Calbright College in the crosshairs again & why are most low-income kids still learning from home?
May 7, 2021
Two years after its founding, Calbright College has big ambitions and a distinct mission to serve underemployed adults. But with little to show so far in certificates awarded, the budget cutters in the Legislature are targeting California’s new online community college. This week, Calbright President Ajita Menon lays out a strategic plan and makes the case for why the college needs more time.
Also this week, higher ed reporter Larry Gordon delves into a 3-decade-old question confounding community college students: Why can’t there be a systemwide uniform course numbering system to make it easier to transfer to a CSU and UC campus?
May 7, 2021
Calbright College, the state’s online community college, stands on the edge of a precipice. As it has many times since it was established two years ago, the state’s only exclusively online college is once again fending off pressures from the Legislature to shut it down.
On one side, college leaders say they plan to spend the next couple of years expanding enrollment and building new programs. On the other, some state lawmakers have made it clear that they are eager to close down the college, which they view as too expensive and inefficient.
Meanwhile, observers of the college, students and staff await the results of a state audit that will examine if Calbright meets its goals as set by the Legislature like building employer partnerships, recruiting faculty