Statewide curricula revamped

EDITOR's NOTE: This article originally published in The Advocate on Oct. 12, 2011. To view original post, visit AccentAdvocate.com.

Two departments altered their curricula to become compliant with a statewide mandate to streamline California community college students to CSU campuses next fall.

Contra Costa College's administration of justice department and speech and communications department now match statewide mandates and course descriptions to meet requirements of California Senate Bill 1440.

Approved last year and set to take effect in fall 2012, SB1440 is a transfer agreement guaranteeing admission and giving priority to students transferring to a local CSU.

The Student Transfer Agreement Reform Act establishes statewide curricula for designated majors, awards associate degrees to eligible transfer students and provides GPA bumps for transfers to non-impacted majors or local California State universities, said Kenyetta Tribble, CCC articulation officer and matriculation services coordinator.

SB1440, written by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Van Nuys), requires each of the 112 community colleges throughout the state to offer at least two majors from a list of 16 uniform programs.

Of those courses and majors offered, students will need to take 60 units at a community college and another 60 at the CSU to graduating with a bachelor's degree in four years.

"The primary (focus) was to make the transfer process as seamless as possible," Padilla's communication director John Mann said. "It allows for as many students who can meet requirements with CSU to be able to do so."

Administration of justice department Chairperson Rick Ramos said SB1440 makes students taking particular courses evaluate them from different perspectives.

"Although it's a department, it's a program thrown together from a multidiscipline approach," Ramos said.

Criminology and research and planning, for instance, would also be looked at from a sociology standpoint, he said.

Part of this, he said, is to appease CSU professors who have different instructional focuses.

"Some CSUs were not particularly happy they were forced to take courses," Ramos said.

His advice for them was, "Just follow the law."

Ramos said he has been working with other department chairpersons to bring their departments in line with the recent law to affect more students.

History major Alfredo Serrano, a member of the CCC speech and debate team, said he would consider changing his major to speech and communications, a new program of study since the act, when SB1440 takes effect at CCC next year.

"There are more benefits by having it, by having that elective," he said. "Guiding you to another place, it's guidance, it's helpful."

There are fears with SB1440, however, which Serrano's teammates vocalized.

"You get kind of pigeonholed and I wouldn't think it promotes diversity," political science major Jonathan Wheat said.

"I appreciate the opportunity to go to whatever school," he said. "Maybe you lose those majors in arts and sciences."

Although SB1440 only addresses transfers to CSUs, Ramos said the University of California system will come into the conversation eventually.

A third member of the debate team, Ariel Silva, said she is waiting for similar legislation to be passed for the UCs before her interest is piqued.

"If it were offered to Berkeley or UCLA, more people would think about that decision," she said. "It would be way more competitive."