The District is currently vying for a spot on the coveted pilot program of 15 community colleges that will begin offering four-year degrees. The senate bill 850 was recently passed by state legislature.

If a college in the SMCCD is chosen, this program will allow either a bachelor’s in radiation technology at Canada or respiratory therapy here at Skyline.

The availability of a bachelor degree to students at a community college would only enrich the workforce with more skillfully trained staffs. Students who earn a certificate or an associate degree in the health industry often have little room for growth. Having the affordability and flexibility of a baccalaureate program nearby could only foster opportunity.

The idea that granting undergraduate degrees at a two-year college could somehow detract from the prestige of a bachelor’s is to say that a community college is any less than a state school. It’s not. Sure, there could be deficiencies in resources, but the education received wouldn’t be too dissimilar. Currently, as the pilot program is set-up, there will be no program offered at a two-year college that is already offered at a CSU. At the moment, the program is not going to increase student fees overall, but charge $84 per credit for upper division courses, making it incredibly doable for low-income students.

Right now there is not one CSU in the state that offers a four-year degree in respiratory therapy. If someone was interested in pursuing that degree they would have to consider moving to southern California. The closest four-year degree available is from a for profit college that doesn’t have its tuition rates online.

The bill works to fill a void in California’s educational system. Right now there are certificates that allow people to get well-paying jobs in the healthcare industry, but what happens after those people gain experience and want to advance themselves? They’re often held back by the lack of a degree and without an affordable and reasonable option they could end up frozen in their tracks.

The issue at hand is not about what looks best on someone’s mantle; it’s about really working towards educating the people who are hard-working enough to attain a degree.