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A set of bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday aims to rein in the topsy-turvy expansion of bachelor’s degrees at California community colleges.
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But the bills themselves caused new friction: In a last-minute shift, the community colleges that were championing these bills came out to formally oppose them after the lawmakers substantially revised the measures a day before a key constitutional deadline.
The two laws — Senate Bill 960 by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a Democrat from Napa, and Assembly Bill 2694 by David Alvarez — allow college districts to have anywhere from two to 12 new bachelor’s degrees a year starting in 2028. The bills bake in accountability metrics: Districts with higher graduation and transfer rates will be permitted to add more degrees. The new caps do not apply to existing bachelor’s degrees at college districts.
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