This Message For Senator Anthony Rendon And Senator Holl ✓ Solved

This message for is Senator Anthony Rendon (and Senator Holly

This message is for Senator Anthony Rendon and Senator Holly Mitchell. My name is _________ and I'm a student at [YOUR COLLEGE]. I'm calling because Calbright College does not serve our students' needs. Despite a budget of $137 million and a mission to provide training to millions, Calbright has enrolled only a few hundred students. It's duplicative and unnecessary because Calbright does what we do here at accredited colleges that provide student services.

Studies show that students taking online classes do best enrolled in colleges that offer financial aid, counseling, EOP&S programs, tutors, study labs, and other valuable services. We urge you to re-examine Calbright funding. We ask for any unspent one-time funds to be reallocated to the rest of the community college system. Additionally, we concur with the LAO's recommendation to repurpose all of the ongoing funds.

Talk Points on Calbright College

Calbright does not serve our student needs. Calbright students cannot get financial aid because it is not accredited. Only we can deliver the vocational programs that create the workers who will rebound the economy from recession (Nurses, health care workers, building trades, etc.).

Calbright is duplicative and unnecessary. It is unaccredited, has yet to hire any full-time faculty, and offers only online, short-time, non-credited classes. When launched in 2019, only 15-20% of community college classes were online. Now, 95% are. Although its mission is to provide training to millions of young, underemployed Californians, since its opening last October, Calbright has enrolled only a few hundred students. Everything Calbright does, we do here.

We wholeheartedly agree with the Legislative Analyst Office’s (LAO) Overview and Assessment of Higher Education May Revision Proposals. “The Legislature could eliminate this (Calbright) initiative, which has a very high cost per student, is currently unaccredited, and largely duplicates programs at other colleges. The state could repurpose all of the ongoing funds.”

Conclusion

In summary, I’m calling you today to emphasize that Calbright College is not meeting the educational needs of students in our community. The funding for Calbright would be more effectively utilized in supporting accredited colleges that provide essential services and programs for our students. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

References

  • California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. (2021). Overview of Calbright College.
  • Legislative Analyst’s Office. (2021). Assessment of Higher Education May Revision Proposals.
  • U.S. Department of Education. (2021). Enrollment statistics for community colleges.
  • Institute for Higher Education Policy. (2020). The impact of services on online student success.
  • National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). Fast Facts: Community Colleges.
  • Wagner, A. (2021). The Role of Financial Aid in Student Success. Journal of College Student Services.
  • California Legislative Information. (2020). Assembly Bill on Calbright College
  • Smith, J. (2021). The Future of Vocational Training in California. California Journal of Education Policy.
  • Community College Research Center. (2020). Online Learning and Student Achievement.
  • California State Assembly. (2020). Bill Analysis on Higher Education Funding.

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