In contrast to the silence the greeted the Little Hoover report on higher ed (see the previous post on this blog), a possible effort pushing for California community colleges to become four-year institutions got some attention.
From the LA Times:
California's community college system is considering a controversial
effort to offer four-year degrees, a move designed to boost the number
of students who graduate and are more prepared for the workforce. The change would require
legislation authorizing junior colleges to grant baccalaureate degrees.
Colleges would also need to seek additional accreditation as
baccalaureate-granting institutions. Supporters argue that it would help
to address shortages in workforce training and benefit students in
rural areas without access to a four-year university. But critics, including some community college faculty and officials
from four-year universities, counter that it would represent a dramatic
shift from the traditional mission of the two-year system. They point to
the state's 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, which designated
community colleges as open-for-all campuses for career and transfer
students. The four-year universities were to focus on research and
higher degrees...
Cal State and UC officials said maintaining their respective roles is the best way to serve students...
Full story at http://www.latimes.com/local/le-me-college-degrees-20131015,0,3511251.story
Four is an enticing number:
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