(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The California Master Plan and supporting statutes place utmost importance on the effective transfer of community college students to the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) as a means of providing access to the baccalaureate degree.

(2) In 2002, CSU enrolled 55,000 transfer students from community colleges.

(3) Two out of three students who earn CSU baccalaureate degrees begin in a community college.

(4) Effective use of state and student time and resources would be maximized by students accruing fewer unrequired units in earning their degrees.

(5) Additional access to community colleges and CSU will be created by higher graduation rates and fewer nonessential units taken.

(6) The state budget situation makes it urgent to streamline the path of the transfer student to the baccalaureate degree.

(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to ensure that community college students who wish to earn the baccalaureate degree at CSU are provided with a clear and effective path to this degree.

(c) This section shall not be construed to limit in any way the ability of students to gain admission through alternative paths to transfer, such as the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements.

(d) On or before February 1, 2005, the Chancellor of CSU shall establish transfer student admissions requirements that give highest priority to transfer students who are qualified in accordance with subdivision (f) and paragraph (3) of subdivision (g).

(e) (1) CSU campuses admitting students qualified in accordance with subdivision (f) and paragraph (3) of subdivision (g) will make it possible for these students to complete their baccalaureate degree in the minimum number of remaining units required for that degree major.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, the “minimum number of remaining units” is the minimum number of units required for a degree major after subtracting the number of fully degree-transferable units earned at the community college.

(f) The Chancellor of CSU, in consultation with the Academic Senate of CSU, shall establish the following components necessary for a clear degree path for transfer students:

(1) On or before June 1, 2005, the Chancellor of CSU, in consultation with the Academic Senate of CSU and with the faculty responsible for each high-demand baccalaureate degree major program, shall specify for each high-demand baccalaureate program major a systemwide lower division transfer curriculum composed of at least 45 semester course units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, that will be common across all CSU campuses offering specific major programs.

(2) (A) The systemwide lower division transfer curriculum for each high-demand baccalaureate degree major program shall be composed of at least 45 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, and shall include all of the following:

(i) General education courses.

(ii) Any other lower division courses required for graduation.

(iii) Lower division components of the student’s declared major.

(iv) Elective units, as appropriate.

(B) The coursework described in subparagraph (A) shall be designated by the CSU faculty responsible for the student’s major degree program.

(3) The systemwide lower division transfer curriculum shall be specified in sufficient manner and detail so that existing and future community college lower division courses may be articulated, according to the usual procedures, to the corresponding CSU courses or course descriptions.

(g) (1) On or before June 1, 2006, the Chancellor of CSU and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges, shall articulate those lower division, baccalaureate-level courses at each campus of the California Community Colleges that meet for each degree major the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (f).

(2) To the extent that the goals of efficiency and urgency are advanced, existing articulation procedures such as the California Articulation Number (CAN) program shall be employed.

(3) On or before June 1, 2006, each CSU campus shall have identified any additional specific, nonelective course requirements beyond the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements for each major, up to a maximum of 60 semester units or the quarter-unit equivalent, for the systemwide and campus-specific requirements combined. To the extent these additional course requirements are identified, each CSU campus shall provide that information to all community colleges.

(4) The Chancellor of CSU shall amend CSU’s transfer admissions procedures to encourage prospective community college transfer students to identify and, to the extent possible, commit to, a specific CSU transfer destination campus before earning more than 45 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, of lower division, baccalaureate-level courses, as described in subdivision (f).

(h) As allowed by enrollment demand and available space, each CSU campus shall develop a transfer admission agreement with each student who intends to meet the requirements of this section, including the declaration of a major and identification of a choice of a destination campus, before earning more than 45 systemwide semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent. The transfer admission agreement shall guarantee admission to the campus and major identified in that agreement and transfer of all 60 semester units, or the quarter-unit equivalent, as creditable to the baccalaureate degree, subject to the student’s meeting the following conditions:

(1) Completion of the 60 semester units of college-level coursework, or the quarter-unit equivalent, specified for the student’s major degree program.

(2) Declaration of a major.

(3) Satisfactory completion of the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum requirements for the student’s declared major.

(4) Satisfactory completion of any requirements beyond the systemwide lower division transfer curriculum that are specified by the CSU destination campus.

(5) Any impaction criteria for that campus or major.

(i) A CSU campus shall guarantee that the transfer students admitted under this section will be able to complete the baccalaureate degree in the minimum number of course units required for that degree.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 22, Sec. 52. Effective January 1, 2006.)