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.

A California state legislator hearing was held in Sacramento yesterday regarding the California Master Plan for Higher Education. The overall focus of the hearing was to brain storm ideas on how more students can get into college and graduate faster. One idea that came up last month in the state, was to allow California community colleges the ability to offer bachelors degrees for certain subjects. Ultimately the master plan is intended to help ensure that any California student who wants to attend college and earn their degree, has the access to make this happen. Unfortunately there have been massive budget cuts at the CSU and UC systems, which has forced some to choose community college or a private college instead. Many of the colleges have limited enrollment this year and graduating high school seniors for 2010 need somewhere they can pursue their higher education.

The leading Assemblyman on this push for California community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees is Democrat Marty Block, who represents the San Diego district. He cited how SDSU had to pause admitting all CSU-qualified freshmen for fall 2010, due to budget issues. Not all bachelors degrees could be earned at a community college under the upcoming bill from Assemblyman Block. Most of the bachelors degrees offered will be in high demand industries like nursing or technology. Another support of this change is Richard Dittenbenner of the San Diego Community College District, who is pushing for something to be changed to help keep the CSU and UC systems at the top of mind for California students. There are already a handful of states that do offer bachelors degrees at their community colleges, but making this shift in California is a big change that needs serious evaluation.

As the economy has struggled, California has looked for ways to help boost revenues and cut costs for the state. Anything that can make the local economy run more efficiently is being reviewed right now as Governor Schwarzenegger looks to close the massive $20 billion plus gap in the California budget. Therefore, California lawmakers are looking to possibly give community colleges in the state the right to offer certain bachelor’s degrees. This trend has been happening in other states for the past decade for a variety of reasons, which are mostly economic. There are hundreds of community colleges in California for students to choose from, many of which are nowhere near a college where they can earn a bachelor’s degree or better. As a result, many students are not furthering their education beyond community college, or students are opting to attend online schools to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The big question on the minds of the administration at many California community colleges is if they can really take on more programs and still stay focused on their mission. Only offering associate degrees and certificate degrees allows the community colleges to stay streamlined and efficient. Some professions like nursing or teaching are hard to get online because they require hands on learning and on going education. These are the type of programs that lawmakers are thinking about allowing the community colleges to offer to their students. Tuition at a community colleges is also much cheaper than four year schools so it will allow more people to get a higher education. President Obama has had a big interest in the success of community colleges across the U.S., so it will be interesting to see how things play out in California for our college system.

The bay area of California is buzzing this week as President Frank Chong of Laney College left his position to move to D.C. to work as the deputy assistant secretary of education for the United States. Basically this position on President Barack Obama’s team and all of the duties that it entails, equate this job to Chong becoming the chief of community colleges. Now that Chong has left Laney College in California, the Vice President Elnora Webb will serve as the interim president of the school while they search for a replacement. President Obama is a big supporter of community colleges in the US and view them as key to helping the economic problems of the country. This is because about half of college students in the US attend two year community colleges so they can learn a skill or trade to enter the workforce. Approximately 3 million students in California attend these two year schools and the more support they get will result in more qualified people in the workforce contributing to the economy.

There are a few key items which Chong is looking to address in his new leadership role. The first will be to improve the transfer rates to 4 year colleges where students can earn their bachelors degree, and to address poor writing and math skills for those just entering college. High school students need to be better prepared so they can jump right into college and help the US compete in the ever evolving global economy. Having more qualified individuals in the US will reduce the amount of outsourcing to other countries who want the talented workforce that certain businesses desire. Students not only need to be prepared for college so they do not get frustrated and quit, they also need the tools and information necessary so they transfer upon graduation and earn a bachelors degree. Obama’s goal is to significantly raise overall college graduation rates over the next ten years and Chong looks to be instrumental in making this change happen.