California’s legislative and higher education leaders on Wednesday committed to increase the number of students who can transfer from the state’s community colleges to universities this year.
They made their remarks in an online forum organized by members of the state Assembly to explore what the Legislature could do to improve transfer rates. The forum was convened as part of an ongoing series of conversations convened by Assemblyman Marc Berman, who heads the Select Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education in California.
Check out the online forum here.
Thousands of students each year aim to make the transition from California’s community colleges to one of the nine undergraduate campuses of the University of California, the 23 campuses of California State University or private universities each year. But many don’t make it.
Registration has begun for the College of the Canyons Spring 2021 semester, which will run from Monday, Feb. 8 – Thursday, June 3.
Students and community members can choose from more than 1,700 class sections in a wide range of academic subjects and career education disciplines.
Class sections include courses that most students need to either graduate, transfer to a four-year school and/or meet prerequisites.
“It’s hard to believe that it has been almost a year since the college transitioned to providing almost all of our instruction through distance education,” said Dr. Omar Torres, chief instructional officer at the college. “The spring 2021 schedule of classes has been created with the needs of our students in mind and with the flexibility required to succeed academically during this pandemic.”
California’s public colleges and universities would receive additional investment under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2021-22 budget proposal in an attempt to keep tuition at current levels, provide students with emergency financial aid and support for basic needs like housing and food, accelerate transition between two- and four-year institutions, and improve pathways to jobs.
Newsom proposed significant new investments in the state’s 116 community college system, totaling about $600 million for a range of ongoing and one-time programs and initiatives. In particular, he drew attention to the increased number of students dropping out of community colleges because of the pandemic, and included proposals to “re-engage” as many of those students as possible.
Across California, school and university officials voiced their outrage at the violence that erupted in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building and disrupted the Congressional certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory.
Education officials, including U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, a Trump appointee, slammed the attack on the U.S. Constitution and said it set a dangerous example for children and anyone studying democracy. Gov. Gavin Newsom described it as an “outright assault to our democratic institutions.”
Some districts offered to provide counseling services to students who might be feeling anxious or unsafe about the state of the country. At least one district, San Francisco Unified, canceled board meetings due to the attack. Other districts noted that Wednesday’s events underscored the importance of a robust education system in a healthy democracy.