For years, California State University has been blocking community colleges from granting bachelor’s degrees.
On Tuesday, California community colleges urged the Board of Governors to approve sixteen blocked degrees. One degree for land stewardship and sustainability in West Valley College in San Jose has been blocked since 2023.
Students, faculty, and officials shared their frustrations with the delay. Officials emphasized that the programs were rigorously designed to be different from what’s offered at CSU.
They cited an analysis from the nonprofit WestEd, which found that many of the blocked degrees would serve students not reached by CSU.
The Board did not take action, but some members said they support approving the degrees.
