Transcript Highlights:

• But we need to make some progress on this.
• to align our academic programs to those workforce needs.
• Our academic alignment has progressed with care and intention.
• Our academic alignment has progressed with care and intention.
• of Solano campus faculty into the Cal Poly Academic Senate.

Summary: The joint Assembly Higher Education and Budget Subcommittee hearing focused on the future of the California State University system, with opening remarks emphasizing CSU’s major role in California’s economy, workforce, and degree production. Chairs and members said the hearing was intended to inform 2026 budget decisions and to examine three main issues: declining enrollment at some campuses, cost controls and possible consolidation, and oversight of recent state investments at campuses such as Humboldt and Sonoma. The meeting was briefly delayed by microphone and sound problems before reconvening. The first panel featured CSU Academic Senate Chair Dr. Elizabeth Boyd and Cal State Student Association Vice President Katie Karam. Boyd urged the Legislature to protect academic freedom, strengthen faculty governance, provide stable ongoing funding, end unfunded mandates, support student food and housing security, fund flexible course schedules, improve transfer systems such as ASSIST, avoid over-centralizing academic programs, protect immigrant students, and expand intersegmental collaboration. Karam said students are feeling the effects of budget shortfalls through fewer course sections, reduced advising and services, longer time to degree, and tuition pressure, and she called for transparency, meaningful student involvement in budget decisions, and sustained state investment rather than cuts that harm the student experience. The second panel covered enrollment management and included CSU Chancellor’s Office and campus administrators from Chico State, Cal State L.A., and San Diego State. Dr. Delcy Perez said CSU Forward and the new systemwide enrollment plan are aimed at expanding access, aligning programs with workforce needs, and increasing resident enrollment; she reported systemwide enrollment gains and strong application numbers, including a direct-admissions pilot that expanded from Riverside to more campuses. Campus representatives described local recruitment and retention strategies, including early outreach to high school students, community college partnerships, guaranteed admission programs, and expanded advising and student support. San Diego State highlighted record enrollment and high demand, while Cal State L.A. described efforts to recover from impaction and rebuild enrollment. Members pressed CSU officials on the accuracy of enrollment data, the gap between funded targets and actual enrollment, and the system’s reallocation formula. CSU staff explained that campuses below target will see a 5% ongoing reallocation beginning in 2026-27, with one-time reserve funding also being directed to campuses that can grow, and that fiscal health reviews have been completed for 21 of 22 campuses. Legislators also asked about turnaround plans required by the budget act; CSU said those plans are being developed and will be shared in the spring after campus consultation. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• additional wraparound services. and academic interventions such as a new summer academic bridge program
• And we are making progress, we've heard.
• and career preparation and progression.
• persistence, progression, and completion.
• They can't progress. If they can't progress, they get frustrated.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the alignment of each required academic the alignment of each required academic standard<00:26:00.880
• communities as related to the academic communities as related to the academic standards<00:26:18.000
• <00:32:25.279> health final version of the academic health final version of the academic health
• I know that in other areas of academic I know that in other areas of academic standards<01:06:46.880
• also implement this in other academic also implement this in other academic standards.<01:07:24.240

Bills: HF3489, HF3550

Keywords: grooming, child protection, student safety, sexual exploitation, educator licensing, teacher discipline, mandatory reporting, mandated reporter training, school misconduct, predatory offender, child abuse, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, position of authority, school employee, school administrator, license revocation, license suspension

Transcript Highlights:

• And we, over the last decade, have made significant progress.
• We don't want to backtrack the progress we have made.
• I'm pleased to serve as the provost, or chief academic officer, of the UC system.
• The university has ...particularly at our academic medical centers.
• Secondly, the Academic Senate also is important.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance held an extended hearing focused primarily on University of California budget issues, enrollment, housing, and Title IX. Chair David Alvarez opened by noting the governor’s proposed 8% ongoing General Fund reduction to UC, the deferral of compact funding, and the College of the Law budget item, while emphasizing that no votes would be taken that day. Public commenters, including UC Davis employees and lecturers, urged restoration of UC funding and opposed the hiring freeze, saying cuts would worsen staffing shortages, reduce research capacity, and harm students and patients. On UC core operations, the Department of Finance said the governor’s budget maintains the compact but defers $240.8 million in ongoing support and continues a planned 7.95% reduction, while the LAO recommended rejecting the deferrals and instead making any changes in the budget year. UC San Diego’s chancellor and UC Office of the President argued the cuts and deferrals would create major campus shortfalls, force hiring freezes, larger class sizes, fewer course offerings, delayed projects, and possible layoffs. Committee members questioned whether cuts could be shifted away from students and toward administration, discussed UCOP reserves and bond debt, and noted that UC’s budget structure makes the campus-level impact larger than the headline reduction. The committee also reviewed enrollment trends and nonresident replacement. The LAO said UC resident enrollment has grown and recommended revisiting 2026-27 targets and pausing the nonresident replacement plan if state funding does not improve. UC said it has exceeded California undergraduate enrollment and nonresident replacement goals, but warned that continued growth without funding would force enrollment reductions and harm quality. Members discussed the role of nonresident and international students, tuition rates, and the value of UC as a pathway for California students and a source of talent for the state. A separate housing item covered the state’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. UC reported that recent bond savings could support additional affordable beds at UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara, but the LAO and Finance noted the Legislature would need to decide how to use the $6.2 million in savings from the original projects. The committee also heard a Title IX update from UC’s systemwide civil rights office, which described campus Title IX structures, training, and policy enforcement, and said the system has been working to improve confidentiality guidance and streamline complaint processes after survey feedback showed confusion and lengthy procedures.

Transcript Highlights:

• Awardees are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress to identical standards of the Texas
• We have nine academic... make institutions that offer an extensive range of academic programs and educational
• We've made more progress in graduation rates.
• Diane Chase, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• One is to expand, is expanding our academic excellence scholarship.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Pritchard Committee for Academic The Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence<00:25:28.159
• <00:38:31.760> courses title lower division academic courses title lower division academic
• That slow their progress.
• outcomes demonstrate meaningful progress outcomes demonstrate meaningful progress and<01:13:01.760
• student needs, evolving academic student needs, evolving academic programs,<01:14:21.600> and

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Postsecondary Education opened its first meeting with roll call, member introductions, and introductions of numerous interns from Kentucky colleges and universities. The chair reviewed committee rules for the 2026 session, including witness oaths, sign-up procedures, limits on testimony, and the deadline for submitting committee substitutes and amendments. The committee then took up House Bill 96, sponsored by Chair Tipton, which would revise the membership and timing of the performance-based funding work group. Tipton said the bill would expand legislative participation from one House and one Senate member to five from each chamber, keep university and KCTCS presidents on the group, make the CPE president a nonvoting chair, and change the work group’s schedule from a fiscal year to a calendar year. He argued the changes would build institutional knowledge, allow university leaders to meet without creating quorum/open-meeting issues, and help the group develop recommendations for the next General Assembly. Members raised concerns about politicization and the even-numbered membership, while Tipton said he wanted consensus rather than a tied vote. The committee approved HB 96 on a roll call vote, with most members voting yes and Representative Willner voting no but saying she might change her vote later on the House floor. The committee also heard House Bill 94 for discussion only, so no vote was taken. Representative Vanessa Gracel and CPE counsel Travis Pal described the bill as a transfer-pathways measure aimed at making two-year-to-four-year and four-year-to-four-year transfers more seamless in high-demand programs. They said the proposal would require CPE, public universities, and KCTCS to collaborate on statewide transfer pathways based on student and workforce demand, with institutions able to opt in or out of specific pathways but required to disclose nontransferable courses for transparency. Gracel argued the bill would reduce credit loss, lower time and cost to degree, improve completion rates, and help students and families understand transfer options; she also criticized some universities for not engaging in the process. No action was taken on HB 94 at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we'll be hearing not only about the current state of students academic progress but also the current
• they were targeted specifically at academic recovery.
• and the blue part is the effect that was spent on academic recovery efforts.
• scores than the money not spent on academic efforts, but we can't say that the money not spent on academic
• We've made significant progress in overcoming the pandemic-related learning loss.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your time. students can track their own progress students can track their own progress
• information regarding academic information regarding academic standards,<00:52:56.640> social
• , and um progress on ethnic studies.
• Our academic standards.
• alignment of each required academic alignment of each required academic standard<00:54:37.680>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Will they be able to continue their academic journey?
• Will they be able to afford that academic journey?
• And thank you for everything you're doing the CSU Academic Senate.
• They should be focused on academics and schoolwork.
• This put her well-being and academic success at grave risk.

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee held an oversight hearing on how federal actions are affecting California higher education, with opening remarks from the chair and members emphasizing the importance of state-federal shared governance and the need to protect access, affordability, and campus diversity. The first panel included leaders from the CSU, University of the Pacific, California Community Colleges, and UC, who described broad impacts from federal grant terminations, changes to student aid, loan limits, visa and immigration policy, and proposed reductions to research support. Testimony focused on the elimination of Grad PLUS loans, caps on Parent PLUS and Pell-related changes, the loss or suspension of hundreds of grants, and the resulting harm to student support services, research, workforce pipelines, food assistance, and health care training. UC and CSU representatives warned of major losses in research funding, indirect cost reimbursement, and student opportunities, while community college leaders highlighted uncertainty around federal grants and the need to maintain services for low-income, first-generation, undocumented, and other vulnerable students. Committee members asked how the state could respond, including through intersegmental partnerships, dual enrollment, transfer pathways, and support for basic needs and nutrition programs. Witnesses said California could help by sustaining financial aid, protecting minority-serving institution programs, and investing in research, housing, and workforce development. Several speakers stressed that federal changes were creating instability for students and campuses, and that the effects would likely be long-lasting, especially in health care, teaching, STEM, and social work pipelines. A second panel then focused on equitable access. The California Student Aid Commission described state efforts such as the $3.9 billion investment in aid programs, the Cal Grant system, the Dream Act, and possible reforms to better serve adult learners, foster youth, undocumented students, and students with dependents. The Los Angeles Community College District reported that federal cuts and policy shifts are discouraging students from applying for aid, threatening TRIO and MSI/HSI-funded services, and reducing support for basic needs, counseling, and workforce programs. The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and the CSU Academic Senate echoed concerns about FAFSA confusion, international student restrictions, grant losses, and the erosion of equity-focused programs. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and discussed possible state responses.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this graph demonstrates New Mexico has been making progress in this area.
• English learner progress.
• Increasing their reading proficiency, and they do progress monitoring as well.
• It frustrates me when we see great progress that requires people.
• They can progress monitor.

Transcript Highlights:

• The academic standards are regularly reviewed by the state superintendent's Academic Standards Review
• Academic assessments, such as the Forward Exam, need to be updated when academic standards Academic assessments
• for that progress.
• But That were convened to statewide academic benchmarks.
• The Office of Superintendent... ...of progress is measured.

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a bright spot in our progress towards our goals.
• Uh, awardees are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress to identical standards of the Texas
• We have 9 academic institutions that offer an extensive range of academic programs and educational opportunities
• Where we've made more progress is in graduation rates.
• Many vital academic programs are sustained through non-formula support.

Transcript Highlights:

• , the average total academic cost that students pay.
• This alignment provides a fully integrated academic medical setting.
• Our enrollment in academic programs at UT Tyler continues to grow.
• The UT Health Science Center at Tyler is the only academic medical center in Northeast Texas.
• This initiative allows us to increase the number of high-quality clinical academic programs.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the last decade, we have made significant progress.
• We don't want to backtrack the progress we have made.
• I'm pleased to serve as the Provost or Chief Academic Officer of the UC System.
• If we start today, by next academic year, we will be ready to unveil this.
• So the idea of the academic village is to integrate having UCSF learners on our campus.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• some are called academic standards. some are called academic standards.
• <00:28:51.760> And<00:28:51.919> academic term academic standards.
• And academic term academic standards.
• >> Academic<01:53:29.920> standards. >> Academic standards.
• >> Academic standards. >> Academic<01:53:30.639> standards.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Legislative Oversight Committee met to review statewide education improvement and assessment issues under RSA 193-C:8-a, with the chair focusing on curriculum frameworks, academic standards, and resource elements tied to the state’s adequate education statutes. The chair walked through the statutory relationship between minimum standards for public school approval, academic standards, and local control of curriculum, noting that New Hampshire law requires curriculum frameworks to guide what students should know and be able to do while leaving districts flexibility in instruction. He also raised concerns that some subject areas appear to have current frameworks or standards while others do not, and suggested the committee may need to consider an amendment creating a curriculum frameworks and academic standards coordinator at the Department of Education. Nate Green, director of the Division of Education Analytics and Resources, explained that the terms “academic standards” and “curriculum frameworks” have evolved over time and are often used interchangeably, but can mean different things depending on the subject area. He said the state’s more prescriptive standards largely developed after No Child Left Behind, especially in math, ELA, and science, while older or less-tested subjects such as arts, physical education, and health often retained looser framework-style documents. Green outlined one possible approach of standardizing terminology, but also said New Hampshire could instead define curriculum frameworks separately as a combination of standards, curriculum, and instructional approaches. He emphasized that state standards must support statewide consistency and assessment, while local districts retain control over how they teach. Committee members discussed how these distinctions affect different grade levels and subjects, using examples from math and science to show that minimum standards are broad while academic standards are more specific and grade-level based. Green described how science standards are organized by physical science, life science, and earth/space science across grade bands, while math standards are more directly tied to individual grades. No votes were taken and no formal action was reported during this portion of the meeting; the discussion remained informational and exploratory as members considered whether statutory language or departmental organization should be updated.

Transcript Highlights:

• We only know this because the criterion allows us to measure progress year over year.
• This structure provides context on school performance. programming beyond core academic progress, like
• It's an extraordinary measure of progress.
• And SB 8 continues to make progress to strengthen that system.
• It is the largest academic turnaround in the history of the United States.

Bills: SB8, SB 8

Keywords: education, accountability, public school assessment, state law, transparency, intervention, performance ratings, sex designation, restroom access, civil penalties, private civil right of action, women's privacy, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a work in progress.
• For students who need... academics logistically impossible.
• There has been important progress, but there is so much more left to do.
• There has been important progress, but there is so much more left to do.
• We are, and we're making significant progress with them.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to separate teacher every academic year.
• The Suns are released based on project progress.
• Our academic progress numbers were terrible outside of our flight Chips, University of Florida and FSU
• There are highest-performing academic institutions there.
• And then I think the most important thing we do is academic excellence, our academic progress rates.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a to and fro of academic ideas, and you must get used to it.'
• It's a loss for academic freedom and intellectual vitality.
• I come from an academic background.
• That's not allowed by academic freedom. And I'd be willing to... ...an encampment.
• That's not allowed by academic freedom.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Anti-Semitism met for its 11th meeting and approved the minutes from its August 7 meeting. Co-chairs said the commission had recently completed preliminary K-12 recommendations and would continue work on higher education, with additional topics such as workplace issues, the medical sector, and the arts to be addressed before the November 30 reporting deadline. They also said another public comment meeting would be held this fall. The first testimony came from Dr. Mark Posnansky of Harvard Medical School, who described anti-Semitism affecting STEM, research, and higher education. He said Jewish and Israeli students and faculty reported ostracism, gaslighting, intimidation, discrimination, and hiding Jewish identity, and he urged clear leadership statements, mandatory anti-Semitism education, and stronger reporting and discipline procedures. Commissioners asked about Harvard training, spillover into teaching hospitals, and whether anti-Semitic climates were causing students to leave; he said some students had turned down opportunities because of the environment and that concerns also affected healthcare settings. Lindsey Gabbo, a Harvard Law student and mother, testified that campus discourse after October 7 had made Jewish and Zionist students feel isolated and unwelcome, with protests, defaced hostage posters, and a student council BDS vote contributing to the climate. She said Harvard had sent some emails acknowledging anti-Semitism but that she had not seen meaningful steps to restore dialogue, and she argued the school needed more structured venues for conversation. Commissioners also asked about campus security, the effect on students’ mental health, and the impact of chants and protests that she said many Jewish students understood as calls to violence. A panel of concerned Jewish faculty and staff then offered contrasting views. Professor Jeremy Menchick argued the commission should use data carefully, include non-Zionist Jews in its analysis, and avoid reinforcing divisions within the Jewish community. Professor Hilary Lustick described restorative-practice approaches and said structured dialogue could address conflict without immediate punishment. Professor Jonathan Feingold warned that anti-Semitism was being weaponized by the Trump administration and right-wing groups to attack universities and DEI, and he urged the commission not to adopt approaches that could be used to undermine civil rights institutions. Commissioners pushed back on claims that the problem was being exaggerated or reduced to a “problem” rather than a “crisis,” and the discussion ended with continued debate over data, context, and how to balance anti-Semitism concerns with broader civil-rights protections.

Transcript Highlights:

• They only measure academic education glaring omission from the current criteria.
• We're in the most educated and the most progressive state.
• The second reason to ban it is that corporal punishment lowers academic achievement.
• So he was allowed to progress at his own pace. He was thriving, engaged in challenging work.
• They aren't using that exact innovation-type school, that continuous progress model.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with much of the testimony focused on school discipline and student equity. Bills discussed included measures to address inequities in suspension and expulsion, clarify school exclusion rules, reduce discipline for dress and grooming violations, and expand protections related to fair educational practices. Committee members repeatedly reminded witnesses of the two-minute limit and asked for written testimony to supplement oral remarks. A substantial portion of the hearing centered on the RAISE Act and related school discipline bills, including H. 730/S. 376 and H. 731/S. 380. Testifiers from advocacy groups, legal services, and the legislature argued that exclusionary discipline disproportionately affects Black and Latino students, students with disabilities, low-income students, and DCF-involved youth. They said current law is overly broad or unclear in areas such as “assault on educational staff,” indefinite suspensions tied to felony complaints, and definitions of weapons, leading to unnecessary removals from school. Supporters said the bills would add due process, clearer definitions, and better accountability, while one legislator testified in support of the discipline reforms and opposed several other bills on the agenda. The committee also heard testimony on H. 576/S. 368, which would prohibit suspensions and expulsions for dress and grooming violations and require clearer, non-discriminatory dress code policies. Witnesses cited research and personal stories about disproportionate enforcement against Black girls, girls of color, non-binary students, and students wearing religious attire, and said the bill would prevent physical contact used to enforce dress codes. Another major topic was H. 641/S. 349, which would add “special medical status” protections in education; supporters said it would prevent exclusion based on medical decisions or conditions, though members questioned how it would interact with existing disability law and vaccination-related school requirements. The committee also heard testimony on H. 625, which would extend the ban on corporal punishment from public to private schools, with witnesses citing research on harm and disproportionate impact. Additional testimony covered bills on accelerated learning and gifted education, with parents, educators, and advocates saying Massachusetts under-identifies advanced learners and lacks adequate acceleration pathways. A senator also testified for S. 406 on recovery high schools, saying the funding formula should be updated to better support students in recovery. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair closed testimony on several bill groups and noted that written testimony would remain open for a week.