Anonymous
August 24, 2018, 8:30 am
5.8k Views
9 Comments
By an edhat reader
The LA Times recently published an article about community colleges. California is cutting funding for community colleges if their students don’t graduate.
The U.S. News World & Report states the 2010 cohort of Santa Barbara City College’s graduation rate is 36%. Will this down-size the college?
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I would assume the foreign kids are much more likely to graduate since their parents are paying all of the costs and shipping them in from over seas.. The locals, who get their education for free, may not see the same value and are more likely to not graduate.. Always better to make kids earn it, then give it to them for free.
SBCC is as much of a detriment to Santa Barbara as it is an asset. It has promoted the admission of thousands of students from other states and countries at the expense of local residents. These thousands of outsiders have forced local families out of the rental market. In far too many cases, locals have been evicted to make way for higher paying outsider students. All these outsider students have also contributed to high rents and the non- availability of housing for local residents. In far too many instances, SBCC is nothing more than a day camp for perennial students. The graduation rate is not all that good and far to few local high school graduates attend. SBCC is not all that it is cracked up to be!
SBCC is expecting to receive increased funding of about $7.7M under the new funding formula including a cost of living increase of 2.71%. SBCC also projects an additional $1.5M in growth funding for the increasing number of noncredit classes (noncredit classes include Adult Ed classes) for a total increase of $9.2M under the new formula. This is a very significant increase. Some Community colleges will only get a COLA. Supplemental funding was given for the number of low income students served and for student success measured by the number of associate degrees, certificates and transfers (8 factors) with “premiums” for successful outcomes for low income students. The formula is complex and the Dept
Of Finance will recalculate in February when the amounts may change somewhat. Although SBCC did well, it can do better, removing barriers and improving success rates. Our great faculty and staff are working hard on this.
SBCC is a community college. We want all our students to succeed, but I am running for re-election in Area 5 because I believe that SBCC should stay focused on education that meets the needs of our community members – newborn through senior. I advocated for the Promise program in 2014 and for priority registration for our Promise students. Thanks to the SBCC Foundation Board, donors and CEO Geoff Green, the Promise program began in Fall 2016. Under SBCC CEO Dr. Beebe, Promise students now have priority registration and noncredit is back and growing rapidly. Dual enrollment is growing too. Next we need priority registration for all in-district students and more noncredit classes which are local students. We also need more programs for students who do not want a BA but seek a well paid job like coding, plumbing or electrical – trades.
Credit enrollment has declined since the highs of 2009/10. I want SBCC to find and maintain a stable sustainable size that respects our employee, facility, fiscal and community resources.
Marsha Croninger, Trustee, SBCC.
Too many Local kids take a seat, then quit because class requires work and participation. My Spanish class started w 40 students, ended with only 7 of us depriving motivated, determined learners of a class seat. An enrollment penalty must be imposed. Drop a class after first week, and lose a day on the priority enrollment list for every week delay. Out of District CA students enroll next. Out of state students third. On a space available basis, to fill a class, Foreign students w US issued visas enroll fourth. Unlawful, illegals last.
Is it time for CA Tacpayets to file a class action suit against K-12 public schools? Or K-14 public schools because CA community colleges are failing too?
This post is full of so much misinformation. First, the Mission of the California Community Colleges is “to provide workforce training, basic courses in English and math, certificate and degree programs and preparation for transfer to four-year institutions”. SBCC is not “mandated” for remedial coursework. Remedial for whom, and toward what goal? “Elite universities outside of CA do not accept CA transfer credits” is false. Yes, I would expect most out of state universities to evaluate classes on a case by case basis. Yes, the offered courses are highly aligned toward transfer to CSUs and UCs and they have detailed matriculation agreements with these institutions (see assist.org). If your “Elite” school really only accepted 2 classes from your 62 units shame on you for not working with the Transfer office to have a better plan. My daughter transferred to a UC with all of her GE complete and 100% of her lower level math and science completed. ALL of her classes transferred. “CA ranks 49th in public education” No. Unfortunately K-12 is ranked 42nd this year nationwide, but for public higher education, CA is consistently in the top 10 rankings.
No misinformation or shame. “Basic” is now interchangeable with remedial. 75%+ of incoming CA SBCC students are Badic-Remedial Students. “Elite” US Universities do NOT accept CA CC Transfer Units. “ Elite” as in Princeton University. MIT, Harvard University,
University of Chicago, Yale University.
Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Stanford University.
University of Pennsylvania. Transfer credit is rare, in exceptional circumstances to enable a top scholar on loan to a special project or employer to meet a 3-6 credit unit graduation shortfall to be able to graduate with her or his class. To be admitted to an ‘Elite’ many applicants have completed 20-60 SBCC units or AP equivalents to be positioned to be freshmen at these institutions. There’s a reason for branding students to ensure future employment success. Specific SBCC Faculty has prepared hundreds of local 5th-12th grade students for acceptance into Elite schools in the past 4 decades of my involvement. The qualifying CC entry test is based on mastery of 5th grade curriculum; mastery that many local students lack as 18 year old adults, and public high school grads.
An issue for SBCC Trustees-was comfort level of “adult teen students” out performed by 10-14 year olds in math, language and other classes. SBCC Trustees then attempted to discriminate based on age; while other CA CCs continued to serve ability-qualified students to help CA’s top students to access subsequent Elite university formal educations. Parents found a way around this insane policy.
Secondly, CA law now grants full credit toward graduation credit for ‘remedial coursework’. School Rankings depend on number graduated within 4 years or less. With few exceptions and majors, CA Public colleges and universities “had to” to give full credit for remedial coursework to save national rankings to quiet taxpayers in an effort to make Californians feel better.
Top Employers are informed only recruiting and hiring graduates from specific CA universities. Analysis of ranking criteria is importantant. Mediocrity has become acceptable in CA . Fortunately CA requires a diverse workforce with varied skill sets and abilities. Where there cannot be much divination is in work standards which is not part of SBCC training. SBCC cut out Friday classes because its students didn’t show up in the pursuit of 3-day weekends. Employers shake our heads at recent UC and CA Legislated changes combined with local SBCC Trustee and Faculty Senate shortsighted decisions. As the saying goes: be careful if it’s a CA Transcript. Do not hire any applicant taking coursework with the word “Studies” and scrutinize closely. UCSB has comparable issues in its freshman class resulting from admission mandates as to not discriminate based on merit. The way to maintain freshman rigor for UC non-STEM partygoers is to admit top CA students during their high school junior year. Ignorance is not bliss.
SBCC needs competent leadership focused on the mission and purpose of the CA community college system. Presently it is a waste of taxpayer funding existing as Trustee Croninger writes for the benefit of staff and faculty. Local STUDENTS are not even on the radar of Trustees who refuse to demand high school districtricys within SBCC Boundaries PREPARE STUDENTS beyond 5th grade level. With too few class exceptions, The majority of SBCC’s courses are remedial. Known Fact: the most capable, prepared, motivated, deserving students attend in the Summer and are aged 11-18. . Students should be required to live within District boundaries, have skin in the game as in paying a modest fee, and live at home with parents to save money, resources, and reduce demand for additional housing. CA Community Colleges were not created at taxpayer expense to serve foreign students and illegal residents. SBCC has become a welfare check to entitled staff, with a political liberal litmus test for faculty in non-STEM subject areas. Too many reputable, proven faculty have retired or quit (under attack by incompetent peers).
Hold Trustees accountable. SBCC is no longer a community asset. Rather it’s a costly community gathering spot in an exceptional location.
“Graduation rate ” equals completion of 60 units which therefore includes CA transfer students to CA state & UC System. Note: Elite universities outside of CA do not accept CA transfer credits because credit is CA state mandated for remedial course work, and too many non-remedial classes are deemed unworthy of university credit without review of individual course syllabus, testing standards and submission of professor qualifications. Of my 62 SBCC units, only 1 business class and Peter Naylor’s Econ Class were approved for transfer credit in my senior year. CA ranks 49th in public education. SBCC has become a politically correct way to avoid adult responsibilities while saying “I’m a college student at #1 ranked SBCC.” My wealthy friends from NoCal send their FUN living, irresponsible, indulged kids here willing to pay $3000/mo rent because tuition “is so cheap.” Out of sight, out of mind. Demand SBCC serve only our District students! Demand SBCC return to merit based hiring, and recruit instructors with high standards.