San Diego Mesa College named top “Champion for Excellence in Transfer” in California Community Colleges
PR. San Diego Mesa College ranks top of the California community colleges and California State Universities honored as a “Champion for Excellence in Transfer” for 2016 by the Campaign for College Opportunity. These ten California Community Colleges are producing the largest number of students earning an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) and have demonstrated significant growth in ADT production year over year.
On June 2nd in Sacramento, Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Civil Rights Leader Dolores Huerta, and the Board of the Campaign for College Opportunity along with the California Business Roundtable honored all 13 California community colleges and three CSU campuses who have significantly increased the number of students earning an Associate Degree for Transfer, transferring to a CSU as a junior, and earning a bachelor’s degree. Claudia Estrada, who directs Mesa’s career and transfer program, will receive the award on behalf of Mesa College.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for our efforts to increase transfer pathways and degree completion,” noted Dr. Pamela T. Luster, president. “This reflects the effort and dedication of faculty and staff in both our student services and instructional divisions, and underscores our efforts to be the leading college of equity and excellence.”
Mesa conferred 691 Associate Degrees for Transfer in 2014-15, ranking it first among the 113 California Community Colleges in terms of ADT production. Mesa College grew ADT production by 367 degrees from the 2013-14 academic year, a 113% increase and the largest numeric increase of all community colleges in the state. In 2014-15, Mesa transferred 681 students to the California State University system.
Two other San Diego colleges, Grossmont College and Southwestern College, ranked 9th and 10th.
California’s Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program, established by the STAR Act in 2010, cuts through redundant requirements that created unnecessary hurdles for students seeking to transfer from a California Community College to a California State University (CSU) campus.
Among the largest community colleges in California and the nation, San Diego Mesa College is a fully accredited, comprehensive college serving 25,000 students and offering more than 196 associate degree and certificate programs. In August, 2015, Mesa College became the first California community college to offer a bachelor’s degree.
As the second-largest of California’s 72 community college districts, the San Diego Community College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually through three two-year colleges and San Diego Continuing Education. The three colleges, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College, offer associate degrees and certificates in occupational programs that prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and entry-level jobs. Mesa College also offers a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management. Continuing Education offers noncredit adult education at six campuses throughout San Diego.
