There are 72 community college districts and 112 community colleges in CA. Under the state’s Master Plan for Higher Education, community colleges have offered an open door to anyone who wanted to attend.

A new task force suggests that after years of state funding cuts, however, community colleges can no longer be all things to all people.

The task force makes 22 recommendations, focusing on student readiness and graduate rates. These include creating a statewide assessment system so that students can take classes at different community colleges without taking a placement test at each campus, requiring students to declare a program of study early in their academic career, creating an inline advising system that helps students keep track of progress toward their goals, and cutting off fee waivers of students who are persistently failing or dropping courses.

Jennifer Kuhn, Deputy Legislative Analyst and expert on education at the non-partisan CA LAO and Dr. Brice Harris, Chancellor of the CA Community College System, comment on this episode of the Maddy Report.

ORIGINAL AIR DATE: APRIL 29, 2013

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