California Bill Would Require Similar Community College Courses to Carry the Same Number
/According to Education Source, courses covering similar material and fulfilling the same requirements for majors and transfer credits have different number assignments throughout California's Community Colleges. A new process is underway to create a numbering system that is transparent for students and colleges. Additionally, this will add coverage for more courses. Ultimately, this would ensure alignment of similar courses between California Community Colleges and California State University, and the University of California Systems. A bill in the California state Legislature, AB 1111, will require California's 116 community colleges to create and comply with a shared number system, allowing general education and transfer credits to be more accessible.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Times reported that taking this step should improve low transfer rates. Typically only 19 percent of community college students that plan to transfer within four years do. On the other hand, faculty organizations are against moving forward with the changes. Their opposition comes from believing that this will take time and money away from more pressing issues—for example, financial aid benefits or student pass rate. The professors criticizing the catalog number reform believe it will take authority away from the 73 districts in charge of running the community colleges.
For more information, please refer to the articles below:
https://edsource.org/2021/whats-in-a-college-course-number-lots-of-confusion/653675