This brief shows that establishing California Community Colleges as an independent and autonomous entity can help California toward its goal of graduating more students on time with the skills they need for good jobs.
Arcane structures and rules at the state and local levels are preventing good management in our community college system and getting in the way of student success.
For leaders to operate with clear purpose and improved efficiency, the California Community Colleges should be established as an independent and autonomous entity, like the California State University, guided by a Board of Governors.
Our state will graduate more students on time with the skills they need for good jobs if we:
- Give leaders the responsibility and the tools to manage the system effectively
- Ensure that leaders are clearly accountable
California has the largest community college system in the world, yet only three out of ten community college students who intend to earn a degree or transfer are able to do so within six years. Students routinely experience:
- Overcrowding
- Waitlists for popular courses
- Difficulty or inability to transfer credits
Improved accountability is the first step to breaking down barriers to effective decision-making at the college level and giving students what they need.
To learn more, read The Road Ahead: Higher Education, California’s Promise, and our Future Economy.
