Students are definitely excited that Governor Schwarzenegger is pushing for more money for financial aid and higher education, during the upcoming fiscal year in California that starts in July. However this does not help current California community college students who are trying to push forward to transfer and complete their bachelors degree that are having tremendous difficulty. Right now there is a major bottleneck with the flow of transfer students to the California State University system, who are currently not accepting midyear transfer students. Not all community college students finish college at the end of the school year, therefore many students are stuck in limbo waiting to transfer to a CSU campus. Many students are frustrated and want to continue their education without any gaps, as it costs them a lot of money to wait around for the CSU system to become ready to accept students again.

California community college students are graduating and deciding to attend private career colleges or head out of state to go to college where they can get accepted right away. This trend is expected to have long term effects on the California economy as we’re sending our smart and talented students out of state. When a student goes out of state to college, it is less likely that they will return to California to start work after graduation and help our local economy. Hopefully Schwarzenegger can make significant enough changes while still in office to help rectify the situation now, so that it does not lead to bigger issues down the road.

The California community college system is responsible for educating thousands of nursing students each year, who then work to become registered nurses in the state. Nursing programs are offered at 75 California community colleges, but all the schools are full. Many of the schools have three to four year waiting lists, or lottery systems that students are hoping will allow them to get into community college to study nursing. This education is very affordable because it is a public state college, but unfortunately there is not enough space to meet the student demand. California needs roughly 10,000 more nurses soon, as more people retire and need help or older nurses retire from the profession. These programs are highly selective because students are getting an excellent education, for a very affordable price. NPR reported about students who have been waiting for two or three years to get into a great program, as schools like Contra Costa College near San Francisco have life size mannequins for students to train.

California has been having budget issues the last couple years which have not allowed these nursing programs to expand to accommodate the high student demand across the state. Therefore many students are looking at their other options, and most are deciding to go to a career college to fulfill their educational goals. Career colleges might be more expensive that California community colleges, but students know that they can get in and complete their degree so they can get into the workforce. It is hard to put a price on waiting two or three years to get into a community college in California, when a student could have already completed a nursing program at a local career college. No matter what each student chooses, California needs to figure out a way to get more people educated in order to fulfill the demand for qualified nurses in the state.

Fees have risen across the state at colleges and universities over the last few years, and this trend may soon carry over to the community colleges in California. Currently the UC and CSU systems are still relative bargains for higher education when compared to other colleges in the country. California community colleges are also a bargain, currently costing students $26 per unit, which is quite low compared to other U.S. colleges. Recently the Legislative Analyst’s Office provided a recommendation to the Legislature to increase fees to $40 per unit. Luckily the Legislative Analyst’s Office only gives non-partisan advice to the Legislature, but with the current budget issues, an increase in fees is likely to occur. However students who are struggling to pay the current fees and get into the classes they need are not very happy about a possible increase next school year.

Summer school classes at California colleges are already being reduced, which is making it more difficult for students to further their education and graduate. If students are going to continue to be charged more, the college system in California needs to step up their game and improve the conditions. California college students just want to earn their degree, and the state needs to do everything it can to educate our residents so they can help contribute to the economy. We need students to stay in California, and if students cannot afford an education or get into classes, then we risk losing them to out of state schools. When California residents move out of state to go to college they do not always return, which is not good for the economy of the state. The 2010-2011 budget continues to be worked on, and California students are anxious to see an update in May.

Victor Valley College in California is getting attention in the news as it follows the trend of other schools in the state who have started to work on their own solar farm. Many colleges in California are well positioned to use photovoltaic power plants to help feed the power needs for the school. SolFocus is partnering with Victor Valley College to build a massive one-megawatt solar farm in Victorville, California. The community is northeast of Los Angeles in the desert, so it receives an abundant amount of sunlight each year which will fuel the high-efficiency solar cells being installed on campus. This project is using a more expensive method that uses small mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto solar cells.  Despite costing more money upfront, the project will use far less silicon and produce more electricity than the conventional solar cells used today.

Another impressive feature of the SolFocus system is that the solar panels are mounted on trackers which follow the position of the sun during the day to ensure that the maximum amount of sunlight is being absorbed.  Victor Valley College went through a detailed review process before they decided on SolFocus, and the estimates are that the completed solar farm will supply about 30% of the electricity that the school uses each year. The six acre project has a target completion date of May, which will allow Victor Valley to capture a massive amount of sunlight during the summer so they can see how beneficial this solar farm will be to the school.

Many students in California are thankful that they have career colleges as an option, since so many colleges and universities in the state are having budget issues. The lack of funding to California colleges and universities has created a reduction in the number of students these schools can accommodate. There are also wait lists at many universities and colleges in California, which are complicating matters as students just want to become accepted so they can further their education. This is why career colleges in California like Kaplan University and Ashford University are working with community college students, who are having trouble completing their degrees or transferring to a bachelors degree program. California community colleges are the largest public two-year system in the U.S., and it is critical that these schools succeed as many of their graduates jump right into a career which helps stimulate the economy. Luckily career colleges are filling the void while the UC, CSU, and community college systems work to dig out of budget deficits that are complicating things for students in California.

Ashford University and Kaplan University are the two big career colleges helping out at this point, but if things do not improve, then more schools like this might have to jump in to help. Career colleges always make sure they have classes open for students who want to take them, which is a huge benefit at this time while classes are being cut within all of the California college systems. It is also a great branding opportunity for Kaplan and Ashford as more people will learn about their career colleges, and how they can help students earn their degree. Hopefully legislators in California will aggressively fight to turn around the budget issues, so that colleges and universities in the state can bet back to business as usual.

The rough economy has definitely not stopped the demand in the market for people to attend a California college, if anything the recession has a counter cyclical effect causing even more people to seek out a higher education. Budgets in the UC, CSU, and California community college system have made it very difficult for everyone to get into school as they had planned. Recently state Chancellor Jack Scott said that California community colleges will educate roughly 21,000 fewer students in comparison to the prior year. As the funding has been reduced, the budget issues have caught up with the the community college system making it impossible to accommodate the number of people who want to enroll. Those students who are attending community colleges in California are also having difficulties, as they struggle to get into classes that are offered less frequently. Luckily their is still a big focus on keeping career-technical education, which is critical as these graduates are the ones who jump right into the workforce to apply the skills they have learned in college.

Another issue complicating things while dealing with the budget cuts, are that the students who are looking to travel to the University of California or California State University systems. These students need priority so the process of transferring continues, allowing students to move on and make room for new students to enroll. When you factor in that there are fewer classes, this makes it very difficult to have all of the classes students need each term. California community colleges, as well as the UC and CSU systems need to be very careful how they manage their money during these rough economic times so they can ensure that the colleges can remain open to let students earn their degree.

Students who are graduating from community colleges in California are finding it tougher to become accepted to the CSU or UC school they want, because of budget cuts across the state. Yuba Community College District, located north of Sacramento in Marysville, California, has just made it easier for their students to transfer to a college where they can earn their bachelor’s degree. The new option for students is Ashford University, which is a part of Bridgepoint Education, and now will accept up to 90 transfer credits earned at Yuba Community College District towards a bachelor’s degree program. This partnership was established this week as an articulation agreement was signed to make the transfer option possible. Many students are excited about this additional option for furthering their education to earn a California bachelor’s degree.

More and more students are considering career colleges like Ashford University, because they know they will be able to take the classes they need to graduate on time. Ashford University also offers graduate level programs via their career college, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The Yuba Community College District is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This trend of community colleges in California partnering with career colleges like this will continue as the UC and CSU systems struggle to offer enough classes to accommodate all of the demand from students. Students are eager to graduate and earn a bachelor’s degree so they can become more competitive in the work force, and have a better chance to prosper during rough economic conditions.

In a letter sent to Fresno City College earlier this week, the ACLU demanded that Professor Dr. Bradley Lobez refrain from teaching religiously-based views as science or fact.  Students at the public college in Fresno, California, have complained that Professor Lopez’s introductory health class has featured multiple lectures that taught “sectarian views and personal bias as fact,” which is a direct violation of both federal and state constitutional protections that guarantee the separation of church and state.  Across the US, all publicly funded colleges and schools must follow this separation of church and state to ensure a welcoming environment for all students.

In the letter, the ACLU lists a variety of examples of which Professor Lopez has violated this constitutional protection of student rights including, but not limited to, the following:

• Presented a slide listing “homosexual facts,” including that homosexuality is a “biological misapplication of human sexuality” and said that the “recommended treatment” is “psychological counseling” or “hormone supplements.”
• Presented bible passages as “empirical” evidence that life begins at conception in support of his assertion that abortion is murder and “the leading cause of death in this country” (because there are over a million abortions a year).
• Followed a slide on climate change in a presentation on “environmental health” with a slide containing a Biblical quote about the world ending in fire, and said “that is the real global warming we should be worried about.”
• Repeatedly referenced the Bible and used it as a teaching tool, for example assigning as homework a question as to Jesus’ genetic makeup.

While some feel that Professor Lopez’s teachings are protected under the first amendment, this does not hold true within the confines of a publicly funded institution, where he is a faculty member entrusted with speaking for the institution.  Fresno City College President Cynthia Azari declined to comment on the current actions being taken by the college, but did say that “The College takes its non-discrimination and prohibition of harassment policies seriously, investigates alleged violations and takes appropriate actions to enforce compliance.”

The college institution is one that has earned great public trust simply because of its purpose.  Young minds attending a health science class expect to be provided with medically accurate information rooted in scientific fact and study.  When opinion or belief is presented as fact, it can shake the foundation of trust that is so important within the system of higher education.  Because of this, it is certain that President Azari will be taking these alleged violations very seriously.

Community colleges in California have had to deal with major budget cuts, which have forced many of the schools to completely cut some classes, or offer them fewer times each year. This has made it extremely difficult for students to get into the classes they need in order to graduate with their associates degree. In order to help more students complete their campus-based associates degree requirements, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office announced this week that they have teamed up with Kaplan University to allow students in California to enroll in single courses online. Another part of the agreement would permit graduates of California community colleges to transfer to Kaplan University if the want to complete their bachelor’s degree online for a reduced rate.

This opportunity is starting to look very attractive to many California community college students who are having difficulty furthering their education. There are only so many classes that will be approved by each of the 110 community colleges in California, but the overall addition of classes will be a tremendous help to thousands of students. The first part of the program, to help with the completion of an associate’s degree, is the Kaplan University Community College Connection program, and the second part is the Save My Credits Transfer program which helps with the bachelors degree completion. One of the other positive aspects to this relationship is the strengthening of the recognition for career colleges like Kaplan University which ensures that students can take the classes they need to graduate on time. It will be interesting to see how long this partnership lasts, and if more career colleges like Kaplan University will have the opportunity to help California community college students complete their degree.

Budget cuts across the UC, CSU, and community college systems of California are causing numerous problems for the schools as they struggle to offer enough classes for students to graduate. There have already been a variety of classes being offered less often than expected, and when they are offered they might be full, which forces college students to wait until the next term. This scenario is even worse for students of City College of San Francisco, because the school decided to cancel their very popular summer session. The summer session at City College of San Francisco is typically a great time for students to catch up and take classes they could not attend during the normal school year. However, this last minute announcement has thrown the plans of many college students completely out of order as they now scramble to see if they can find any alternatives to City College of San Francisco in the area. Students either need to find another public community college in the area, or perhaps find a private school that has the classes needed for their degree. Even if students seek this solution, it can be tricky to take classes at different schools as not everything transfers and may not be applicable to the degree one is trying to secure.

Now the City College of San Francisco has made hundreds of college students extremely angry as they just want to attend class and further their education. Without a degree, these students cannot graduate and become bigger contributors to the economy, which is what California truly needs to get out of the budget crisis. Cutting money is a great tactic, but it does not serve the longer term issue, which is that we need more educated people in California so that the workforce is more qualified and we can generate more money for the state. California is bigger than many countries in terms of size and revenue, therefore we need serious leadership that can correct the mess we’re in so our college students can take classes when they need them. This statewide problem needs to be fixed soon, or students will have to shun public colleges for those private schools which actually have the classes a student needs to take for their degree.