College try more complicated this year

Marisa O’Neil

Community colleges are bracing for an influx of would-be UC and

California State students despite Democrats’ vows in Sacramento last

week to fight Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to redirect students

to junior colleges first.

Under Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget, the UC and California

State systems must turn away nearly 10,000 eligible freshmen but can

offer them guaranteed admission after completing required courses at

a California community college. Coast Community College District

officials fear the program, called the Guaranteed Transfer Option,

may put additional strain on schools already experiencing budget

problems of their own.

“We are struggling to make as many classes as we can available to

the students we currently serve,” district spokeswoman Erin Cohn

said. “If we have an influx of students redirected from UC, we have

to make sure we have enough services.”

Last week, Assembly Democrats gathered with redirected students

and faculty to denounce the governor’s proposal. They said they would

not pass a budget that contains such provisions.

“We must provide access and opportunity for our children,”

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) said in a press

release. “By denying qualified students the right to attend a

university, particularly after guaranteeing they would be admitted if

qualified, we’re denying access and we’re shattering their dreams.

This is simply unacceptable.”

Two weeks ago, the state Senate budget subcommittee on education

voted to restore $500 million to higher education, which would

restore thousands of student spaces at Cal State and UC campuses. The

full Senate budget committee will consider the recommendation later

this month.

But thousands of qualified prospective students have already

received their redirection letters, leading community colleges to

wonder how to deal with the potential crush.

Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget promises 3% more funds this year

to community colleges to compensate for typical enrollment growth.

But with baby boomers’ children already bringing more freshmen to

college campuses, the redirected students will put a strain on

community colleges that have already been forced to cut the number of

courses offered, Cohn said.

Orange Coast College has had to cut 1,500 class sections in the

past few years. They were able to bring back 55 this spring and hope

to maintain that level or add some more.

Community colleges are lobbying for more money for the additional

classes, counselors and other services redirected students will need,

said Scott Lay, director of state budget issues for the Community

College League of California. If granted, the increase could help

them accommodate about 7,200 additional students, but that still may

not take up all the extra slack.

“[Next year] is going to be a challenge,” Lay said. “Students may

expect that if they get a [redirect] letter from UCI and have to go

to OCC, they’re going to jump to the front of the line and get all

their classes. But they may not get the first class they want because

we have to treat all students the same.”

CRUNCHING STUDENTS

The governor’s budget projects that 7,000 students will take the

guaranteed transfer option, said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the

state’s department of finance. Between increased student fees and

budget allocations, the state’s community colleges will be able to

accommodate an additional 86,000 students, he said.

But for the current 2003-04 school year, about 15,000 students are

unfunded, Lay said. That means local districts have to absorb the

extra costs by laying off faculty. For Coast Community College

District, that may mean ending up back on a state fiscal watch list.

The district is off the list right now but just voted to give

substantial raises to its chancellor, presidents and vice

chancellors.

Traditionally, students qualify for UC admission based on their

grades in college prep classes and standardized test scores on a

statewide numerical index. They could also become eligible if they

ranked in the top 4% of their own high school or scoring extremely

well on standardized tests.

Under the state’s Master Plan for education, UC is meant to admit

the top 12.5% of the public high school graduating class and

California State to admit one third. Because of competition,

individual campuses conduct a more thorough comprehensive review of

all aspects for admission.

California State campuses are expected to redirect 3,800 students

to community colleges but have not yet notified those students.

In all, the UC system admitted 47,000 students, some 2,500 were

offered winter or spring 2005 admission, and an additional 1,100 were

referred to UC Riverside’s engineering program, said UC spokesman

Hanan Eisenman.

Another 7,600 students got letters informing them they could

participate in the Guaranteed Transfer Option. Students must let the

campuses know by today if they intend to participate in the program.

“We’re pleased to continue to accept so many students but regret

we cannot take all who are qualified,” Eisenman said. “We hope it is

a very temporary situation.”

UCI reduced its freshman enrollment by about 2,000 students this

year, said Marguerite Bonous-Hamarth, director of admissions. More

than 33,000 applied, nearly 17,000 were accepted and 2,000 were given

the Guaranteed transfer option.

THE REALITY

Telling students they can finish their general course of study in

two years at a community college may be optimistic, Cohn said.

“That’s easier said than done,” Cohn said. “You have to make sure

you get the classes you need and the counseling you need so you’re

not wasting classes, just taking ones that transfer to your college

of choice.

“There’s not enough counselors to go around [at Coast campuses] as

it is.”

As of last week, Bonous-Hamarth said only about 95 of the 2,000

UCI students had expressed their intent to accept the delayed

admission.

UC officials have set up a website for students to track their

progress toward their anticipated transfer and is working closely

with the community college campuses, she said. At Orange Coast

College, the transfer center is identifying the redirected students

early so they can stay on track.

“We decided it’s better for us to know who they are up front,”

said Cheryl Jupiter, transfer center director. “We want to make sure

they understand what UC will want. They weren’t thinking about

community college, so we’re here to help them.”

Jupiter advised that students who plan to attend OCC in the fall,

whether they are part of the redirected population, should enroll at

the school as soon as possible. Students who apply now will have an

equal shot at getting an early slot to register and get classes they

want.

After mid-June, she said, new students will have to get in line

behind those who already have their registration times scheduled.

Some students have already attended freshman orientation.

“Apply to the community college of your choice as soon as possible

so you can get oriented and get assistance in selecting classes,”

Jupiter said.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].