The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) was the

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

planning and coordinating agency of the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It closed in 2011.

History

The 1960

California Master Plan for Higher Education The California Master Plan for Higher Education of 1960 was developed by a survey team appointed by the Regents of the University of California and the California State Board of Education during the administration of Governor Pat Brown. UC President ...

recognized that critical to the success of the California's tripartite system of public higher education was a central body responsible for coordination and planning for higher education. The California Postsecondary Education Commission was established in 1974 as the State planning and coordinating body for higher education. The Commission serves a unique role in integrating policy, fiscal, and programmatic analyses about California's entire system of

postsecondary education Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

; "to assure the effective utilization of public postsecondary education resources, thereby eliminating waste and unnecessary duplication, and to promote diversity, innovation, and responsiveness to student and societal needs through planning and coordination."

Closure

The California Postsecondary Education Commission's entire General Fund allocation ($1,927,000) for 2011-12 was eliminated by Governor Brown in a line item veto upon signing the State Budget on June 30, 2011. In his veto message the Governor said the Commission was "ineffective".

Composition

The Commission consisted of 16 members, nine of whom represent the general public, five who represent the major systems of California education (the

California Community Colleges The California Community Colleges is a postsecondary education system in the U.S. state of California.California Education CodSection 70900(added to the Education Code by Chapter 973 of the California Statutes of 1988Assembly Bill No. 1725 sectio ...

, the

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...

, the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...

, the independent colleges and universities, and the State Board of Education), and two student representatives. The Commission appointed its executive director who coordinates the agency's staff to carry out the day-to-day work of the Commission. Its external affairs staff interacted on a daily basis with legislators and their staff, administrative offices, governmental officials, and media representatives. Its research staff prepares analyses, briefs, and numerous reports approved and published by the Commission. They also engaged in various continuing activities such as reviewing proposed academic programs, new campuses or centers, conducting data analysis of student flow, and responding to requests of the Legislature and Governor.

Purpose

While there are many tasks and responsibilities which the Commission and its staff fulfill, the primary statutory purposes of the California Postsecondary Education Commission are: * Develop an ongoing statewide plan for the operation of an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, innovative and coordinated system of postsecondary education; * Identify and recommend policies to meet the educational, research and public service needs of the State of California; and * Advise the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and

Legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

on policy and budget priorities that best preserve broad access to high quality postsecondary education opportunities. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Commission reflects a deep commitment to serving the State as a whole, consistent with the underlying philosophy of California's Master Plan for Higher Education. The Commission is committed to an educational environment that exemplifies equality and educational opportunity, as well as a focus on student and institutional achievement and accountability.

Responsibilities

Among the duties and responsibilities of the Commission were the following: * Provide independent, comprehensive, and timely information about student enrollment, educational outcomes and other educational policy issues; * Conduct long-range planning of the needs for new college or university campuses in light of projected enrollment demand; * Review proposals from public colleges and universities for new degree programs; * Serve as the State's primary information clearinghouse for postsecondary education; * Evaluate budget requests of State-supported colleges and universities; * Develop policy recommendations regarding financial aid programs for California students; * Seek strategies for greater efficiency and cost containment in postsecondary education; * Administer federal programs that improve teacher training by facilitating collaboration between K-12 and higher education faculties; * Recommend to the Legislature and the Governor legislation the Commission deems necessary or appropriate to improve postsecondary education in California; * Encourage greater cooperation and collaboration between and among California educational systems.

References