September 11, 2013 | Written by: Taylor Valmores, Sacramento City College Student and Member of the Student Senate for the California Community Colleges (SSCCC)

Chairman Williams and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. My name is Taylor Valmores and I am a student at Sacramento City College. I also have the pleasure of being a member of the SSCCC as well as a former Student President of Sacramento City.

As a student representative I deal with student concerns and their issues. One of the main concerns that is repeatedly brought to my attention is the trouble that students have figuring out the transfer process. Transfer has long been a core mission of California Community Colleges, yet the complexity of the transfer system only makes it harder for students to succeed. SB 440 helps define a pathway between the entire CCC system to the CSU.

Besides the complexity of the transfer process I would also like to bring to mind the pressure that students face when it comes to their future. Today we are pressured to decide what we want to do earlier every year. But the truth is there are a lot of people who are still 19 like I am and have no clue what they want to do yet. The average college student changes their major 3 times in their college career. The areas of emphasis degrees provide a little more flexibility for students. Many colleges throughout the state, including all of the colleges in the Los Rios District have created area of emphasis degrees and have seen their potential. Area of emphasis degrees helps foster an environment of learning for the sake of learning and not merely a place to earn a degree for a job.

But creating these pathways is only the first step; according to a survey done by students throughout the state as a part of the Community College Completion Corps and the Campaign for College Opportunity, only 30% of more than 400 students surveyed have even heard of these Associate Degrees for Transfer available on their campuses. Outreach to the students as well as student service programs and student resources like counselors are crucial for the success of these new transfer pathways.

Members of the Higher Education Committee, I thank you again for this opportunity to speak before you and I respectfully ask that this committee move this Bill SB 440 through the legislature. I look forward to seeing this committee and the other leaders of this State work towards the education success of all students.

About the Author:

Taylor Valmores is a student at Sacramento City College and member of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC).