California community college degree and transfer rates are too low and must increase or face losing state budget funds, said proponents of a new state law signed Sept. 28 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Opponents like the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers, which represents college professors, worry how the bill will affect already underfunded campuses.
“The motivation behind the bill (Senate Bill 1143) is that we have a lot of students going to community colleges and not completing with a certificate or a degree,” Suzanne Reed, California state Sen. Carol Liu’s chief of staff said. “Only 29 percent of community college students who enter the system in pursuit of a certificate or degree or to transfer to a four-year institution advance after seven years.”
Surviving five amendments during its six-month journey through the Legislature, SB 1143 introduced by Liu, awards funds to colleges whose students complete the most degrees and certificates, based on the school’s enrollment.
Funding for community colleges is based on the number of full-time students counted in the third week of the term. The original bill would have required a census in the third week and again at the end of the term to get more of an indication of completion averages, changing the funding formula.
“We were successful in defeating the original bill,” said LRCFT President Dean Murakami. “We didn’t want the bill to cause unintentional harm by, one, taking money from colleges in disadvantaged regions, and, two, lowering educational standards by rewarding troubled districts for increased completion rates for just passing students through to graduation, essentially, performance-based funding.”
In addition, this capsule cures physical fatigue great link viagra from uk and makes men active and healthier. Sound medical advice, however, is necessary before testosterone-based pills or patches are employed cheapest viagra tabs as enhancers female libido methods. It helps them cialis price brand try over here now making their physical relation satisfactory for them and their partners too. What’s the cialis tab outlook? The risk for impotence can enhance along age because of naturally decreasing levels of testosterone.
It is uncertain when the final SB 1143 will go into effect, but the decision will be made once a task force made up of California community college representatives reports in March 2012 on the best implementation.
“The Community College League of California and the California Community College State Chancellor’s office opposed the bill on that basis, [completion-based funding] so, we entered into extensive discussions with them,” Reed said. “[The CCLC and CCCSC] proposed that there be a study and a task force created with experts from the field: nationally, within and from outside the institutions and that faculty, students, and administration are also represented.”
Formation of the task force was set for discussion during the Consultation Council meeting held on Oct. 21 at the State Chancellor’s office.
“We will come together as a representative body of all community colleges to discuss: how to measure student success, degree completion rates, alternative models in other states, other funding mechanisms, and how to best implement services for increased student success,” Murakami said.
For more information about SB 1143, visit the “Faculty Association of California Community Colleges” website here or “Liu’s” website here.
