California Community Colleges Are Changing
California community college system faced substantial challenges during the pandemic, experiencing a unique and significant blow in enrollment decline. At one point, the state’s community colleges lost approximately 417,000 students, constituting about 18.5 percent of the total student population—a three-decade low for the system. The pandemic forced many community college students, often older individuals balancing work and education, to prioritize their jobs over academic pursuits.
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In response to this unprecedented pressure, community colleges initiated robust marketing campaigns to entice students back. San Diego, for instance, saw widespread advertisements for the San Diego Community College District on billboards, city buses, and trolleys. While enrollment has slightly increased since then, it remains considerably below pre-pandemic levels.
Confronted with this challenge, community colleges have begun adapting through various changes. Some alterations have been programmatic, including the introduction of bachelor’s degrees and more flexible pathways to earning associate degrees. Others have focused on infrastructure improvements, such as attempts to establish on-campus housing, a rarity for community colleges, although funding concerns could impede these plans.
Overall, these adaptations signify a significant shift for the entire community college system. In 2021, California made permanent a pilot program allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees tailored to local workforce needs. This change marked a pivotal moment for a state that prides itself on educational progress. San Diego area community colleges, including Mesa College and Miracosta College, embraced this opportunity, developing degrees during the pilot program, with others following suit in subsequent years.
Despite initial challenges, data on graduates from community college bachelor’s degree programs shows promising outcomes. A majority of graduates found jobs in their fields within three months, experiencing substantial increases in earnings. Of note, a significant percentage of students from special population groups, such as first-generation college students and veterans, reported belonging to at least one such group. Approximately half of the surveyed students stated they wouldn’t have pursued a bachelor’s degree without the community college option.
However, certain restrictions accompany the approval of community college bachelor’s degrees. Colleges are prohibited from offering degrees already available at any public four-year university, limiting their program choices. Nonetheless, proponents like Constance Carroll express confidence that such limitations will eventually be eliminated, aligning with other states like Florida and Washington.
Community colleges are not the only institutions experiencing shifts in degree offerings; CSUs recently gained the ability to independently offer doctoral degrees. The focus, according to advocates like Carroll, should be on serving students and communities rather than territorial concerns.
The pandemic prompted community colleges to shift online, providing valuable insights into student needs. Greg Smith, the new chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, emphasized the importance of flexible educational options, including more online classes and condensed, intensive courses.
Despite these positive changes, challenges persist for community colleges. California’s Master Plan for Higher Education allocates less funding to community colleges than other statewide education systems, posing difficulties for a system expanding its bachelor’s degree programs. With California projecting a substantial $68 billion budget deficit, funding cuts for community colleges seem inevitable, potentially hindering recovery from the pandemic’s enrollment decline. The system, predominantly serving students from communities of color living in poverty, calls attention to underlying inequities that require reconsideration.
In summary, California’s community colleges face a complex landscape of adaptation and challenges, striving to meet the evolving needs of diverse student populations while navigating financial uncertainties.
