Colleges to Study Low Transfer Rate

Facing a transfer rate that lags behind both state and national averages, Ventura County Community College District officials have agreed to inventory their class schedules to maximize course offerings to university-bound students.

Chancellor Thomas G. Lakin agreed Tuesday night to prepare a report for board members after Trustee Timothy D. Hirschberg scolded his colleagues for previously disregarding what he said is a sub-par number of students moving on to four-year schools.

Hirschberg complained Tuesday that the district lags behind other community colleges in the number of students who eventually transfer to UC or Cal State campuses.

“Being below the state average is abysmal and I think it’s something we need to look at,” he told his board colleagues. “I want our college district to put some thought into why we continue to lag.”

The Center for the Study of Community Colleges concluded in a report released earlier this year that the three local colleges transfer fewer than three in 20 students to a UC or Cal State campus in a typical each year, or just over 14%.

The statewide figure is 19% and the national average is 22%, the study said.

Other board members, however, said the study was inconclusive because it does not adequately define a transfer student, and it fails to account for transfers to private colleges or students enrolled in vocational programs.

“It’s a flawed study,” Trustee Gregory P. Cole said. “To be able to say 19% or 14% (of students transfer) on flawed data is absurd.”

Chancellor Lakin said he would present his report to the board next month.