Cal State harms students in turf war

One of the Legislature’s more innovative new laws allows community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees to meet “unmet workforce needs.” California initiated a pilot program at a few colleges, but lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 927 in 2021 to turn this idea into a statewide policy. The goal is to expand educational opportunities, especially for lower-income students.

Instead of embracing the concept, California State University has resisted its implementation — treating it as an encroachment on its mission rather than an opportunity to make four-year degrees more accessible and affordable. As CalMatters reported, the CSU chancellor’s office believes community colleges are “stepping outside their bounds” with programs that duplicate CSU’s offerings.

That’s shortsighted. California has 116 community colleges and 23 Cal State campuses, so not every aspiring student has a nearby CSU campus. It can be competitive to get accepted at some campuses. A four-year degree at Cal State campuses cost around $30,000, which is three times what it might cost at a community college. The new BA program would only serve a few thousand students, so it won’t lessen Cal State’s appeal.

The law places limits on the number of programs a public community college can offer and requires them to first consult with CSU and UC officials. Cal State has objected to specific offerings, thus using the law’s restriction on duplicative programs to slow the approval process. Half of the states allow community colleges to offer BA degrees.

Ironically, CalMatters notes that Cal State supports a bill to allow those campuses to offer doctoral programs provided they don’t conflict with those offered by the University of California. Not surprisingly, UC has pushed back on that measure. That reinforces the view that there’s no principle at work — but mainly a tussle over bureaucratic prerogatives.

California’s university systems should applaud efforts to expand educational opportunities for everyone. Only a quarter of California high-school students enroll in a four-year degree program, so there’s room for improvement. If Cal State continues its resistance, the Legislature should remove its ability to resist these useful new BA programs.