“The expansion of this historic agreement creates a tremendous opportunity for our students,” California Community Colleges Interim Chancellor Erik E. Skinner said in a statement. “HBCUs have a reputation for being among the finest and most culturally diverse institutions of higher learning in the nation. We’re thrilled we can expand the pathway for students to embrace all these historic schools have to offer.”
To ease the path of transition for prospective students and participating schools, students must maintain a 2.5 GPA and have completed an Associate’s Degree for Transfer, or similar transfer-level degree, in order to be eligible for the program. Under the terms of the agreement, students transferring to an HBCU will enter at the junior level, and their transferrable credits will be accepted.
A CCCCO spokesperson said in an email that California community college applications had increased for the fall semester at Wiley College, Stillman College, Philander Smith College, and Tuskegee University as a result of the partnership.
Bethune-Cookman University (BCU) is one of the 12 HBCUs that joined the partnership this year. Manicia Finch, BCU director of admissions, said in a phone interview that the university intended to make the most of the relationship.
“We actually had started a pipeline coming out of California some time ago, focusing strategically on going into the high schools, but this is going to open up a whole new avenue for us and give us the opportunity to offer some magnificent programs to transfer students coming out of California,” Finch said. A student has already been accepted to BCU from Victor Valley Community College as part of the transfer partnership, she said.
Finch added that her goal would be to bring 100 to 200 students to BCU from the California Community Colleges System through the transfer partnership. “We’re going to hit the ground running early with this, I’m going to be honest with you,” she said. BCU already recruits students from California, Finch said, and developed a pipeline program with some California high schools. The transfer partnership with community colleges would open up new opportunities for BCU and prospective students alike, she added.
