Source: Cypress College Press Release
For the second year in a row, Cypress College has been named a 2022 Equity Champion of Higher Education for Latinx Students for its successful work supporting Latinx students through the successful attainment of an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).
Conferred by The Campaign for College Opportunity, the award recognizes California higher education institutions that lead the state in awarding a high percentage of ADTs to its Latinx students. Cypress and other honorees will be recognized at the 2022 Champions of Higher Education for Excellence in Transfer celebration on November 1, 2022, at 10 a.m. on Zoom.
"At Cypress College, 49% of our students identify as Hispanic or Latinx and we have worked with a laser focus to find ways to ensure our students feel welcomed, included, and supported," said Cypress College President Dr. JoAnna Schilling."
Cypress is one of 14 community colleges and eight California State Universities recognized as 2022 Equity Champions of Higher Education for Latinx Students that saw at least 65 percent of their Latinx associate degree-seeking students successfully earn an ADT. The Campaign for College Opportunity also named eight other community colleges and California State Universities as Equity Champions in Higher Education for Excellence in Transfer and Equity Champions of Higher Education for Black Students.
"We celebrate the 30 California Community Colleges and California State Universities that are truly transforming transfer for students," said Jessie Ryan, executive vice president of the Campaign for College Opportunity and former community college transfer student. "The ADT gives students struggling with a complicated transfer maze a clear path to success, and we commend each campus for their dedication to making this the preferred pathway for students across the state."
Cypress College joins the other 2022 Equity Champions of Higher Education for Latinx Students for working with intentionality to support Latinx student success in attaining ADTs.
Though transfer is often thought of as a two-year process, under three percent of students in California Community Colleges transfer after two years, and only 23 percent after four years.
In 2010, with then-California State Senator Alex Padilla, the Campaign for College Opportunity sponsored historic transfer reform legislation that created a clear pathway for students to earn an associate degree with guaranteed admission and junior standing into the California State University (CSU) system. The ADT has ensured students can transfer without accumulating excess units, saving them time and money.
To date, California Community Colleges have awarded over 426,000 ADTs. Transfer students with an ADT who enroll in the CSU on a guaranteed pathway are more likely to graduate and accumulate fewer units, earning their bachelor's degree in less time compared to other students.
Get specifics on award categories and how the honorees were selected.