May 30, 2023
Contact: Melissa Villarin
Office: 916-327-5365
Office E-mail: MVillarin@CCCCO.edu
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Community Colleges has taken another step forward in giving Californians an opportunity to earn a four-year degree from a community college by approving seven new bachelor’s degree programs. This brings to the total number of bachelor’s degrees that are now offered or will soon be offered at a community college to 31.
The new programs available as a part of a bill signed by Governor Newsom in 2021 are: dental hygiene at Cerritos College and Fresno City College, respiratory care at Hartnell College, respiratory therapy at Los Angeles Valley College, dental hygiene administration at Taft College, automotive career education at Ventura College and aviation maintenance at West Los Angeles College. Seven additional bachelor’s degree program proposals are in the current evaluation cycle and are pending review.
“We are proud of the equity centered leadership of our colleges as they implement this new law. Our bachelor’s degree programs will transform lives. Many students in these programs come from underrepresented communities and have circumstances that don’t allow them to relocate to continue their education at a four-year university,” said Interim Chancellor Daisy Gonzales, PhD. “By expanding the Baccalaureate Degree Program, Californians have increased access to a clear workforce pathway and career opportunities in their local communities.”
This expansion of the Baccalaureate Degree Program is also directly tied to the system’s goals of increasing degree attainment, helping more career education graduates get employed in their field of study, and reducing equity gaps – all of which are laid out in the system’s strategic plan, the Vision for Success. And a recent report by the UCLA Civil Rights Project shows that the California Community Colleges bachelor’s degree program has the potential to address higher education equity gaps.
According to a UC Davis Benefits and Opportunities report graduates of community college bachelor degree programs earn twice as much as they did before obtaining their degree, with nearly 98% of students reporting their employment in the same field of study as their degree.
"Quality, affordable and accessible California community college baccalaureate degree programs advance economic and social mobility for individuals and families while meeting the needs of business and industry in our state," said Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California.
The Baccalaureate Degree Program, which began in 2014, became permanent in 2021 when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 927. The bill allows for an expansion of up to 30 new bachelor’s degree programs at community colleges each year. All California community college bachelor’s degree options are exclusive to the system and do not duplicate degrees offered at California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campuses.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 1.8 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; and degree and certificate pathways. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision for Success, a strategic plan designed to improve student success outcomes, increase transfer rates and eliminate achievement gaps. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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