By Tam Nguyen, Nguoi Viet
Students enrolled in California community colleges who are shown to be making progress toward their goals, such as graduation or transfer to a four-year college, will be eligible for priority registration, as ruled by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.
A student status of their registration priority eligibility. Photo by Thien An/Nguoi Viet.
Among the students the mandate applies to are those enrolled in the campuses of the Coast Community College District: Coastline Community College, Golden West College and Orange Coast College. Priority registration will be implemented for the Fall 2014 semester, and to be eligible, students must meet all requirements by June 1.
“The policy is designed to ensure classes are available for students seeking job training, degree attainment or transfer to a four-year college and to reward students who make progress toward their educational goals, wrote Andrew C. Jones, chancellor of the district, in a letter to students.
To receive the benefits of priority registration, students must have completed placement testing and orientation; have a counselor-approved Student Education Plan on file with a specified course of study that leads to an associate degree, transfer, state-approved Certificate of Achievement or career advancement; remain in good academic standing with a grade-point average of at least 2.0; and have not earned more than 100 units toward a degree within the college district.
Golden West College students complete some class work at the student center on campus. Photo by Tam Nguyen/ Nguoi Viet.
The new rule met with mixed reactions among students at Golden West College.
Students at Golden West College had mixed reactions about the new policy. Some students said getting a seat in the class they wanted had been tough.
“It gives the chance for new students like me to get ahead in our education,” said Adam Vu, 19, from Costa Mesa, a major in theater arts.
Thirty-year-old Tonya Miller, a resident of Huntington Beach majoring in communication studies, said she is glad the policy will take effect next semester.
“I finally have a chance to enroll in the classes I want and not have to be on the waiting list like I was last semester,” she said. “I hope this policy not only helps my education but others as well.”
Kevin Le, who lives in Santa Ana, has not declared a major and is concerned about the policy shift.
“I have not yet planned my career path and have been going to school and taking courses here and there, just to find out what is best for me. Now I may not able to register at all next semester because classes are going to be fill up quickly.” Le said.
Le also is on the border with almost 100 credits as well. If he reaches or passes 100 credits, he fears he won’t be able to get any classes and could lose his financial aid.
The college system is advising students not to enroll in any unnecessary courses, which could increase the risk of losing the registration priority.
Students may check if they are eligible for priority registration by logging in to their MySITES accounts at https://mycoast.cccd.edu/cp/home/displaylogin. Their accounts will provide the status as well as steps on how to meet the requirements to gain eligibility.
Thien An contributed to this story.
