Revised degrees aim to ease transfer

California’s often-perilous transfer agreements between community colleges and public universities will become clearer and easier following implementation of a new law to remove barriers, according to Southwestern College administrators.

California Senate Bill 1440, the Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (STAR), enables community colleges and California State University campuses to create Associate transfer degrees that will create a smoother transfer process for community college students.

Kathy Tyner, SWC Vice President of Academic Affairs, said she is a fan.

“The goal is to simplify the transfer process to CSUs,” she said. “The entire admission process for the whole state, in terms of CSUs, has undergone a change. Math, psychology, English and political science (classes at SWC) have just been approved and now we have 14 (transfer degrees) essentially done.”

STAR lists a number of eligible Associate degrees that come with a 60-unit cap and a guarantee of admission as a junior into the CSU system. It prevents CSUs from making students repeat community college courses included in the Associate’s program.

It also enables completion of a Bachelor’s degree in a specific major within 120 units.

College spokesperson Lillian Leopold said SWC has four degrees approved by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and more on the way. It is the stated goal of the Chancellor’s Office to have 25 STAR Act transfer degrees up and running by 2014.

Four steps are required for a curriculum to be approved. First, the faculty creates the curriculum. Then it is sent to the SWC Curriculum Committee and on to the governing board. Curriculum is approved by the Community College Chancellor’s Office.

SWC Academic Senate President Randy Beach said the procedure usually takes one year.

Once enrolled at a CSU campus, students will be eligible to complete a Bachelor’s degree with only 60 additional units.

“This is a program that will truly benefit California,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “Getting more degree holders into the workplace helps build our state’s economy, and that’s good for all of us.”