May 14, 2020
Christina Jimenez
cjimenez@cccco.edu
T 916.322.4004
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley issued the following statement on Gov. Newsom’s revisions to the 2020-21 state budget proposal:
“We understand California’s difficult fiscal condition resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and we will work collaboratively with Gov. Newsom, the Legislature and our campus leaders to get through this crisis. We will look for ways to mitigate the impact to California community colleges and seek flexibility to manage our response to best serve students. We also support our California Congressional delegation in seeking additional federal assistance to help the most vulnerable in our state. Community colleges are at the vanguard for preparing nurses, first responders and essential workers who are on the front lines of protecting public health. Now is the time to support and strengthen colleges’ efforts to provide instruction to students who will lead our state to economic recovery. We must avoid the types of devastating cuts that turned more than 500,000 students away from our colleges in the Great Recession. Now, more than ever, community colleges must stay strong for California.”
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 115 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; degree and certificate pathways; and basic skills education in English and math. 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 and Twitter.
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