Continuing Progress: Advocating for Four-Year Community College Degrees

San Diego City College has launched its first bachelor’s degree program, despite opposition from public four-year universities. The community college is now seeking to offer a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a field with high demand and limited availability in public universities. A new bill, SB 895, is paving the way for community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing, potentially lowering costs for students compared to private colleges. The San Diego Community College District is betting on nursing as its next bachelor’s degree program, aiming to address equity and diversity issues in healthcare. Despite opposition from CSU’s, community colleges see an opportunity to fill workforce needs and provide alternative pathways for students. With successful bachelor’s programs already in place at other community colleges in California, the potential for economic impact and increased access to higher education is promising. The chancellor of the San Diego Community College District is optimistic about the benefits of offering bachelor’s degrees at community colleges and sees potential for transformation in higher education and the labor market. The focus is on serving a diverse group of learners who may not have access to traditional four-year universities, while also meeting local workforce needs. By expanding bachelor’s degree programs at community colleges, the hope is to provide more opportunities for students and address critical shortages in fields like nursing.

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Photo credit voiceofsandiego.org