Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the following steps shall be taken to address the imminent risk that Compton Community College’s accreditation will be terminated by the regional accrediting body recognized by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges:
(a)
The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges is authorized to oversee all actions at the Compton Community College District related to the loss of the college’s accreditation and efforts described in this article to address that situation. The Compton Community College District shall reimburse the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges for any expenses incurred by the chancellor or his or her staff in carrying out this oversight responsibility.
(b)
The Compton Community College District shall complete the provision of instruction for all classes for which it intends to claim apportionment prior to the date of its loss of accreditation.
(c)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Compton Community College District shall continue to be eligible to receive state funding as provided in this article even if its accreditation is terminated.
(d)
(1)The Compton Community College District shall identify a partner district that will agree to provide accredited instructional programs to students residing in the Compton Community College District. The special trustee assigned to the Compton Community College District pursuant to Section 71093 and the partner district are authorized to enter into one or more agreements to provide instructional services or other services, and to make any other necessary preparations to implement the educational programs described in this article, as well as any related necessary administrative or support services, in a timely manner so as to ensure that services to Compton Community College students will not be interrupted and that those students will remain eligible for federal financial assistance. The agreement or agreements shall provide that the partner district is entitled to receive a reasonable administrative fee to be fixed by the mutual agreement of the parties.
(2)
The partner district shall be a district in good standing with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), and shall have successfully completed the accreditation cycle and secured accreditation for its colleges. A district with a college that is on warning, probation, or show-cause status with the ACCJC, or that is being monitored for fiscal stability by the chancellor’s office is not considered a district in good standing for the purposes of this article.
(e)
The partner district may offer any programs or courses for which it has secured applicable approvals. In addition, any programs and courses that were previously approved by the board of governors to be offered by the Compton Community College District may continue to be offered by the partner district in the territory of the Compton Community College District without additional state approval until June 30, 2011.
(f)
No later than 30 days after Compton Community College’s loss of accreditation, the board of governors shall approve the facilities of Compton Community College as an off-campus educational center of the partner district. The center shall be known as the Compton Community Educational Center. The board of governors shall give notice of its approval to the county committee and county superintendent having jurisdiction over any territory affected by the action.
(g)
The board of governors may permanently or temporarily waive any of its regulatory requirements necessary to effectuate this article, including, but not necessarily limited to, its regulations regarding educational centers.
(h)
The partner district is eligible to provide instruction at the center without the recommendation of the California Postsecondary Education Commission under Section 66904 until the district secures the commission’s recommendation for the facility to operate as an off-campus educational center or until June 30, 2011, whichever occurs first.
(i)
The partner district shall comply with all federal requirements to ensure that students taking classes offered by the partner district at the Compton Community Educational Center remain eligible for federal financial assistance.
(j)
Students enrolled in the Compton Community College District as of January 31, 2006, shall be subject to the following conditions:
(1)
The partner district shall ensure that any student who, by the end of the Spring 2006 term, has completed at least 75 percent of the courses required for the degree or certificate he or she is pursuing will be able to complete that program. Every reasonable effort shall be made to allow other students who have begun work toward a certificate or degree, but who have not completed 75 percent of the required coursework, to continue and complete their programs.
(2)
Students enrolling in classes provided by the partner district pursuant to this section shall be considered students of the partner district, shall receive credit from the partner district for classes they successfully complete, shall receive certificates or degrees they earn from the partner district, and shall receive financial aid through the partner district if they meet all applicable eligibility requirements.
(3)
The partner district shall maintain student records related to the attendance of students in classes it offers pursuant to this section in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws.
(4)
The partner district shall consider each student who enrolls for classes no later than the Spring 2007 term to be a continuing student for purposes of enrollment priorities.
(5)
Any regulations of the board of governors relating to minimum residence at the college granting a degree shall not be applicable.
(k)
The board of governors shall adopt any regulations necessary to implement this article. These regulations may be adopted as emergency regulations that may remain in effect for up to one year from the date of adoption, and shall not be subject to paragraph (5) or (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 70901.5 or to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(l)
(1)The partner district shall provide the services described in this article for a minimum of five years from the date those services commence pursuant to subdivision (d), and shall thereafter provide the services for any additional period determined necessary by the board of governors. In addition, the board of governors may require, in its sole discretion, that the services described herein be modified or terminated at an earlier date based on the best interests of the California Community Colleges system and its students.
(2)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), either the partner district or the special trustee appointed pursuant to Section 71093 may initiate termination of the agreements described in subdivision (d) by giving 180 days’ written notice to the other party and to the board of governors. No termination pursuant to this subdivision may take effect until the end of the semester following the notice provided under this paragraph, so as to protect students from a mid-term interruption of educational services. Should the partner district provide notice of a desire to terminate any agreements at a time when the trustee determines that services provided under those agreements are still necessary to serve the interests of Compton students and residents or at a time when the Compton Community College District is not fully accredited and bonds issued pursuant to Section 41329.52 are outstanding, the partner district shall continue the services until it can secure a district to provide uninterrupted comparable services to the satisfaction of the special trustee.
(m)
(1)The Compton Community College District shall continue to be responsible for ensuring that all of its permanent records are retained and stored as required by state law and that all records related to its administration of programs under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act are retained for a minimum of three years after the conclusion of its participation in those programs.
(2)
The Compton Community College District shall be responsible for institutional actions related to the loss of accreditation, including actions that are required under Section 688.26 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, related to the ending of the participation of the Compton Community College District in programs under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act, refunding any students’ unearned tuition and fees, refunding to the federal government any unexpended federal student financial aid funds, returning to lenders any loan proceeds not distributed to students, or the collection of outstanding student debts to the Compton Community College District.
(n)
In addition to addressing the ongoing educational needs of the students of the Compton Community College District, the partner district and the special trustee appointed pursuant to Section 71093 shall take steps aimed at achieving the goal of seeking renewed accreditation for Compton Community College at the earliest feasible date. Progress toward achieving this goal shall be periodically reported to the board of governors.
(o)
No person, firm or organization shall, without the permission of the Compton Community College District, use the name “Compton Community College,” or any name of which these words are a part, or any abbreviation thereof.