Benefit Students and Taxpayers by Keeping Career Training Local

In 2018, the California State Legislature set aside $100 million in start-up funding, and promised an additional $20 million annually, to establish a fully-online state community college. The purpose of the new college was to provide underemployed working adults with skills certificates that could lead to middle-income jobs.

After a year in operation, Calbright, the 115th community college in California, has enrolled little more than 450 students in a “beta cohort.” The beta cohort will provide students with basic college skills prior to moving them into a core curriculum that is designed to provide the specific skills that lead to certificates.

Inside Higher Ed, a leading digital media company serving higher education, has recently reported that Calbright has enrolled only 22 students in a core curriculum. Three full-time deans have been hired and are teaching the 22 students. As yet, Calbright has hired no full-time faculty, even though full-time faculty would bring with them vocational education expertise, knowledge of curriculum development and experience with the very population that the college seeks to serve.

Many educational leaders throughout the state believe Calbright is, at best, a misguided attempt to serve an underserved population of adult learners. At worst, it is a waste of taxpayer money and has little hope of enrolling large numbers of low-wage adults, many of whom lack online skills, computers or smart phones. Existing community colleges already provide equivalent courses and work closely with local businesses to develop courses that allow certificate completers to acquire good paying jobs in the communities where they live.

Recently, Calbright’s CEO resigned from the job, a position with compensation in excess of $400,000 annually. This brought a renewed focus on the college and questions about the fully-online model designed solely for low income learners.

As a lifelong community college educator, I have consistently fought for local control. Local colleges provide student support services that takes the most inexperienced learner through every step of enrollment, assessment, counseling and tutoring—and that applies to online students as well as those in the classroom. In addition, the majority of career technical courses require at least some hands-on training and real time feedback. Many online courses at local community colleges blend both aspects.

Studies show that Calbright’s target population—underemployed adults—is less likely to enroll in online training; and the most successful online students are those who already have at least some college. Local community colleges currently have in place the programs, the faculty and the student support that low-income learners need to earn certificates that will lead to better paying jobs.

Online or on campus, local community colleges are best for students and taxpayers.

About the Author:

Dr. Edward C. Ortell is the senior governing board member at Citrus College and a Professor Emeritus at Pasadena City College. He has served on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) state board of directors and 11 terms as president of the Citrus College Board of Trustees.