AB 506: California State University: graduation requirement: ethnic studies.

Existing law establishes the California State University and its various campuses under the administration of the Board of Trustees of the California State University. Existing law requires the California State University to provide for courses in ethnic studies at each of its campuses. Existing law, commencing with students graduating in the 202425 academic year, requires the California State University to require, as an undergraduate graduation requirement, the completion of, at minimum, one 3-unit course in ethnic studies.

This bill would require the California State University to collaborate with the Academic Senate of the California State University, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, the California Community Colleges Ethnic Studies Faculty Council, and the California State University Council on Ethnic Studies to ensure the development of a process, on or before December 31, 2024, for eligible community college ethnic studies courses to meet the requirements of a California State University ethnic studies course provided pursuant to these provisions for students who transfer to the California State University from California Community Colleges. The bill would require the California State University Council on Ethnic Studies to make the final decision on whether a community college course satisfies the California State University requirements for ethnic studies. The bill would provide that a community college course which that has been approved for the California State University ethnic studies requirements as of December 1, 2023, no longer satisfies those requirements on and after August 1, 2025, unless the course is approved under the process developed pursuant to this bill. bill, except that the bill, notwithstanding that provision, would prohibit requiring students who have successfully completed an approved community college ethnic studies course before August 1, 2025, from taking another course to meet the California State University requirements for ethnic studies.