This article appeared in the VC Star on Feb. 20, 2021.
California needs to produce more bachelor’s degree holders to meet labor market needs; increasing community college transfer rates is critical to that goal.
California taxpayers receive $4.50 for every $1 invested in students who graduate from a California community college. National data for 2019 shows that graduates with college degrees average a weekly salary of $1,248, while high school-only graduates average $746.
Our cities and towns benefit because college transfer and completion of a two-year degree aids in closing equity gaps and promoting socioeconomic mobility. Degree completion enriches the lives of low-income and people of color in particular.
Sixty-eight percent of the students in California’s community colleges are minorities. More than 40% are the first generation in their families to pursue a college education. In the Ventura County Community College District, 66.5% of students are minorities, while 33% are first-generation.
VCCCD students, and students throughout the state, are motivated to transfer and build better lives for themselves and their families.
There is one community college transfer for every two first-year students across the University of California campuses. More students have been transferring to the 23 California State University campuses and 10 UC campuses since the inception of the associate degree for transfer (ADT). This degree guarantees admission to participating CSU campuses, private universities around California and out-of-state institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
The CSU system enrolled 402 community college students with an ADT in 2012 and by last fall, more than 17,500 transferred to a CSU. Early research indicates that the ADT helps students save time and money, as they graduate with fewer total units because they follow a set schedule of required classes.
Moorpark College excels in preparing students for transfer to universities and consistently ranks in the top 10 California colleges awarding the ADT. Moorpark College awards ADTs in 33 disciplines, ranging from psychology to mathematics and social justice studies. The college has one of the highest rates of ADT conferrals per 50 full-time equivalent students in California.
The Campaign for College Opportunity, an organization that recognizes colleges dedicated to ensuring strong transfer pathways for students, has honored Moorpark College as a Champion of Higher Education for five consecutive years. Statewide, Moorpark College leads the pack with the highest six-year completion rate of 64%; the state average is 48.2%.
The college has an 81.2% three-term persistence rate, which tracks the number of students who enrolled for three consecutive semesters. The key to students’ success is faculty, staff and administrators who provide students a streamlined pathway to transfer and economic mobility. They couple high expectations with high support.
Moorpark College faculty collaborate with faculty at the universities to ensure that our curriculum is preparing students for success after transfer. Project CHESS, a partnership with California Lutheran University faculty, is one example that allows faculty to participate in joint professional development aimed at supporting men of color in higher education.
The Career Transfer Center invites universities to the campus for transfer days, information sessions and opportunities to meet one-on-one with university advisors. Financial aid representatives from partner universities help students throughout their educational journey understand the total cost of getting a bachelor’s degree.
We coordinate with university partners to identify innovative options for students to complete a baccalaureate degree in programs that may be impacted locally and for students who are place-bound. Nursing students can complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing while working on their associate degree because Moorpark College has multiple dual enrollment partnerships with universities that enable students to earn a bachelor’s degree in the summers.
We recognize that community college students have complex lives that affect their ability to complete their program of study, and many students find balancing school, work and family life very challenging. There is financial assistance such as the Moorpark College Promise, which offers free tuition to students. Hunger and homelessness can prevent students from completing their education, so the college has established Raider Central, an on-campus and virtual center to address students’ basic needs.
Community college students who transfer have someone or a network of supporters at the college invested in their transfer journey. Moorpark College students are motivated to persist because they have their “own person” on campus. Faculty, counselors, staff and other students mentor and help them manage obstacles and empower them to continue towards a bachelor’s degree.
Julius Sokenu, Ed.D., is the interim president of Moorpark College.