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By It will be easy for community college students to transfer with new bill passed
By It will be easy for community college students to transfer with new bill passed
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill on Sept. 29 that will make it easier for community college students to transfer to a Cal State University.
“The bill will better align our higher education system, saving students time and money,” said state Sen. Alex Padilla in the LA Times Sept. 30.
The bill entitles that a student will need the same amount of units as required before, but also an associate degree at the college level.
When this is completed students will have the opportunity to transfer to their choice of a CSU and start their first semester as a junior.
The bill guarantees an enrollment spot at a CSU.
However, the CSU’s budget affects how many transfer students will be accepted per semester.
“I’m very happy with this law and can’t wait to see it put in play. I’m happy that our governor is finally helping out our school system,” said student Edurado Hernandez, who hopes to transfer to Cal State San Bernardino.
Although this bill is not to be put into effect until fall 2011, the director of the Transfer Center, Arturo Dassow, said that a statewide task force of CSU and California Community College personnel are working toward putting this bill into action within the proposed timeframe.
Many students are not aware that this bill has been passed.
“I didn’t even know they were trying to pass a law to help us transfer. I knew they were trying to help our schools but I didn’t think this is how they were going to go about it,” said RCC student Samantha Puerta.
Students worry that the law will cause a rise in transfer students, which will make it even harder for students to add classes.
Even worse, pushing student transfer years or graduation dates further back.
“The rate of transfer enrollment, as is the number of classes offered is more affected by state budget restrictions as opposed to enacting a new legislation,” Dassow said.
Mariane Baltizar a sophomore at RCC, doesn’t think the new law will make it harder to add classes.
“I honestly do not believe that adding classes will get any harder. I think if anything more students will expand their class selection,” she said.
Baltizar also expressed her interest in understanding the law so she could further her education.
“I looked it up a couple of times because I am seriously considering obtaining my associate and transferring somewhere out of state,” she said.
One concern is the success of this bill. Will this bill help students save time and money as the senator said, or could this bill put students behind in their career plans?
“The success of this legislation will depend on how it is put into action by the CSU and CCC systems in California,” Dassow said.