April 3, 2000
Dual admissions program launched by UCSC and 14 community colleges
By Jennifer McNulty
UCSC is teaming up with 14 regional community colleges to increase the number of
students transferring from community colleges to the University of California.
UCSC Chancellor M.R.C. Greenwood is collaborating with the presidents of community
colleges in Silicon Valley and the Monterey Bay Area to make it easier for students
to transfer to UC campuses. As a result of the first meeting of the newly formed
Regional Council, made up of Greenwood and her counterparts at each of the schools,
participants have launched a dual admissions program that guarantees community college
students a spot at UCSC after successful completion of their first two years of course
work.
"By offering a clear pathway to the university, dual admissions takes the uncertainty
out of the transfer process," said Foothill College President Bernadine Chuck
Fong. "Students know that once they have met the basic requirements, there will
already be a spot at UCSC waiting for them. This program allows us to communicate
our message of encouraging transfer much earlier, and it keeps the student's long-term
educational goals at the forefront."
Dual admissions is the first initiative of the Regional Council, which has the overarching
goal of supporting transfer-related activities, such as advising, campus visits,
and staff assistance. "We know that many of our students aspire to transfer
to the University of California, and the Regional Council's goal is to make that
vision a reality for more students," said President Chui L. Tsang of San Jose
City College. "Pooling our resources will allow us to do more for greater numbers
of students."
In addition to UCSC, participating colleges are:
- Cabrillo College, Aptos
- Cañada College, Redwood City
- College of San Mateo, San Mateo
- De Anza College, Cupertino
- Evergreen Valley College, San Jose
- Foothill College, Los Altos Hills
- Gavilan College, Gilroy
- Hartnell College, Salinas
- Merced College, Merced
- Mission College, Santa Clara
- Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey
- San Jose City College, San Jose
- Skyline College, San Bruno
- West Valley College, Saratoga
To increase the university's visibility on community college campuses, UCSC is
hiring additional outreach counselors and advisers to work at the 14 colleges that
make up the Regional Council. The outreach counselors will visit the schools and
collaborate with college staff on facilitating the transfer process. Unlike existing
outreach activities funded by the UCSC Admissions Office, which encourage students
to attend UCSC, this new funding supports transfers to any UC campus.
"Of course, we will be thrilled if they choose UC Santa Cruz, but that's our
secondary concern," said Greenwood. "Our first priority is to help students
prepare to attend any UC campus."
Increasing the number of students who transfer from a community college to the university
is a goal shared by both institutions. A memorandum of understanding designed to
encourage such transfers was signed in 1997 by Chancellor Thomas Nussbaum of the
California Community Colleges and UC President Richard Atkinson.
The dual admissions program builds on the success of a similar effort begun last
year at Cabrillo College in Aptos. The Student Transfer Education Pathway, or STEP
program, was designed to support the transfer of Cabrillo students to UCSC by offering
them special services.
"As a group, community colleges share many of the same goals, and we're pleased
that our STEP program paved the way for a broader dual admissions initiative,"
said Cabrillo College President John Hurd, who endorsed the Regional Council's efforts.
"The Regional Council provides a needed forum for the discussion of new ideas,
and it allows us to work collectively in partnership with the university."
Other initiatives under consideration include improved articulation services, faculty-to-faculty
professional development opportunities, and earlier identification of students who
are considering transferring. UCSC has agreed to provide full articulation services
at each Regional Council campus annually, which means that each community college
course will be evaluated to see if students can count the course as a prerequisite
for a UC major and if it fullfills a UCSC general education requirement.
Members of the Regional Council will meet two or three times a year, and a working
group is meeting on an ongoing basis.
