Completion rates are low among community college students seeking a degree, certificate or transfer to a four-year college, according to a new study from Sacramento State.

Nancy Shulock, executive director of the Institute for Higher Education Leadership, and Policy and Research Program Specialist Colleen Moore conducted the study “Rules of the Game.”

Their study shows that one in four “degree-seekers” who start at a California community college “earn a certificate or degree, transferred to a four-year university or achieved some combination of those outcomes within six years of enrolling.” But many of the students who transfer to a four-year college end up with no degree, the study found. An associate’s degree is not required to transfer.

“Dr. Shulock and I were motivated out of concern over recent studies indicating that California’s future social and economic health-is threatened by-declining educational attainment of state residents,” Moore said.

Another key factor in low completion rates is the policies made to make enrolling easier, actually have “impeded” students’ degree completion. The study finds a breakdown of five policies: enrollment-based funding, regulation of expenditures, restrictions on hiring, student fees and financial aid, and institutional role in guiding student course-taking.

Sac State graduate student Maree Cambra, a social science major, said she had no direction when she attended community college.

And advising is a key to success, according to the study. “It was hard to see counselors at American River. I saw a counselor once and tried to remember everything they said and did everything myself after that. When I went back there to get my AA certificate, they were amazed I had done it all myself,” Cambra said.

Kinesiology major Peter Sobrero said he lost units after he transferred to Sac State because of advising. “I’m graduating in May with 180 units because some of the classes I took at community colleges didn’t transfer over,” he said.

The study states: “The combined impact of the actions of the colleges and the choices of students is low completion. Students may not know what choices are best and our policies are not helping them make the best choices.”

“I had to take an extra semester here because the classes I took at (ARC) for my criminal justice major didn’t transfer over to Sac State,” Alex Felix said.

In a study, the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy gave some ideas as to how to raise the completion rates of students.

“Our report suggests some broad areas where policy change is needed to give colleges more incentive to help students complete their programs,” Moore said.

Instead of having enrollment-based funds, they recommend changing it so the schools get funding for completions and enrollment, with extra funding for completions by disadvantaged and under-prepared students.

“The requirement that 50 percent of each college’s budget be spent on direct classroom instruction is perhaps the biggest regulatory obstacle to degree completion, ” according to the study. To change this, they want to give colleges flexibility to use their funds to produce desired outcomes.

Moore and Shulock also recommend giving colleges flexibility to hire faculty that will best help students to complete academic programs, particularly with advising.

“I had a good advisor at Sac State. He kept me on track and told me what classes I needed?I wasn’t afraid to go in. I knew he wouldn’t judge me. He’d just help me get the classes I needed,” Cambra said.

The Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy also suggests allowing colleges to benefit from fee revenue, removing restrictions on campus-based fees and developing an affordability policy based on the total cost of college attendance.

Lastly, they recommend revising assessment and placement policies to help students succeed and make sure colleges provide “clear guidance” for students to progress quickly toward completing their selected programs.

“We certainly hope the report will-initiate discussion among California’s policy makers and educational leaders in all segments of higher education about state policy solutions that focus on changing the rules of the game in ways that will better support student success and completion in the community colleges,” Moore said.

In a written response to this study, California State Chancellor for Community Colleges Mark Drummond wrote that the report badly underreports the success of the community college student.

“It further fails to acknowledge the work underway by the California Community College Board of Governors, faculty and staff across the system on increasing student success,” Drummond wrote.

Drummond said that the students who attended community college on a part-time basis succeeded in being prepared by the California Community Colleges and that more 55 percent of all CSU graduates and over 28 percent of all University of California graduates were at one point California community college students

Drummond said that plans are being made by the California Community College Board of Governors to improve student success, which will include “strong linkage between grades 8-12 standards improving tests and college placement standard, improving communication between college and K-12 instructors,” and providing enough funds and guidance to the high school and college students to help them achieve their goals.

Danielle Sazio can be reached at [email protected]