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The data is in, and even in the face of a historic pandemic, Pasadena City College continues to grow as a transfer institution.
PCC’s graduating class of 2021 earned more than 2,500 transfer degrees, statewide data show. The figure represents six percent growth from the previous year. The class of 2021 was also the first class in PCC history to earn more than 1,000 Associate degrees in Science for Transfer.
The strong showing will be recognized later this month by the Campaign for College Opportunity, which has named PCC a “Champion of Higher Education” for the sixth year in a row. The honor is given by the advocacy group to those two-year colleges in California who award the greatest number of associate degrees for transfer each year.
This year, PCC is also being recognized as an “Equity Champion of Higher Education,” in recognition of its “exemplary work in awarding Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) to Black and Latinx students.” The organization’s analysis of statewide data shows that PCC has a high proportion of minoritized students who earn ADTs.
“We are so grateful to be recognized for our work – particularly during this incredibly difficult time,” said Erika Endrijonas, Ph.D., PCC’s superintendent/president. “The pandemic continually forces us to rethink how we deliver instruction and services to our students. More importantly, though, COVID-19 has a tremendous impact on our students’ learning, and we have only begun to understand how deep that goes.
“The figures we are seeing show that we continue to be a place where students can progress in their education, no matter what the world may throw at us,” she added. “I am so proud of our students, faculty, and staff for their resilience.”
California’s ADTs were created in 2010 with the passage of SB 1440, which intended to strengthen connections between California’s community colleges and the California State University system. Since then, the transfer pathway has widened to include some University of California institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, and other private colleges and universities.
PCC currently offers more than 30 ADTs in a broad range of subjects, and the college has issued more than 11,000 of the credentials since they were first granted in 2011.
The Campaign for College Opportunity will host the 2021 “Champions of Higher Education Celebration” on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/HigherEdChampions21.
