I'M GOING
TO CALL THE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
NUMBER ONE ON EDUCATION TO ORDER
, THE. WE WILL BE WELCOMING
SENATOR SKINNER FOR TODAY. AS
THE THIRD MEMBER OF THE
COMMITTEE, I'M ASSURED THAT THE
OTHER TWO SENATORS ARE ON THEIR
WAY HERE. AND WHEN THERE'S A
PAUSE AFTER THEY ARRIVE, I WILL
CALL THE ROLL TO OFFICIALLY
ESTABLISH A QUORUM, THIS IS OUR
SEVENTH HEARING OF 2024. AND FOR
THOSE OF YOU THAT MIGHT NOT BE
PAYING ATTENTION, WE HAVE NOT
TAKEN DECISIONS, BUT WE ARE
AIRING EVERY SINGLE PART OF THE
EDUCATION BUDGET, THE MAJOR
PIECES WE'VE DONE THUS FAR ARE
UCS2, STUDENT AID PROPOSITION
98, AND WE'VE DONE, JUST THROUGH
MOST THINGS. AND BY THE TIME THE
GOVERNOR PUTS OUT HIS MAY REVISE
, WE WILL HAVE AIRED OUT EVERY
SINGLE, BUDGET PROPOSAL HE HAS
IN THE EDUCATION FIELD. AND OUR
GOAL IS WITH THE REVISED BUDGET
COMING OUT WHEN THE REVENUES ARE
CLEAR. AND WE'RE WATCHING EVERY
DAY NOW AS THE INCOME TAXES ARE
COUNTED, WE HOPE THAT WE HAVE
SENT MESSAGE REYES ON WHAT WE
THINK SHOULD BE CHANGES OR WHAT
WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT SO THAT
WHEN WE GO INTO THAT LAST SPRINT
OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE
MIDDLE OF MAY AND THE MIDDLE OF
JUNE, WE HAVE GIVEN AN IDEA OF
WHAT OUR POSITIONS ARE AND WHERE
WE WANT TO GO. AND THERE HAVE
BEEN SOME INTERESTING THINGS
JUST ALSO FYI, WHICH IS THAT,
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE LIBRARIES
ALSO IN ADDITION TO, TO
EDUCATION IN THIS BUDGET
SUBCOMMITTEE. AND THERE WAS A
REQUEST TO PULL BACK LIBRARY
MONEY. AND IT TURNS OUT THE
GRANTS HAD BEEN MADE, PEOPLE
WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THE
FINANCE DEPARTMENT CAME TO THE
MICROPHONE AND BASICALLY
INTIMATED THAT THEY WOULD LOOK
THOUGHTFULLY AT THAT AND IN THE
REVISED BUDGET, PROBABLY NOT
PULL THAT MONEY BACK. AND SO
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THESE
HEARINGS. AND TODAY, THE MAJOR
TOPIC IS THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SYSTEM, THERE'S FOUR DISCUSSION
ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT COVER A
MAJOR BUDGET ISSUES. AND IN THE
FIRST ITEM, WE'RE PLEASED TO
HAVE THE CHANCELLOR, SONYA,
CHRISTINE CHRISTIAN HERE. AND
THEN ITEMS TWO THROUGH FOUR WILL
CONSIDER APPORTIONMENTS
ENROLLMENT AND STUDENT HOUSING,
RESPECTIVELY. WILL ALSO HAVE
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, AND THE
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST. AND I
SHOULD SAY THAT WE WILL TAKE
PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT IT WILL BE
AFTER WE HEAR ALL FOUR ITEMS AND
I WILL ASSESS HOW MANY PEOPLE
ARE HERE TO DECIDE IF WE'RE
GOING TO LIMIT IT IN ANY WAY.
AND I WOULD JUST LET ANYBODY
KNOW THAT FEELS LIKE THEY
THEY'RE WATCHING. THEY COULDN'T
MAKE IT, OR THEY ACTUALLY HAVE
TEN MINUTES OF COMMENTS AND I'LL
PROBABLY GIVE THEM 1 OR 2 THAT
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO WRITE
THE COMMITTEE CARE OF THE BUDGET
COMMITTEE, OR GO ON TO THE
BUDGET SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE'S
WEBSITE AND ENGAGE THROUGH THAT.
SO WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO
ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE,
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM UPDATE
UPDATE, AND WE WILL HAVE, SONYA
CHRISTIAN, THE CHANCELLOR OF THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, JUSTIN
HURST FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE, PAUL STEINHAUSEN FROM
THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S OFFICE
. AND I KNOW THERE WILL BE
ADDITIONAL PEOPLE FROM THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. BUT
BEFORE WE MOVE TO ITEM ONE, WE
HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, AND I
WILL ASK, TO PLEASE CALL THE
ROLL. SENATOR LAIRD HERE,
SENATOR LAIRD HERE, SENATOR
SKINNER HERE, SENATOR SKINNER
HERE. SENATOR WILK, THANK YOU.
WE HAVE A QUORUM. AND SENATOR
WILKES, DEFENSE. HE CAME HERE
AND WENT BACK TO HIS OFFICE. SO
WE KNOW THAT THAT HE IS COMING
BACK. SO WE WILL GO IN THE ORDER
, THAT I MENTIONED. AND WE'LL
BEGIN WITH, THE CHANCELLOR AND I
KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN OFFICE
SINCE THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE, AND
THIS IS YOUR FIRST HEARING. WE
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING.
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU
AND EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST
FINE. SO WELCOME TO THE
COMMITTEE. I APPRECIATE THAT,
SENATOR LAIRD AND SUBCOMMITTEE
MEMBERS AND BEFORE I GET
STARTED, WE WERE SORT OF HANGING
OUT OUTSIDE AND, DAVID O'BRIEN,
OUR VICE CHANCELLOR TO MY RIGHT
HERE, HAD, THE PROCEEDINGS OF
THE SENATE FLOOR. AND I TRULY
APPRECIATED THE COMMENTS THAT
BOTH, SENATOR SKINNER AND YOU,
SENATOR LAIRD, MADE ON, DELANEY
ESTÁN AND, TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS
ON A BOAT RIDE AT A WEDDING IN
PUERTO VALLARTA, AND GOT TO HAVE
A CONVERSATION WITH HER. AND
WHAT A REMARKABLE WOMAN. AND SO
I APPRECIATED THAT, I ALSO WANT
TO RECOGNIZE A TEAM OF COMMUNITY
COLLEGE COLLEAGUES WHO ARE RIGHT
BEHIND ME. I WAS SURPRISED TO
SEE WHO WE CALL OUR REGIONAL
LEADERS. WE'VE GOT EIGHT REGIONS
FOR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT LEAD
YOUR WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT. AND THEY'RE OUT
HERE, YOU KNOW, TO LET YOU KNOW,
THEY THEY REALLY SUPPORT ALL OF
THE COMMITMENTS IN WORKFORCE FOR
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES. I HAVE A
FEW PREPARED REMARKS FOR THE
SUBCOMMITTEE. THAT WOULD BE
GREAT. AND I WANT TO WELCOME
SENATOR WILK AND LET HIM KNOW
THAT WHEN HE WASN'T HERE, I AT
LEAST ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD
BEEN HERE EARLIER AND TRIED TO
BE FIRST. AND SO WE HAVE. YEAH.
SO WE HAVE, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD
WHEN HIS MICROPHONE'S OFF. WE
HAVE A FULL COMPLEMENT. SO
PLEASE PROCEED. THANK YOU, IT'S
ALMOST TEN MONTHS IN MY ROLE AS
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES. AND WHAT AN
HONOR. PREVIOUSLY I WAS THE
CHANCELLOR AT THE KERN COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DISTRICT IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY. AND PRIOR TO THAT,
PRESIDENT OF BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE
. AFTER COMPLETING MY BACHELOR'S
DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
KERALA IN INDIA, I CAME TO
CALIFORNIA AS A FOREIGN GRADUATE
STUDENT, FELL IN LOVE WITH THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES,
WHICH I THEN REFERRED TO AS A
UNIQUELY AMERICAN INVENTION. I
BELIEVE WE HAVE. A REMARKABLE
SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN
CALIFORNIA. THE UCS, THE CSUS,
AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT
PUT EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE AT THE
CENTER OF ALL THAT WE DO. VICE
CHANCELLOR FINCH AND DAVID
O'BRIEN AND I ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO DISCUSSING THE KEY
ISSUES FACING OUR SYSTEM. OUR
STUDENTS, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR
ECONOMY AND OUR WORKFORCE AT
TODAY'S HEARING. AND I WANT TO
THANK, CHRIS FRANCIS FOR WORKING
VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR OFFICE IN
THE DUE DILIGENCE. WELL, OUR
ENROLLMENTS ARE UP. WE ARE BACK
TO OVER 2 MILLION STUDENTS WITH
THE SYSTEM SHOWING APPROXIMATELY
AN 8% GROWTH AFTER AN ALL TIME
LOW DURING THE PANDEMIC OF 1.8
MILLION. OUR ENROLLMENTS HAVE
SEEN AN INCREASE OF OVER 200,000
STUDENTS. THANK YOU TO THE
SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATURE AND
GOVERNOR NEWSOM FOR THE
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
FUNDING. IT HAS TRULY BEEN A
GAME CHANGER WITH CALIFORNIA'S
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CREEPING UP
AND THE LANDSCAPE OF FUTURE WORK
RAPIDLY CHANGING WITH THE
GREENING OF INDUSTRIES AND THE
IMPACT OF GENERATIVE AI, OUR
COLLEGES HAVE MOBILIZED. WE ARE
MOVING QUICKLY IN ANTICIPATION
OF THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES THAT
ARE NEEDED FOR THE FUTURE
WORKFORCE TO MEET THE WORKFORCE
NEEDS OF OUR INDUSTRIES AND ALSO
TO TAKE CARE OF OUR WORKERS WHO
ARE, NEEDLESS TO SAY, STRESSED
IN THE FACE OF THE TSUNAMI OF
CHANGES TO JOBS THEY HAVE BEEN
IN FOR YEARS. HOW DO THEY
RESKILL? HOW DO THEY RETAIN
THEIR LIVELIHOOD FOR THEIR
FAMILIES? THE ANSWER THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES,
OUR BOARD OF GOVERNORS APPROVED
VISION 2030, A ROADMAP FOR
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES,
IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR. IT
RETAINS THE FRAMEWORK OF THE
VISION FOR SUCCESS, WHICH YOU'RE
FAMILIAR WITH, NOTABLY KEEPING
THE METRICS OF GETTING STUDENTS
TO COMPLETING A DEGREE OR
CERTIFICATE WITH EQUITY. VISION
2030 HAS MADE A FEW ADDITIONS.
IT HAS REINTRODUCED THE
IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS,
SPECIFICALLY ACCESS WITH EQUITY.
THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT TO LIGHT
THE EQUITY FAULT LINES THAT
ALREADY EXISTED. THE VAST
MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WHO
DISAPPEARED DURING THE PANDEMIC
WERE FROM MINORITIZED
COMMUNITIES. VISION 2030 DOUBLES
DOWN ON EQUITY AND ACCESS, AND
CALLS ON THE CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO TAKE
EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO THOSE
CALIFORNIANS 6.8 MILLION WITH A
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. BUT NO
COLLEGE CREDENTIAL, WHO ARE
STUCK IN LOW INCOME JOBS GETTING
THEM ON PATHWAYS TOWARD A
CREDENTIAL THAT LEADS TO A HIGH
WAGE JOB WITH THE NECESSARY
SUPPORT SERVICES AND SAFETY NETS
TO MAKE THIS VISION OF ECONOMIC
MOBILITY A REALITY. IN OUR
VISION 2030 DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH
LABOR LIKE THE UNITED DOMESTIC
WORKERS AND THE UNITED HEALTH
CARE WORKERS, AS WELL AS WITH
INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO EXPAND
OPPORTUNITIES VIA NONCREDIT
INSTRUCTIONAL ON RAMPS AND
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. THIS IS
WHY WE SO APPRECIATE THE FUNDING
FOR OUR ONGOING PROGRAMS LIKE
STRONG WORKFORCE AND THE
MULTIYEAR FUNDING FOR THE
CALIFORNIA APPRENTICESHIP
INITIATIVE, AND THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE LEARNER PATHWAY IN
HEALTH CARE. WE HOPE TO KEEP
THESE FUNDING LEVELS FOR NEXT
YEAR. SO WE DO RECOGNIZE WE
TRULY RECOGNIZE THE REVENUE
SHORTFALL FOR CALIFORNIA AND THE
TOUGH POSITION YOU ARE IN. WE
DEEPLY APPRECIATE THAT THERE ARE
NO REDUCTIONS PROPOSED FOR THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES BY
THE GOVERNOR IN HIS JANUARY
BUDGET. WE HOPE TO KEEP HIS
PROPOSED 60 MILLION IN
INVESTMENT IN EXPANDING
COMMUNITY COLLEGE NURSING
PROGRAMS. WE ARE FINALIZING A
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT THAT
SOLVES FOR BOTH INCREASED THE
REPRESENTATIONAL WORKFORCE. SO
GROWING OUR OWN, OUR OWN FROM
OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS
ADDRESSING THE SHORTAGE, THE
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT IS SHOVEL
READY SO WE CAN START
IMPLEMENTING RIGHT AWAY. WE
APPRECIATE THE GOVERNOR'S
SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO FUND
AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING,
WHICH IS CRITICAL TO ADDRESSING
THE HOUSING INSECURITY
EXPERIENCED BY OUR STUDENTS.
LASTLY WE HOPE TO KEEP THE
PROPOSED 0.76% COLA. WE THANK
GOVERNOR NEWSOM AND HIS TEAM FOR
HIS COMMITMENT TO CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, EVEN DURING
A TIME OF REVENUE CHALLENGES.
GIVEN OUR AMBITIOUS, OUTCOMES
DRIVEN AGENDA OF VISION 2030,
THERE ARE A FEW BUDGET
PRIORITIES THAT ARE APPROVED BY
THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS THAT I
MUST HIGHLIGHT TO YOU. EVEN WITH
THE CURRENT REVENUE OUTLOOK, THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
NEED A STATEWIDE COMMON DATA AND
TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 73 TECHNOLOGY
PLATFORMS WITH CAPABILITIES
VARYING VASTLY FROM DISTRICT TO
DISTRICT. SOME ARE RESOURCED AT
HIGH LEVELS AND OTHERS ARE NOT.
THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE GETS THE
DATA ABOUT 6 TO 8 MONTHS AFTER
THE FACT. IN ORDER TO ADVANCE
THE TRANSFER AGENDA, AND WE HAVE
AN AMBITIOUS AGENDA, AND TO IN
ORDER TO LET THE DATA FLOW FROM
OUR SYSTEM TO THE CSU AND THE
UCS TO DEPLOY INTERVENTIONS FOR
OUR STUDENTS AT SCALE IN A
TIMELY WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
TO THE OUTCOMES. I BELIEVE WE
DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, BUT TO
DEVELOP A SYSTEM WIDE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND WITH A RAPID
ADVANCEMENT OF MACHINE LEARNING
AND AI, WHICH WHICH IS BECOMING
UBIQUITOUS AS WELL AS FOR
SECURITY REASONS AS BOTS ARE
GETTING MORE SAVVY IN ATTEMPTING
TO BREACH OUR SYSTEMS, IT IS
CLEAR THAT IMPLEMENTING THESE
TECHNOLOGIES 73 TIMES AT OUR 73
DISTRICTS IS INEFFECTIVE,
INEFFICIENT, AND NOT EQUITABLY
EXPERIENCED. ACROSS OUR COLLEGES
. EVEN A SMALL COMMITMENT TO
THIS AGENDA WOULD BE HUGELY
HELPFUL. WE HAVE ALSO
PRIORITIZED IMPLEMENTING CREDIT
FOR PRIOR LEARNING AS A
MAINSTREAM OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE
FOR OUR VETERANS, WORKING
ADULTS, APPRENTICES, ETC.
CURRENTLY, CREDIT FOR PRIOR
LEARNING CPL IS APPLIED AT THE
MARGINS OF OUR OPERATIONS AND
HAS NOT BEEN MAINSTREAMED. WE
HAVE TWO FOCUSED DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS, ONE FOR VETERANS AND
THE SECOND FOR APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAMS. THE IDEA HERE IS NOT
TO TREAT ON THE JOB TRAINING AND
COLLEGE AS TWO MUTUALLY
EXCLUSIVE ENTERPRISES, AS
LEARNING IS LEARNING AND THE
LEARNING ECOSYSTEM MUST BE
EXPANDED TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE
LEARNING, WHETHER IT OCCURS IN
THE CLASSROOM OR ON THE JOB. WE
ARE PLEASED THAT THE GOVERNOR IS
WORKING ON A STATEWIDE CAREER
EDUCATION PLAN WITH A CRADLE TO
CAREER DATA SYSTEM. A QUICK WORD
ON POTENTIAL BOND MEASURES.
BEFORE I WRAP UP MY REMARKS,
THERE MIGHT BE A CLIMATE BOND IN
OUR FUTURE, AND IF WE DO HAVE
THAT, I WOULD CALL YOUR
ATTENTION ON THE ISSUE OF
CLIMATE ACTION AND THE ROLE OF
OUR SYSTEM AND OUR CAMPUSES THAT
WE ARE PREPARED TO PLAY IN
HELPING CALIFORNIA TO MITIGATE
SOME OF THE WORST EFFECTS, SUCH
AS WILDFIRES AND POWER OUTAGES
IN THE EVENT OF A CLIMATE BOND,
WE HAVE SHOVEL READY PROPOSALS
FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MICROGRID BIDS TO ENABLE THEM TO
SERVE AS CRITICAL COMMUNITY HUBS
DURING EMERGENCIES AND NATURAL
DISASTERS, AND THIS IS A PLACE
THE COMMUNITY NATURALLY
CONVERGES TO WHEN EMERGENCIES
HAPPEN. WE ALSO HAVE A SECOND
PROPOSAL FOR THE CLIMATE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. BY
INVESTING IN THE NECESSARY
CLIMATE RELATED LABORATORY AND
SECURING THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT
AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR
INSTRUCTION. IN THE EVENT THAT
THERE IS AN EDUCATION BOND, WE
HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS WHERE
OUR CAMPUS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY
BENEFIT FROM UPGRADING OUR
FACILITIES TO ADDRESS SAFETY
CONCERNS, AS WELL AS MODERNIZING
OUR FACILITIES TO KEEP UP WITH
CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR
EXAMPLE, ADDRESSING CLIMATE AND
SUSTAINABILITY GOALS TO REDUCE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. NOW,
MENTAL HEALTH IS ALSO HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A PRIORITY FOR THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
AND WE HAVE A PROPOSAL WHICH
CO-LOCATES MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES WITH A HOUSING
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR
THE UNHOUSED IN THE MENTAL
HEALTH BOND THAT PASSED IN MARCH
. GENERALLY SPEAKING, JUST A
MESSAGE TO YOU FOR ANY LARGE
SCALE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
AND DEVELOPMENT WITH EQUITY,
REMEMBER YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
ARE THE ANSWER. WE HAVE 116
CAMPUSES AND 80 CENTERS ACROSS
CALIFORNIA, AND CAN SERVE AS
EASY TO ACCESS HUBS. SO THAT
CONCLUDES MY, REMARKS, SENATOR
LAIRD, AND HAPPY TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS WHEN THE TIME IS
RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WE
APPRECIATE IT. AND WE'RE GOING
TO HEAR FROM OUR OTHER TWO
PANELISTS BEFORE WE GET TO
QUESTIONS. SO WE'RE GOING TO
MOVE TO, THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE. WELCOME TO THE
COMMITTEE. GOOD MORNING, MR.
CHAIR. AND MEMBERS OF THE
SUBCOMMITTEE. I AM JUSTIN HURST
WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
AND WHILE I WILL BE COVERING THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM IN
MORE DEPTH ON LATER ITEMS, I
WILL BEGIN BY NOTING THAT THIS
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET REFLECTS
CONTINUED SUPPORT AND FISCAL
STABILITY FOR THE LARGEST SYSTEM
OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE
NATION. IT ALSO REFLECTS
CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE MULTI
YEAR ROADMAP, WHICH FOCUSES ON
EQUITY, STUDENT SUCCESS AND
ENHANCING THE SYSTEM'S ABILITY
TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR
CALIFORNIA'S FUTURE ECONOMY.
THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH
INVESTMENTS SUCH AS FULLY
FUNDING A COST OF LIVING
ADJUSTMENT MENTIONED EARLIER,
AND PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THE
SYSTEM TO CONTINUE ITS GROWTH.
FUNDING FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC.
I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME OR ON
LATER PANELS. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST. THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING. PAUL STEINHAUSEN
WITH THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S
OFFICE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
POTENTIAL ITEMS YOU MIGHT WANT
TO DISCUSS IN ISSUE ONE. I'LL
FOCUS RIGHT NOW ON THE BUDGET,
BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ON
OTHER ISSUES. SO AT A PREVIOUS
HEARING THIS IS FEBRUARY 29TH,
YOU HEARD IN THIS SUBCOMMITTEE
ABOUT THE OVERALL PROPOSITION 98
FUNDING PROPOSAL FOR SCHOOLS AND
COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OUR
RECOMMENDATION THAT THE
LEGISLATURE CONSIDER DIFFERENT
AND LIKELY ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS
GIVEN THE BUDGET PROBLEM AND
REVENUE ESTIMATES. NOW, THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET DID NOT
INCLUDE IN HIS HIS PROPOSED
BUDGET. IN JANUARY, A POTENTIAL
SOLUTION OF IDENTIFYING ANY
UNUSED OR UNALLOCATED FUNDS FROM
PAST BUDGETS THAT COULD BE USED
AS PART OF A BUDGET SOLUTION.
AND OUR OFFICE WENT AHEAD AND
IDENTIFIED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS OF UNSPENT FUNDS. IN
MANY CASES, THEY'RE UNSPENT
BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT TAKE UP
BY COLLEGES. SOME OF THESE ARE
NEW, NEWLY CREATED PROGRAMS.
COLLEGES JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND, TO EXPEND
THE MONEY OR COLLEGES DIDN'T
EARN THE MONEY BY CLAIMING IT.
WHETHER IT WAS GROWTH, MONEY OR
A PART TIME FACULTY HEALTH
INSURANCE PROGRAM AND SOME OTHER
PROGRAMS THAT WERE NEWLY
CREATED. SO THE LEGISLATURE
COULD TAKE FUNDS, UNUSED FUNDS,
UNALLOCATED FUNDS FROM PRIOR
BUDGETS TO ACHIEVE ONE TIME
SAVINGS TO HELP WITH THE STATE
BUDGET. PROBLEM WITH THE
PROPOSITION 98 PROBLEM, AND
DOING SO, IT ALSO MINIMIZE
DISRUPTION TO COLLEGES BECAUSE
THAT MONEY HASN'T ACTUALLY BEEN
CLAIMED BY THE COLLEGES OR GONE
OUT TO THE COLLEGES YET ON A
GRANT BASIS, WE WOULD NOTE THIS
RECOMMENDATION IS IN LINE WITH
THE EARLY ACTION BUDGET PACKAGE
EARLIER THIS MONTH, WHICH WHICH
AUTHORIZES THE ADMINISTRATION
WITH JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET
COMMITTEE REVIEW TO SUSPEND
UNDISBURSED PAST YEAR A ONE TIME
APPROPRIATIONS. SO THE DEPENDING
ON REVENUE ESTIMATES, IT MAY
REVISION THE LEGISLATURE MAY
FIND ITSELF NEEDING TO FIND
ONGOING SOLUTIONS. SO BEYOND
JUST IDENTIFYING ONE TIME
UNSPENT FUNDS AND THINKING ABOUT
ANY ONGOING SOLUTIONS THAT MIGHT
BE NEEDED, WE RECOMMEND THE
LEGISLATURE ATTEMPT TO PRESERVE
FUNDING FOR CORE PRIORITIES,
INCLUDING CORE INSTRUCTION
SUPPORT SERVICES, AID FOR
FINANCIALLY NEEDY STUDENTS AND
TO THE EXTENT EXISTING PROGRAMS
ARE ONGOING AND AN OPERATING
SURPLUS EXISTS, THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR THE
LEGISLATURE TO GENERATE, ACHIEVE
ONE TIME OR ONGOING SAVINGS BY
COMING UP WITH OPTIONS. NOW, THE
LEGISLATURE WILL BE IN A MUCH
BETTER POSITION TO BALANCE THE
BUDGET AND PROTECT ITS CORE
PRIORITIES, ITS CORE PRIORITIES,
AND THE COLLEGE'S CORE
PRIORITIES. THANK YOU AND HAPPY
TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK
YOU, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO
THE COMMITTEE AND, LATELY I'VE
BEEN ASKING TONS OF QUESTIONS.
AND THEN TURNING TO MY
COLLEAGUES, I THINK IN THIS
CASE, I'M GOING TO MAKE A COUPLE
OF COMMENTS, ASK A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS, GO TO MY COLLEAGUES
AND COME BACK FOR ANYTHING THAT
THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO. SO
EVERYBODY HAS A FAIR CHANCE. AND
IN THE COMMENTS, MR. STEINHAUSEN
BEAT ME TO IT, BUT I WAS GOING
TO MENTION THAT WE HAD A
COMPLETE AND EXHAUSTIVE HEARING
ON PROPOSITION 98, AS HE
MENTIONED, AND I THINK THE BEST
WAY TO SUMMARIZE IT IS SORT OF
THE STATEMENT I'VE BEEN MAKING,
WHICH IS THAT, BECAUSE THE
GOVERNOR HAS A PROPOSAL THAT THE
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST HAS CALLED
THE MANEUVER THAT INVOLVES $8
BILLION AND THIS YEAR AND FUTURE
YEARS AND, AND I HAVE BEEN
QUOTING WINSTON CHURCHILL THAT,
THAT DEMOCRACY IS THE WORST
ALTERNATIVE FOR GOVERNMENTS,
EXCEPT FOR ALL THE OTHERS. AND
THAT THAT I THINK THAT THE, THE,
THE PROPOSED MANEUVER BY THE
GOVERNOR IS THE WORST POSSIBLE
ALTERNATIVE, EXCEPT FOR ALL THE
OTHERS. AND SO, I JUST SORT OF
HAVE THAT AS A, AS A GLOBAL
STATEMENT. BUT WE JUST AIRED
THAT OUT IN DETAIL. AND THEN I
WANTED BEFORE GETTING TO
QUESTIONS TO ALSO ADDRESS THAT'S
NOT ON OUR AGENDA BECAUSE IT'S
GOING MORE THROUGH THE POLICY
ROUTE. THE ISSUE OF BONDS. AND
WE HAVE A LIMITED CAPACITY. AND
IT'S VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE I
THINK THAT THERE'S THREE THAT
ARE COMPETING, HOUSING, CLIMATE
AND EDUCATION. AND THEN WITHIN
EDUCATION, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE HOUSES AND MAYBE
INTERNALLY WITH MEMBERS ON EACH
SIDE ABOUT WHETHER AN EDUCATION
BOND WOULD BE K THROUGH 12, K
THROUGH 14, OR INCLUDE UC AND
CSU. I HAPPEN TO BE A PARTIZAN
FOR IT, INCLUDING HIGHER
EDUCATION AND THE REAL DEBATE IS
WHAT WE CAN DO WITHIN THE
CAPACITY OF THE BONDS AND THE
CLIMATE ONE. I JUST HAVE
DISTRICT ISSUES AS A DISTRICT
THAT GOT SLAMMED AS HARD AS
ALMOST ANY BY THE ATMOSPHERIC
RIVERS LAST YEAR. WE HAVE LOTS
OF THINGS TO DO. AND AT THE SAME
TIME, I SIT ON THE STATE
ALLOCATION BOARD AS ONE OF THE
SENATE REPRESENTATIVES. SENATOR
WILK IS ANOTHER. AND WE RAN OUT
OF BOND MONEY, FOR IN THE LAST
EDUCATION BOND, AND WE RAN OUT 2
OR 3 YEARS AGO AND WE HAVE BEEN
PUTTING IN ONE YEAR ALLOCATIONS
OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO KEEP
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION MOVING
AHEAD. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN
A POSITION TO DO THAT THIS YEAR.
SO UNLESS THERE'S AN EDUCATION
BOND, SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION WILL
BE REALLY STRONGLY CHALLENGED.
AND SO THERE ARE THOSE OF US
THAT THAT REALLY JUST SEE A
TOUGH TIME CHOOSING BETWEEN
THOSE THREE, GIVEN THE HOUSING
CRISIS AS WELL. BUT YOU KNOW,
FOR ME, EDUCATION AND CLIMATE
SORT OF NEED TO HAPPEN. BUT THEN
WITHIN THE CAPACITY WE WON'T BE
ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING WE NEED TO
DO FOR EITHER ONE. SO WE HAVE
SOME REAL DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS
COMING. AHEAD THEN ON A COUPLE
OF QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK ON
THE NURSING, THAT WAS MENTIONED
BY THE CHANCELLOR. MAYBE START
WITH YOU AND SEE IF IT'S AND I
KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE HERE FROM MY
HOME DISTRICT OF CABRILLO WHERE
I SAT ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES,
AND WHEN I WAS ON THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES THERE, I HEAR IT'S
LESSENED A LITTLE BIT. THERE WAS
SUCH COMPETITION BECAUSE HALF
THE NURSING STUDENTS WOULD BE
FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT, AND
HALF WITHIN THAT PEOPLE WOULD
MOVE TO OUR AREA IN ORDER TO
WAIT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND
BE ON THE WAITING LIST AND COUNT
AS RESIDENTS AND WE CONTRACTED
WITH THE HOSPITALS LOCALLY TO
JUST ADD ADDITIONAL SLOTS OVER
AND ABOVE WHAT THE COLLEGE COULD
PROVIDE TO MAXIMIZE WHAT WAS
DONE IN NURSING SLOTS AND A
CHANCELLOR, YOU SAID YOU'RE
READY TO GO, HOW IS THAT
STRUCTURED? IF YOU HAD THAT
MONEY TOMORROW, HOW WOULD IT BE
STRUCTURED TO MOVE AHEAD ON THE
NURSING EDUCATION WITHIN? YEAH.
THE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE
DEVELOPED AND IN FACT, THE
REGIONAL COORDINATORS AND
PARTICULARLY FROM THE BAY AREA,
REALLY WITH THE PORT PARTNERS
AND PULLING IT TOGETHER. SO,
WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR TWO
PROBLEMS. ONE IS GETTING NUMBERS
OUT THERE. WE GENERATE ABOUT
4600 ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSES PER
YEAR. AND IN THREE YEARS CAN WE
PUT OUT ABOUT 8000. SO THAT'S
SORT OF THE GOAL THAT WE'RE
WORKING FURIOUSLY. WE ARE ABOUT
TO FINALIZE AN MOU WITH A BOARD
OF REGISTERED NURSING. WE'RE
ALSO WORKING WITH HCAI. I'M NOT
SURE WHAT HCAI, BUT WHAT STANDS
FOR, BUT, OH, SHE'S WALKING INTO
THE ACRONYM. OKAY OKAY. HEALTH
CARE. WE HAVE A POLICY HERE.
YEAH. AND ROCK IS HERE. YEAH.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I KNOW
ROCKS IS REAL NAME. THAT'S NOT
AN ACRONYM. OKAY. YES AND SO, SO
THE SOLUTIONS THAT WE'RE PUTTING
FORWARD IN THIS PARTICULAR
PROJECT TO ACCELERATE THE
OUTCOMES IN THREE YEARS, IT'S
ALMOST LIKE DOUBLING THE, THE,
THE OUTPUT, IS TO LOOK AT FIRST
INCUMBENT WORKERS. SO IF BECAUSE
WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THE
COMMUNITY TO STAY IN THE
COMMUNITY AND REFLECT THE
COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. SO WE'RE
LOOKING AT INCUMBENT WORKERS
WITHIN HOSPITALS AND DEVELOPING
AN MOU WITH HOSPITAL PARTNERS
LOCALLY, REGIONALLY. SO THAT'S
ONE, ONE PART OF IT. THE SECOND
IS CLINICALS ARE ALWAYS THE
PROBLEM. SO WE'RE EXPANDING THE
CLINICAL OPPORTUNITY BY LOOKING
AT EVENING AND NIGHT ROTATIONS
AND EXPANDING OUR SIMULATION. I
MEAN, THE SIMULATIONS. SENATE-TV
LAIRD, IT'S CRAZY. YOU KNOW,
LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO, THE
SIMULATIONS WERE THOSE
MANNEQUINS. NOW WITH IMMERSIVE
TECHNOLOGIES AND THESE GOGGLES,
GOOGLE GOGGLES AND APPLE, YOU
CAN ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO DO
INSTRUCTION IN HEALTH CARE IN IN
A VERY TACTICAL MANNER, WHICH IS
MIND BLOWING. SO WE ARE LOOKING
AT INVESTMENTS IN SIMULATION FOR
THAT PART OF THE CLINICAL THAT
CAN BE REPLACED AND APPROVED BY
THE BURN. AND THE LAST ISSUE
WE'RE DEALING WITH IS TO FIND
CLINICAL FACULTY. AND THAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT AGREEMENTS WITH THE
HOSPITAL WHERE THEY ARE NURSES
WHO ARE PAID AT A HIGHER LEVEL
THAN OUR FACULTY ARE, TO BE ABLE
TO RELEASE FROM NURSING
RESPONSIBILITIES, TO BECOME
CLINICAL FACULTY. SO WE'VE GOT A
VERY CONCRETE ROADMAP TO ROLL
THIS OUT. WE HAVE A PERSON
ASSIGNED TO THE PROJECT. WE ARE
IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE
COLLEGES, AND WE ARE READY TO
START MOVING WITH THE SUPPORT OF
THE BOARD OF REGISTERED NURSING,
BECAUSE GOING THROUGH THAT
ACCREDITATION PROCESS TO GET AN
EXPANSION IN IN THE NUMBERS IS
ALSO ONE OF THE FACTORS. BUT
WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING
LAID OUT AHEAD OF TIME. SO WE
DON'T HAVE ANY ADMINISTRATIVE
BUREAUCRACIES IN OUR WAY WHEN WE
GET STARTED. THAT'S REALLY
HELPFUL. I APPRECIATE IT. AND I
DON'T KNOW, JUST FOR THE RECORD,
IF I ANSWER THE LÀ Þ HAVE ANY
COMMENTS ON NURSING BEFORE WE
MOVE ON, THEN THE OTHER QUESTION
IS HARDER. AND THAT IS, IS THAT
WHO KNOWS WHERE THE BUDGET'S
GOING? BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE
MIDDLE OF, AS I SAID IN MY
OPENING COMMENTS, THE TAX
REVENUES BEING COUNTED NOW, AND
EVEN IF IT MEETS THE GOVERNOR'S
EXPECTATIONS, THERE'S BILLIONS
IN A SHORTFALL THAT STILL HAS TO
BE BRIDGED. IF AND YOU SAID YOU
WERE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WAS
THERE, BUT THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY
AN ADD. BUT IF YOU HAVE EMPLOYER
CONTRACT CGRTS AND INFLATION,
EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS AND
INFLATION, IT'S REALLY A DE
FACTO CUT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO
ABSORB THE INCREASES IN THAT.
AND IT'S NOT MEANING WHAT
HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T GET ANY
COLA AT ALL. HOW DO YOU DEAL
WITH THAT ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
BECAUSE THAT COULD WELL BE ON
THE TABLE IF THE NUMBERS ARE
REALLY BAD AND, YOU KNOW, VICE
CHANCELLOR RENNER MIGHT BE ABLE
TO PROVIDE MORE SPECIFICS. BUT
THIS WAS A CONVERSATION THAT
WHEN WE WHEN WE REVIEW THE LAOS
ANALYSIS, WE YOU KNOW, I WAS IN
CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH
PRESIDENTS AND CHANCELLORS
ACROSS ACROSS THE STATE. AND YOU
KNOW VERY WELL A GOOD FRIEND OF
MINE, MATT WETTSTEIN FROM, FROM
CABRILLO, YES. THE COLA IS
REALLY SMALL, BUT IT MAKES IT
MAKES A TREMENDOUS IMPACT. AND
WE'VE ACTUALLY RUN THE ANALYSIS
ON OUR STUDENT CENTERED FUNDING
FORMULA WITH A ZERO FOR COLA AND
A 0.76, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE
HOW THE DISTRICTS FALL OUT IN
THEIR TOTAL COMPUTATIONAL
REVENUE. THAT THEY GET. SO IT
WOULD BE HARD FOR US. AND IT'S
NOT SAYING, SENATOR LAIRD, I
KNOW I UNDERSTAND THAT AT THE
END OF THE DAY, THERE ARE GOING
TO BE HARD DECISIONS THAT ARE
MADE AND, YOU KNOW, WE
UNDERSTAND THAT MY JOB IS TO
HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT
ON THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WHICH
IS YOUR LOWEST COST INVESTMENT
TO GET THAT WORKFORCE THAT YOU
NEED. SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY
TO THAT QUESTION. OKAY. THANK
YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. LET ME
SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE
QUESTIONS. WHO SENATOR WILK. I
DON'T KNOW IF I NECESSARILY HAVE
QUESTIONS, BUT I TOO WAS VERY
HAPPY WITH THE BUDGET WHEN IT
CAME OUT. AS IT RELATES TO
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, I'M A BIG
FAN, I WAS ON THE BOARD OF
COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS FOR SIX
AND A HALF YEARS, AND WHEN I
THOUGHT I HAD MY BACHELOR'S, MY
COLLEGE TOLD ME I WAS SHORT
THREE UNITS, AND I ACTUALLY MADE
THOSE UNITS UP AT BAKERSFIELD
COLLEGE, WHICH WAS VERY, VERY
HELPFUL. SO FAMILIAR WITH YOUR
CAMPUS, THE DATA THING THAT'S
BEEN AN ONGOING, LIKE, FOREVER.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO READ THE
MASTER PLAN, EVEN BACK WHEN THEY
DID THE INITIAL MASTER PLAN,
THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW
DIFFICULT IT IS TO TRANSFER FROM
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TO CSU AND
USC. èC. SO JUST, YOU KNOW,
GOOD. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. I
MEAN, I'M A REAL I MEAN, I'VE
BEEN HERE 12 YEARS. IT'S BEEN
THE SAME ISSUE EVERY YEAR. SO
AND THEN ON THE, ON THE, ON THE
NURSING, I YESTERDAY SUPPORTED
IN COMMITTEE, GENERAL ROTH'S
BILL FOR 15, COLLEGES TO DO, YOU
KNOW, YOU KNOW, BACHELOR'S IN
NURSING, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY
NEEDED. I MEAN, SO MY DISTRICT'S
NORTHERN LÀ AND SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
SANTA CLARITA, IT'S RURAL,
MILLION PEOPLE. NO, FOUR YEAR
PUBLIC COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES,
THREE COMMUNITY COLLEGES, BUT NO
FOUR YEAR. AND YOUR ZIP CODE
SHOULD NOT BE AN IMPEDIMENT TO
BEING ABLE TO SECURE, YOU KNOW,
HIGHER EDUCATION. ONE AND THEN
TWO, YOU GET YOUR AA IN NURSING
AND, AND YOU HAVE TO GO GET YOUR
BA. YOU LEAVE AND YOU PROBABLY
DON'T COME BACK. OR I THINK IF
WE'RE DOING IT ON THESE
CAMPUSES, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO
STAY. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE
SURE ONCE WE GET THAT THING
DONE, I HOPE WE DO THAT, MAKE
THAT THING COME TO FRUITION,
BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL REALLY
HELP OUR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES
BECAUSE WE INVEST ALL THIS MONEY
IN K-12 FOR OUR KIDS. THEN THEY
LEAVE AND THEN THEY DON'T COME
BACK. SO NO QUESTION, THE ONLY
QUESTION I HAD WAS ALREADY ASKED
BY OUR CHAIR, WHO DOES A GREAT
JOB ASKING QUESTIONS. SO WITH
THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO
SENATOR SKINNER. SENATOR
SKINNER, WELCOME, THANK YOU,
CHAIR, COLLEAGUE, CHANCELLOR AND
OUR OTHER, REPS FROM Dð AND,
LAUP, WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN,
TAKE THIS OFF FOR A MOMENT WHEN
WE STILL. THIS IS PERSISTENT.
THIS IS NOT YOUR CHANCELLOR,
CHRISTIAN. YOU'RE INHERITING,
THIS ISSUE OF, A LOWER
COMPLETION RATE AT. AND IT'S NOT
NEW. AND, OF COURSE, IT DOES.
IT'S OUR WHITE STUDENTS AND OUR,
AAPI STUDENTS TEND TO, TO
COMPLETE AT A HIGHER LEVEL, BUT
STILL NOT EVEN UP TO 50. BUT
WHAT I'M THE POINT OF MY
QUESTION IS, DO WE UNDERSTAND
REALLY WHY? I MEAN, THERE'S WE
LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS AND WE
THINK, OKAY, SOMEHOW WE'RE
FAILING THESE STUDENTS. BUT I'M
NOT SURE. AND I DON'T MEAN TO
SAY TO AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PER SE
NOT. BUT BUT DO WE KNOW YET IS
IT THAT THEY THESE STUDENTS ARE
HAVE DECIDED SOME LEVEL OF THEM
TO GO INTO A APPRENTICESHIP TYPE
OF PROGRAM OR A TECHNICAL?
THERE'S IN OTHER WORDS, THERE
ARE MANY JOBS OUT THERE NOW THAT
DON'T REQUIRE EVEN THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DEGREE THAT REQUIRE
INSTEAD A CERTIFICATION. OR I'VE
BEEN VISITING A LOT OF NEW CLEAN
ENERGY MANUFACTURING TYPE
FACILITIES IN MY DISTRICT LATELY
, ONES THAT MAKE BATTERIES
SAFER, ENERGY STORAGE ONE, YOU
KNOW, DIFFERENT ONES, AND THEY
ARE ALL TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY
NEED IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOME
ABILITY TO WORK IN A LAB SETTING
THAT IT'S, IT IS MUCH MORE THEY
DON'T NEED SOMEBODY WITH A TWO
YEAR OR A FOUR YEAR DEGREE. THEY
JUST NEED THAT. THEY HAVE THOSE,
AND IN SOME CASES, IT'S THE
SKILLS TO WORK IN AN AUTOMATED
SETTING, WHICH IT'S NOT CLEAR TO
ME. AND THIS IS A, IT'S MY LACK
OF KNOWLEDGE. RATHER, YOU KNOW,
HOW MUCH OF THOSE KIND OF
PROGRAMS WE OFFER, WHICH DOESN'T
REQUIRE TWO YEARS OR WHETHER
SOME OF THESE STUDENTS THAT ARE
NOT COMPLETING THAT MAY HAVE
STARTED AT OUR COMMUNITY
COLLEGES HAVE MOVED ON TO
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE
THERE ARE SO MANY JOBS IN THOSE
CATEGORIES. SO THAT'S ONE
QUESTION. ANOTHER QUESTION IS
WE'VE OBVIOUSLY WE, THE
LEGISLATURE, HAVE GIVEN THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE MORE ABILITY
TO DO FOUR YEAR DEGREES. NOW,
EVEN THE NURSING PROGRAM, ARE
YOU GETTING OUR STUDENTS
INTERESTED? DO THEY WANT THAT?
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO
GET AT IS DO WE THE LEGISLATURE
CAN WE, YOU KNOW, WE START
SAYING, OH, DO THIS OR DO THAT.
AND IT MAY NOT REALLY BE WHAT
THE STUDENTS NEED. AND IF OUR
GOAL IS TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT
OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE
SERVING STUDENTS NEEDS TO EITHER
GO ON TO HIGHER ED OR TO BE ABLE
TO GET GOOD PAYING JOBS. DO WE
FEEL I MEAN, I LOVE THE VISION
PLAN FROM 2017, BUT DO WE FEEL
THAT WE'VE REALLY HONED IT TO DO
THAT? THERE'S A LOT IN THERE.
SENATOR SKINNER, I HEARD EQUITY.
YOU KNOW, I HEARD, ARE WE DOING
THE RIGHT TRAINING AND THE RIGHT
SET OF SKILLS AND THE DEGREES
AND THEN THE BACCALAUREATE, THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BACCALAUREATE
, SO I WOULD SAY EQUITY IS FRONT
AND CENTER. IN FACT, YOU KNOW,
IN THE NEW VISION, WHICH IS
VISION 2030, WHICH WE JUST
UNVEILED LAST YEAR, THE ENTIRE
FOCUS IS REALLY LOOKING AT JOBS.
SO THAT IS SORT OF THE SHIFT
FROM LOOKING AT, OKAY, GETTING
STUDENTS THROUGH, BUT OKAY, YOU
GET THAT CREDENTIAL AND THEN
WHAT IS GOING TO BE THAT THAT
JOB. SO WE ARE INCLUDING METRICS
OF EMPLOYMENT AND WAGE DATA AND
STARTING TO TRACK THAT, YOU
KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT EQUITY, THE 6.8 MILLION
WAS A POPULATION THAT WAS
IDENTIFIED IN A REPORT BY
CALIFORNIA COMPETES. AND WHEN
YOU WHEN YOU DISAGGREGATE THE
DATA ON BASIS OF RACE, YOU SEE
THAT THE MAJORITY ARE ARE BLACK
AND LATINO COMMUNITIES
REPRESENTED IN THAT POPULATION
IN IN LOW WAGE JOBS AT A AND A
MAJORITY OF THEM ARE WOMEN WHO
ARE IN THE CARE ECONOMY, LIKE
HOME HEALTH CARE WORKERS. SO
THERE IS AN INTENTIONALITY IN,
IN LOOKING AT THOSE COMMUNITIES
AND THROUGH CERTIFICATE
PROGRAMS, BRINGING THEM IN AND
GETTING THAT JOB THAT THE SKILL
SET FOR THAT JOB WITH OUR
PARTNERSHIPS WITH WITH INDUSTRY.
SO LET ME SAY A WORD ABOUT THAT.
SO OUR ALTHOUGH OUR ENTIRE FOCUS
OR MOST OF OUR FOCUS IS TRYING
TO BE AHEAD WITH INDUSTRY TO
PREDICT THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE
BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE
CENTRAL VALLEY, YOU KNOW, THE
ECONOMY IS MOVING FROM LEGACY
ENERGY, OIL, ENERGY INTO
RENEWABLES. AND WHEN YOU WHEN WE
DO AN ANALYSIS OF THE WAGES AND
THE RENEWABLE, IT'S VERY
DIFFERENT. AND SO WHEN WE'RE
LOOKING AT THOSE OIL WORKERS
COMING OUT, IT'S NOT ONLY MOVING
FROM OIL TO RENEWABLE, IT'S ALSO
LOOKING AT HEALTH CARE AND
TECHNOLOGY. IT SO WE ARE VERY
MUCH PRECISE IN LOOKING AT WHAT
ARE THE PATHWAYS THAT ARE NOT
RESTRICTED TO A SINGLE SECTOR,
BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE
ARE THE GOOD JOBS REALISTICALLY
GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THESE
INDIVIDUALS, SO THAT THAT
WORKFORCE READINESS IS, IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING
WITH INDUSTRY. BUT HERE'S THE
OTHER DEAL. EVEN THOUGH WE ARE
FOCUSED ON OUR INDUSTRY
PARTNERS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WORKERS HAVE SUSTAINABLE
SKILL SETS. SO IN THAT REGARD, I
WOULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT THE
GENERAL EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT
AS WELL, SO THAT EVEN THOUGH
THEY MAY GET INTO THAT FIRST
JOB, IT'S GOING TO BE THAT CHEN
ED AND THAT DEGREE THAT ALLOWS
THEM TO BECOME SUPERVISORS. SO
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE 25 YEARS
OLD, YOU MAY BE HAPPY TO GET
INTO CONSTRUCTION TRADES AND
EARN A GOOD JOB. BUT WHAT ABOUT
WHEN YOU'RE 32? SO THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGES NOW ARE SORT OF FINE
TUNING OUR THINKING AND SAYING,
HEY, WE'VE GOT EMPLOYERS, BUT
WE'VE ALSO TAKEN CARE OF OUR
WORKERS AND GETTING THOSE CHEN
ED IN VARIOUS KINDS OF WAYS TO
KIND OF MOVE UP TO THAT NEXT
SUPERVISORY JOB. AND MY LAST
COMMENT WOULD BE ON THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE BACCALAUREATE.
I'M A BELIEVER IN THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE BACCALAUREATE BECAUSE
IT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR PLACE
BOUND COMMUNITIES. AND BEING
VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CENTRAL
VALLEY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE
INLAND EMPIRE, THESE DEGREES ARE
DEGREES THAT ARE TECHNICAL
DEGREES. SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT
THOSE THAT ARE PARTNERS IN THE
CSUS AND THE UCS AND
INDEPENDENCE OFFER, WHICH ARE
YOUR, YOU KNOW, DEGREES IN, IN
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES.
THESE ARE TECHNICAL DEGREES. YOU
KNOW, THEY ARE FOCUSED AS A
DEGREE IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY ON
AUTOMATION, ON A BACCALAUREATE
AND AUTOMATION. THERE'S ONE ON
LAB TECHNOLOGIES, WHICH YOU HAD
REFERRED TO. SO THOSE WE HAVE
WAIT LISTS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS.
AND AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING IN,
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CSUS.
THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF US
FIGURING OUT WHAT WHAT WHAT DOES
IT LOOK LIKE IN TAKING CARE OF
WORKFORCE NEEDS AND DUPLICATION.
AND WE WORKED THROUGH THAT. SO
THERE'S A GREAT COLLABORATION
THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED WITH OUR
CSU COLLEAGUES, NEW CHANCELLOR,
YOU KNOW, CHANCELLOR GARCIA IN
IN LOOKING AT HOW TOGETHER WE
CAN BE EFFICIENT WITH TAXPAYER
DOLLARS IN, IN ADDRESSING
DUPLICATION, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, NOT SETTING ASIDE
WORKFORCE NEEDS. THAT WAS A LONG
ANSWER. I WANT TO SAY, SENATOR
WILK, THAT DIÆN VAN HOEK IS ONE
OF MY LEGENDS IN THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGES. AND WHEN I STARTED AS
A PRESIDENT, I LOOKED UP TO DIÆN
VAN HOEK FOR THE WORK THAT SHE
WAS DOING IN SANTA CLARITA.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR
ANSWER BECAUSE I, I DON'T I
DON'T WANT TO DISCOUNT THAT
VALUE OF THE TWO YEAR DEGREE
COMPLETION OR EVEN A FOUR YEAR,
WHETHER IT'S THE FOUR YEAR AT
OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR MOVING
ON, I JUST WONDERED AND THIS IS
TRICKY. LIKE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
CHART THAT SHOWS COMPLETION
RATE, THAT IS COMPLETION FOR THE
AA FOR THE TWO YEAR. RIGHT? SO I
WONDER IF WE NEED TO ASK FOR
SOME DATA THAT WOULD GIVE US A
BETTER PICTURE, BECAUSE IF
THERE'S COMPLETION ON OTHER
PROGRAMS THAT WE KNOW ARE
APPRECIATE ELEVATING THE STUDENT
TO A BETTER TO ECONOMIC
IMPROVEMENT IN ECON ON ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY, WHICH OF COURSE IS
ONE OF OUR MISSIONS. ALSO,
WHETHER WE CAN INCLUDE THAT, IT
MIGHT GIVE US A BETTER PICTURE
ON, YOU KNOW, IF WE REALLY HAVE,
WE REALLY FAILED THIS PERCENT OF
STUDENTS OR HAVE WE ARE WE
CAPTURING SOME OF THEM IN A
DIFFERENT WAY? SO I THINK IT
MIGHT BE WORTH IT TO ADD THAT.
THANK YOU, SENATOR WILK. YEAH, I
ACTUALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT
DATA. I WANT TO WEIGH IN ON
COMPLETION BECAUSE THIS IS THIS
IS ONE OF MY IT'S BEEN I HAVEN'T
BEEN ON THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOARD FOR 12 YEARS, BUT TO ME,
IT'S THE STUDENT WHO DECIDES
WHEN IT'S COMPLETED. I KNOW BACK
THEN WE HAD A VERY ROBUST AUTO
AUTO PROGRAM. NOBODY FINISHED
THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY ALL GOT
HIRED IN JOBS THAT THEY WANTED
BEFORE THEY COMPLETED IT. SO
WE'RE GETTING DINGED THAT THAT
THESE STUDENTS ARE NOT
COMPLETING THE PROGRAM WHEN THEY
ACHIEVED EXACTLY WHAT THEY
WANTED TO. SO, I MEAN, WE ALWAYS
LOOK AT INPUTS. WE DON'T LOOK AT
OUTPUTS ENOUGH, ON THE, ON THE
GOVERNMENT SIDE. SO THAT'S A
FRUSTRATION. THE OTHER THING AND
I DON'T KNOW HOW WIDESPREAD THIS
IS, BUT WE'RE VERY BLESSED IN
SANTA CLARITA BECAUSE WE GOT ONE
CITY, ONE COUNTY, ONE HIGH
SCHOOL DISTRICT, ONE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE. AND IT'S MUCH EASIER
TO COLLABORATE. SO I'D SAY IT'S
BEEN JUST A LITTLE OVER 20 YEARS
AGO. WE PUT TOGETHER AN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. SO IT'S
ONE THIRD PRIVATE EQUITY, ONE
THIRD FROM THE COUNTY, ONE THIRD
FROM THE CITY, AND AS THE
COLLEGE, WE PARTNER WITH THE EDC
AND FIGURED OUT WHAT OUR
STRENGTHS WERE. AND WE
IDENTIFIED FIVE CORE INDUSTRIES.
AND WE'VE DONE VERY WELL IN
TERMS OF WORKFORCE TRAINING AND
DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE ECONOMY
DOES ANYWHERE ELSE, THEY
CONTINUE TO PROSPER HERE IN
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY BECAUSE OF
THAT COLLABORATION. I'M SURE
IT'S HARDER TO DO. YOU KNOW,
OTHER PLACES, BECAUSE JUST THE
WAY WE'RE SET UP IS PRETTY EASY.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING
PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN INDUSTRY
AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO
DELIVER ACTUALLY IN REAL TIME.
BECAUSE LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THE
RAPIDITY OF CHANGE GOING ON,
IT'S JUST IT'S JUST STAGGERING,
BUT I DON'T I'M INTERESTED TO
KNOW HOW HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE
IN THE, IN THE STATE. AND IF, IF
NOT ENOUGH, IS THERE ANYTHING WE
COULD DO TO BE HELPFUL TO
FACILITATE THAT? I MEAN, YOU
SAID IT EXACTLY RIGHT. AND
THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE
HAVING. YOU KNOW, THE REGIONAL
COORDINATORS WHO ARE HERE TODAY
IS HOW DO WE SYSTEMATIZE AND DO
AT SCALE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
AREAS WHERE THERE IS, YOU KNOW,
EXAMPLES OF GREAT PARTNERSHIP
WITH WITH INDUSTRY AND EMPLOYERS
AND HOW DO WE DO IT AT SCALE AND
SYSTEMATICALLY, YOU KNOW, SORT
OF MAKING THAT EQUITY ANSWER
HAPPEN IN BY DESIGN AND NOT BY
CHANCE. SO YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT'S THE WORK THAT WE'RE
DOING. GOING BACK TO, YOU KNOW,
THE APPRENTICESHIP WE ARE, WE
ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON EXPANDING
APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES
AGAIN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WITH
INDUSTRY. YOU CAN'T DO IT
WITHOUT INDUSTRY PARTNERS.
RIGHT. AND WHEN I'VE BEEN AT
NATIONAL, SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS,
CALIFORNIA IS INVESTING EVEN IN
NONTRADITIONAL APPRENTICESHIPS,
NOT JUST THE BUILDING TRADES,
BUT ALSO LOOKING AT TAKING THE
MODEL, WHICH IS THE GOLD
STANDARD, AND APPLYING IT TO
OTHER INDUSTRIES AS WELL. WHAT
YOU LAID OUT, SENATOR WILK, IS
THE ROADMAP FOR THE WORK FOR
COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN VISION
2030, AND WE NEED TO DO IT AT
SCALE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND
LET ME MAKE, A COUPLE OF
COMMENTS. IN CLOSING, 2 OR 3
QUESTIONS, ONE COMMENT IS OUR
NEXT ITEM IS ENROLLMENT. AND YOU
WON'T BE HERE. AND I DON'T KNOW
IF THERE'S ANYTHING, YOU
MENTIONED ENROLLMENT IN YOUR
OPENING COMMENTS. ANYTHING YOU
WANT TO ADD BEFORE WE GET TO
THAT? YEAH, I WOULD SAY, SENATOR
, THAT IT'S A NON-ISSUE AT THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGES. I KNOW LAST
YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE WERE REALLY
LOOKING AT THE SIGNIFICANT
DECLINE ACROSS THE NATION.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES LOST THE MOST
NUMBER OF STUDENTS. MAKES SENSE.
THIS IS OUR MOST VULNERABLE
POPULATION. BUT CALIFORNIA HAS
COME BACK WAY BETTER THAN THE
REST OF THE NATION. SO I HAVE TO
DROP A STATISTIC HERE. WE MAKE
UP 20% OF THE NATION'S COMMUNITY
COLLEGE ENROLLMENTS, AND THIS
FALL WE ACCOUNTED FOR 50% OF THE
GROWTH. SO I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT
THAT, WE ARE ON SOLID GROUNDS.
AND THE PLAN, THE VISION 2030,
WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL OF THE
POPULATIONS, WE ARE VERY MUCH IN
OPERATIONAL DETAILS LIKE DUAL
ENROLLMENT, LOOKING AT OUR
JUSTICE INVOLVED, CALIFORNIANS,
OUR FOSTER YOUTH, OUR VETERANS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THIS HUGE
INFLUX OF LOW INCOME WORKERS
THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE'RE
TRYING TO WORK AT SCALE. SO I'M
NOT WORRIED ABOUT ENROLLMENT S.
WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS TO BE
ABLE TO SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS
AND GET THEM TO THE JOBS. AND
THAT'S WHERE I NÓ AND WE'RE
GOING TO SEE A RETURN ON
INVESTMENT IN CALIFORNIA FOR
WHEN WE SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE
JOB SCENE HAPPENING. ONE LAST
WORD ON THIS. I IS CHANGING THE
WORKFORCE RAPIDLY, AND IT'S YOUR
COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT ARE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER
THAT. I 101, SO THAT OUR WORKERS
ARE NOT GOING TO SORT OF, YOU
KNOW, FREAK OUT WHEN THEY SEE
THEIR JOBS BEING IMPACTED BY AI
BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO FEEL
CONFIDENT IN THIS CHANGE THAT IS
HAPPENING. AND THAT'S WHERE I'M
NERVOUS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
THE ENROLLMENTS. BUT WE NEED TO
HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO
SERVE THE TIDAL WAVE OF CHANGES
THAT IS REQUIRED IN OUR
WORKFORCE. WELL, YOU SEE, THE
THING THAT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT,
AND YOU DID A GOOD JOB OF
EXPLAINING THAT CALIFORNIA'S
COME BACK BETTER THAN THE OTHER
STATES. BUT THE THING THAT'S
DIFFICULT IS I JUST
INSTINCTIVELY HAVE THE BENCHMARK
BEING WHERE WAS ENROLLMENT
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC? AND
EVERYBODY'S ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT
HOW IT'S COMING BACK. BUT IT
NEVER REACHES THAT. AND SO
THAT'S THE THING THAT THAT
ALWAYS CONCERNS ME. AND THEN A
RANDOM QUESTION THAT'S
CONNECTED, I WAS TALKING TO ONE
OFFICIAL OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
THAT'S NOT IN MY DISTRICT, AND
THEY STILL HAVE 50% OF THEIR
STUDENTS ON ONLINE AND 50% IN
PERSON. AND THERE'S A HUNGER
AMONG THE STUDENTS TO HAVE MORE
IN PERSON, BUT IT HASN'T QUITE
MOVED THERE. ARE YOU FINDING
THAT THERE'S STILL THIS STRUGGLE
IN THE LOCAL CAMPUSES ON THE
ONLINE VERSUS THE. THERE IS
DEFINITELY BEEN A CHANGE OF
STUDENT BEHAVIOR. SO IN TERMS OF
NUMBERS, OUR RESEARCHER JOHN HAS
JUST DROPPED SOME DATA. WE'RE
ABOUT 51% FULLY IN PERSON. AND
THE REMAINING IS SPLIT BETWEEN
HYBRID AND ONLINE. SO THE
REMAINING 49 IS NOT COMPLETELY
ONLINE. IT'S KIND OF SPLIT
BETWEEN HYBRID, WHICH MEANS THEY
COME TO CAMPUS SOME OF THE TIME,
WHAT WHAT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES
ARE FOCUSED ON IS SUPPORT AND
COMPLETION. YOU KNOW, SENATOR
SKINNER BROUGHT UP THE
COMPLETION AND THEN JOBS. SO
THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS WE'RE
FOCUSED ON WHEN WHETHER THAT
MEANS IT IS IN AN ONLINE
ENVIRONMENT OR A HYBRID
ENVIRONMENT OR ON CAMPUS. WE
WANT TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE
STUDENT NEEDS. SO IN OTHER WORDS
, I'M NOT SO SURE THAT ONLINE IS
NECESSARILY A BAD THING. IT
COULD BE A BAD THING IF IT
BECOMES A GAP BETWEEN US
SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS. SO WITH
SOME OF THE EMERGING INTELLIGENT
TECHNOLOGIES, WE ARE TRYING TO
HAVE THE MULTIPLE MODALITIES TO
BE AVAILABLE FOR THE STUDENTS
AND OFFER TO THEM IN A MUCH MORE
, IN A PROACTIVE WAY, RATHER
THAN A STUDENT DEFAULTING TO
WHAT MIGHT BE EASIER, EVEN IF
THEY MIGHT BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN
AN IN-PERSON CLASSROOM, SO IT'S
A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A OF A
NUANCED RESPONSE RATHER THAN
JUST SAYING WHAT THE NUMBERS,
NUMBERS ARE, MOST COLLEGES ARE
TRYING TO GET STUDENTS BACK ON
CAMPUS THROUGH STUDENT LIFE AND
OTHER KINDS OF, COMMUNITIES. SO
THEY FEEL CONNECTED. AND SO IF
THEY FEEL CONNECTED IN COMMUNITY
, THE CHANCES THAT THEY WILL BE
MORE SUCCESSFUL. I APPRECIATE
THAT. AND THEN A COMMENT AND NOT
NEEDING, BY THIS BEING YOUR
FIRST HEARING, YOU'VE YOU'VE
MISSED MANY DISCUSSIONS AND
RANTS ABOUT THE STUDENT CENTERED
FUNDING FORMULA. AND IT IS JUST
VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE I THINK
THAT THE COLLEGES THAT THAT GET
SHORTED BY THE FORMULA AND IT'S
ALMOST EVERYONE IN MY SENATE
DISTRICT HAPPENED TO BE THE
HIGHEST STANDARD OF LIVING IN
THE STATE AND THE HARDEST TO
FIND HOUSING AND OTHER THINGS.
AND SO WHILE THEY'RE OSTENSIBLY
SOMEHOW CHAU IN MORE WELL-TO-DO
AREAS AND THINK PEOPLE THINK
IT'S LOGICAL TO SORT OF PENALIZE
THEM OVER TIME, THEY'RE
STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW IN FINDING
PEOPLE THAT CAN BE PROFESSORS OR
EVEN SERVICE STAFF MEMBERS
BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF
LIVING. AND I THINK IT'LL JUST
MAKE IT A LOT WORSE. AND THERE'S
A WAY TO BALANCE IT OUT AND IT
DOESN'T. AND THE THING THAT'S
PHASING IN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS
IS TO JUST GIVE NO COLA TO THOSE
SCHOOLS UNTIL THE CUT CATCHES UP
WITH THEM. AND I THINK THAT WILL
BE PAINFUL. AND I HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN FINE WITH LETTING THE
WINNERS WIN. BUT THE HOLD
HARMLESS IS, IS TO ALLOW THE
LOSERS NOT TO JUST BE
DRAMATICALLY CUT. AND THAT'S A
CONCERN. SO I'VE NOW SAID THAT
IN FRONT OF YOU THEN ON THE
BACCALAUREATE THERE THERE'S AN
INTERESTING THING. I WAS MEETING
WITH ONE OF THE PRESIDENTS IN MY
DISTRICT WHO WAS REALLY TAKING
ON A CSU THAT WAS A FEW MILES
AWAY AND PROPOSING A
BACCALAUREATE, AND I SAID TO HER
VERY DIRECTLY, IS THIS BECAUSE
THE CSU WAS NOT TAKING THE
TRANSFER STUDENTS AND IT WAS
BEING LEFT UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL
DIVISION HEADS? SO IT WASN'T
SORT OF ABLE TO BE LEVERAGED AS
POLICY FROM THE TOP IN MANY
WAYS. AND SO THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE REALLY
BEING LEFT OUT IN THE TRANSFER
ABILITY, ARTICULATION AND
TRANSFERABILITY OF UNITS AND
OTHER THINGS. AND I SAID TO HER,
SHE PROPOSED A FOUR YEAR
BACHELOR AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
AND I SAID, ARE YOU DOING THIS
TO LEVERAGE THE CSU BECAUSE YOU
REALLY WANT IT? AND SHE JUST
SORT OF SMILED AT ME AND DID NOT
ANSWER, AND I ASSUMED IT MEANT
BOTH. AND SO I WAS JUST GOING TO
ASK IN THAT DISCUSSION THAT
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN HAVING, WHAT
HAVE BEEN SORT OF THE
DISCUSSIONS WITH UC AND CSU
ABOUT DUPLICATION AND ABOUT THEM
SORT OF HAVING A DIFFERENT
POLICY AND ACCEPTANCE OR
ACCREDITING UNITS THAT WOULD
AMELIORATE SOME OF THE CONCERN
THAT'S LEADING TO THE DESIRE FOR
A FOUR YEAR BACCALAUREATE THÀNH
SENATOR, I WOULD START BY SAYING
MY OWN PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE IS
WE CANNOT HAVE A SCARCITY
MENTALITY WHEN WE'RE THINKING OF
BACCALAUREATE ATTAINMENT. YOU
KNOW, OUR PUBLIC POLICY
INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA PUT OUT
A REPORT WHEN I WAS A NEW
PRESIDENT AT BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE
THAT TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR
1.1 MILLION ADDITIONAL
BACCALAUREATES BY THE YEAR 2030.
AND SO IMMEDIATELY, AS A MATH
PERSON, I STARTED SORT OF
EXTRAPOLATING WITH IF WE
CONTINUED WHAT WE DID AS WE DID,
WE WOULD NOT MEET THAT THAT
GOAL. SO TO ME, THERE IS, THERE
THE NEED, THE DEMAND IS MUCH
MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN EVEN MEET
AT THIS, THIS POINT. SO THAT'S
POINT NUMBER ONE. YOU KNOW, THE
SCARCITY MENTALITY WHEN YOU
ACTUALLY DO THE MATH, I THINK IT
WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE.
IT'S LIKE, LET'S JUST TRY TO GET
TO THAT. YOU KNOW, THE NEED AND
MEET THAT NEED. SO THAT'S POINT
ONE. HAVING SAID THAT, YOU KNOW,
I'VE BEEN SUPER PLEASED WITH,
OUR TWO OFFICES, YOU KNOW, AT
THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE FOR THE
CSU, THEIR TEAM, THE ACADEMIC
TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR
TEAM, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW,
REALLY GETTING DOWN TO WHAT ARE
THE ISSUES? YOU KNOW WHAT ARE
THE DUPLICATION ISSUES, WHAT ARE
THE WORKFORCE NEEDS? AND WORKING
IT OUT. I MEAN, IS IT HAVE ALL
THE PROBLEMS BEEN SOLVED? NO,
BUT WHAT IS WHAT IS WHAT I'M
HAPPY ABOUT IS THAT THERE ARE
CONVERSATIONS AND SOLUTIONS
BEING PROPOSED. AN EXAMPLE IS
THAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH A
QUICK PROCESS FOR BACCALAUREATES
THAT WE ALREADY, APPROVED BY THE
CSU OR GREENLIGHTED BY THE CSU.
IF ANOTHER COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS
PROPOSING THAT SAME
BACCALAUREATE, WHY WAIT FOR, YOU
KNOW, A 6 TO 8 MONTH PROCESS?
WHY JUST NOT GREEN LIGHT IT
RIGHT AWAY? TO ME, THAT'S A HUGE
WIN, RIGHT? THEY WERE ABLE TO
COME TO THAT AGREEMENT. AND SO
NOW THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON
THE MORE DIFFICULT ONES WHERE
THERE IS, YOU KNOW, NOT FULL
AGREEMENT. HOW DO YOU KNOW
THEY'RE DECIDING TO SORT OF
BRING MAYBE A THIRD PARTY IN TO
HELP, UNPACK THE VARIOUS ISSUES
AND COME UP WITH A RESOLUTION.
SO MY SENSE IS LET'S LET THAT
PROCESS ROLL AND SEE WHAT
HAPPENS EVENTUALLY. THE LARGER
QUESTION FOR ALL OF US, YOU
KNOW, IN OUR IN OUR VARIOUS
LEADERSHIP ROLES IS THE SINGLE
THING WE NEED TO SOLVE IS THE
WORKFORCE DEMAND. IF CALIFORNIA
NEEDS TO BE COMPETITIVE
ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY, IN A
CIVIC MANNER AND BUILDING
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, WE'VE GOT
TO MEET THOSE WORKFORCE NEEDS
WHILE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH
MAYBE, WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE
DIVIDED UP RESPONSIBILITIES
BEFORE WE MAY NEED TO RETHINK
HOW WE DIVIDE UP
RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE PAST. SO
I THINK WE CAN DO A BOTH AND AS
WE WORK THROUGH IT. BUT WHAT I
APPRECIATE IS THE WAY YOU'VE
SORT OF FRAMED THE ISSUES THAT
WE'RE WORKING ON. THANK YOU.
OKAY. AND THEN ONE LAST
SUBSTANTIVE QUESTION. ON THE
FULL TIME FACULTY, WE IN LAST
YEAR IN THE BUDGET ACT, INCLUDED
MULTIPLE REQUIREMENT CGRTS
RELATED TO FULL TIME FACULTY.
WHAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE OVER
THOSE THINGS THAT WERE PUT IN
THE TRAILER BILLS LAST YEAR? I
CANNOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION MUCH
BETTER THAN I CAN. WHAT I WOULD
SAY IS MY SENSE OF THE FULL TIME
, PART TIME IS MORE ON MY YEARS
OF EXPERIENCE AS A CHANCELLOR AT
THE AT THE LOCAL DISTRICT AND,
AND IT'S BEEN HUGELY HELPFUL FOR
US TO MAKE STRIDES, TO NOT ONLY
RESPOND AND TO INCREASING OUR
NUMBER OF FULL TIME FACULTY, BUT
ALSO LOOKING AT, IN A WAY OF HOW
CAN WE REPRESENT OUR THE
STUDENTS, WE SERVE IN OUR
FACULTY COMPOSITION AND WE'VE
BEEN ABLE TO DO IT WITH
PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA AND CSU'S TO BUILD
FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS. SO
WHEN YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL IS
DOING A PHD AT UC MERCED, FOR
EXAMPLE, OR AT A MASTER'S AT THE
CSU, TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND
INTERN AS A FACULTY FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM IN PHYSICS OR IN
CHEMISTRY. SO THAT WE START
BUILDING THE PIPELINE OF
INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD APPLY FOR
TENURE, TRACK FACULTY POSITIONS.
SO THE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE
BEEN MADE FROM THE FIELD
PERSPECTIVE HAVE BEEN HUGELY
BENEFICIAL. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND
YOU CLEARLY HAVE SOMETHING TO
ADD. YES. THANK YOU. CHAIR LAIRD
I'M RUNA FINCH, VICE CHANCELLOR.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TURNED IT OFF. SO
YOU SHOULD JUST. THERE YOU GO.
JUST DO THIS. ALL RIGHT, I'M
VICE CHAIR, MY NAME IS RENA
FINCH. I SERVE AS THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE, AS VICE CHANCELLOR OF
COLLEGE FINANCE AND FACILITIES.
AND I'M HAPPY, REALLY EXCITED TO
SHARE THAT THE CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE IS COMPLETELY ON TRACK TO
MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE FROM
FROM LAST YEAR REGARDING FULL
TIME FACULTY, DISTRICTS ARE
REQUIRED TO REPORT THEIR
PROGRESS IN INCREASING THE
PERCENTAGE OF INSTRUCTION IN BY
FULL TIME FACULTY. THEY REPORT
THIS EACH NOVEMBER, AND THEN
THEY REPORT PROGRESS MADE IN
DIVERSIFYING FACULTY. THEY
REPORT THAT ANNUALLY EACH JUNE.
CURRENTLY, OUR STAFF ARE IN THE
PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE SYSTEM
WIDE REPORT THAT WAS REQUIRED BY
THE TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE, WHERE
WE'VE GOT ALL THE DATA IN, WE'RE
JUST KIND OF GOING THROUGH IT
AND FORMATTING THE REPORT. WE'RE
TOTALLY ON TRACK TO HAVE THAT
POSTED TO OUR CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE WEBSITE BY MAY 30TH, THE
PROCESS HAS ALSO BEEN
ESTABLISHED AND IMPLEMENTED THAT
REQUIRES DISTRICTS TO REPORT ON
THE USE OF FULL TIME FACULTY
HIRING FUNDS, INCLUDING THE
NUMBER OF FULL TIME FACULTY
POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FILLED
AND MAINTAINED WITH THOSE FUNDS,
AND AGAIN, OUR STAFF ARE IN THE
PROCESS OF REVIEWING ALL THIS
RECENTLY SUBMITTED INFORMATION
TO KIND OF FINE TUNE HOW WE'RE
GOING TO VERIFY, VERIFY WHAT OUR
METHODOLOGY WILL BE TO GO
THROUGH THAT VERIFICATION AND
DEVELOP A POLICY, WE'VE BEEN
PROVIDING SOME SUBSTANTIAL
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND
GUIDANCE TO THE SYSTEM THROUGH
VARIOUS GUIDANCE MEMOS FOR
INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON OUR
WEBSITE, WHICH WE'VE EXPANDED IN
THIS AREA, AND THEN ALSO
PROVIDING TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS,
BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON,
THE, LET ME JUST SAY THAT WAS
ACTUALLY A VERY SUBSTANTIVE
ANSWER. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE
IT. AND THE ONE THING IS, IS
THAT YOU'RE POSTING IT BY MAY
30TH, AND WE'LL HAVE TWO WEEKS
BEFORE WE FINALIZE THE BUDGET.
AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE'S
SOMETHING THAT IS STILL AN ISSUE
ABOUT THIS, WE MIGHT ASK YOU A
LOT ABOUT IT BEFORE MAY 30TH TO
TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE TEASE
IT OUT BEFORE THE BUDGET IS
LANDED. CERTAINLY GLAD TO HELP.
AND THEN, I HAVE ONE LAST
QUESTION THAT IS SENT FROM ONE
OF MY COLLEAGUES. AND YOU WORKED
VERY CLOSELY WITH SENATOR GROVE,
IN BAKERSFIELD. AND SHE JUST
WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU LEARNED
WHEN YOU WERE IN BAKERSFIELD,
THAT IF KERN COUNTY WERE A
STATE, IT'D BE THE FOURTH
LARGEST OIL PRODUCING STATE IN
THE UNITED STATES. DID YOU LEARN
THAT? ABSOLUTELY. SENATOR GROVE.
PERFECT. I CAN REFLECT THAT TO
HER. THANK YOU. WELL I'M SURE
THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF MORE
THINGS WE COULD ASK ABOUT, BUT
WE HAVE KEPT YOU FOR QUITE A
WHILE, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE
THIS. AND AND KNOW THAT WE WILL
HAVE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS. AND
THIS IS A GREAT INITIAL
PRESENTATION. I HAVE A QUICK
QUESTION FOR THE CHANCELLOR. WAS
BILL THOMAS ONE OF YOUR BOARD
MEMBERS WHILE YOU WERE THERE?
YES AND HOW WAS THAT? I USED TO
I USED TO WORK. I USED TO WORK
FOR HIM. THAT'S WHERE I KNOW.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT SHE
ALREADY, IN HER COMMENTS, TALKED
ABOUT RECOVERY PROGRAMS. NÓ HE
WAS A DELIGHT TO WORK WITH. WE
HAVE THE THOMAS ROADS
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THAT'S YOU
KNOW, WE'VE GOT ALL THIS
CONSTRUCTION THAT CONNECTS I-5
TO 99. AND HE'S A FORCE TO
RECKON WITH AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL
IN OUR $500 MILLION BOND. SO DO
YOU KNOW THE STORY. DO YOU KNOW
THE STORY ON THAT? BECAUSE I
WORKED FOR A MEMBER OF CONGRESS
AT THE TIME. SO THEY HAVE A
CALIFORNIA DELEGATION LUNCH
EVERY WEEK. AND BILL WALKS IN,
SAYS, I GOT GOOD NEWS AND BAD
NEWS. WHAT DO YOU GUYS WANT TO
HEAR? AND THEY GO, WELL, LET'S
HEAR THE GOOD NEWS. HE GOES, I
GOT $1 BILLION MORE FOR
CALIFORNIA IN THE IN THE
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORIZATION
ACT. WHAT'S THE BAD NEWS? I'M
TAKING 500 MILLION OF IT. YES.
AND I'M SURE SOME COLLEAGUES
THOUGHT THAT WAS GENEROUS. YEAH
WELL, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU. WE
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE
AND LOOK FORWARD TO JUST A
CONTINUED RELATIONSHIP AS WE TRY
TO LAND THE BUDGET IN WHAT IS A
DIFFICULT YEAR. SO THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO
MOVE TO ITEM ISSUE NUMBER TWO,
ADJUSTMENTS FOR ABORTIONS IN
CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS. AND
THERE'S NO NEED TO CHANGE CHAIRS
BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE JUSTIN FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, PAUL
FROM THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S
OFFICE AND REENA FROM THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE. AND WE WILL GO IN THAT
ORDER. SO WE'LL START WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. THANK
YOU. JUSTIN HURST, DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE I'LL BE BRIEFLY COVERING
THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES PROPOSITION 98
INVESTMENTS INCLUDED WITH THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET WITH REGARDS
TO THE APPORTIONMENTS AND
CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS. SO MUCH
LIKE THE K THROUGH 12 SYSTEM,
THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SYSTEM IS SUPPORTED BY
PROPOSITION 98, GENERAL FUND
INVESTMENTS. THE PROPOSITION 98
APPORTIONMENT, AND CATEGORICAL
FUNDING INVESTMENTS FOR THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT WERE A
PART OF THE 2024 GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING A
COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AT THE
RATE OF 0.76% IN THE AMOUNT OF
$69.1 MILLION FOR
APPORTIONMENTS, ACCOMPLISHED
THROUGH THE STUDENT CENTERED
FUNDING FORMULA. THIS ADJUSTMENT
IS IMPORTANT FOR SUSTAINING THE
SUPPORT PROVIDED TO COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DISTRICTS THAT IS
CONSISTENT WITH INCREASED COST
PRESSURES AND EDUCATION DELIVERY
. THERE IS SIMILARLY A COST OF
LIVING ADJUSTMENT, ALSO AT THE
SAME RATE OF 0.76% IN AN AMOUNT
OF $9.3 MILLION. TO SUPPORT
SELECT CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS AND
THE ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM. AND
THEN FINALLY AND TO ADJUST TO
CHANGES IN THE PROPOSITION 98
GUARANTEE WHILE CONTINUING TO
PROVIDE STABILITY TO THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM. THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET UTILIZES THE
PROPOSITION 98 RAINY DAY FUND,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM STABILIZATION
ACCOUNT, TO PROVIDE THESE
INVESTMENTS AND MITIGATE HARM TO
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS. THE
FUNDS WITHDRAWN FROM THIS
ACCOUNT WILL BE USED TO BACKFILL
THE REDUCTIONS INCURRED BY
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PROPOSITION
98 GUARANTEE IN THE CURRENT
YEAR, AS WELL AS SUPPORT THE
STUDENT CENTERED FUNDING FORMULA
FOR THE BUDGET YEAR. THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGES PORTION OF
THIS TOTAL PROPOSITION 98
WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS TO $235.9
MILLION IN THE CURRENT YEAR, AND
$486.2 MILLION IN THE BUDGET
YEAR. THAT CONCLUDES MY OVERVIEW
OF THE FISCAL PICTURE FOR THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, AND
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY
QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL MOVE
TO THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST.
THANK YOU. PAUL STEINORTH, AGAIN
WITH THE ANALYST'S OFFICE, AS
YOUR AGENDA NOTES, COMMUNITY
COLLEGES FACE A NUMBER OF COST
PRESSURES IN THE BUDGET YEAR.
INFLATION ISN'T AS HIGH AS IT'S
BEEN IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT
IT'S STILL ABOVE THE HISTORICAL
AVERAGE. AS A RESULT, DISTRICTS
WILL FACE PRESSURE TO PROVIDE
EMPLOYEES AND INCREASE IN IN
THEIR SALARIES TO KEEP UP WITH
THEIR OWN INFLATION. COLLEGES,
MEANWHILE, FACE THEIR OWN COST
PRESSURES. YOU HAVE HEALTH CARE
PREMIUMS GOING UP. YOU HAVE
COLLEGES REPORT OPERATING
EXPENSES LIKE EQUIPMENT,
SUPPLIES, YOU KNOW, GOING UP AS
WELL. AND SO WE'RE THE STATE IN
A BETTER FISCAL POSITION. OUR
OFFICE LIKELY WOULD RECOMMEND
THE LEGISLATURE PROVIDE A COST
OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AS PROPOSED
IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, AND
WHICH WILL BE UPDATED. IT MAY
REVISION AS IT IS, THOUGH, EVEN
UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S OWN REVENUE
ESTIMATES IN JANUARY, THE STATE
HAS INSUFFICIENT FUNDS TO COVER
APPORTIONMENT COSTS IN THE
BUDGET YEAR. AND THE DEPARTMENT
OF FINANCE JUST, DISCUSSED THE
PROPOSITION 98 RESERVE MONEY.
ONE TIME MONEY THAT WOULD BE
USED TO FUND THE ONGOING COST OF
A COLA, AS PROPOSED IN JANUARY,
HISTORICALLY, THE STATE HAS NOT
USED ONE TIME RESERVES TO FUND
ONGOING COSTS. IT ADDS TO THE
SIZE OF THE PROBLEM THE IN THIS
YEAR AND MAKES BALANCING THE
BUDGET AND FUNDING COLLEGES IN
THE FUTURE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.
SO WE RECOMMEND THE LEGISLATURE
REJECT THIS PROPOSAL AND REVISIT
THE ABILITY TO FUND A COST OF
LIVING ADJUSTMENT. NEXT YEAR.
DEPENDING ON THE FUNDING
SITUATION, I DID WANT TO MENTION
ANOTHER ISSUE THAT'S NOT IN THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, BUT IT HAS AN
IMPACT ON APPORTIONMENTS AND
WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON
APPORTIONMENTS. IF LEFT
UNCHANGED, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
APPORTIONMENT FUND FORMULA, THE
SQF STUDENT-CENTERED FUNDING
FORMULA CONTAINS A NUMBER OF
COMPONENTS, SUCH AS STUDENT
ENROLLMENT OR STUDENT OUTCOMES,
OR COUNTS OF LOW INCOME
STUDENTS. THE STATE GENERALLY
SPECIFIES WHICH YEAR THESE
COUNTS MUST BE REPORTED AND BY
THE COLLEGES FOR PURPOSES OF THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE. LAKES. MISS
FINCH TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH
FUNDING THE COLLEGES ARE TO GET
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
REGULATIONS. THOUGH IT'S NOT IN
LAW, IT'S IN REGULATIONS DOES
CONTAIN A LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWS
COLLEGES TO REPORT TWO SUMMERS
WORTH OF ENROLLMENT IN THE SAME
FISCAL YEAR. SO IT'S CALLED THE
SUMMER SHIFT. AND ORDINARY. ONLY
DOING SO BY THE COLLEGES DOESN'T
RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT BUMP IN
FUNDING FOR THEM. BUT DUE TO A
NUMBER OF FUNDING PROTECTIONS
THAT ARE IN PLACE, FROM THE
PANDEMIC AND OTHER FUNDING
PROTECTIONS THAT THE FORMULA
HAS, DISTRICTS DO HAVE A STRONG
FINANCIAL INCENTIVE TO REPORT
TWO SUMMERS WORTH OF ENROLLMENT
IN EITHER 2324 OR 2425, AND BY
DOING SO, THEY'LL GET MORE
FUNDING GENERATED BY THE FORMULA
THAN THEY WOULD OTHERWISE, EVEN
THOUGH IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO
ACTUAL WORKLOAD INCREASES, IT'S
JUST REPORTING TWO SUMMERS WORTH
OF ENROLLMENT IN THE SAME YEAR.
SO THESE ARE NOT COSTS THAT ARE
ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET. AND THE COST FOR THE
FORMULA. SO GIVEN THE STATE'S
PROJECTED BUDGET DEFICITS, WE
THINK THIS IS A PARTICULARLY BAD
TIME TO BE RAISING ON THE
FORMULA COSTS AND POTENTIALLY
REDISTRICT MUTED LIMITED FUNDS
TO DISTRICTS THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THIS LOOPHOLE, ALLOWING
COLLEGES TO COUNT TWO SUMMERS
WORTH OF ENROLLMENT IN THE SAME
YEAR ALSO DISTORTS ENROLLMENT,
MAKES LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT MORE
DIFFICULT. YOU MIGHT LOOK AT
ENROLLMENT FROM YEAR TO YEAR AND
SEE IT, GO DOWN, BUT IT MIGHT
JUST BE BECAUSE THE DISTRICT
DECIDED TO REPORT TWO SUMMERS
WORTH OF ENROLLMENT IN THE FIRST
YEAR, NOT IN THE SECOND YEAR.
AND THEN THEY CAN SHIFT BACK AND
FORTH. IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR
THE LEGISLATURE TO OVERSEE
ENROLLMENT. SO WE RECOMMEND THE
LEGISLATURE CLOSE THE SUMMER
LOOPHOLE AS PART OF ITS JUNE
2024 BUDGET TO SPECIFY IN
STATUTE THAT SUMMER ENROLLMENT
IS REPORTED ONLY ONCE IN THE
FISCAL YEAR AND NOT DOUBLING UP
ANYMORE. IT WOULD MEAN THAT
SUMMER 2024 ENROLLMENT WOULD BE
COUNTED ONLY FOR 20 2425, AND
THIS WOULD ALIGN SUMMER
ENROLLMENT WITH OTHER COMPONENTS
OF THE FORMULA AND ILLUMINATE
AND ELIMINATE A LOOPHOLE THAT
OTHERWISE WOULD DRIVE UP FORMULA
COSTS. APPORTIONMENT COSTS OVER
THE NEXT FEW YEARS. SO HAPPY TO
TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THEN
WE'LL MOVE TO THE CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE. THANK YOU. FROM THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE, I, I'M JUST
GOING TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF
QUICK UPDATES. WE'RE VERY, VERY
APPRECIATIVE OF GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET AND THE STABILITY
PROVIDED IN IT, ALTHOUGH THE
0.76% COLA IS SMALL, I THINK OF
IT AS A DIET COLA. WE JUST SAW
THE YOU KNOW, THE NEW STATUTORY
FIGURE IS 1.07. SO THAT SOUNDS
EVEN A LITTLE BIT BETTER. AND IF
WE HAVE A WE KNOW SOMETIMES
DIETS CAN BE ZERO. SOMETIMES I'M
NOT SUGGESTING IT. JUST JUST BE
CAREFUL ABOUT YOUR ANALOGY DIET
COLA. SO WE DO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND IT WOULD COME IN VERY, VERY
HANDY BECAUSE YOU KNOW AS AS WAS
MENTIONED, OUR DISTRICTS, OUR
COLLEGES, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ALL
FACING THE SAME COST PRESSURES,
INFLATION, COST PRESSURES ACROSS
THE STATE. IN FACT, IN 2022, 23,
OUR STATEWIDE AVERAGE OF SALARY
AND WAGE OPERATING EXPENDITURES
WAS CLOSE TO 88. SO THAT LEAVES
ONLY ABOUT 12% LEFT AT COLLEGES
TO COVER OTHER OPERATIONAL COST
INCREASES, INCLUDING THOSE
RAPIDLY RISING UTILITIES,
BUILDING MAINTENANCE UPGRADES
AND SOME ESSENTIAL STUDENT
SERVICES. IN THE LAST YEAR OR
LAST, SEVERAL YEARS, BECAUSE
WE'VE HAD SUCH LARGE COLAS,
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF LOCAL
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS
REFLECT ONGOING SALARY AND WAGE
INCREASES THAT ARE GOING TO
REALLY BE PLACING COST PRESSURES
ON ON THE DISTRICTS. THAT'S
GOING TO REALLY WORSEN IF THEIR
FUNDING IS TO DECLINE. SO RIGHT
NOW, OUR DISTRICTS ARE ALL
REALLY CAREFULLY PLANNING THEIR
MULTIYEAR PROJECTIONS AND
GEARING UP TO WEATHER ANY
POTENTIAL FUNDING DEFERRALS THAT
IS, HAVE OCCURRED AT OTHER TIMES
OF STATE REVENUE SHORTFALLS.
THEY'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT
THIS CAREFULLY. WE'VE RUN SOME
NUMBERS. IF WE HAD THE
GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED 0.76, SET 6%
COLA NEXT YEAR, 26 DISTRICTS
WOULD SEE A DECLINE IN THEIR
TOTAL COMPUTATIONAL REVENUE, IF
WE KEEP ALL OF THEIR OTHER
METRICS, A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS
FLAT, RIGHT. AND WITH A 0% COLA,
THAT NUMBER INCREASES BY EIGHT,
AND WE'D SEE 34 DISTRICTS WITH A
DECLINE. NOW, AGAIN, THAT'S
BASED ON A LOT OF ESTIMATES. YOU
KNOW, THAT WILL BE WE'RE WE'RE
WORKING WITH EVERY DISTRICT
RIGHT NOW TO FINE TUNE WHAT
THEIR ESTIMATES ARE, WHERE WE
THINK LOCAL REVENUE WILL COME IN
TO REALLY FINE TUNE THAT. BUT
THEN I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS THE
SUMMER SHIFT ISSUE. THE SUMMER
SHIFT IS A FINANCIAL TOOL THAT'S
BEEN AVAILABLE TO DISTRICTS FOR
DECADES, IT PREDATES THE STUDENT
CENTERED FUNDING FORMULA. AND BY
OUR ESTIMATES, IT'S ACTUALLY
REALLY HAS A REALLY MINIMAL
IMPACT, MAYBE 4 OR 5% OF TOTAL
FTES IN ANY GIVEN YEAR. MY
ANECDOTAL CONVERSATIONS WITH
CBO'S, THE CHIEF BUSINESS
OFFICIALS OF THE SYSTEM, ARE
THAT THEY'RE REALLY NOT USING IT
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE STUDENT
CENTERED FUNDING FORMULA HAS
ALREADY BUILT INTO IT THREE YEAR
AVERAGES FOR ENROLLMENT. SO
TRYING TO SHIFT INTO ANY ONE
YEAR, IT ALMOST DOESN'T MATTER
BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING WE'RE
LOOKING AT A THREE YEAR AVERAGE
FIGURE WHEN WE DO THE
CALCULATION. SO IT'S NOT THAT
NOBODY IS USING IT ANYMORE. BUT
I DO THINK IT'S NOT I DON'T
THINK IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE
TYPE OF IMPACT THAT THE
LEGISLATURE LEGISLATOR ANALYST'S
OFFICE THINKS IT WOULD. I ALSO
WANT TO SAY THAT IF WE ARE GOING
TO MAKE CHANGES, WE REALLY
SHOULD DO THEM. YOU KNOW, WITH
MULTIPLE YEARS DO PROJECTIONS,
YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT BE SOMETHING
THAT DISTRICTS CAN PLAN FOR SO
THEY HAVE CERTAINTY AND NOT JUST
TAKE SOMETHING AWAY THAT THEY
WERE ALREADY KIND OF PLANNING TO
BE USING. YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'VE
ALREADY BUILT THEIR BUDGETS
AROUND FOR NEXT YEAR. THEN LET
ME ASK A QUICK FOLLOW UP. IF IT
HAS A NEGLIGIBLE IMPACT, WHAT'S
THE PROBLEM WITH NOT DOING IT
AND ELIMINATING THE LOOPHOLE,
THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND I YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK
IT REALLY COMES BACK TO WE'D
WANT TO SIT DOWN AND MODEL IT
OUT WITH BETTER, YOU KNOW, WITH
BETTER DATA, WITH MORE
STAKEHOLDER INPUT, RIGHT NOW, I
CAN'T TELL YOU FROM THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE WHAT WHICH
DISTRICTS HAVE USED SUMMER SHIFT
AND HOW MUCH THEY'VE ACTUALLY
USED IT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE
THAT COLLECTED AS PART OF OUR
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T BECAUSE WE
DON'T HAVE THAT COMMON DATA
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM. WE'RE NOT
ALWAYS GETTING OUR INFORMATION
IN REAL TIME. SO WHEN DISTRICTS
REPORT TO US, THEY DON'T THEY
DON'T SHARE WHETHER IT WAS
SUMMER SHIFT OR NOT. SO WE WOULD
HAVE TO DO AN AD HOC SURVEY, RUN
SOME SOME MODELING, YOU KNOW, SO
MY PREDICTION OF IT BEING, A
VERY MINIMAL IMPACT IS REALLY
JUST BASED ON ANECDOTALLY, MANY.
BUT THE TROUBLE IS, AND BELIEVE
ME, I UNDERSTAND WHATEVER THE
NUMBER IS, 160 CAMPUSES OR
COLLEGES, THAT THERE'S ALWAYS
TEN THAT NEVER RETURN A SURVEY.
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. WELL,
THE NUMBER IT MAKES US CRAZY
BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO GET A
GRIP ON IT AND IF I WERE AN
ADVOCATE, I WOULD HAVE DONE WHAT
YOU JUST DONE. BECAUSE ASKING
FOR THE INFORMATION DELAYS IT
OUT OF THIS YEAR. AND WE MIGHT
WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION THIS
YEAR ABOUT DOING IT. AND SO I
THINK THAT'S THE TRYING TO
FIGURE THAT OUT, OUT WITH THE
BEST DATA THAT'S AVAILABLE WOULD
BE REALLY HELPFUL. AND I WAS
GOING TO ASK THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE IF YOU HAD ANY COMMENT
ON THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S,
SUGGEST WITH REGARD TO THE
LOOPHOLE. CHRIS FERGUSON WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, YOU
KNOW, I JUST HAD SOME HISTORICAL
CONTEXT HERE, AND THAT IS WHEN
WE DID SHIFT FROM THE PRIOR
FUNDING FORMULA TO THE STUDENT
CENTERED FUNDING FORMULA. THIS
CAME UP AS PART OF THE
DISCUSSION AND PART OF THE FINAL
AGREEMENT WAS A TACIT AGREEMENT
TO, ALLOW DISTRICTS TO CONTINUE,
HAVING ACCESS TO THIS TOOL. IT
ACTUALLY WAS PART OF THE INITIAL
PROPOSAL TO REMOVE IT, SO THERE
IS SOME HISTORICAL CONTEXT
THERE. I WOULD SAY THAT WE CAN
SEE IN THE DATA THAT WE DO HAVE
PRIOR TO THE STUDENT CENTERED
FUNDING FORMULA, IT WAS SOMEWHAT
CLEAR TO TELL WHICH DISTRICTS
WERE DOING IT, BECAUSE YOU COULD
SEE A DIP. ABOUT HALF OF THE
DISTRICTS THAT WERE DOING IT,
YOU'D SEE THEIR FTES DECLINE ONE
YEAR, AND THEN IT'D GO BACK UP
THE NEXT YEAR, AND THEN IT
DECLINE THE NEXT YEAR. AND YOU
YOU COULD SEE IT END THE OTHER
HALF, THEY WOULD GO UP, THEN
DOWN, THEN UP. SO YOU COULD SEE
THAT IN THE, THE DATA, WHAT WE
HEARD FROM DISTRICTS, THOUGH AT
THE TIME WAS IT'S REALLY ABOUT
HAVING ACCESS TO THE TOOL TO
MAXIMIZE REVENUES AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL. AND THEY TRY TO USE IT
TO, SMOOTH OUT. AT LEAST THIS IS
WHAT THEY WOULD TELL YOU. THEY
TRY TO USE IT TO SMOOTH OUT
THEIR REVENUE STREAMS FROM ONE
YEAR TO THE NEXT. SO CERTAINLY
WE WOULD AGREE THAT YOU CAN SEE
IN THE DATA THERE'S A PORTION OF
THE FUNDING FORMULA RIGHT NOW, I
BELIEVE IT'S STABILIZATION
FUNDING WHERE YOU CAN GENERALLY
ASSUME THAT THERE ARE SOME
DISTRICTS THAT ARE USING THE
SUMMER SHIFT, AND THAT IS A
COST. AND TO MISS FINCH'S POINT,
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THEN IN THE
NEXT YEAR THAT SOME OF THOSE
COSTS COME OFF THE BOOKS,
BECAUSE THE MAXIMIZATION ONLY
HAPPENS IN ONE YEAR, AND THEN
THE NEXT YEAR YOU RETURN TO
NORMAL. WHAT THIS ALL WAS
DESIGNED TO DO IS EFFECTIVELY
MIMIC DECLINING ENROLLMENT FOR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS. IT
JUST SEEMS LIKE AS SOMEBODY THAT
HASN'T BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THIS
ISSUE, THAT PEOPLE FORMULA SHOP
TO DO THEIR BEST THING, AND
THAT'S ALWAYS A PROBLEM. SO, SO
I JUST, I JUST WILK YES, I JUST
TEXTED ONE OF MY CBOS AND SHE
SAID THAT HER DISTRICT DOES IT,
AND SHE SAYS MOST DISTRICTS DO
DO IT. SO IF WE WERE TO MAKE
CHANGES, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO
BE A LOT OF DIALOG PRIOR TO
MAKING ANY CHANGES. AND
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DID
IN THE THREE YEAR SMOOTHING IN
ENROLLMENT AND OTHER STUFF,
MAYBE THERE'S A WAY THAT BECAUSE
YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE
DISADVANTAGED IN THE FIRST YEAR
BY DECISION, THEY MAKE, NOT
KNOWING THAT THE RULES WILL
CHANGE, BUT NEVERTHELESS AND THE
LAO. THANK YOU. JUST WANT TO
ADD, YOU KNOW, WE AGREE THAT
DISTRICTS ENGAGE IN MULTIYEAR
PLANNING. THEY'RE DOING PLANNING
ALL THE TIME. THEY DON'T SET OF
PLANS AROUND THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET, ALL SORTS OF SCENARIOS.
THE DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO DO
THE SAME THING. IT MAY REVISION
AND HAVE TO COME UP WITH
MULTI-YEAR PLANS BASED ON MAY
REVISIONS. SO WE JUST ENCOURAGE
LEGISLATURE AND THE
ADMINISTRATION. BEST CASE
SCENARIO WOULD BE HAVE SOMETHING
TO SIGNAL SOMETHING SOON SO THAT
DISTRICTS ARE ABLE TO PUT THIS
INTO THEIR INTO THEIR
CALCULATIONS AND IN THEIR
PLANNING. I KNOW SOME HAVE
REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICE
BECAUSE WE DID WRITE ABOUT THIS
IN JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO IN OUR
FEBRUARY BUDGET ANALYSIS. SO WE
DID HEAR FROM DISTRICTS THAT
ACTUALLY SAID, THANKS FOR THE
HEADS UP. WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO
TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE
WHEN WE BUILD OUR PLANS. BUT
HAVING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW,
SOMETHING MORE FORMAL, AS AN
INTENT OR A SIGNAL OR SOMETHING
THAT MAY REVISE, I THINK WOULD
BE EVEN MORE HELPFUL FOR, WELL,
I THINK THIS THIS CONVERSATION
HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AND YOU
ALL NEED TO TALK AND, AND SEE IF
THERE'S WAYS TO DEAL WITH SOME
OF THESE ISSUES. THEN MY OTHER
QUESTION FOR FINANCE, AND MAYBE
CHRIS SHOULD LEAVE THE
MICROPHONE THERE IS REALLY IF
YOU'RE TAKING ONE TIME RESERVES
TO DO ONGOING COSTS AND DOING IT
THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND THEY'RE
STILL PROJECTED DEFICITS IN THE
OUT YEARS, THERE'S A PIPER TO BE
PAID WHEN WE GET TO MAYBE THE
YEAR AFTER NEXT. WHY IS THAT A
CHOICE AS IT PROPOSED TO
FIGURING OUT HOW TO LIVE ON OUR
REVENUES NOW WITHOUT RESERVES,
ONE TIME MONEY PROPPING UP
ONGOING EXPENSES? YEAH, I WOULD
SAY THERE'S THREE DYNAMICS THAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW THAT
WE CAN SEE IN THE MULTI YEAR
PROJECTION. YOU KNOW, ONE IS WE
DO SEE GROWTH IN THE GUARANTEE
IN THE OUT YEARS BASED ON THE
PROJECTION THAT WE PRODUCED AT
THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, IS THAT
NECESSARILY SUFFICIENT TO FULLY
COVER WHAT WE WOULD BE USING
RESERVES FOR IN THE BUDGET YEAR,
MAYBE MAYBE NOT. IT DEPENDS ON
WHAT THE OTHER COST PRESSURES
ARE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE ALSO
HAVE, THOUGH, IN THE TOOLBOX,
BASED ON THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET,
WE HAVE ADDITIONAL RESERVES OF
ROUGHLY 3.85 BILLION THAT COULD
BE USED IN FUTURE YEARS. IN THE
EVENT THAT WE GET INTO A
SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO
DO THAT, AND THEN LASTLY, THE
LAST TOOL THAT WE STILL HAVE IN
THE TOOLBOX WOULD BE LOOKING TO
DEFERRALS. I THINK IT'S A
COMBINATION OF ALL THREE, GIVE
US A SENSE THAT WE THINK WE ARE
ARE IN A GOOD SPOT, I WOULD SAY
TO MR. STEENHUISEN'S COMMENTS,
YOU KNOW, WHEN PLANNING, THOUGH,
IN HIGHER EDUCATION, IT'S
USUALLY A YEAR OUT. IT'S NOT THE
YEAR THAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT
AWAY. SO THE COURSE SCHEDULES,
THE COURSE CATALOGS FOR 2425 ARE
ALREADY OUT, THEY'RE ALREADY
AVAILABLE. THE COURSE SECTIONS
FOR FALL ARE LIKELY DETERMINED
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL ALREADY. SO
IT'S A SOMEWHAT DISRUPTIVE TO
MOVE IMMEDIATELY IF YOU WERE.
BUT I DO AGREE THAT IF WE'RE
SEEING SOMETHING IN THE LONGER
TERM HORIZON, YOU'D WANT TO
SIGNAL MAYBE FOR NEXT YEAR THAT
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT SOMETHING.
OKAY, LEO. JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF
POINTS. FIRST, THAT THIS NEEDS
TO HAPPEN SOON BECAUSE THE BUMP
IN FUNDING THE ADDITIONAL COST
TO THE FORMULA AS A RESULT OF
THE SUMMER SHIFT IS GOING TO
HAPPEN. IF DISTRICTS CAN COUNT
SUMMER 2023 AND SUMMER 2024
ENROLLMENTS ALL IN 2324. SO KIND
OF THERE IS THERE IS A TIME IF
THE LEGISLATURE WERE JUST WAIT
ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO, IT KIND OF
MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REIN IN,
THE COSTS OF THE FORMULA. I JUST
WANTED TO MAKE ANOTHER POINT.
AND LET ME SAY THAT'S A VERY
FAIR POINT. AND IT'S I SAID,
HAVE A CONVERSATION. BUT I
REALLY MEANT HAVE A CONVERSATION
. THÀNH. AND SOON. SO, THE OTHER
FINANCE IS NODDING ITS HEAD JUST
TO JUST TO MENTION ONE OTHER
THING WITH REGARD TO
APPORTIONMENT COSTS AND JUST A
REMINDER THAT IN 2324 THERE WAS
INSUFFICIENT FUNDING UNDER THE
PROP 98 GUARANTEE TO FULLY FUND
THE APPORTIONMENT COSTS,
INCLUDING THE COST OF LIVING
ADJUSTMENT IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
AS A RESULT, THE STATE ENDED UP
USING $290 MILLION IN ONE TIME
FUNDS TO FUND THIS ONGOING
APPORTIONMENT COSTS, INCLUDING
THE COLA. AGAIN, THAT'S IN THE
CURRENT YEAR IN 2324. AND SO WE
JUST REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT
THAT. GROWING THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSING TO NOW USE 486,000,001
TIME RESERVES TO, TO FUND
APPORTIONMENTS. AND OF COURSE,
THE CONCERN I THINK WITH A LOT
OF US RIGHT NOW IS THAT WHAT
WHAT REVENUES REALLY ARE GOING
TO COME IN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE
SAY WHEN WE SEE MAY REVISION,
WHEN WE SEE OUR OFFICE'S NEW
ESTIMATE OF REVENUES AND TO THE
EXTENT THAT IT'S NOT AS KIND OF
OPTIMISTIC AS WHAT THE GOVERNOR
PROPOSED IN JANUARY, LEGISLATURE
HAS THAT MUCH BIG OF A PROBLEM
TO SOLVE. JUST JUST A COMMENT ON
THAT THEN, ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY
COLLEAGUES ON THIS ITEM? GOT IT.
GREAT. THEN WE APPRECIATE THIS.
THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD DISCUSSION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM
NUMBER THREE, ISSUE NUMBER
THREE, WHICH IS ENROLLMENT. AND
WE HAVE HAD, SIGNIFICANT
CONVERSATION ALREADY. AND IT'S
THE SAME THREE PEOPLE. AND IF
YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE OPENING
COMMENTS, BE DISCERNING ABOUT
THINGS. WE MIGHT HAVE TALKED
ABOUT ALREADY, THANK YOU, MR.
CHAIR. JUSTIN HEARST, AGAIN WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. I
WILL COVER AN INVESTMENT THAT I
HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO BEFORE, SO
HOPEFULLY THAT IS HELPFUL,
SPECIFICALLY, I'M GOING TO BE
TALKING ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT
GROWTH INVESTMENT THAT HAS BEEN
INCLUDED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S
BUDGET, SO SPECIFICALLY, THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSES A
$29.6 MILLION ONGOING
PROPOSITION 98 GENERAL FUND
INVESTMENT TO SUPPORT A 0.5%
ENROLLMENT GROWTH WITHIN THE
STUDENT CENTERED FUNDING
FORMULA, AND THAT IS FOR SYSTEM
WIDE ENROLLMENT GROWTH, THE
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET HAS
HISTORICALLY PROPOSED
INVESTMENTS FOR SUPPORT
SUPPORTING SYSTEM WIDE NORMAL
GROWTH WITHIN THE FUNDING
FORMULA FOR APPORTIONMENTS. BUT
WE VIEW THIS AS LARGELY A
TECHNICAL INVESTMENT. THERE ARE
CRUCIAL FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DISTRICTS THAT ARE
EXPERIENCING INCREASES IN
ENROLLMENT AND WITHOUT THIS
INVESTMENT, THEY WOULDN'T BE
ABLE TO GROW THEIR FULL TIME
EQUIVALENT STUDENTS. AND THAT'S
REALLY ALL I HAVE. THAT'S NEW
FOR YOU. SO HAPPY TO TAKE ANY
QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
LEO, AS YOU HEARD FROM THE
CHANCELLOR, ENROLLMENT IS
REBOUNDING AT THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGES AND MOSTLY ACTUALLY IN
CALIFORNIA, THE REST OF THE TWO
YEAR COLLEGES AND OTHER STATES
ARE ARE INCREASING ACEING THEIR
FALL 2023 ENROLLMENT WAS A BIT
HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS FALL,
BUT NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS IN
CALIFORNIA. AND ONE REASON FOR
THAT THERE WOULD BE A COUPLE
REASONS FOR THAT. ONE OF THEM
COULD VERY WELL BE THE
UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN
CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. OVER
THE PAST 18 PLUS MONTHS,
UNEMPLOYMENT IN CALIFORNIA HAS
GONE FROM 3.8% TO MORE THAN 5.
SO I THINK 5.3% RIGHT NOW, WHICH
IS AMONG THE HIGHEST IN IN THE
COUNTRY. AND HISTORICALLY, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT, DEMAND FOR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION,
THAT THAT TENDS TO COINCIDE AND
CORRELATE WITH, WITH
UNEMPLOYMENT AS INDIVIDUALS, YOU
KNOW, DECIDE TO RETRAIN AND GO
BACK TO COLLEGE DURING TOUGHER
ECONOMIC TIMES, COLLEGE IS HAVE
UNDERTAKEN A NUMBER OF
STRATEGIES, TO BRING BACK
STUDENTS, USING FUNDS FROM THE
LEGISLATURE, INCLUDING PHONE
BANKING, CALLING STUDENTS WHO
STARTED AN APPLICATION BUT
DIDN'T FINISH CALLING THEM UP
AND SAYING, WE NOTICE YOU'VE
DONE THIS. HOW COULD WE HELP?
CAN WE GET YOU, YOU KNOW, INTO
THE COLLEGE THAT SEEMS TO BE A
SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES STRATEGY.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OR
SEVERAL ISSUES AND
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE THE
LEGISLATURE REGARDING COMMUNITY
COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AS YOUR
AGENDA NOTES ON PAGE 19, THE
LEGISLATURE PROVIDED ABOUT $27
MILLION IN ENROLLMENT GROWTH
FUNDING IN 2223. THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE HAS
FINALIZED ENROLLMENT DATA FOR
THAT YEAR AND FOUND THAT THERE
WAS SOME GROWTH. BUT JUST OVER 8
MILLION OF THE 27 MILLION THAT
WAS PROVIDED WAS NOT EARNED BY
DISTRICTS. SO THAT $8 MILLION IS
AVAILABLE TO THE LEGISLATURE TO
REVERT AND USE AS AS BUDGET
SAVINGS FOR THE STATE, WHICH IS
GOOD, FROM THE STATE'S
PERSPECTIVE. ANYWAY, BASED ON
THE LATEST ESTIMATE FROM THE
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE, DISTRICTS
ARE ON TRACK AND THE CURRENT
YEAR TO EARN ALL OF THE $26
MILLION IN ENROLLMENT GROWTH
PROVIDED BY THE LEGISLATURE IN
THE IN THE 2324 BUDGET AND THEN
FOR 2425. THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET
HAS THIS PROPOSAL FOR ADDITIONAL
MONEY FOR GROWTH. ORDINARILY THE
KIND OF ENROLLMENT DATA THAT
COLLEGES ARE REPORTING WOULD
STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT PROVIDING
ENROLLMENT GROWTH WOULD BE A
REASONABLE THING TO DO AND A
REASONABLE BASE AUGMENTATION.
UNFORTUNATELY, BASED ON STATE
REVENUES, STATE REVENUE
SITUATION, THE STATE, THE BUDGET
DEFICIT, LEGISLATURE HAS TO TAKE
A VERY HARD LOOK AT THIS
PROPOSAL, YOU KNOW,
HISTORICALLY, THE STATE HAS
TRIED TO CONTAIN SPENDING, NEW
SPENDING AT A TIME OF BUDGET
DEFICITS RATHER THAN, THAN
INCREASING IT. AND SO
ULTIMATELY, THE LEGISLATURE WILL
WANT TO WEIGH THE BENEFITS OF
PROVIDING MORE ACCESS TO
INDIVIDUALS, TO COMMUNITY
COLLEGE EDUCATION, ON THE ONE
HAND, WITH THE NEED TO FIND,
GENERAL FUND SAVINGS TO ADDRESS
THE STATE'S BUDGET PROBLEM. SO
ASSUMING UPDATED REVENUE
ESTIMATES AT THE MAY REVISION
CONTINUE TO SUGGEST A
SIGNIFICANT BUDGET PROBLEM FOR
THE STATE, WE RECOMMEND THE
LEGISLATURE NOT PROVIDE ANY
GROWTH MONEY FOR THE COLLEGES
FOR THE BUDGET YEAR. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE, RENA FINCH,
CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE. I WANT TO
BE APPRECIATIVE YET AGAIN OF
THAT. THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET
INCLUDED A PROPOSAL TO FUND
GROWTH FOR OUR SYSTEM. AGAIN, AS
THE CHANCELLOR MENTIONED, WE
HAVE ENROLLMENT GROWTH IS JUST
REBOUNDING. SO WELL. AND WE
ABSOLUTELY THINK IT'S THE RIGHT
THING TO DO TO ACTUALLY FUND
COLLEGES FOR THE STUDENTS THAT
THEY'RE SERVING. AS IT STANDS
NOW, IN 23, 24, WE'VE HAD
SEVERAL DISTRICTS. WE HAVE 14
DISTRICTS THAT HAVE REPORTED
GROWTH THAT HAS EXCEEDED THEIR
FUNDING CAP FOR THEIR GROWTH
FUNDING FORMULA, RESULTING IN
ABOUT 5000 FTES OR CLOSE TO 30
MILLION, NOT BEING FUNDED. SO
THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE
BEING SERVED BY OUR BY OUR
COLLEGES, AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN
BEING FUNDED FOR THOSE FOR
SERVING THOSE STUDENTS, WE'VE
SEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH FROM FALL
22 TO FALL, FALL 2023, ABOUT AN
8% INCREASE. AND WE'RE SEEING
PRELIMINARY DATA SHOWING, AGAIN,
ANOTHER 8% INCREASE BETWEEN
SPRING OF 2022 AND 2023. AND
EVEN MORE ENCOURAGING IS THAT,
IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023, THE UPDATE
THAT WE RECEIVED, WE'VE SEEN A
DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH
ENROLLMENT GROWTH AMONG
HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED,
UNDERREPRESENTED AND
MARGINALIZED STUDENT GROUPS,
MEANING ENROLLMENT OF BLACK AND
LATINO STUDENTS, STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES, AND THOSE OVER 35
YEARS OF AGE ARE ALL GROWING AT
A HIGHER RATE THAN THE GENERAL
POPULATION. THESE ARE OUR
WORKING LEARNERS. THESE ARE THE
PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO UPSKILL
IN. THE IN THE WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT THAT WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT EARLIER, I WANT TO POINT
OUT, TOO, THAT, THE GROWTH
FIGURE, THE UNEARNED GROWTH FROM
20 2223 WHEN WE HAVE UNUSED
GROWTH DOLLARS, THE STUDENT
CENTERED FUNDING FORMULA ALLOWS
US TO APPLY THAT TO
APPORTIONMENT IN GENERAL. BUT
EVEN IN IN 2022, 23, WE'VE GOT A
LITTLE BIT MORE OF A SURPLUS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE WHOLE CFF.
WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND
LOOKING AT A LITTLE OVER 30
MILLION. THAT IS GOING TO BE
REVERTED AUTOMATICALLY FOR THAT
IN 2324. I SHARED ALREADY THAT,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE GROWTH
FUNDING WASN'T QUITE ENOUGH TO
COVER EVERYTHING. SO WE'RE A
LITTLE SHORT FOR THAT. SO WE'RE
HOPING WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SHIFT
FROM ONE YEAR AND REPURPOSE THAT
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, AND WITH
THAT, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO TAKE
ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. I JUST
HAVE ONE QUESTION AND IT'S WHEN
WE SAW THE CHART OF THE REBOUNDS
, THERE WERE A FEW AND JUST A
FEW THAT HAD SORT OF REBOUNDED
TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. ARE
THERE ANY BEST PRACTICES YOU
LEARN FROM WHAT THEY DID THAT
OTHER COLLEGES CAN LEARN FROM?
YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT, SO,
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE AND ONE OF
THE THINGS I HAVE TO POINT TO
AGAIN, IS THE TREMENDOUS
INVESTMENT THAT THE LEGISLATURE
AND THE STATE HAS GIVEN US IN
RETENTION, ENROLLMENT DOLLARS,
AND RECOVERY BLOCK GRANT FUNDS,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE DOING
EVERYTHING WE CAN THINK OF AND
MORE TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, TO, TO
BRING STUDENTS BACK AND MAKE
SURE THEY'RE BROUGHT BACK IN A
WAY WHERE THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL
AND SUCCEED, THE COVID RECOVERY
BLOCK GRANT, IT WAS USED FOR
ACTIVITIES THAT DIRECTLY SUPPORT
DIVERSE STUDENT GROUPS, SUCH AS
QUALITY INVESTING IN QUALITY
DISTANCE LEARNING, REENGAGING
STUDENTS LIKE THOSE PHONE BANKS
THAT, MR. STEINHAUSEN MENTIONED,
REMOVING BARRIERS TO ENROLLMENT,
CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BY
PROVIDING LAPTOPS AND HOTSPOTS,
CGRTS PROVIDING DIRECT EMERGENCY
GRANTS TO STUDENTS, AND
SUPPORTING BASIC NEEDS FOR
PROGRAMS SUCH AS FOOD PROGRAMS
AND HOUSING. SO WE'VE BEEN
STRATEGICALLY FOCUSING RESOURCES
TO REENGAGE THOSE INDIVIDUALS
WHO MAY HAVE BECOME DISENGAGED
OR DROPPED OUT BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC. THE RETENTION,
ENROLLMENT, OUTREACH FUNDS THAT
HAVE BEEN PROVIDED HAVE BEEN
REALLY HELPFUL, AGAIN, TO REALLY
HELP DISTRICTS AND THE STATE AS
A WHOLE ENGAGE. YOU MIGHT HAVE
SEEN OUR I CAN CAMPAIGN OR HEARD
IT ON THE RADIO. IF YOU'VE FLOWN
IN AND OUT OF ANY AIRPORT YOU'VE
PROBABLY SEEN, I CAN GO TO
COLLEGE SIGNS, YOU KNOW. SO
WE'RE REALLY WE'VE GOT THE
MESSAGE OUT THERE THAT COMMUNITY
COLLEGE IS A RESOURCE. IT'S
AVAILABLE AND WE'RE HERE TO
SUPPORT YOU, YOU KNOW, SOME
OTHER, YOU KNOW, INTERESTING
DISTRICT PRACTICES INCLUDE
PACKAGING, FINANCIAL AID WITH
ALONG WITH EMERGENCY GRANTS AND
PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT RIGHT AT
THE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL,
COVERING FORGIVING STUDENT DEBT,
COVERING TEXTBOOK COSTS,
INCREASING THE FOOD PANTRY
HOURS, PROVIDING CHILD CARE
STIPENDS. AGAIN THE LAPTOPS AND
HOTSPOT S AND THEN EMERGENCY
HOUSING VOUCHERS WHEN THEY'RE
READY. THE CALL CENTERS THAT
WERE MENTIONED, ONE, AREA THAT I
REALLY THINK IS INTERESTING IS
IMPROVING STUDENT ADVISING BY
CREATING WORK STUDY STUDENT
STUDENT NAVIGATOR PROGRAMS. SO
YOU'RE BASICALLY DOING LIKE A
BUDDY SYSTEM WHERE STUDENTS ARE
HELPING OTHER STUDENTS. LET ME
JUST SAY THIS LIST IS REALLY
HELPFUL AND I HOPE YOU'RE
SHARING IT WITH EVERYBODY IN THE
UNIVERSE. SO THAT IT'S ON OUR
WEBSITE, ACTUALLY PERFECT. AND
IN YOUR PACKETS. PERFECT. LET ME
ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THEY HAVE
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM.
SENATOR. PROBABLY MORE MORE.
FIRST OF ALL, THE I CAN CAMPAIGN
IS AWESOME. I MEANT TO TELL THAT
TO THE CHANCELLOR. I THINK IT'S
REALLY, REALLY WELL DONE. SO I'M
GOING TO COMMEND YOU ON THAT.
THE THING ABOUT SOMETIMES WE BE
PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH. SO
MY EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS ON THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS WHEN
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE GOES UP,
ENROLLMENT GOES UP AND PEOPLE
WANT TO ROLL BECAUSE THEY WANT
TO GET RETRAINED SO THEY CAN
ACTUALLY GET A JOB AND PROVIDE
FOR THEIR FAMILY AND PAY TAXES
TO US. SO UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, YOU
WERE KIND SAYING IT'S ONE OF THE
HIGHEST. IT IS THE HIGHEST OF
5.3. AND AGAIN, IT WAS JUST
TODAY. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A
TREND BUT FEDERAL RESERVE THEIR
NUMBERS CAME OUT TODAY GDP WAS
MUCH LOWER THAN EXPECTED AND
INFLATION WAS HIGHER, AND THAT'S
JUST ONE QUARTER. BUT IF THAT
WERE TO CONTINUE, I THINK WE'RE
GOING TO SEE A SWELL OF PEOPLE
WANTING TO COME IN, COME INTO
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM. SO
I THINK WE NEED TO FACTOR ALL
THOSE THINGS IN AS WELL. GREAT.
THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMENTS AND APPRECIATE THE
DISCUSSION. SO THANK YOU. AND
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE LAST
ISSUE, ISSUE NUMBER FOUR STUDENT
HOUSING. AND THERE'S A FINANCE
SWITCH OUT HERE. WITH ALEX ANAYA
VELASQUEZ. BUT OTHER THAN THAT
WE'LL STILL HAVE A PAUL AND
RENA. AND, WHENEVER YOU'RE
READY, WE'LL DEPEND, START WITH
THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. GOOD
MORNING, CHAIR AND MEMBERS. ALEX
AND I HAVE VELASQUEZ WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. I'LL BE
PROVIDING A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S
AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON CORRECTION.
YES. THANK YOU. REALLY SORRY.
ALL GOOD. I'LL BE PROVIDING A
HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE
CALIFORNIA HIGHER EDUCATION
STUDENT HOUSING GRANT PROGRAM.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE 2023
BUDGET ACT REVERTED PRIOR AND
PLANNED GENERAL FUND SUPPORT FOR
THE 16 PROJECTS AT THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE LEVEL AND INCLUDED
INTENT LANGUAGE OF PURSUING A
STATEWIDE LEASE REVENUE BOND OR
OTHER STATEWIDE FINANCING
APPROACH. AND AS YOU MAY RECALL,
THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET INCLUDED
MESSAGING THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION IS PURSUING A
STATE WIDE LEASE REVENUE BOND
FOR ALL 13 PROJECTS WHILE
INCLUDING CURRENT YEAR
INVESTMENT FOR SUPPORT OF THE
THREE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS IN
REGARDS TO THE TRAILER BILL
LANGUAGE OF THE STATEWIDE
COMMUNITY BOND PROGRAM AND ITS
TECHNICAL ASPECT. THIS IS
FORTHCOMING AT THE MAY REVISION.
THIS CONCLUDES MY REMARKS, AND
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS
AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL MOVE TO THE
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST. WE DON'T
HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS WITH THE
BASIC APPROACH OF FUNDING. THREE
PROJECTS WITH CASH AND OTHERS
WITH LEASE REVENUE BONDS. OUR
MAIN ISSUES THE LEGISLATURE IS
YET TO SEE ANY DETAILS ON THIS.
WHAT WOULD BE A NEW LEASE
REVENUE BOND PROGRAM FOR THE
STATE OF FROM TORQUAY
ADMINISTRATION? OUR
UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE
GOVERNOR AND DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING EACH
OF THE 13 PROJECTS TO ENSURE
THAT THEY ARE, IN FACT, ELIGIBLE
FOR FUNDING UNDER LEASE REVENUE
BOND PROGRAM. AND IF A PROJECT
IS NOT, THE STATE WILL NEED TO
CONSIDER A DIFFERENT, FINANCING
OPTION AS TABLE THREE OF YOUR
AGENDA NOTES. YOU KNOW, THE
PROJECTS THAT ARE IN VARIOUS
PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT. PROJECTS
THAT HAVE ALREADY, YOU KNOW,
WERE TOLD A YEAR OR TWO AGO THAT
THEY RECEIVED A GRANT, SOME ARE
SPENDING THAT GRANT MONEY NOW.
OTHERS ARE USING THEIR OWN
RESERVES TO DO SOME PLANNING AND
SOME DRAWINGS. SO, NOT
SURPRISINGLY, COLLEGES ARE ARE A
BIT ANXIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THE
PLAN IS. SO THIS IS ALL JUST TO
SAY THE LEGISLATURE AND COLLEGES
COULD BENEFIT FROM AS MUCH TIME
TO REVIEW THE PROPOSAL AND
PROPOSED PROPOSED LANGUAGE. SO
WE'D ENCOURAGE ADMINISTRATION TO
SHARE THE DETAILS AND THEIR
THEIR PROPOSALS AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A
IT'S VERY FAST BETWEEN MAY
REVISE AND ACTUALLY ENACTING A
BUDGET AS YOU KNOW THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
THE CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN
WORKING CLOSELY WITH DEPARTMENT
OF FINANCE ON STARTING TO GET
INTO THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE
STATEWIDE LEASE REVENUE BOND. OF
COURSE, WE HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE
TO SEE THE FINAL MAY REVISE
TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE ABOUT THIS
YET EITHER, SO YOU KNOW, OUR
SYSTEM DOES, YOU KNOW, HAS HAS
MANY QUESTIONS AS WELL, BUT IS
VERY APPRECIATIVE OF CONTINUED
FUNDING. OUR LONG TERM GOAL FOR
STUDENT HOUSING IS FOR OUR
SYSTEM TO HAVE A BED AVAILABLE
FOR EVERY STUDENT THAT NEEDS
AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING, YOU
KNOW, WE'RE WE HAVE FEWER NUMBER
OF BEDS PER, PER STUDENT THAN
ANY OTHER SYSTEM, BUT WE
PROBABLY HAVE THE GREATEST NEED
WITH CLOSE TO 20% OF OUR
STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOUSING
SECURITY OF SOME KIND IN ANY
GIVEN YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW, I
DON'T NEED TO REPEAT, YOU KNOW,
THE STATUS YOU'VE GOT THAT IN
YOUR IN YOUR AGENDA, THE STATUS
OF EVERY PROJECT. BUT THE
PROJECTS THAT WILL BE GOING
FORWARD ARE EXPERIENCING SOME
CHALLENGES COST INCREASES AGAIN
AS INFLATION CONTINUES WHILE
THEY WAIT TO GET STARTED, AND
THE YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS REALLY THE
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT EXACTLY HOW
THE STATEWIDE LEASE REVENUE BOND
IS GOING TO ROLL FORWARD. SO,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE AGAIN, JUST
LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE
ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. GREAT. I
THINK, THIS IS SO LAID OUT IN
THE STAFF REPORT. AND WE HAVE
HAD SUCH ANIMATED DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT IT ON THE ROAD HERE FOR
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO IS FAMILIAR
, BUT IT BASICALLY IN THE FIRST
YEAR IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THREE
YEARS AND IT WAS OVERSUBSCRIBED.
IN THE FIRST YEAR. SO IT GOT TO
3.5 BILLION, AND THAT WAS UCS2
AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES. AND
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ANALYTICAL
PUSHES TO BECAUSE OF BUDGET
SHORTFALLS. HOLD BACK ON IT. AND
I THINK THE LEGISLATURE HAS JUST
INSISTED THAT WE MOVE AHEAD,
THAT THE HOUSING CRISIS IS SO
ACUTE AND PARTICULARLY IN SOME
MARKETS. AND AS THE STAFF REPORT
REFLECTS, THERE ARE ONLY ROUGHLY
15, COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT DID
HOUSING. BUT THEY ALL TENDED TO
BE RURAL, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD
COME IN REMOTELY AND NEED A
PLACE TO STAY OVERNIGHT BECAUSE
IT WAS JUST TOO LONG TO
REGULARLY COMMUTE AND THERE WAS
EVEN ONE TIME WHEN IT WAS
SUGGESTED THAT IT BE HELD
BECAUSE COMMUNITY COLLEGES
NEEDED MORE TIME TO HAVE THE
EXPERIENCE TO DO THIS, AND IT
WAS SORT OF A CATCH 22, THEY'RE
NOT GOING TO GET THE EXPERIENCE
IF THEY DON'T GET TO MOVE AHEAD.
AND I THINK THERE WAS THE SAVIOR
OF THE BOND FINANCING. AND YET
WE STILL DON'T KNOW. AND WE NEED
TO KNOW, BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE
IS WE WANT THE PROJECTS TO
CONTINUE TO MOVE AHEAD AND WE
WANT IT TO CONTINUE TO WORK. AND
I KNOW THE UC STEPPED UP FOR THE
THREE JOINT ONES AND OFFERED THE
BOND FINANCING, AND ONE OF THEM
IS IN MY DISTRICT, AND I'M
INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH AND I
FEEL LIKE I HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY
PLAYING WHACK A MOLE EVERY TIME
I THINK I HAVE AN ISSUE DONE, A
NEW ONE POPS UP, AND WHETHER IT
WAS THE PUBLIC PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIP, WHETHER IT WAS THE
BOND FINANCING, WHETHER IT WAS
THE FACT THAT THE TRANSPORTATION
PART OF THE EIR NEEDED TO BE
REDONE, WHETHER èC THOUGHT, OH,
THIS VIOLATES OUR CONTRACTING
OUT THING, AND WE HAVE TO START
REPORTING TO AFSCME IF WE DO
THIS. AND SO THEY HAVE BUDGET
TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE TO SATISFY
THE LAST ISSUE. AND THE EIR IS
IN PROCESS. AND I THINK THAT
THEY'RE READY TO GO TO BID THE
MINUTE THEY SATISFY THOSE
THINGS. AND IT'S JUST VERY
IMPORTANT WHEN THERE'S
SUGGESTIONS THAT LET'S JUST STOP
EVERY PROJECT THAT HASN'T ISSUED
THE BOND. SOME OF THEM ARE SO
TANTALIZINGLY CLOSE AND HAVE
BEEN ATTEMPTING IN GOOD FAITH
WITH ALL THESE OBSTACLES TO MOVE
AHEAD AND DO IT. THAT THAT I
STILL WOULD SPEAK OUT STRONGLY
FOR. COULD WE JUST GET THEM DONE
AND MOVE AHEAD WHERE THERE HAVE
BEEN GRANT AWARDS? AND SO I KNOW
THERE'LL BE DISCUSSIONS AND I
KNOW THERE WILL BE OTHER
REALITIES THAT MIGHT ENTER IN,
BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN, AS A
SUBCOMMITTEE, OUR DISPOSITION TO
JUST KEEP MOVING AND GET THEM
DONE. AND, AND, AND SOME PEOPLE
HAVE STEPPED UP EVERY WAY ALONG
THE WAY. SOME PEOPLE HAVE
OCCASIONALLY HAVE TO BE PUSHED
TO STEP UP A SOME IN A GOOD
FAITH WAY, SAY, LET'S PAUSE. BUT
I JUST THINK IT'S OUR SENTIMENT
THAT WE JUST WANT TO KEEP MOVING
UNTIL WE GET THESE PROJECTS
DONE. AND ON THE REVOLVING FUND,
THAT IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA. THE
LEGISLATURE ADOPTED IT. IT'S
BEING POSTPONED IN THIS BUDGET
BECAUSE AS THE FEW AND THE GRANT
MONEY THAT JUST HADN'T GONE OUT
THE DOOR, THE SMALL PART OF THE
3.5 BILLION IS ALL OR MOSTLY IN
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SECTION.
AND SO I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO
THE TIME THAT WE CAN GET BACK TO
THE PROJECT LIST THAT'S LISTED
HERE. AND I MET WITH ONE OF
THEM. IT WAS JUST HEARTBREAKING.
THEY FINALLY ALREADY BUT THEY
JUST DIDN'T GET HERE IN TIME.
WHEN THE 3.5 MILLION WAS AT
ISSUE. SO CHAIR, SORRY I DIDN'T
LEAVE. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. AND
SO I THINK THAT IS JUST THE
OVERALL COMMENT. AND SENATOR
WILK, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON
THIS BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I WANT
TO JUST ADD BEFORE I LEAVE. OH,
OKAY. YEAH. SENATOR SKINNER, I
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE BEING ABLE
TO BE PART OF THIS DISCUSSION. I
REALLY, APPRECIATE GETTING UP TO
SPEED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, SOMETHING
I'VE BEEN VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT
FOR YEARS. AND TO GET THE DATA
THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED HAS BEEN
REALLY HELPFUL. AND THE COMMENTS
FROM DUFF AND LEO, ON THE
HOUSING FRONT, JUST ECHOING, OUR
CHAIR'S COMMENTS, WE KNOW, LOOK,
WE HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS. WE'VE
GOT AN INCREASED NUMBER OF
PEOPLE BECOMING HOMELESS. A LOT
OF STUDENTS ARE LIVING IN THEIR
CARS. IF WE CAN GET STUDENT
HOUSING, THAT HELPS US IN THAT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. WE
REALLY APPRECIATE IT. WE DO WELL
I KNOW WE DO. THAT'S GOOD. OKAY,
SENATOR, IN FACT, OUR FORMER
COLLEAGUE, I WAS ADMONISHING HIM
WHEN I WAS COMING UP BECAUSE I'M
GOING, WHY? WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
HE SAID, I'M NO LONGER ON THE
COMMITTEE, SO THIS IS A GREAT
ADDITION. SO, I JUST ECHO YOUR
COMMENTS. WE JUST NEED TO START
JUST MOVING ON. THIS STUFF. I
MEAN, WE'VE JUST DONE ALL THIS
PIECEMEAL STUFF. I REMEMBER WHEN
I WAS IN THE ASSEMBLY, WE MADE
IT SO STUDENTS COULD ACTUALLY GO
AND USE THE SHOWERS ON COMMUNITY
COLLEGE CAMPUSES. WE HAD A
PROPOSAL THAT DIDN'T GET THROUGH
TO ALLOW THEM TO PARK OVERNIGHT.
AND THE HOUSING CRISIS IS REAL.
AND I THINK OUT OF ALL THE
STUDENT POPULATION, I GOTTA
BELIEVE IT'S THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE STUDENTS THAT ARE MOST
CHALLENGED WITH HOUSING. AND WE
NEED TO PLOW THROUGH THIS AND
GET THIS DONE. DONE WELL, BUT
DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE
COMMENTS. AND I HAD SAID IN, I
THINK LAST YEAR AT THIS HEARING
THAT WHEN I, I HAVE NOT BEEN ON
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD FOR
22 YEARS, I NEVER HEARD OF
PEOPLE THAT WERE UNHOUSED. AND
WHEN I ASK AT EVERY COLLEGE IN
MY DISTRICT, THE ANSWER IS IT'S
BETWEEN 1 AND 4% UNHOUSED. AND
THERE'S JUST THIS DISTINCT LEVEL
OF HOUSING INSECURITY THAT IS
SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE IT, BECAUSE
I ALWAYS THOUGHT WITH THE
COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
THEY WERE ALL COMMUNITY BASED
FAMILY FRIENDS, A WAY THAT THEY
DEALT WITH. THAT'S JUST NOT THE
CASE ANYMORE. SO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR COMMENTS AND THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING IN THIS HEARING,
THAT COMPLETES THE FOR ISSUES
THAT WE WERE GOING TO HEAR. LET
ME TAKE AN INFORMAL POLL, HOW
MANY PEOPLE WISH TO ADDRESS US
IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT ARE
SITTING HERE, 12345678 IS WHAT
I9I SEE. SO SHE WAS IN THE
DOORWAY. I, I REGISTERED HER
HAND BEING UP, SO WE ARE SORT OF
PAST OUR ADJOURNMENT TIME, SO
LET'S DO, IF ALL OF YOU WOULD
COME TO THE PODIUM AND TRY TO
LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO ONE
MINUTE, AND THEN WE WILL ALLOW
YOU TO REVISE AND EXTEND YOUR
COMMENTS. SO WELCOME TO THE
COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. CHAIR
TIFFANY, ON BEHALF OF CFTA UNION
OF EDUCATORS AND CLASSIFIED
PROFESSIONALS, I'LL QUICKLY SAY
THAT, OF THE UNSPENT FUNDS IN
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BUDGET,
WE'RE, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT
THE PART TIME OFFICE HOURS AND
WHETHER WE CAN INCREASE
ENROLLMENT IN THAT SINCE FACULTY
CONTACT WITH STUDENTS IS SO
CRITICAL TO THEIR SUCCESS RIGHT
NOW IS REIMBURSED AT 50. WE'RE
PROPOSING 100, GIVEN THAT THERE
WAS $90 MILLION PROVIDED IN 2021
THAT WASN'T SPENT TO THE EXTENT
ALL 98 IS FROZEN, WE'LL LOOK AT
THAT. BUT AS OF YOU KNOW,
LOOKING AT THE FINANCE LETTER
YESTERDAY, I COULDN'T FIGURE IT
OUT. SO THE SECOND FULL TIME
FACULTY COMPENSATION FUND WE ARE
HOPING THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO
ENSURE THAT THE MONEY THAT WE
HAVE, WE SPENT 450 MILLION
BETWEEN 2018 AND 2021 THAT WE
HAVE THAT FUNDING ACTUALLY SHOW
PROGRESS FOR 75% OF THE FACULTY
BEING FULL TIME. RIGHT NOW,
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DISTRICTS
WHO HAVE DECREASED DESPITE OUR
ALLOCATION OF FUNDS. SO WE'RE
LOOKING AT THAT. SO THANK YOU SO
MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE
COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. CHAIR.
AUSTIN WEBSTER WITH W
STRATEGIES. I'LL TRY AND BE
BRIEF SO THAT THE TWO OF YOU CAN
GET OUT OF HERE, ON BEHALF OF
THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES EXTENDED OPPORTUNITY
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
ASSOCIATION, WE WANT TO URGE THE
LEGISLATURE TO ADOPT A COLA, AS
SENATOR WILK MENTIONED,
INFLATION IS STILL RELATIVELY
HIGH. HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, AND
COLAS HELP US ADJUST THOSE
INCREASED COSTS THROUGHOUT THE
STATE. AND THEN ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
ASSOCIATION FOR OCCUPATIONAL
EDUCATION, WHICH REPRESENTS ALL
OF THE WORKFORCE EDUCATORS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE, WE WOULD
LIKE YOU ALL TO REJECT THE LAO'S
PROPOSAL TO ESSENTIALLY REVERT
SOME OF THE FUNDING RELATED WITH
STRONG WORKFORCE FUNDING. WE'RE
WORKING WITH THE CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE TO ACCURATELY IDENTIFY
HOW MUCH MONEY IS ACTUALLY BEING
SPENT AT ALL THE REGIONS. IT IS
NOWHERE NEAR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY
THEY THINK IT IS. AND SO WE AND
IF YOU COULD WRAP UP AND WRAP UP
BY TELLING US WHAT YOUR NAME IS,
AUSTIN WEBSTER WITH W PERFECT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND
WE'RE SORRY THAT THESE ARE
BRIEF. WELCOME. HI ANNA MATHEWS
WITH THE FACULTY ASSOCIATION OF
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES,
TALKING ABOUT ENROLLMENT,
THERE'S A REALLY NEED TO A NEED
TO SUPPORT THE STUDENTS THAT WE
HAVE AND CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS,
REALLY BRIDGE A LOT OF THOSE
GAPS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES,
PARTICULARLY FOR OUR
MARGINALIZED STUDENTS, A LOT OF
THESE CATEGORICAL PROGRAMS,
UNFORTUNATELY, DID NOT GET A
COLA THIS YEAR, IF WE COULD BE
ABLE TO GET THEM A COLA, THAT
WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
APPRECIATE, ACTUALLY HAVING AN
OPEN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE
STUDENT CENTERED FUNDING
FORMULA. AND YOU KNOW, WE
BELIEVE THAT ANY FUNCTIONAL
FUNDING FORMULA SHOULD NOT HAVE
CLEAR WINNERS AND LOSERS. SO I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO KEEP WORKING
TOGETHER TO TRY AND BRIDGE THE
INEQUITIES THERE. AND THANK YOU
FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL
HAVE BEEN DOING WITH COMMUNITY
COLLEGE STUDENT HOUSING. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMENTS. WELCOME. THANK YOU.
CHAIR AND MEMBER MARK MCDONALD,
ON BEHALF OF LOS ANGELES, SAN
DIEGO, ANTELOPE VALLEY AND A
NUMBER OF OTHER LOCAL COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DISTRICTS ON THE COLA, I
WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO ADOPT A
COLA BECAUSE UNLIKE K-12
COMMUNITY COLLEGES DON'T HAVE A
DEFICIT FACTOR AND MAY NEVER GET
THAT COLA BACK. SO IT'S A
PERMANENTLY LOST PURCHASING
POWER THAT WE HAVE ON THE SUMMER
SHIFT. I WILL AGREE WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE THAT THE
LAO PROPOSAL IS SUMMER OF 2024.
THAT IS THIS SUMMER. THAT DOES
NOT GIVE DISTRICTS ANY TIME TO
ADJUST AND MAKE PLANNING. SO WE
WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU'RE
GOING TO DO THAT, HAVE A LONG
TERM CONVERSATION, MAYBE DO IT
NEXT YEAR IF THAT'S WHAT YOU
WANT TO DO. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR SITTING
OUT THE HEARING. I WANT TO PLAY
POKER WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU COULD
NEVER HIDE YOUR FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS DURING THE HEARING.
WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON, DOCTOR
CRYSTAL NASIO. I AM FROM THE
INLAND EMPIRE. I'M THE REGIONAL
CHAIR THERE. AND, SENATOR WILKES
AREAS IN MY REGION. SO I JUST
WANTED TO ADDRESS ACTUALLY
SOMETHING SENATOR SKINNER SAID.
SO COULD YOU PLEASE TELL HER
WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, ALL OF
OUR REGIONAL CENTERS. SO ALL
EIGHT CENTERS HAVE A VERY ACTIVE
ROLE IN EMPLOYMENT OF OUR
STUDENTS. EACH ONE OF US HAVE
REGIONAL PEOPLE THAT GO OUT AND
ASSIST. BUT EVERY COLLEGE HAS AN
EMPLOYMENT ENGAGEMENT PERSON AND
A JOB DEVELOPER THAT'S LOOKING
AT THAT. IN ADDITION, IN
ADDITION TO INDUSTRY PROGRAM
ADVISORY COMMITTEES THAT HAVE
OUR EMPLOYERS AT THE SEAT TO
TELL US WHAT THEY NEED, SO THE
LAST THING ABOUT THAT IS THAT
THERE WAS A THERE WAS A COMMENT
ABOUT COMPLETION RATES AND
THINGS LIKE THAT. CPL OR CREDIT
FOR PRIOR LEARNING WILL BE VERY
MOTIVATING TO STUDENTS FROM
THEIR INDUSTRIES TO COME TO OUR
CAMPUS, GET CREDIT FOR WHAT WHAT
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE DONE IN THEIR
LIFE EXPERIENCE AND NOT HAVE TO
WASTE THEIR TIME, THE LAST THING
IS CONTRACT EDUCATION. IT IS A
BIG, BIG COMPONENT OF WHAT WE
DO. WE ALLOW EMPLOYERS TO COME
TO US, ASK US WHAT THEIR
TRAINING NEEDS ARE, AND WE
FULFILL THEM. SO THE SYSTEM
INFRASTRUCTURE IS ALREADY IN
PLAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
WELCOME TO THE COMMITTEE. HI.
GOOD AFTERNOON. REBECCA.
COLLEEN, ON BEHALF OF THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACILITY
COALITION, APPRECIATE YOU
MENTIONING THE STATE SCHOOL
BOND. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
CCFC SUPPORTS AB 247, WHICH IS
THE K $1,414 BILLION BOND. OUR
NORTH STAR IS REALLY A VIABLE
BOND THAT VOTERS WILL PASS. SO
THAT'S OUR REASONING. A SECOND
ON STUDENT HOUSING. WE SUPPORT
THE HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT
HOUSING GRANT PROGRAM. WE ARE
NEUTRAL ON THE REVOLVING LOAN
PROGRAM. REASON BEING THAT THE
GRANT PROGRAM IS GOING TO REALLY
DRIVE THAT DEEP, AFFORDABLE K¾T
WE URGE YOU TO FOCUS ON
SUCCESSFULLY GETTING THOSE 19
PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED PROJECTS
ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. WE VERY
MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP,
ESPECIALLY SENATOR LAIRD, YOUR
LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE. BUT
THE DETAILS MATTER. SO WE URGE
YOU TO DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO
GET THE DETAILS ON THE LEASE
REVENUE BOND LANGUAGE AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THAT COULD
MAKE OR BREAK SOME OF THESE
PROJECTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
WELCOME TO THE COMMITTEE. GOOD
AFTERNOON. SABRINA MEANS, ON
BEHALF OF CERRITOS COLLEGE,
REQUESTING THAT THE COMMITTEE
CONTINUE ITS HARD WORK AND
COMMITMENT TO FULLY FUND THE
STUDENT HOUSING PROJECTS THAT
WERE APPROVED LAST YEAR. ALSO,
ON BEHALF OF ALLAN HANCOCK,
CUESTA AND SANTA BARBARA
COLLEGES, REQUESTING THE
SUBCOMMITTEE MAINTAIN THE 60
MILLION PROPOSAL TO ENHANCE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE NURSING
PROGRAMS. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE
THAT. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR
AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, MALIK
BYNUM WITH UAW, AFSCME LOCAL
3930, REPRESENTING OVER 171.
HOME CARE 171,000 HOME CARE AND
CHILD CARE PROVIDERS ACROSS THE
STATE, RARE APPEARANCE FOR US IN
SUB ONE, BUT WANTED TO UPLIFT
THE JOINT PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE
WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES TEAM
THAT YOU HEARD HERE GRACIOUSLY
CHAMPIONED BY SENATOR BECKER TO
FUND THE ONGOING PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN US AND THE CHANCELLOR'S
OFFICE. THIS PARTNERSHIP IS
DEDICATED TO ENHANCING SECONDARY
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR
OUR PROVIDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
WITH THE FOCUS OF UPLIFTING
UNDERREPRESENTED ADULT LEARNERS.
WHILE THE FIRST YEAR OF THIS
PROGRAM IS ALREADY FUNDED AND
UNDERWAY, OUR REQUEST IS FOR $5
MILLION OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS
TO FULLY REALIZE THIS
PARTNERSHIP AND TO CONTINUE
EMPOWERING THESE CARE WORKERS
WITH THAT, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK
FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS
THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE
BUDGET PROCESS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMENTS ARE WELCOME. THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR LAIRD MOLLY
MAGUIRE WITH THE CAMPAIGN FOR
COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY. WE WANT TO
TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
CELEBRATE THE INCREASES IN
ENROLLMENT SEEN AT THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGES. AND REGARDING THE LÀ
RECOMMENDATION TO REVERT
UNALLOCATED AND UNSPENT FUNDS,
WE WOULD JUST ASK THAT THOSE
DECISIONS BE INFORMED BY THE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
MONITORING PROGRESS ON THOSE
PREVIOUS INVESTMENTS, AND WE
COULD PROVIDE CONTEXT AS TO
POSSIBLE CUTS OR REVERSIONS AS
THEY'RE CONTEMPLATED. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE
YOUR COMMENTS. GOOD AFTERNOON.
KYLE HIÂU WITH THE ASSOCIATION
OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ADMINISTRATORS. WHILE NOT ON THE
AGENDA TODAY, WE WANT TO EXPRESS
OUR SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSITION 98 MANEUVER, WHICH
WOULD SHIELD STUDENTS AND STAFF
FROM DEVASTATING BUDGET CUTS. WE
BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP
K-14 DISTRICTS WHOLE DURING THIS
DIFFICULT AND UNKNOWN BUDGET
TIME. WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ECHO
THE COMMENTS OF PREVIOUS
SPEAKERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
APPLYING A COLA TO THE STUDENT
CENTERED FUNDING FORMULA AND THE
CORRESPONDING CATEGORICAL
PROGRAMS TO COMBAT INFLATION.
AND FINALLY, WE WANT TO EXPRESS
OUR SUPPORT FOR THE $60 MILLION
IN THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL FOR
NURSING PROGRAMS. THIS IS VITAL
TO COMBAT THE STATE'S NURSING
SHORTAGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
YOU'RE WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON,
ANDREW MARTINEZ COMMUNITY
COLLEGE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA,
WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION
FOR THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET. I
RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE TOUGH
DECISIONS TO MAKE, BUT WE ARE
APPRECIATIVE OF THE COLA AS WE
BUILD BACK OUR ENROLLMENT. THOSE
DOLLARS ARE REALLY CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT FOR US. AND ECHOING
WHAT KYLE JUST SHARED AS WELL,
WE ARE ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF THE
NURSING AS WELL. AND I
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT
THE WORST OF BEST DECISIONS ON
THE MANEUVER. SO THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THANK YOU. WELCOME GOOD
AFTERNOON. SORRY GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIR LAIRD AND SENATOR WILK,
THANK YOU FOR HANGING AROUND
THIS LONG, I'LL TRY AND BE
BRIEF, DAVID NEVIN, ON BEHALF OF
THE PASADENA, EL CAMINO AND
SANTA MONICA COLLEGES, OUR
COLLEGES ARE IN THE MIDST OF
THAT VERY TAIL END OF THE
ENROLLMENT RECOVERY RIGHT OUT OF
THE PANDEMIC, HOWEVER, AS AS THE
HOLD HARMLESS PROVISION IS ABOUT
TO ESSENTIALLY JUST DROP OFF,
WE'RE LOOKING FOR JUST A VERY,
VERY SLIGHT AMOUNT OF REPRIEVE
SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CUT ANY
COURSE AVAILABILITY OR STAFF,
ESPECIALLY THE FULL TIME STAFF,
RIGHT BEFORE WE HIT THAT
PRE-PANDEMIC LEVEL OF ENROLLMENT
RECOVERY, SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING
FOR A TINY LITTLE BIT OF
ADDITIONAL ROOM, AND THEN CHAIR
LAIRD, SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD
TOUCHED ON EARLIER TODAY IN THE
HEARING ON THE BACCALAUREATE
ISSUE, THERE'S STILL A COUPLE OF
PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN A BIT OF A
QUOTE UNQUOTE HOLDING PATTERN
FROM LAST YEAR. WE HAVEN'T
GOTTEN ANY ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION, AT THIS POINT,
WE'RE WE'RE NOT TRYING TO
EXPEDITE ANY PROCESSES. WE
REALLY JUST NEED SOME
INFORMATION FROM THE CSU SYSTEM.
SO THAT WE KNOW HOW TO PIVOT OR
IF WE NEED TO SCRAP. AND RESTART
INTO A NEW APPLICATION FOR THIS
CURRENT CYCLE. SO APPRECIATE
YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
AND I KNOW THAT THE AMOUNT OF
TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WAS
REALLY BRIEF. AND LET ME REMIND
EVERYONE, YOU CAN WRITE US WITH
WRITTEN COMMENTS, OR YOU CAN GO
TO THE SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE'S
WEBSITE AND ENGAGE THERE IF YOU
WISH TO ADD. OR SOMEBODY'S
WATCHING AND DIDN'T GET TO MAKE
COMMENTS AT ALL, WE WOULD LOVE
TO HEAR. AND WE'RE GETTING NEAR
THE CRUNCH TIME. LET ME THANK
EVERYBODY THAT STUCK IT OUT. LET
ME PARTICULARLY THANK SENATOR
WILK, WHO WAS HERE FIRST. AND,
WE THE SENATE BUDGET, BUDGET
SUBCOMMITTEE, ONE ON EDUCATION
STANDS ADJOURNED
.
NOW IT IS ONE.