By FERMIN LEAL, OC Register
Kevin Nguyen enrolled at Fullerton College this fall, even after he was accepted to Cal State Fullerton, because he considered it the best option.
Thong Dang, 37, of Garden Grove works on his philosophy homework near the cafeteria on the campus of Santa Ana College in Santa Ana. KEN STEINHARDT , OC Register
“Class sizes are smaller, it’s easier to get the courses you need,” Nguyen, 19, said. “Community colleges are the best deal in education.”
So when Nguyen, who planned to eventually transfer to a four-year school, learned of a proposal to allow some California community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees, his first thought was: “This makes so much sense. Why didn’t this happen earlier?”
The bill, which awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature, would allow 15 community colleges across the state to offer bachelor’s degrees in technical fields not offered at public universities, including radiological technology, health information management, automotive technology and veterinary technology.
If approved, the four-year degree program could fundamentally shift the role of California’s community colleges. Scores of students could find more viable paths to in-demand careers, while they bypass the more costly and severely impacted public universities.
“This is one of the most ambitious goals undertaken in the history of California’s community colleges,” California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice Harris said. “This is a very exciting time for our students.”
Bonus: The degree programs would cost students about $10,000, a bargain compared to the cost of four-year degrees at public universities.
Extra bonus: Larger counties such as Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside, would each have at least one community college offering a four-year degree.
Still, some educators and business leaders argue that plan does not go far enough. Other states allow community colleges to offer a wide range of baccalaureate degrees in rapidly growing fields, including nursing, computer science and pharmacology. California, they said, should follow the same model if it wants to prepare more students for today’s workforce demands.
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