New California Community Colleges Agreement with Private Colleges and Universities Marks Major Expansion of Associate Degree for Transfer Program
Publish Date: July 26, 2018
New California Community Colleges Agreement with Private Colleges and Universities Marks Major Expansion of Associate Degree for Transfer Program
Under a new agreement signed today by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), California community college students pursuing an Associate Degree for Transfer can receive guaranteed acceptance and a more affordable, seamless pathway to 36 private, non-profit four-year colleges and universities.
Students earning an Associate Degree for Transfer – also known as a ‘Degree with a Guarantee’ – have been assured acceptance to a California State University campus since the 2011-12 academic year, and the new agreement marks a significant expansion of the program since its inception. California community college students with such a degree will now be guaranteed that prior coursework will be transferable to private, non-profit four-year institutions ranging from Azusa Pacific University to Whittier College, while also seeing a more streamlined and simplified transfer process.
The Associate Degree for Transfer’s expansion will help the California Community Colleges meet its ambitious goals set forth in its recently adopted Vision for Success (https://foundationccc.org/Portals/0/Documents/Vision/VisionForSuccess_web.pdf link inactive), which, among other things, calls for substantial increases in the number of students transferring to a four-year college or university each year.
“Projections from the Public Policy Institute of California say the state will by 2030 have a shortage of 1.1 million workers holding a bachelor’s degree needed to meet workforce demands,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “The Associate Degree for Transfer program is vital to our economy, and we are proud to work with the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities in providing our students additional opportunities to further their education and help guarantee their chances of achieving upward social mobility.”
The Associate Degree for Transfer has proven a success since its adoption. Nearly half of students with an Associate Degree for Transfer earn a bachelor’s degree from a California State University campus within two years, compared to just 27 percent for traditional transfer students, according to the 2017 Campaign for College Opportunity report.
Participating AICCU schools, as outlined in the agreement, will also collaborate with community colleges in providing pre-enrollment information and advice to interested community colleges students and engage in discussions about potential pathways toward a bachelor’s degree.
“AICCU has been actively engaged with Governor Jerry Brown’s administration and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to open up a guaranteed transfer pathway for community college students to transfer to an independent California institution,” said AICCU President Kristen Soares. “Our commitment today will provide tremendous help toward creating new regional college access opportunities for transfer students to attend an institution that best meets their educational goals and increases their opportunity to succeed.”
The demand is there. One in five of all community college students nationwide are enrolled in a California community college, and approximately seven in 10 California community college students declare transferring to a four-year college or university as their intended goal.
AICCU ADT Participating Institution by Term
Academic Year 2018-2019
Begin accepting applications in fall 2018
- Azusa Pacific University
- Brandman University
- California Baptist University
- California Baptist University Online
- California Institute of Integral Studies
- California Lutheran University
- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Concordia University Irvine
- Fresno Pacific University
- Golden Gate University
- Holy Names University
- Humphreys University
- La Sierra University
- Los Angeles Pacific University
- Mills College
- Mount Saint Mary’s University
- National University
- Pacific Oaks College
- Pacific Union College
- Palo Alto University
- Pepperdine University
- San Diego Christian College
- Simpson University
- University of La Verne
- University of Redlands
- University of Saint Katherine
- University of San Francisco
- Whittier College
Begin accepting applications in spring 2019
- Marymount California University
- Notre Dame de Namur University
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Saint Mary’s College of California
- University of the West
- Westmont College
- William Jessup University
Academic Year 2019-2020
(Begin accepting applications in fall 2019)
John Paul the Great Catholic University
About AICCU
The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) is comprised of 78 private nonprofit colleges and universities, which make up the Independent California Colleges and Universities (ICCU) sector. The ICCU sector plays a pivotal role in the development of the state's model higher education offerings and in making California a symbol of innovation across the globe. Within California, ICCU institutions award over 20 percent of all undergraduate degrees and over 50 percent of graduate degrees, making them the largest preparers of California's advanced workforce.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 72 districts and 114 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; degree and certificate pathways; and basic skills education in English and math. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision for Success, a strategic plan designed to improve student success outcomes, increase transfer rates and eliminate achievement gaps. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
