The Significance of the Transfer Mission for the California Community Colleges

This study analyzed the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of California's community college Chief Executive Officers (CEOs or presidents) as they relate to the multiple missions of community colleges and, specifically, the importance, and success of the transfer mission, compared to public data measuring student success, especially transfer rates. Correspondingly, this study attempted to appropriately define and prioritize the fundamental role of the California Community Colleges in increasing the number of students transferring to four-year institutions and to reveal any misalignments in both resources and attitudes relating to the transfer mission. This study sought to understand what, if any, emphasis is placed on the transfer mission at California community colleges and the ways CEOs balance the multiple missions of community colleges and address the open access policies that guide student admission and matriculation. Do the attitudes of CEOs at each college reflect a commitment to improving transfer rates? What is the primary mission of the CCCs-transfer or a balance among all of the missions? Within the context of many missions, do community college CEOs attempt to balance those missions and the associated resources to accomplish the goals for all students? State policymakers need to understand how the transfer mission works at the college level to guide their decisions at a state level. By discovering answers to these fundamental questions, this study may help to inform and influence potential changes in state policy.
About the Author: Dr. Steven Crow is the author of "Community College Administration, Student Centered - Data Driven, A Manual for CEOs, Vice Presidents, Deans, Directors, and Doctoral Students" available in 2017. He has served as a vice president and chief business officer for almost 15 years in the California Community College system. He has served on the Association for Chief Business Officers (ACBO) board representing regions in the north and south and the ACCCA board, the Association of California Community Colleges Administrators, representing the chief business officers. Steve has served on seven accreditation teams to evaluate community colleges including site visit teams, request for substantive change, special financial review task forces, and an accreditation restoration team focusing on the allocation of resources in finance, technology, facilities and human resources. Steve completed his doctorate degree at UC Davis in the Educational Leadership program and has a Master's in Education from Northern Arizona University, a Bachelors of Business Administration from Prescott College, and a Computer Information Systems degree from Yavapai College. He was a full time Faculty Administrator at the University of Reno and has taught as an adjunct instructor at two community colleges, Yavapai and Klamath, a private four-year college, Prescott College, and at Southern Oregon University in the MBA program. Steve believes that improvements to community colleges should be data driven but always student centered.