Butte College, along with six other Northern California community colleges and Chico State came together Monday, April 29, in an incredible demonstration of solidarity to support the educational dreams of transfer students from across the North State region.
Superintendent/President Virginia Guleff and Chico State President Steve Perez signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize dual admission and streamlined transfer for students interested in pursuing their bachelor’s degree at Chico State. This guaranteed admission and accompanying support mechanisms lay the groundwork to simplify and ease transfer students’ pathways to pursue four-year degrees, credentials, and further education within their region.
“We’re signing agreements to build guaranteed admission pathways and seamless transfer pathways so any student in the North State that wants to go to a community college and wants to come to Chico State can hit the ground running, consider themselves a Wildcat from Day One, and then have a really easy transfer process here to Chico,” Perez said. “Our mission, as partners, is to provide access to high-quality higher education to any person in the North State that wants it, and these agreements are a really important step to make that happen.”
The benefits of the collaboration include that Chico State guarantees admission to Butte College students as long as they meet minimum eligibility requirements and apply by published deadlines; Chico State will extend a dual admission program invitation through the Transfer Success Pathway (TSP) to eligible first-time, first-year applicants at the end of their high school career after being denied admission; that each college will establish a mechanism for early identification of students who are interested in transferring and schedule a Chico State campus tour for those students; and that Chico State educational opportunities will be promoted at the individual community college campuses.
President Guleff emphasized that the pathways for students are critical to helping them achieve their goals.
“Frankly, it’s not uncommon for community college students to wonder if they belong at a university or to be concerned about their ability to be successful there. Guaranteed admission is one of the most important promises we can make for our students, ” she said.
“This guarantee makes a huge difference for our students who want to further their education in the region, and in a community that is familiar to them,” she said. “When barriers are reduced, our institutions work in partnership. Students are more likely to believe they can succeed in pursuing four-year degrees and credentials.”
This extended partnership aims to empower students with a clear roadmap toward their educational goals. One such student, Olivia Johnson, spoke at the signing event.
“Choosing Butte College was initially a strategic decision allowing me to explore different majors without the financial stress associated with university studies. During my time at Butte, I frequently met with the transfer counselor and meticulously used the online resources from Chico State, maintaining a detailed spreadsheet to track my academic progress,” she said.
“Supporting transfer students isn't just about easing the transition, it's about empowering us to realize our educational dreams without undue obstacles.”
College of the Siskiyous, Feather River College, Lassen Community College, Shasta College, Woodland Community College and Yuba College also signed similar memoranda in a stunning demonstration of support for transfer students across our North State service region.
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Butte College
3536 Butte Campus Drive
Oroville, CA 95965
Content editor:
Christian Gutierrez
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