NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: November 17, 2021
For further information contact:
Ryan Brown:
Email: ryan.brown@sjeccd.edu
Local Community Colleges Among Leaders in Supporting Transfer Students
Evergreen Valley College, San José City College honored for their success at enrolling and graduating Associate-Degree-for-Transfer-earners and closing racial/ethnic equity gaps.
(San José, Calif.) — During its annual Champions of Higher Education for Excellence in Transfer awards ceremony this week, the Campaign for College Opportunity honored Evergreen Valley College (EVC) and San José City College (SJCC) as statewide leaders in supporting the transfer goals of students.
The two colleges were recognized for significantly increasing the number of students earning an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), an instrumental pathway that has streamlined the transfer process and made it easier for students to earn a bachelor's degree after completing an associate degree program.
Though transfer is often thought of as a two-year process, only 2.5 percent of California Community College students transfer after two years, and only 23 percent after four years.
The Associate Degree for Transfer is designed to ensure that students are able to seamlessly transfer without accumulating excess units and spending more time and money on their education than necessary. Touted as "A Degree with a Guarantee," students graduating with an ADT are guaranteed admission and junior standing into the California State University system.
Evergreen Valley College was honored as a 2021 Champion of Higher Education for Excellence in Transfer. It was one of just 12 community colleges across California to earn this distinction.
Racial equity gaps persist in transfer rates between Latinx and Black students and their peers. Because of this, the Campaign for College Opportunity developed an equity measure that assesses how Latinx and Black students are accessing and earning an ADT relative to the campus average.
Due to the strong performance of Latinx and Black students on its campus, San José City College was honored as a 2021 Equity Champion for Excellence in Transfer for Black and Latinx Students for working with intentionality to support Black and Latinx students through the Associate Degree for Transfer. It was one of just six community colleges in the state to receive this award.
Meanwhile, both EVC and SJCC were recognized as 2021 Equity Champions for Excellence in Transfer for Latinx Students for their work to support Latinx students through the Associate Degree for Transfer.
"While there is still much work to be done to ensure that all students who want to transfer to a four-year university have the opportunity to complete that goal, these awards show that the hard work of our dedicated faculty and staff are having a positive impact on the lives of our students, particularly when it comes to closing the equity gap and achieving positive educational outcomes," said San José – Evergreen Community College District Chancellor Byron D. Clift Breland.
To learn more about how the honorees are selected, visit the Campaign for College Opportunity website.