An Unprecedented Level of Cooperation For the Benefit of Low Income Students

A whole new era of cooperation between California State University, Bakersfield and Bakersfield College will be launched on Wednesday, May 4, with the inauguration of the CSUB Satellite Transfer Center on the BC campus.

The transfer center will be located at BC but staffed by CSUB personnel. It represents a bold new effort to streamline the process for BC's Hispanic and low-income students to make a smooth transfer to the next level of their education. Currently, the number of BC students transferring to CSUB or to any other four-year institution is discouragingly small. This unprecedented new collaboration between the two institutions is intended to help remedy that problem.

"Kern County and Greater Bakersfield have some of the highest high school dropout rates and lowest college application rates in the nation," said Daryl Minus, director of student learning services at BC. "We believe an on-going joint-effort by all levels of our system, by our media, and by our local families can turn these sad figures in a positive new direction.

"This new joint facility, we believe, is an important turning point in that change of direction," he said. "We invite all the media to attend and to help create a 'go-to-college' culture in the southern San Joaquin Valley."

BC President Bill Andrews said the new center would help improve the college-going culture in Kern County. "This commitment from CSUB is a clear statement as to their willingness to ease the transition of BC students to this university," he said. "We are highly appreciative of this commitment and we look forward to continuing and building on our positive relationships with CSUB."

CSUB President Horace Mitchell said that the collaboration with BC would mean greater opportunities for local students to earn their baccalaureate degree. "As we move into a knowledge-based economy, it's critical for our local students to earn their bachelor's degree," he said. "And Kern County lags behind other counties in the state in that regard. To attract better jobs we must have a better-educated workforce. Collaborative efforts such as this one with Bakersfield College can make a difference."

Contacts:
BC - Don Clark, 661/395-4256, doclark@bakersfieldcollege.edu
CSUB - Mike Stepanovich, 661/664-2456, mstepanovich@csub.edu