BCC noted for both overall high transfer rate to four year universities and as Equity Champion for awarding Associates Degrees for Transfer to Latinx students

The Peralta Community College District is pleased to announce Berkeley City College has been honored twice by the Campaign for College Opportunity, first as 2021 Champion of Higher Education for Associates Degrees for Transfer (ADT) and also as a 2021 Equity Champion of Higher Education for their exemplary work in awarding Associates Degrees for Transfer (ADT) to Latinx students on their campus.

“What an honor to have the work of Berkeley City College faculty, classified professionals, and administrators in support of students who pursue an ADT. I look forward to celebrating Berkeley City College and the advocacy that the Campaign for College Opportunity has launched on behalf of California community college students,” said college President Dr. Angélica Garcia. “We take pride in our efforts to support all students, and are grateful to the Campaign for College Opportunity for these accolades.”

Last year, Berkeley City College, Laney College, and Merritt College were recognized as 2020 Equity Champion of Higher Education recipients for their success in awarding ADTs to Black and Latinx students. Berkeley City College was cited for having “one of the highest shares of ADT conferrals for the 2018-2019 school year.”

“We are proud to recognize your dedicated leadership in working to ensure a strong transfer pathway on your campus. Berkeley City College is being recognized for being one of the top performers in ADT’s as a percentage of total Associates Degrees,” wrote Michele Siqueiros, president of Campaign for College Opportunity, to Berkeley City College President Dr. Angélica Garcia. “With your leadership, the Associate Degree for Transfer pathway is making college dreams a reality for thousands of Californians,”

An ADT helps students to work towards earning two degrees, both an associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree. Students who meet the California State University’s minimum eligibility requirements are guaranteed priority admission to a CSU campus. Students are granted the ability to gain both degrees with just 120 units if the student transfers into a California State University program similar to the community college where their associate’s degree was completed. There are now 2,887 ADT pathways throughout California.

In the 2019-2020 academic year, 66.44% of associate degrees received by Berkeley City College students were ADTs, ranking Berkeley City College as the top California Community College with the highest number of ADTs in relation to overall awarded associates degrees.

As stated in the Campaign for College Opportunity’s most recent report, California community college students aiming to earn bachelor’s degrees are met with difficulties at every turn. Many face duplicative, ever-changing coursework requirements and lack of unified, system wide, and transferrable course agreements between colleges and universities. Berkeley City College is proud to help their students fight past these barriers.

“I want to express my congratulations to Berkeley City College, and appreciation to the Campaign for College Opportunity for this acknowledgement.” Said Chancellor Jannett Jackson, “The Peralta Community College District is proud to have Berkeley City College recognized again for their work supporting students of all backgrounds. We will continue to diligently advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion as we encourage the students of Berkeley City College to work towards their academic and professional goals.”

Berkeley City College will be honored at the Campaign for College Opportunity’s virtual celebration Tuesday, Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Attendees can register to join the event here: https://bit.ly/HigherEdChampions21.

The Campaign for College Opportunity is a California non-profit bipartisan policy and research organization focused on ensuring all Californians have an equal opportunity to attend and succeed in college in order to build a vibrant workforce, economy and democracy. To learn more, visit their website here: https://collegecampaign.org/.