Section 66749.9 - University of California Associate Degree for Transfer Pilot Program(a) This section shall be known, and may be cited, as the University of California Associate Degree for Transfer Pilot Program.(b)(1) The University of California, Los Angeles shall do both of the following: (A) By the 2026-27 academic year, declare at least eight majors at the University of California, Los Angeles as similar to the transfer model curricula from select community colleges chosen by the University of California, Los Angeles and prioritize admission of a student who earns an associate degree for transfer and meets the requirements of one of the transfer model curricula.(B)(i) By the 2028-29 academic year, declare at least 12 majors, with at least 4 of those 12 majors in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, at the University of California, Los Angeles as similar to the transfer model curricula from select community colleges chosen by the University of California, Los Angeles and prioritize admission of a student who earns an associate degree for transfer and meets the requirements of one of the transfer model curricula.(ii) The University of California, Los Angeles shall make every effort to ensure that the transfer model curricula declared similar to the STEM majors do not require the completion of more than 60 semester units and if one or more of the transfer model curricula do not meet this limit, the University of California, Los Angeles shall provide a written justification to the Legislature detailing what attempts were made to adhere to the limit and demonstrate how the transfer model curricula can be completed in no more than 66 semester units or the equivalent of two additional courses above 60 semester units.(2) By the 2028-29 academic year, the University of California shall designate at least five campuses of the University of California to declare at least 12 majors at the applicable campus as similar to the transfer model curricula from select community colleges chosen by that campus, except that the 12 major minimum shall not apply to the University of California, Merced if designated, and prioritize admission of a student who earns an associate degree for transfer and meets the requirements of one of the transfer model curricula.(c) The applicable campus of the University of California shall determine the appropriate admissions preference for a student who earns an associate degree for transfer and meets the requirements of one of the transfer model curricula described in subdivision (b).(d) For a student who earns an associate degree for transfer and meets the requirements of one of the transfer model curricula described in subdivision (b), in addition to other University of California admission requirements, but is not granted admission to the applicable campus of the University of California, that campus shall redirect the student to other campuses of the University of California and the student shall be offered admission to at least one other campus of the University of California.(e)(1) By February 1, 2027, the Legislative Analyst's Office shall review the pilot program and submit an interim report to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the respective education finance budget subcommittees of the Assembly and the Senate on the pilot program that includes relevant information on admissions and redirection outcomes.(2) By June 1, 2030, the Legislative Analyst's Office shall review the pilot program and submit a final report on the pilot program to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the respective education finance budget subcommittees of the Assembly and the Senate. The Legislative Analyst's Office shall make the final report publicly available and the Regents of the University of California shall consider and discuss the final report during an open session of a regularly scheduled meeting of the regents. The final report shall include additional information on admissions, redirection, student demographics, and student completion outcomes, and recommendations on whether and how the pilot program can or should be extended or expanded. The recommendations shall take into consideration relevant information, including, but not limited to, all of the following: (A) Factors such as negative impacts on student diversity or the freshman to transfer student ratio, as determined by the University of California.(B) The pilot program's impact on streamlining transfer pathways for community college students.(C) Best practices from other similar programs, such as the University of California, Merced Transfer Project.(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that, by the 2031-32 academic year, each undergraduate campus of the University of California will declare at least 12 majors, and evaluate the possibility of declaring at least 16 majors, at the respective campus as similar to the transfer model curricula from select community colleges chosen by the campus and prioritize admission of a student who earns an associate degree for transfer and meets the requirements of one of the transfer model curricula. However, these 12 and 16 major minimums do not apply to University of California, Merced.Added by Stats 2023 ch 683 (AB 1291),s 1, eff. 1/1/2024.