According to a recent study conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, students at community colleges across the nation are more likely to call it quits when it comes to their education when compared with four-year universities.
The study finds that “joining study groups appeared to reduce a community-college student’s odds of dropping out by approximately 28 percent.”
This study is alarming when compared to Bakersfield College studies of its type. Out of the nearly 15,000 students currently enrolled at BC, more than half of them will drop out within the first year.
“We lose about 55 percent of all our students over the course of one school term,” said Ken Meier, BC vice president. “This is due to a number of factors and is typical of a community college in California. Of the 15,000 students, we typically graduate 800 to 850 students a year. The rest either transfer to a four-year institution, or simply drop out.”
The persistence rate for BC is based on a four-year study conducted from fall 2000 through the fall 2004. BC typically begins its fall term with an enrollment of approximately 15,000 students, and by the spring term, there is a student population of just fewer than 10,000. According to Meier,
“BC is a minority majority institution made up of historically underrepresented minority groups, which has much to do with this alarming dropout rate.
“About 50 percent of all high school students enrolled in Bakersfield-area schools will drop out due to various economic and social adversities. BC has a very rigorous academic program, and many high school students who have never really been challenged in high school come here and are shocked.”
Among the factors found within the national study, “participation in clubs or arts activities, study groups, and frequent interaction with faculty and advisers outside of class were all significantly negatively associated with dropout.”
The study finds this to be true for both part-time and full-time students, those who had low grades, children and worked many hours outside of college.
“There is no doubt in my mind that our dropout rate is far higher than at a four-year institution, but I believe that has much to do with the selectivity of those schools, in comparison to community colleges,” Meier said. “As institutions become less selective, or open campus (such as BC or CSUB), it’s very common to see dropout rates that are higher.”
In an attempt to keep students on track for graduation at BC and properly prepare them for transfer to a four-year institution, BC has created the “60-unit transfer degree,” a newly formed major with the purpose of encouraging transfer-oriented students to transfer early and plan accordingly.
According to Meier, “following the completion of this degree program at BC, you’re almost guaranteed admission to virtually any university of your choice in the Central Valley.”
“One reason we created the ’60-unit degree’ is because it helps students commit to transfer early in order to pursue a structured program at a four-year institution. It is vital that BC students commit to a degree program and know what their career goals are early on,” Meier said.
In addition, the majority of BC students do not complete an Associates degree program because they see its completion to be unnecessary, as many students will either transfer to a four-year institution or simply complete a certificate program, such as the nursing or welding program.
“The majority of students here don’t ever stay long enough (to receive an AA),” Meier said. “Many transfer to a four-year institution before they complete the AA program. I do urge students to pursue and complete the Associates program if they can, because there are national regression studies that show that a student is more likely to persist and succeed at the university level. The longer you stay here, and the more credits you complete at a community college, the more likely you are to have a successful transition to a four-year university.”
According to the Commission of California Community Colleges, BC has a transfer rate of 32 percent, as compared with the rest of the state.
“We not only want our students to succeed at the universities but also have the skills necessary to be lifelong learners,” Meier said.