Letters of support provided to the legislature.
Whereas, California law established the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) as the coordinating and planning agency for statewide postsecondary education, and CPEC performed a variety of useful functions for California Higher Education, including data collection for all public segments and advising the governor regarding budgetary priorities to preserve access for students, but CPEC was defunded by the governor and ceased operations in 2011;
Whereas, AB 1837 (Low, as of March 17, 2016) would create the Office of Higher Education Performance and Accountability, which would, among other functions, “review and make recommendations, as necessary, regarding cross-segmental and interagency initiatives and programs in areas that may include, but are not necessarily limited to, efficiencies in instructional delivery, financial aid, transfer, and workforce coordination” and “act as a clearinghouse for postsecondary education information and as a primary source of information for the Legislature, the Governor, and other agencies,” thus potentially providing support for California Higher Education that has been needed since the defunding of CPEC;
Whereas, The Office of Higher Education Performance and Accountability created by AB 1837 (Low, as of March 17, 2016) would be overseen by an executive director and would include an advisory board consisting of “the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education and the Chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, who serve as ex officio members, and six public members with experience in postsecondary education”; and
Whereas, While the Office of Higher Education Performance and Accountability would be required by law to “consult with the higher education segments and stakeholders, as appropriate, in the conduct of its duties and responsibilities” and the members of the advisory board would be required to have experience with higher education, the functionality and benefits of the office would be greatly enhanced if the advisory board were to include direct representation from the segments of public higher education;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges support AB 1837 (Low, as of March 17, 2016) to create the Office of Higher Education Performance and Accountability only in the event that the legislation is amended to include representation from the segments of public higher education in California among the members of the advisory board for the office.
MSC