CONTINUING TO WORK
WITH THE STUDENTS THEN, CORRECT?
YEAH. AND I REALLY DO SEE,
SERVICE LEARNING HUGE BENEFITS
TO THAT AS I, AS I MENTIONED.
BUT, YOU DO NEED TO WORK TO GET,
A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSENSUS, I
GUESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO
SELMA ERWIN SENATE-ROOM.
MURATSUCHI THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
I HAVE SIMILAR, CONCERNS. I
NOTED ALSO THE UC STUDENT
ASSOCIATION OPPOSITION THERE.
THE STATEMENT AND THE ANALYSIS
IS THAT MANY STUDENTS AT THE UC
ALREADY WORK MULTIPLE JOBS
OUTSIDE OF THEIR ACADEMICS AND
PARTICIPATE IN EXTRACURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES, IMPOSING ADDITIONAL
GRADUATION REQUIREMENT WOULD
BURDEN STUDENTS WHO HAD ALREADY
EXPERIENCED THE BARRIERS, SO I,
I, I WELL, MAYBE TO THE EXPERT
AND THEN TO MR. MCCARTY, BUT,
HOW WOULD THIS NOT DISADVANTAGE,
STUDENTS THAT HAVE TO WORK TO
SUPPORT THEMSELVES IN COLLEGE?
WELL JUST A HYPOTHETICAL THAT
CSU, MONTEREY BAY, I THINK IT'S
30 HOURS PER YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW,
15 HOURS PER SEMESTER HERE AT
THE UC SYSTEM ON THE QUARTER
SYSTEM IS TEN HOURS PER PER
SEMESTER, EVEN STUDENTS WHO HAVE
TO GO TO SCHOOL DO HOMEWORK AND
WORK. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE THIS
IS TEN 30 HOURS PER WEEK. IT'S
PER SEMESTER. SO IT COULD BE
BLENDED IN THROUGH WHAT THEY
HAVE TO DO ALREADY FOR HOMEWORK
IN THEIR CLASSES. AND I THINK,
YOU KNOW, AS CSU MONTEREY HAS,
HAS ILLUSTRATED, THEY'VE BEEN
ABLE TO INTEGRATE THAT WITHOUT
ADVERSELY IMPACTING STUDENTS
PROPORTIONATELY. THEY'RE A VERY
SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY
CHALLENGED STUDENT BODY. YEAH.
MAY I ADD TO THAT, AT AT
STANFORD, THE WAY THAT WE
APPROACH THAT IS BY
INCORPORATING THESE CLASSES INTO
EXISTING REQUIREMENTS WITHIN A
PARTICULAR MAJOR.D SO IT'S
NOT ADDING AN ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENT, BUT RATHER
EMBEDDING A SERVICE LEARNING
COMPONENT INTO IT. WE THINK
ABOUT THE SERVICE LEARNING AS
BEING A PART OF THE OVERALL UNIT
THAT A STUDENT IS EARNING. SO IF
A IF IN OUR CONTEXT A UNIT IS
FIVE HOURS, FIVE HOURS MEANS
FIVE HOURS OF IN-CLASS TIME, TEN
HOURS OF OUT OF CLASS TIME, WE
MAKE SURE THAT THE SERVICE
LEARNING FITS WITHIN THAT, SO
THAT IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL LOAD
ON TOP. OKAY. AND THEN THE LAST
PIECE IS THAT FOR US, SERVICE
LEARNING DOES LOOK LIKE DIRECT
SERVICE WHERE YOU'RE SPENDING,
SAY, FIVE HOURS AT A PARTNER
ORGANIZATION SITE. BUT IT CAN
ALSO LOOK LIKE PROJECTS WHERE
YOU'RE CREATING A DELIVERABLE ON
BEHALF OF AN, OF AN EXTERNAL
ORGANIZATION. AND THAT CAN
LARGELY BE DONE ON CAMPUS. AND
SO I THINK DEPARTMENTS CAN BE
VERY CREATIVE IN THINKING ABOUT
DOING THIS IN A WAY THAT CREATES
GOOD ACCESS FOR ALL KINDS OF
STUDENTS. VERY. THANK YOU FOR
THAT CLARIFICATION. WITH THAT,
I'LL BE FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THE
BILL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. SAMIRA SALIH. THANK YOU,
MR. CHAIR. I LIKE THE BILL, IT'S
NOT A THEORY FOR ME. THIS IS
REAL LIFE. I WENT TO CAL STATE,
CAL POLY POMONA. I WAS IN THE
KELLOGG HONORS COLLEGE, AND WE
HAD A, I THINK IT WAS 50 HOUR,
SERVICE CREDIT REQUIREMENT, AND
IT WAS GREAT. I WAS WORKING AT
THE BANK ALMOST, I THINK 30
HOURS. I WAS GOING TO SCHOOL
FULL TIME. AND I ACTUALLY
ENJOYED THE, THE SERVICE CREDIT,
OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I GOT TO DO
SOMETHING FUN AND DIFFERENT AND
SORT OF BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF
JUST GOING TO SCHOOL, GOING TO
WORK. AND WE HAVE TO ASK
OURSELVES, WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY
DO WE WANT? DO WE WANT TO GROW A
BUNCH OF NARCISSISTS WHO ARE
SELF-ABSORBED, THINKING ABOUT
THEMSELVES AND HOW HARD LIFE IS?
THEY NEED TO GET OUT OF THEIR
BUBBLE AND GO SEE WHAT ELSE IS
OUT THERE AND GO SEE HOW MUCH
PEOPLE ARE IN NEED TOO. AND
YOU'LL HAVE, A BETTER
PERSPECTIVE. AND I THINK COLLEGE
ISN'T JUST ABOUT GETTING CREDITS
AND TICKING BOXES. IT'S ABOUT
BUILDING WELL-ROUNDED MEMBERS OF
SOCIETY WHO ARE GOING TO GIVE
BACK AND THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE
A DUTY IN SOCIETY. SO I FULLY
SUPPORT THIS. IF YOU WANT, I'LL
BE YOUR COAUTHOR, AND, AND.
THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY SUMMER,
EVAN LOWE, JUST TO ECHO THE
COMMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN
MADE IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE,
THAT THIS IS A PILOT, I SAW ALSO
IN THE LEGISLATIVE HISTORY ABOUT
OTHER SIMILAR PROPOSALS OF OTHER
MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE
ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF SERVICE
LEARNING AND PUBLIC SERVICE. SO
I CARRIED A NUMBER OF PIECES OF
LEGISLATION AND THE K THROUGH
12, BUT OF COURSE, DUE TO FISCAL
CHALLENGES THAT DIDN'T MOVE
FORWARD TO. BUT I WANT TO
COMMEND THE AUTHOR, AND I'D LIKE
TO BE ADDED AS A COAUTHOR. IF
THE MAYOR WOULD HAVE ME AS WELL,
I'M ASSEMBLY MEMBER WOULD HAVE
ME AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SENATOR EVAN LOWE. SO MARY
MCCARTHY WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE.
YES. THANK YOU. I REALLY I WOULD
TAKE THOSE TWO FINAL COMMENTS
PRETTY MUCH AS AS MY CLOSING.
YES. TAKE THEM AS COAUTHORS. AND
I THINK THIS HAS TREMENDOUS
OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OUR STUDENT
BODY AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE
WELL-ROUNDED STUDENTS, BUT ALSO
HELP YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS
THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA. AND IT'S
HARD GETTING A COLLEGE DEGREE,
BUT IT'S ALSO HARD SOMETIMES
GETTING A JOB AFTER YOU HAVE
THAT DEGREE. AND SO THESE KIND
OF BLEND THOSE TWO THINGS
TOGETHER. AND I THINK WE FOCUS
ON HAVING AN APPROPRIATE MULTI
YEAR IMPLEMENTATION. AND I DO
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE
SEGMENTS, AS WELL AS THE
STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS
IS WORKABLE FOR EVERYBODY. ASK
FOR YOUR I VOTE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER CARTER, FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND
SIMILAR TO SOME OF MY
COLLEAGUES, I ALSO PARTICIPATE
IN SERVICE LEARNING
OPPORTUNITIES AS A PEER MENTOR
WHEN I WAS AT UCLA, AND I FEEL
THAT I GREATLY BENEFITED FROM
THAT EXPERIENCE. AND I REMEMBER
THE CLASSES FROM CHIP ANDERSON
AND DOCTOR BRUCE BARBEE AND
OTHER FOLKS AT THE UCLA SCHOOL
OF EDUCATION, AS WE'VE HEARD,
THERE'S SOME ISSUES THAT NEED TO
BE WORKED OUT, BUT I THINK A
PILOT IS A PRUDENT WAY TO TEST
THIS IDEA AND TO GIVE THE CSU
AND UC THE DATA TO CONSIDER
BROADER IMPLEMENTATION AND THANK
YOU FOR ADVANCE FOR WORKING WITH
OUR STAKEHOLDERS GOING FORWARD
AND WITH THAT, I LOOK FORWARD TO
SUPPORTING THIS MEASURE HERE
TODAY. MADAM SECRETARY, ROLL
CALL, PLEASE FILE ITEM NUMBER
FIVE AB 2152. THE MOTION IS DUE
PASSED TO THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE. FONG I, FONG I TO NOT
VOTING TO NOT VOTING. ARAMBULA
ARAMBULA I BURNER CHEN EASILY
EASILY I IRWIN IRWIN I JACKSON.
JACKSON I LOW LOW Þ I MURATSUCHI
MURATSUCHI I QUIRK-SILVA
QUIRK-SILVA I THANK YOU SO MUCH
COLLEAGUES. THAT MEASURE HAS
EIGHT EYES ONE NOT VOTING AND
WE'LL KEEP THEM OPEN FOR ANY
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO ADD ON,
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COLLEAGUES,
FOR A ROBUST HEARING. THANK
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COLLEAGUES,
FOR A ROBUST HEARING. REALLY
APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK
AND COMMENTS HERE TODAY. AND
WITH THAT, WE'LL, OPEN THE ROLL
FOR ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS ADD
ON FOR ITEMS NUMBER FOUR, MADAM
SECRETARY, ROLL CALL, PLEASE
FILE ITEM NUMBER FOUR AB 2070.
THE MOTION IS DUE. PASS TO THE
APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE TO NØ TO
NÓ ARAMBULA ARAMBULA I Ã SALIH
A SALIH. NOT VOTING. THAT
MEASURE HAS NINE EYES. ONE NOT
VOTING AND ONE NO, COLLEAGUES,
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE BRING YOUR
COMMENTS OUTSIDE THE ROOM. THE
HEARING IS STILL GOING ON. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, ITEM NUMBER 12,
PLEASE. FILE ITEM NUMBER 12, AB
2516. THE MOTION IS DUE PASSED
TO THE APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE
TO NØ TO NÓ ARAMBULA ARAMBULA I
Ã SALIH A SALIH. NO THAT
MEASURE HAS EIGHT EYES, TWO NO'S
AND ONE NOT VOTING. THAT MEASURE
IS OUT. ITEM NUMBER 12. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, MADAM SECRETARY,
WITH THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH,
COLLEAGUES, AGAIN FOR A ROBUST
MEETING. WE'LL KEEP THE ROLL
OPEN FOR FIVE MORE MINUTES FOR
ANY MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO
ADD ON. I APPRECIATE ALL THE
HARD WORK AND EFFORTS OF OUR
COMMITTEE TO MY COLLEAGUES AND
EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH TODAY'S
HEARING. AS A POINT OF
INFORMATION, OUR NEXT HEARING IS
ON TUESDAY, APRIL 9TH AT 1:30
P.M. HERE IN ROOM ONE, TWO,
SEVEN AND AUTHORS AND
STAKEHOLDERS, PLEASE MAKE SURE
THEY'RE ENGAGING WITH OUR
COMMITTEE STAFF EARLY ON IN THE
PROCESS ON YOUR MEASURES. AND
WITH THAT WILL KEEP THE ROLL
OPEN FOR THREE MORE MINUTES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OKAY. I THINK WE JUST. OKAY
SHE'S LIKE, OKAY, HAPPINESS. ALL
RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH,
COLLEAGUES, AGAIN FOR A ROBUST
MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY HIGHER
EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND OUR
MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED