Cuesta College praises President Obama’s community college proposal
Cuesta College Superintendent/President Gil Stork issued the following statement on President Obama’s Promise proposal:
Cuesta College is very excited that investing in community colleges is being discussed on a national scale. The president’s plan to provide free tuition for eligible students to attend community colleges nationwide should create much-needed dialog. We look forward to the process and will be reviewing the proposal in more detail.
Gil Stork
As part of the proposal, community colleges must offer “1) academic programs that fully transfer credits to local public four-year colleges and universities, or 2) occupational training programs with high graduation rates and lead to in-demand degrees and certificates. Community colleges must also adopt promising and evidence-based institutional reforms to improve student outcomes.”
California Community Colleges, and Cuesta College in particular, are already working on improving these goals. The new Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) deliver programs specifically for students transferring to the California State University system. Cuesta College is a leader in these new degrees with 22 associate degrees for transfer available- the second highest amount out of all 112 community colleges in California.
With a focus on our economic recovery, funding for workforce development has also been a priority of the state and Community College Chancellor’s Office. Cuesta received one of the state’s Career Pathways Grants, receiving $600,000 over a four-year period to develop career pathways in college programs at the high school level. Cuesta College also has a robust Career Technical Education program, with nationally ranked programs such as welding and auto technology, and highly sought after programs like Nursing and Psychiatric Technician.
Additionally, in its commitment to increase transfer and degree and certificate attainment, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors has established the Student Success Scorecard, a performance measurement system that tracks student success at all 112 community colleges. Cuesta is responding with our own Student Success strategies, including new degree tracking software and the recently implemented and highly successful Student Success Fair, which allows students a one-stop-shop of available student services.
Currently, Cuesta College offers a Promise Scholarship, which has no GPA requirement and provides a fee-fee first year to all newly graduated San Luis Obispo County high school students. The president’s plan requires a GPA of at least a 2.5. Because we already have a fee-free opportunity in place, we are uniquely situated to take advantage of any opportunities this new plan may present.
Community colleges are essential to providing the workforce necessary to sustain and improve the economy, and we look forward to learning more about the President’s proposal and how it can further the mission of Cuesta College and the promising future it could provide for San Luis Obispo County.
