California Community Colleges

The California Community Colleges is a system of schools in the U.S. state of California where people can go to learn after high school. It includes a group called the Board of Governors and 73 different areas that each have their own colleges. Right now, these areas run 116 colleges where students can study.

This system is the largest system of higher education in the United States, and it is the third largest in the whole world. It helps more than 1.8 million students learn new things every year. Even though its name says “Colleges” — which is more than one — the laws in California always talk about it as one single group.

The California Community Colleges is part of something called the California Master Plan for Higher Education. This plan includes three big groups of schools in California: the California Community Colleges, the University of California, and the California State University. Each of these groups has its own leader and a group of people who help make decisions. The leader of the California Community Colleges is called the Chancellor, and there are also leaders for each college chosen by people who live in the local areas.

History

The junior college movement

In the early 1900s, two important people helped start junior colleges in California. They were Professor Alexis F. Lange from the University of California, Berkeley, and David Starr Jordan from Stanford University. They believed junior colleges could handle basic college courses, letting universities focus on more advanced studies.

In 1907, a law called the Upward Extension Act allowed creating junior colleges. This helped students in faraway places like Amador County, who could now take the first two years of college without moving far. In 1910, Fresno High School became the first to use this law, starting what is now Fresno City College, the oldest community college in California.

California quickly became a leader in junior colleges. By 1915, eight of the nineteen junior colleges in the United States were in California.

Junior college districts

In 1921, a new law helped form separate areas called junior college districts to run these schools. This was the first law in the United States to let local communities control junior colleges instead of universities.

However, there were some problems at first. For many years, junior colleges were run in different ways, causing confusion. Some were part of regular school districts, while others were in their own districts. This changed over time, and by 1927, junior colleges were separated from teacher colleges.

In 1921, Modesto Junior College became the first to be run by its own district, followed soon by Riverside Junior College and Sacramento.

Growth and transformation

In the 1930s, a study suggested that junior colleges should focus more on teaching useful skills instead of just preparing students to move to four-year universities. This helped junior colleges grow during tough economic times by offering classes that helped people get jobs right away.

From 1933 to 1939, many new junior colleges opened in the United States, with California leading the way in career training programs. By 1950, there were 50 junior colleges in California.

The Master Plan for Higher Education

In 1960, California created a big plan for higher education. This plan made sure that every student who wanted to go to college could find a place close to home. It also said that junior colleges should be run by local boards.

In 1961, a new law finally decided that all junior colleges would be run by their own districts, not by regular school districts.

Formation of a statewide system

In the 1960s, a state senator wanted to make sure junior colleges were part of a statewide system. In 1967, a new law changed the name from "junior colleges" to "community colleges" and created a board to oversee them. This made sure every area in California had a community college district.

Continued evolution

The Master Plan said that public higher education should be free, like elementary and high school. But because of money problems, California started charging fees for students. These fees change depending on the state’s budget.

New colleges keep opening. Moreno Valley College and Norco College joined in 2010. Clovis Community College opened in 2015, and Compton College reopened in 2017. In 2019, Calbright College started as an online college. The latest college to open is Madera Community College, recognized in 2020.

The system can add up to 30 bachelor’s degree programs each year thanks to a law from 2021.

Governance

The California Community Colleges are led by a group called the Board of Governors. This board has 17 members who represent the public, teachers, students, and staff. They are chosen by the governor of California. The board meets seven times a year, mostly in Sacramento, with a few meetings in Southern California.

The Chancellor's Office in Sacramento helps run the system. It gives out money from the state and supports the colleges. The Chancellor suggests new rules to the Board and helps carry out the board's decisions.

Students also have a say in how things are run. They can form groups to plan events and raise money, as long as college leaders approve. There is a big group called the Student Senate for California Community Colleges that represents all students. It has leaders from each college who meet to decide what the group supports and elect new leaders.

Campuses

Main article: List of California Community Colleges

The California Community Colleges is a system of schools in the state of California. It has a group called the Board of Governors that helps manage it. Right now, there are 73 different areas that each run one or more colleges. Altogether, these areas operate 116 colleges where students can study and learn new things.

Students

The California Community Colleges help about 1.8 million students learn important skills for jobs. These schools teach people to become nurses, firefighters, police officers, welders, auto mechanics, airplane mechanics, and construction workers. This type of training is called career technical education (CTE), and it gives students the skills they need for these careers.

In 2017, California worked to change people's minds about these jobs. The state wanted to help one million workers get jobs that need some education after high school, but not a four-year degree. Some people still think these jobs are dirty or low paying, but events like Manufacturing Day show students what these jobs are really like and how important they are.

Enrollment

Main article: List of California Community Colleges by enrollment

Enrollment statistics show how many students go to college. There are also numbers about how many men and women go to college.

Faculty and staff

The California Community Colleges had many employees in 2006 — about 89,500 in total. Most teachers were not permanent; only about 30% had long-term positions. Temporary teachers earned different amounts depending on what kind of class they taught.

Salaries for teachers and staff changed depending on where they worked. On average, long-term teachers made about $78,500, but some made as little as $64,883 and others as much as $90,704. Administrators made more, with averages around $116,855.

Accreditation

In 2006, Compton College in Compton, California lost its special approval to operate. It was then joined with a nearby college called El Camino College and became known as "El Camino College Compton Center." Later, in 2017, Compton College became its own college again.

In 2013, City College of San Francisco was told that it might lose its special approval to operate. Leaders worked hard to fix the problems, and by 2017, the college was fully approved again for seven more years.