Calif. community colleges balk at growth caps on bachelor’s degrees

California community colleges are opposing two new bills (SB 960 and AB 2694) that would allow expanding bachelor’s degree programs with strict caps and accountability metrics starting in 2028. The legislation would let districts add 2–12 degrees depending on completion rates, cap any district to three new degrees per year, require a workforce-need justification, and rely on the labor secretary to resolve duplication disputes with Cal State; a CSU ruling against a college could trigger a five-year ban on similar proposals. Existing degrees are grandfathered, and duplication with UC remains limited. Some college leaders applaud the clarity, while others call the amendments last-minute and overly complex, but the bills passed and now go to the governor.