2 SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGES CHOSEN FOR 1ST EVER OFFERING OF 4-YEAR DEGREES

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January 21, 2015 (San Diego)--Community colleges will enter a whole new world as 15 of them begin offering four-year degree programs under legislation authored by Senator Marty Block (D-39).

The California Community College Board of Governors and Community Colleges Chancellor Brice W. Harris today selected the colleges and their programs, including two from the San Diego area, to begin the historic change to California’s higher education system. Currently only the University of California and California State University systems may offer four-year degrees. Mira Costa College and Mesa College from the San Diego region are among those pioneering the new program.

The bachelor’s degree programs receiving initial approval are:

  • Airframe manufacturing technology, Antelope Valley College
  • Industrial Automation, Bakersfield College
  • Emergency Services and Allied Health Systems, Crafton Hills College
  • Mortuary Science, Cypress College
  • Equine Industry, Feather River College
  • Dental Hygiene, Foothill College
  • Dental Hygiene, West Los Angeles College
  • Bio-manufacturing, Mira Costa College
  • Respiratory Care, Modesto Junior College
  • Respiratory Care, Skyline College
  • Automotive Technology, Rio Hondo College
  • Health Information Management, Mesa College
  • Occupational Studies, Santa Ana College
  • Interaction Design, Santa Monica College
  • Health Information Management, Shasta College

“This is a major step in keeping California’s higher education system affordable and accessible while also keeping our state economically competitive in the future,” Block said. “It’s also why SB 850 earned the support of a diverse group of business leaders, veterans, educators and students.” He noted that San Diego played a valuable advocacy role in the success of the legislation. “San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance M. Carroll played a forceful role as a statewide advocate and local leader,” Block said. “SB 850 also benefited from the strong support of Jerry Sanders, President and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce as well as from the many veterans groups who supported this legislation.”

Harris noted that community colleges are positioned to play a prominent new position in our push to make college more accessible and affordable. “These college districts are embarking on a new mission for the California Community Colleges that will expand opportunities in public higher education,” said Harris. “Students will have a range of programs from which to choose to earn high quality, affordable and in-demand degrees. California employers win too, as they will have improved access to highly qualified candidates in these fields.”

Block added that the Public Policy Institute of California and California Competes report that the state needs one million more adults with four-year degrees by 2025. “SB 850 is the game changer that can help us meet that challenge,” the senator said. He added that more than 20 states, including New York and Florida, already allow community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees.

“One of the top missions of the California community colleges is workforce education,” said Carroll, who chaired a statewide advocacy effort in support of the Baccalaureate Pilot Program. “We are proud that one of our colleges will be in the vanguard of this innovative movement to address the region’s workforce preparation needs through high-quality instruction. I applaud the excellent work of Mesa College President Dr. Pamela T. Luster and her team on generating a winning proposal.”

Thirty-four districts, nearly half of those in the California community college system, submitted applications to be among the first state colleges to offer four-year degrees. SB 850 allows for up to 15 community colleges to participate in the pilot program. The selected colleges must also meet a demonstrated local work force need and not be duplicative of UC or CSU offerings.

The college districts may offer one baccalaureate degree each starting Jan.1, 2015 and ending on July 1, 2023. California’s state community college chancellor, in consultation with the UC and CSU systems, formed the team that reviewed the applications and submitted recommendations to the community college Board of Governors.

Applying colleges offered programs ranging from airframe manufacturing technology to other vocational programs such as dental hygiene, engineering technology, biomanufacturing and public safety administration. The career and vocational thrust of the pilot schools stays true to the community college mission of helping prepare California students for the work force.

SB 850 offers California students the ability to earn a degree in work force-critical areas for $10,000, a fraction of what it costs at private for-profit schools. “SB 850 students will really get a bang for their buck and will represent the diverse population of California’s community colleges, including returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan,” Block said. “All are needed to keep California competitive.

“It’s wishful thinking to believe we can meet the challenge of producing another one million bachelor degrees by 2025 without using community colleges, and the longer we delay in using them, the further behind we will fall,” Block said.

SB 850 supporters include AMVETS, American Legion, the California State Commanders Veterans Council, the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers and 24 community college districts, including those in San Diego, Los Angeles, Napa, and Imperial counties. Business supporters included CalChamber, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Jose Silicon Valley and Oceanside Chambers of Commerce, the Silicon Valley Chamber Coalition and the California Workforce Association. Also backing SB 850 are the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and the California State University system.

Block is chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee #1which deals with education financing and is a member of the Senate Education Committee. Prior to Block’s election to the Legislature, he served as president of the Board of Trustees of the San Diego Community College District and as a professor and administrator at San Diego State University.


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