Every day at Compton College, I witness the incredible potential of our students. Many of them come to us as their stepping stone with dreams of transferring to four-year institutions to complete their higher education journey.
And yet.
Transferring to a four-year institution is far from clockwork. We know that many community college transfer students are often required to repeat coursework; some need help completing transfer-level English and math, while others are flat-out denied entry into some four-year institutions. It begs the question: Why are we creating barriers to education, especially for community college students who are disproportionately low-income, more likely to work at least part-time, and are just as deserving of the benefits of higher education as anyone else?
It is my hope that, especially in light of SCOTUS’ decision to reverse affirmative action, this long-standing issue can see a renewed urgency among unapologetic leaders. We cannot streamline postsecondary transfer pathways without your help.
In particular, there is an opportunity for leaders to step in and become more relevant than ever before. At Compton College, we have committed to streamlining transfer pathways to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and our local California State University (CSU), Dominguez Hills, that I’d like to offer as a framework.
Our partnership with CSU Dominguez Hills is designed to improve education outcomes for students and their families through self-determination and hard work. Our collaboration focuses on increasing the number of students who transfer to CSU Dominguez, increasing the number of students who enroll in cross-enrollment, where students can take CSU Dominguez Hills classes while enrolled at Compton College for just $10 and utilize their library for free. We also regularly host CSU Dominguez Hills staff, who come on campus to meet with potential new students.
And we don’t stop there. We developed academic program maps for our students, clearly stating for Compton College students the courses they would take at CSU Dominguez Hills to complete their educational goal. Someday, we will build housing at CSU Dominguez Hills for Compton College students.
For the naysayers who think they couldn’t do this on their campus, look at what a whole state can do. The California Community College system, in partnership with a selected group of HBCU partner institutions, offers guaranteed admission for students who complete the Chancellor’s Office program. The partner HBCUs will:
- Accept completed transfer-level community college courses
- Allow students to share a free, single application for up to four participating partner HBCUs
- Offer priority consideration for housing
- Strongly consider CA transfer students with a 3.2 GPA or higher for a transfer scholarship
- Provide pre-admission advising
Community college students come from diverse backgrounds, and the policies that make transfer difficult unduly affect these students and stand counter to any commitment to racial equity. When we talk about inclusivity in education, it’s not just about admitting students to our institutions. It’s about ensuring every student gets a fair chance to progress to their desired academic goal, irrespective of where they began.
A transparent transfer pathway requires community colleges and universities to work in tandem. This effort can go beyond transfer processes to include collaboration on curriculum alignment, development of joint basic needs programs/services, joint faculty development and shared resources, which can significantly enhance the quality of higher education overall.
It’s game time, so let’s get to work. We are in a pivotal moment in the history of higher education. We must reevaluate and recalibrate our approaches to align with our collective commitment to equity, inclusion and excellence.