It will likely be years before a four-year university comes to Chula Vista, but Bachelor’s degrees may be here by 2016.
California Senator Marty Block, a former SDSU dean, authored Senate Bill 850 which enables about 50 state community college districts to create one Bachelor’s degree program apiece.
SWC Trustees Tim Nader and Humberto Peraza both said the bill is a step in the right direction.
“The absence of these degrees right now is forcing many of our students into very high-cost for-profit private education institutions,” said Nader. “Those institutions are not in the best interest of our students. I think we should be offering a more affordable alternative for our community.”
Academic Senate President Randy Beach said he has concerns about SB 850. He said he fears the college’s primary mission could be lost.
“All opportunities to improve access to students should be considered very carefully,” he said. “We should be promoting them as long as its not deviating significantly from what the mission of our college is, which is still transfer preparation, workforce development and basic skills.”
Trustee Nora Vargas said SWC has, for the first time, the necessary funding for student success and said SB 850 needs further discussion.
Discussions between CSUs and community colleges are still in progress, said Beach but all sides agree that community college must not compete with CSU degree programs.
Impacted programs, however, are a different story. Block said it is his hope that students can find relief from over-crowded university programs at community colleges. Beach said that concept has merit.
“We definitely have some programs which are shovel ready,” Beach said. “Their faculty is ready, their curriculum is ready, they can make that transition very quickly.”
Vickie Kimbrough-Walls, dental hygiene director at the National City Higher Education Center, said the overall intent of the bill is good. She said her program could be a good candidate for a Bachelor’s degree curriculum.
“Everybody really wants to focus on nursing, but we have a real good opportunity to be unique,” she said. “Foothill College in Los Altos is going to move forward with the Bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene and that’s in the Bay Area. It would be really great if Southwestern could do it for Southern California.”
Whether or not a BA from a community college would be equally valued as one from a university is in the eye of the beholder, Beach said.
“The reason why these programs are being created at community colleges is because there is demand,” he said. “Our associate’s programs are well respected, so why wouldn’t our baccalaureate programs be?”
