Recent news that Allan Hancock College competed unsuccessfully for a four-year viticulture degree speaks loudly of the undaunted future vision that Hancock President Dr. Kevin Walthers and his staff have for higher education in our valley. Hancock competed well in a field of heavyweight multi-campus schools. In the end, we can be proud of Hancock’s competition against highly urban campuses. Great things are ahead for higher education in our valley if we work together and support the vision Dr. Walthers has for the future.
Long before the Community College Board of Governors recently announced the 15 community colleges that would be allowed to offer a specific bachelor’s degree program to their students, Allan Hancock College and the Econ Alliance of Northern Santa Barbara County began working together to determine what the college-going future could look like in Northern Santa Barbara County. Econ Alliance findings and Dr. Walther’s vision paint a far broader canvas than one bachelor’s degree.
A partnership with Allan Hancock College recently resulted in a four-year college/university feasibility study. Results were both gratifying and hopeful for a bright future for Hancock grads.
You may be wondering why we need another four-year school in our region with two thriving, highly successful four-year universities nearby. The very success of these schools has proven to be the answer to this question. Student proximity to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara is not necessarily a good predictor of future admission to these schools. Indeed, these two highly successful universities have now entered the national and international stage and are attracting students from all over the world. Both campuses are highly successful and tremendously over-subscribed. Their success has forced some local students to consider other options.
Unfortunately, the four nearest Cal State University options are all more than 100 miles away. To the northeast are Cal State Bakersfield and Fresno State, while Cal State Northridge and Cal State Channel Islands are the nearest state schools to the south of Santa Maria. The nearest private school to the north is the University of Santa Clara. To the south, the first comprehensive private university is Cal Lutheran. In short, students who do not make the admission cut at Cal Poly or UCSB only have distant options for the fulfillment of their higher-education aspirations.
The above findings, when combined with recent research completed by the Higher Education Institute at UCLA, give one cause for pause. UCLA found that students choosing to attend a four-year university or college, while living at home, do well if they can complete their degree within four to five years. Common sense suggests that the chances local students have for completing a four-year degree while driving more than 200 miles to and from school each day is marginal, and perhaps not even possible. Additionally, 80 percent of Allan Hancock College students surveyed by Econ Alliance indicated they would attend a local four-year degree option if it became a reality. It appears we need to develop such an option to bring hope to those who can only afford to attend school by staying local.
Even more revealing is that Econ Alliance surveys of 310 local Hancock students and 58 sizeable regional employers found students wanting four-year degrees and employers needing employees who have four-year degrees.
These findings raise one telling question: Are local students who seek a four-year degree hampered by the mere fact that they live in Northern Santa Barbara County?
If the answer to this question is “yes,” we as a community must do something about it. Lack of action will only create a new type of brain drain. This drain would not be based upon local talent leaving the area. Rather, it would be caused by local students who want a four-year degree staying here and failing to achieve their goals simply because of where they live. This must not happen!
Dr. Ken Parker is a former Orcutt Union School District Associate Superintendent and Econ Alliance of Northern Santa Barbara County University Attraction Team Chair. He lives in Santa Maria. Send comments to the executive editor at rmiller@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 5, 2015.