The legislation is sponsored by Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Jose Medina (D-Riverside). On April 22, Chairman Medina’s committee voted 11-0 to endorse the bill.
AB 927 seeks to eliminate the 2026 sunset date on existing baccalaureate degree programs at 15 California community colleges in workforce fields with high demand and unmet need, in addition to allowing for up to 30 community college baccalaureate degree programs statewide per year.
“Community colleges are the founding pillars of higher education; offering critical baccalaureate degree programs will create greater accessibility to higher education,” Assembly Member Medina said. “The baccalaureate degree program will play a pivotal role in building back our state’s economy.”
A recent study by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) identified the need for over one million bachelor’s degree holders in California in the coming decade, especially in critical workforce fields. The PPIC found that to keep up with the demand for a college-educated workforce the state would need to increase the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded by 40%.
The bill mandates the California Community Colleges Chancellor to consult with and seek feedback from the California State University and University of California systems on proposed baccalaureate degrees and would require individual districts seeking approval to provide evidence of unmet workforce needs.
The baccalaureate degree pilot program was established when Governor Jerry Brown in 2014 signed Senate Bill 850, allowing 15 colleges — including San Diego Mesa College — to offer bachelor’s degrees in specific workforce fields. The Mesa College baccalaureate degree program in Health Information Management was among the first established under SB 850 and was approved with the support of the regional healthcare industry.
The statewide baccalaureate degree pilot program initially was set to end in 2023, but later legislation signed into law extended the program’s sunset date to July 2026.
San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance M. Carroll, who co-founded the nonprofit California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Association, chairs statewide legislative efforts advocating for establishing the baccalaureate program.
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office has found that more than half of students surveyed would not have pursued a bachelor’s degree if their community college program had not been offered. Approximately 60% of students enrolled in a community college baccalaureate program come from communities of color and disadvantaged backgrounds and are paying a little more than $10,000 — a fraction of what it would cost them at private institutions.
Business organizations that support the bill include: California Dental Hygienists’ Association, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce, San Diego WaterWorks Workforce Development Group, National Association Of Social Workers, California Chapter the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, California Society for Respiratory Care, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, among others.