Campus Stepchildren

California’s community colleges, the stepchildren of the state’s respected system of higher education, need and deserve all the help that Sacramento can give them. A legislative package, sponsored by Assemblyman John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara), would do just that, with a needed infusion of $100 million that has some useful strings attached.

In addition to new money, the measure, AB 1725, would shore up the community colleges’ leadership by strengthening the board of governors and raising the quality of the faculty by revising the tenure process and limiting the use of part-time faculty members. In the end the bill might also change the antiquated financing formula based on attendance. The bill, which awaits action by the Senate Appropriations Committee, deserves the support of the lawmakers and the governor.

Gov. George Deukmejian has strongly supported the University of California and the state universities. He has in the past nearly run out of generosity by the time he got to the two-year colleges. The reform package provides a good opportunity for him to make amends. By supporting it, he can help both the colleges and California by increasing the population of better educated citizens, expanding its well-trained labor force and increasing the number of taxpayers who will more than repay the investment in them over the years.

More than 1 million Californians are enrolled at community colleges. Their campuses offer both academic and vocational programs that respondto the needs of students and local economies. The schools also prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Low fees allowlarge numbers of adults to attend college, if only by sampling one class at a time.

But the quality of education at some colleges has recently raised a number of questions. How many students complete the vocational training or the academic courses? How many go on to receive a bachelor’s degree? What is expected of students at community colleges, particularly of those who did not complete high school or who do not speak English fluently? The dropout statistics, the low transfer rate, the complaints by students and faculty members all indicate that modifications are in order.

Lack of funding, the chief complaint by trustees who set policy, does indeed cause major problems like inadequate counseling. A misguided allocation of resources, an inflexible bureaucracy and an aging and uneven faculty protected by tenure depending on the campus also spell trouble forthe community colleges. The problems are well documented.

The recommendations abound. The Master Plan Review Commission, a citizens’ group that studied post-secondary education in California, has made solid suggestions. The Legislature’s joint committee has also weighed in, as have the Little Hoover Commission and other experts. More study is not needed.

The Vasconcellos measure won’t fix everything that is wrong with the community colleges. But the strings attached to the money would help make community colleges a better place to start toward a college degree. The Legislature and the governor should support the community-college reform bill in principle, and with $100 million.