Citrus College is adopting the California Community College education-reform initiative known as the Guided Pathways Project to increase and streamline student completion rates.
The official California Guided Pathways website, http://www.caguidedpathways.org, states the project will entail the development of “clear, educationally coherent program maps” along with intensive advising support from academic counselors.
The website further explains that for students who have decided on a major and career, these program maps, or “pathways,” will provide a structured sequence of courses that will guide students toward their specific educational goals.
The course sequences will also prepare students for the labor market by integrating essential skills for their chosen fields. The website explains that one of the major promises of the Guided Pathways Project is reducing education equity gaps through its proposed reforms.
Specifically, its proposal to provide structured course sequences with integrated counseling will help students stay on track and help eliminate achievement barriers that impede the progress of historically underrepresented groups, first-generation students, foster youth and low-income students.
By implementing this framework, students “are more likely to succeed; they’re more likely to get through their college experience at a faster rate,” Dr. Arvid Spor, vice president of academic affairs, said.
Students who are undecided about their majors will not be immediately asked to choose a pathway.
“We’ll probably ask that they take a career development course that way they can go through a variety of assessments, get a better understanding of what they think feels right for them that they’d like to pursue,” Spor said.
During an ASCC meeting on March 27, Rebecca Rudd, professor of English and academic senate chair , said Citrus College operates under the “cafeteria model” framework.
Under this model, there is no defined structure to the course offerings. Instead, students are exposed to a large array of course options, causing confusion about what courses they may need to take to achieve their educational goals.
As a result, students end up taking courses they do not need, or they take too many courses.
“Before you know it, you have way more units than you need to transfer or meet whatever educational goal that you have for yourself,” Rudd said.
Instead, students would “actually prefer to be told, ‘Look here’s pretty much what you’ve got. You’ve got a few choices. This is what you need to do and how you need to do it,’” Spor said.
David Kary, professor of astronomy and chair of the program review committee, said although the project is meant to benefit all students, it will especially benefit first-generation college students.
“There are some students, especially some students who are coming in kind of like when I entered college—with no family history, and it’s very easy to get completely overwhelmed with the options,” Kary said. “If we can give you a simpler set of options, then we’ll do that for you.”
Administrators also expressed optimism about the planned changes.
“I believe it will be beneficial for all students, and I don’t think that the state of California would be choosing to invest funding in it if they thought else wise,” Spor said.
Martha McDonald, vice president of student services, was also excited about the project.
“These efforts will positively impact a student’s ability to complete their academic and professional goals in a timely and cost-effective manner,” McDonald said.
The project will take three to five years before it is implemented in its entirety.
Citrus College is only in the planning stage of the initiative. The college will continue to be in the planning stage through the 2018 fall semester.
