September 29, 2014

Contact:  Paige Marlatt Dorr

Office:  916.327.5356

Cell:  916.601.8005

Office email:  pdorr@cccco.edu

California Community Colleges to Award Bachelor’s Degrees

Under Historic Legislation Signed by Gov. Brown

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In an historic first for public higher education in the state, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation yesterday that allows California community colleges to award bachelor’s degrees in fields not currently served by the California State University（CSU）or University of California（UC）. 

The legislation, authored by Sen. Marty Block（D-San Diego）, directs the California Community Colleges system to establish a pilot baccalaureate degree program in 15 college districts by no later than the 2017-18 academic year. 

The state Chancellor’s Office, in consultation with UC and CSU, will decide which districts are chosen to host programs, subject to California Community Colleges Board of Governors approval.  Districts will be selected according to their ability and interest in establishing rigorous undergrad programs that confer degrees in high demand among regional employers.  Achieving a geographical balance of districts to maximize student enrollment will be another factor. 

“Thanks to the governor, Legislature, and college educators who supported this bill, like Chancellor Constance Carroll of San Diego, the country’s largest system of higher education joins the ranks of community colleges in other states that offer four-year degrees,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice W. Harris.  “Employers in California seek candidates with advanced credentials and many struggle to fill positions in some of the fields that will be covered under the new program.  This law will help us to meet California’s workforce needs, does not duplicate CSU or UC degree programs, and gives more Californians access to affordable higher education that can enable them to obtain well-paying jobs.”

The new four-year degree programs could be offered in vocational occupations where an Associate of Arts degree had been acceptable in the past for employment but now increasingly require a bachelor’s degree to be competitive.  These fields and occupations can include dental hygiene, industrial technology, allied health technology, emergency medical technicians, and data management for health care. 

Under the new law, community colleges would charge only $84 more per unit for upper-division baccalaureate coursework than they currently charge for lower-division courses.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office will conduct an interim evaluation of the bachelor’s degree program in 2018, and a final evaluation by July 2022.  The pilot program will end in the 2022-23 academic year, unless extended by the Legislature. 

“California community colleges are well placed to educate students who may have been unable to earn a four-year degree due to our low tuition rates and numerous and easily accessible locations throughout the state,” Harris added.

The California Master Plan for Higher Education outlines the roles UC, CSU, and the community colleges play in educating the state’s population.  Under the original plan, enacted in the 1960s, UC awarded doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees, CSU awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and the community colleges offered lower-division coursework and associate degrees or certificates.  The plan has been adjusted to meet workforce needs in recent years.  For instance, CSU can now award doctoral degrees in education, nursing, and physical therapy.

Nationwide, more than 50 community colleges operate almost 500 baccalaureate programs in 21 states. 

Gov. Brown also signed AB 2558 earlier this month.  The legislation establishes the Community College Professional Development Program, which aims to increase professional development activities for all community college employees. 

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/.

加州州长布朗签署具有历史意义的立法：社區大學提供學士學位

 

州長Jerry Brown的一筆就讓加州成千上萬的人更容易獲得學士學位，通過學位的門可以找到更好的工作。現在只要通過社區大學的系統就可以得到學士學位。

許多工作僱主都要求至少要有學士學位。因此這項通過案是為了試著解決這個問題，同時也讓學生減輕對學費的負擔。

這個夢想終於成真了，社區大學將可提供本科學位課程，並且提升學生的前景和加州學生的競爭力。

學院區將提供15個試驗課程，旨在為高需求工作培養學生技能，並且不重複已在CSU和UC已有的課程。主要的課程包括口腔衛生、衛生技術和工業技術。這項方案採用半學年制，學費根據不同區域而定，但完成學士學位只要約1萬美元上下。

這項試驗將從2017年1月開始至2023年，除非有繼續延長。

社大學士學位 每學區限一種

 

格拉托羅（右）與欒晶均樂見SB850法案簽署成為法律。（陳運璞／攝影）

 

 

加州州長布朗日前簽署SB850法案，將於未來六個月之內挑選15所社區大學，試辦提供學士學位。

聖馬刁社區大學校長格拉托羅（Ron Galatolo）2日指出，這項法案將使加州成為全美第22個准許社區大學提供學士學位的州。但加州每個社區大學學區，只能提供一種公立四年制大學沒有的學士學位，限制頗為嚴格。

聖馬刁社區大學學區共有聖馬刁社區大學、肯尼亞達社區大學、與Skyline社區大學。格拉托羅表示，三所學校總共只能提供一種學士學位，較可能的是呼吸治療或放射造影技術等學位。

格拉托羅說，由於聖馬刁縣一直沒有四年制大學，他於2001年即推動在肯尼亞達社區大學成立大學中心（University Center），與舊金山州大等四年制公立大學合作，由這些大學提供教師，學生可在肯尼亞達社區大學上課，但獲得學士學位。

2001年至今，肯尼亞達社區大學已有逾650名學生透過大學中心獲得學士學位，包括兒童與青少年發展、護理、商業與會計、心理學、藝術、兒童與青少年發展等。另提供英語與西班牙語的翻譯證照、教師證照學位。

格拉托羅認為，該校既有十餘年相關經驗，應可名列州府挑選的15所社區大學榜上。不同之處在於，該校大學中心提供的學士學位，是由合作的四年制大學授予。根據SB850法案提供的學士學位則是社區大學授予。

聖馬刁社區大學學區副校長欒晶表示，在社區大學修學士學位，頭兩年按社區大學收費，後兩年則根據四年制大學的收費。他說：「這對學生很划算，而且本縣學生不必到外縣上學，也有機會獲得學士學位。」

以肯尼亞達社區大學與四年制大學合作的護理學位而言，由於規定的先修課很多，大部分課程在社區大學修完後，再修四年制大學「只要再修兩三門課，就可以畢業拿到學位。」

欒晶認為，國際學生可以節省的學費更多。但由於法案規定每個學區只限提供一種大學學位，他估計聖馬刁社區大學學區一年大約只有50至60個名額。