2009-2014

The California community college system has been struggling financially for some time, with state funding cuts totaling more than $8 million since 2008. Schools have been forced to cut back to the bare bones, with some cutting classes and others raising fees. The passage of Proposition 30 this November promises some relief for those floundering institutions, and community colleges are wasting no time finding ways to spend the extra dollars they are slated to receive in order to provide students with more classes and services they need to succeed.

What is Proposition 30?

Proposition 30, also referred to as the Sales and Income Tax Initiative, was a proposal by California Governor Jerry Brown to raise revenue for various needs throughout the state. The twofold proposal raised the state sales tax from 7.25 percent to 7.5 percent, while also increasing income taxes for those making $250,000 or more. The increases were temporary, with the additional sales tax continuing for four years and the income tax increase slated for seven years. Of the revenues generated by the Sales and Income Tax Initiative, 89 percent would go directly to California public schools. The other 11 percent would be allotted to the state’s community college system. It is estimated that the bill would increase state revenue by $6 billion annually through 2017, and then by smaller amounts through 2019. According to the Los Angeles Times, that calculates out to around $210 million in additional funding for the

California community colleges have been struggling recently, facing dwindling budgets and increasing scrutiny from college regulatory agencies. Governor Jerry Brown has now taken the community college problem into his own hands, signing legislation that will significantly change these higher education institutions. Concerned about the low completion rates the California community college system now faces, Governor Brown focused specifically on laws that would increase the odds of student success at community colleges throughout the state.

The Student Success Act of 2012

One of the key pieces of legislation Governor Brown recently signed into law was the Student Success Act of 2012 or SB1456. The Press-Telegram reports that this bill focused on the state’s community college system to improve completion rates and student success at these institutions. The Student Success Act of 2012 includes several specific measures community colleges must now utilize to help their students succeed in college. Some of the measures include:

• Development of a student education plan to help students plan course schedules accordingly
• The requirement that all incoming students attend an orientation session before taking courses
• Minimum standards for academic success to receive fee waivers
• Creation of a student success report card that will be used to determine future funding
• The addition of an all-new assessment test will help place students in the proper classes

The bill also contains a provision that ensures new community college students can get the courses they need to launch their degree programs. Currently, students in the system

Amid serious issues facing California community colleges today, possible reform is on the horizon. A new bill has passed California state legislators and is currently waiting on the desk of Governor Jerry Brown. The proposed legislation would bring some consistency to the California community college system and require schools in the state to focus on success and completion rates as much as they focus on enrollment and budgets. While the governor hasn’t dropped any clues on how he will go on this new law, those who drafted the legislation are hopeful that it could bring much-needed improvements to the California system if passed.

Student Success Task Force

Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, drafted Bill 1456, or the Student Success Act of 2012. The senator used information compiled by the California Community College Student Success Task Force to create his new bill. According to iJournal, the 20-member task force included faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders in the community college system.

The task force spent seven months examining how to improve success in community colleges while boosting achievement for underserved students. At the end of the year, the task force presented its findings to stakeholders to get additional input on the best ways to utilize this information effectively to improve the community college system in California. After the hearings, the Board of Governors adopted select recommendations to draft the final bill. These recommendations included:

Teach Basic Skills—Many community college students in California are first-generation students who

The Aspen Institute recently released its top 10 finalists for the 2013 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The award, which enjoyed its inaugural year last year, has quickly become the gold standard for community colleges across the country. The 10 schools on this list have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the areas of completion rates, learning outcomes, workforce preparedness, and success of at-risk students. These 10 colleges were selected from more than 1,000 institutions that have received consistently high marks in these four areas throughout the past academic year.

The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence

The Aspen Institute initiated its award program last year, in response to calls by the White House to raise the bar on higher education. Community colleges serve as a practical place for many students, from those graduating from high school unable to afford a four-year university to professionals looking for additional career training. With so much focus placed on the role of community colleges over the past four years, the Aspen Institute established a plan to recognize and reward those schools that set the example and the standard for the rest of the community colleges nationwide.

The Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence recognizes one winner each year, as well as four finalists. Those chosen by the Aspen Institute will split a prize package of $1 million. Last year’s winner, and the first recipient of the Aspen Prize, was Valencia Community College in Orlando,

The start of a new school year is typically an exciting time for college students, filled with new professors, new material, and the promise of progressing further into higher education. However, for California community college students, those first days have been filled with worry and frustration as record numbers have been squeezed out of much-needed courses. Thanks to continued budget cuts throughout the state, more students are missing out on college classes that would help them advance their education and move into careers of their choice. Schools say they have no choice but to spend less, and students feel financial pain.

Tighter Finances All-Around

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that since 2008, the community college system throughout California has received $809 million less in state funding, which makes up around 12 percent of the system’s total budget. When lost funding is combined with the rising costs of running an institution of higher education, the financial deficits become even more pronounced. For example, Diablo Valley College, located in Pleasant Hill, California, has cut around $14 million from its budget since 2009 to compensate for a loss of $5.2 million in state funding and rising operational costs.

The Press-Enterprise states that community colleges nationwide are functioning on at least 12 percent less money than they had during the 2008-2009 academic year. To make up the difference, the entire system has resorted to “workload reductions.” The idea is to preserve services for students still