This article alludes to changes that need to be made in the California higher ed system. In it, the author says that most minority students go to community colleges; however, a small percentage of the students are actually transitioning into the other institutions within the CAL system. So, although the pipeline idea sounds good, more work needs to be done to ensure that minority students are also benefiting from this system.
Here is the link:
http://diverseeducation.com/article/16834c1/civil-rights-project-california-maintains-segregated-community-college-system.html
Great article. It seems that the problem preventing minority students from transferring into four-year universities is systematic rather than financial. The Student Transfer Agreement Reform Act passed in California is supposed to make it easier for students graduating with an associate degree to transfer as a junior into a four-year college. However, as stated by Dr. Orfield in the article, it does not address the systematic discrimination that is taking place or space limitations at four-year institutions. Orfield also stated that students from “weak high schools” are less likely make the transfer. I think this indicates a need for reform at post-secondary and secondary levels if students are to be adequately prepared for college level work and are then subsequently able to achieve placement at a four-year institution.
ReplyDeleteThis article hits close to home considering I am from California and I am also a product of the California Community College system. However I am not sold on the Student Transfer Agreement Reform Act, specially considering there is not difference between that act and the standard California Community College Agreement with CSU that is currently in place. Thus I argue the new Reform Act does nothing to fix the community college to four-year institution pipeline. The Student Transfer Reform Act states,
ReplyDelete-Students who receive a newly designed California Community College associate degree for transfer are eligible for admission with junior standing into the California State University (CSU) system. A student who has earned one of these degrees will not be guaranteed admission for a specific major or campus, but will be given priority admission consideration to the local CSU campus and to a program or major that is determined by the California State University to be similar to the transfer AA degree.
The Normal California Community College Transfer Admission Requirements to CSU states the following
-California resident upper-division transfers: The majority of transfer students from the California Community Colleges (CCC) enter the CSU as upper-division transfers. In fact, over 50,000 students transfer annually to one of the CSU campuses. CCC students receive the highest priority consideration for admission to the CSU.
Upper-division transfers must complete at least 60 semester or 90 quarter units before transfer. (Which is equivalent to an Associate of Arts degree)
The CSU also allows students to transfer as a lower division transfer student
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As suggested by the previous comment, financial barriers is also a burden that students must take into consideration when apply for four-year institutions. Especially considering California does not offer that much financial aid for students to begin with. Additionally considering Federal Pell Grant allocation has not kept current with the rising cost of tuition and fees. As a result financial barriers deter students from enrolling into four-year institutions. Essentially I suggest that the reports do not go into great detail about the reasons why students are not transferring to four-year institutions. If they would have taken into account student narrative, they may have a better understanding of why community college students are not transferring.
For instance according to the California State University, the Board of Trustees took action to increase tuition by an additional 12 percent" CSU Chancellor Charles Reed articulated, "The enormous reduction to our state funding has left us with no other choice if we are to maintain quality and access to the CSU."
I agree with Orfield when he suggests that organizational practices play a critical role in whether or not students transfer. I also think the authors neglect the budget crisis that is plaguing a lot of post-secondary institutions across the country. Not only have budget crisis increased tuition, but it is also responsible for the hiring of faculty and staff at these institutions. If you do not have the staff to operate day to day functions, then students will have no resources to tap into. More importantly, if you do not have money to pay professors to teach, then classes will be cut. To this end if students are not able to take a class that is transferrable to a CSU or UC, the longer they will linger in a Community College.
In the end, I agree that the community college system needs to be revamped, however in order for that to occur state legislatures need to take into consideration how the budget and increasing fees over time impact whether or not students transfer to four-year institutions.