California community colleges should introduce bachelors in select fields. Steps should be taken to make getting a baccalaureate as easy as possible. Colleges like those within the SMCCCD district should consider expanding existing associate’s programs, along with other options, in order to give more people a better, more economically sound, shot at a college degree.

Most community colleges work as a stepping stone, allowing people from all walks of life to get an associate’s degree or work for a transfer to a CSU, UC, or other college.

Skyline does an amazing job at this. Not only does it work as a solid educational facility, but also acts as a great social hub, where you can meet with a variety of people and have a good time. However, some think that our college, and others like it, should do more.

A report from UCLA asks for the “strategic” creation of certain bachelor degree programs across California community colleges. It claims this should be done in order to help people from minority and marginalized groups across the state attain a full college degree.

Skyline already offers a bachelor’s program. Students can earn a bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Care, but we are not the only ones. A total of 21 Community Colleges in California offer a bachelor’s degree of some kind.

For these reasons, I see no issue with UCLA’s idea. While it is not recommended that we would expand our degree roster wide enough to challenge any of the local UCs or CSUs, adding a few extra degree programs could potentially be very helpful to the local community. Allowing people to more easily get a bachelor’s and join the workforce, all while staying local.

Even if schools decide not to go all the way with this plan, there are other steps that can be taken. As mentioned earlier Community Colleges can lead to four years. Skyline College already has a program for this. It offers many Associate Degrees for Transfer, or AA-T for short. As suggested by the name these degrees allow people to easily transfer to a CSU or UC after graduation.

Another option for student success could be simply to bring the four years to us. An article from SFGATE in 2000 mentions San Francisco State University Classes being held in Canada College. I can’t think of a better way to bring education to the community.

This program and others like it, if implemented, can be a net benefit for the state of California. It can help people get a good education and find an amazing job.

So many people have used community college as a launching point for a better life, and with a little more hard work it can help even more to do the same.