Copyright© 2000 by School Services of California, Inc.

June 23, 2000

Community College Leadership Institute

Assembly Member Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego) is proposing legislation, AB 475, that would require the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to establish and operate a Community College Leadership Institute to recruit and train community college faculty and administrators.

Assembly Member Ducheny's legislation expresses legislative intent that it is in the best interest of the State of California to address the faculty, administrative and leadership needs of the state's community colleges, and to ensure that these needs are met. It is essential that innovative and cost-effective means be established to strengthen the preparation of both faculty and administrators for their vital roles in the community college system. Ducheny hopes that through AB 475 programs can be developed that will ensure access, at a reasonable cost, to necessary preparation at both the master's and doctoral levels and access to other forms of advanced preparation.

To accomplish the purposes of the legislation, the bill specifies the following:

• Requires the Chancellor to contract with a doctoral level university in California to operate the Institute established pursuant to this bill
  
• That the Institute established pursuant to this bill, provides education and training for community college faculty and administrators for leadership roles in the system
  
• The Institute would be required to work closely with community college districts, employees and other organizations
  
• The Institute would be required to cooperate with other public and private universities to establish and improve degree and nondegree programs
  
• The Institute would be required to aggressively seek funds to supplement state support
  
• The Institute would be required to establish procedures for selecting doctoral fellows
  
• The Institute would be required to provide an annual financial award to each doctoral fellow equal to the maximum annual Cal Grant award. Fellows would be required to serve for a minimum of five years as a community college faculty member or administrator. Fellows failing to serve the five years would be required to repay a portion of the state support proportionate to the amount of time not served.
  
• The bill includes an appropriation of $1.5 million from the General Fund to the California Community College Chancellor for the purposes of the legislation

Doctoral fellows would be selected based upon potential for leadership in the community colleges, as evidenced by accomplishments and personal commitment demonstrated in an educational setting, commitment to career in the community colleges, residence in the State of California, and current or past employment in a California Community College.

This proposal raises some concerns from various community college groups. Faculty unions believe that the $1.5 million should be spent on other community college programs. Their feeling is that administrators can financially afford to pay for any additional degrees or leadership development they wish to pursue. Also, Assembly Member Ducheny attempted to have the $1.5 billion allocation for the purposes of the institute included in the State Budget-the Budget Conference Committee did not support her request. If the bill passes the legislature, the Governor must support an allocation of $1.5 billion from the General Fund.

If approved by the Governor, AB 475 would take effect immediately in order for the Community College Leadership Institute to begin operation with the 2000-01 academic year.

--Arnold Bray