Kern Community College District & California Community Colleges

Lighting the Way to a New Economy

Presented byMichele Bresso, Associate Vice Chancellor

California Community Colleges

• Defined by the Educational Master Plan• Tuition free• Open access– Admit any student who can benefit from

instruction• Provide academic and vocational instruction

for older and younger students

Early Years

Community Colleges Early years• Many missions evolved– Transfer– Degree & certificates– Workforce training– Basic skills– Lifelong learning– Educational enrichment– Self-discovery

California Community Colleges

• 112 colleges in 72 districts• Over 2.6 million students– CSU: 360,000 students– UC: 183,000 students

• Local comparison:– Bakersfield College: 17,700 students• Over twice the number of CSUB undergraduate

students

Today

Community Colleges Today

• Narrower mission– Transfer– Workforce training– Basic skills instruction

Community CollegesToday

• Less funding per student than any California public education system

• CCs are funded at:– 65% of K-12– 46% of CSU– 26% of UC

Community Colleges Today

• Community colleges make their mark daily by providing– Trained workers for middle skills jobs– Services essential to the health and

welfare of our state and communities• For example . . .

Did you know?• 80% of safety personnel are

credentialed at community colleges– Firefighters– Law enforcement officers – EMTs

Did you know?

• 70% of nurses in California are trained at community colleges

Did you know?

• Community college transfer students make up 48% of UC’s STEM graduates

Did you know?

• 24% of community college students nationwide are in California

Did you know?

• Over half of California’s veterans who are receiving GI benefits are at community colleges

Kern Community College District

• Our three colleges

PORTERVILLE COLLEGE

Kern Community CollegeDistrict

• About 21,000 FTES– BC accounts for about 2/3– PC & CC combined = 1/3

• Almost 25,000 square miles– Serving parts of 5 counties

Kern Community CollegeDistrict

• Our student body:– Hispanic – 45.6%– White – 37.8%– African American – 6.6%– Asian – 5.1%– Two or more races – 2.4%– Native American – 1.4%

Kern Community CollegeDistrict

• Demographics:– Female –56%

• Age– 24 or younger – 55%– 25-39 – 30%– 40 & older – 15%

Kern Community CollegeDistrict

• Annual unrestricted budget– $95 million

• Projected 2012-13 budget represents a 14.86% decline in funding over 5 years– Of that projected decline, nearly half

will result if Governor’s tax initiative-- Prop 30--does not pass

Bakersfield College

• Founded in 1913 at BHS– Today: Panorama Campus &

Delano Center– New Veterans Center– Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning

• Bakersfield College partners with businesses– STEM, nursing, agriculture & more

Porterville College

• Founded in 1927• Well connected with area schools• Impacting the community with

strong programs in– Nursing– Psychiatric technician– Firefighting

Cerro Coso Community College

• Founded in 1973• 18,500 square miles of service area– Ridgecrest & Edwards AFB– Kern River Valley & California City– Bishop & Mammoth

• Grant partnerships in engineering, health, renewable energy

• Pioneer of distance learning

Career Pathways in KCCD

• Agriculture & Natural Resources• Art, Media & Communication• Business, Management & Technology• Engineering & Industrial Technology• Health Services & Child Development• Administration of Justice

Challenges

• Funding• Narrowing to core mission– Fewer course choices– More direct path to completion

Challenges

• Costs of Career/Tech Ed (CTE) programs– Example: Nursing Program’s Sim Man

$80,000

Challenges

• Broad mission while…– Low funding– Increased expectations for success/completion

• 70% of students not college ready– English & Math deficient – As many as 5 levels below college transfer

• Many are not workforce ready

How You Can Help

• Provide funding or opportunities– Internships– Work experience– Donations of equipment & supplies– Program sponsorship

How You Can Help

• Support student clubs• Mentor students in your career field

Most importantly…

• Engage in public/private partnerships with Kern Community College District

Kern Community College District & California Community Colleges

Lighting the Way to a New Economy

Michele Bresso, Associate Vice Chancellormbresso@kccd.edu