REFORM IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE GOVERNANCE: THE CALIFORNIA STORY

California's community colleges have been under fire since 1982 when calls for reform were initiated by a new governor and other state officials. Falling transfer rates, institutional financial exigencies causing some districts to require legislative bailouts, faculty unrest, curricular concerns and matriculation woes led to the formation of a Commission for the Review of the Master Plan for Education. The Commission studied the community college system intensively with resulting recommendations forming the framework for an omnibus reform bill introduced in the legislature. Assembly Bill 1725 contains legislation pertaining to mission, governance, funding, personnel practices, curriculum and instruction, and local district governance and operations. Its far‐reaching aspects were surveyed among local trustees, district chief executive officers, and campus presidents to ascertain the level of congruence of opinion regarding the critical elements of the legislation.