Opinion Tuesday, February 8, 2005, Statesman Journal

School transfer program a boon to education

Community college students benefit from Legislature's plan

February 8, 2005

Ask 10 people on the street whether they'd rather raise taxes or cut popular services or make government more efficient, and you can bet they'll choose the last option. So when you see an example of government operating more efficiently, it's worth shouting from the rooftops.

In this case, it's the Oregon Transfer Module, a new plan to help students transfer more easily between community colleges and universities. The Oregon boards of Education and Higher Education approved it last week, and it will take effect in the fall.

It should help students avoid the frustration of starting at community colleges, only to learn that their courses don't transfer neatly to their chosen universities. And it should help the state make better use of every spot in its higher-education system.

These days, few can afford to treat the college years as a leisurely period in which to find themselves. Tuition and fees have risen so sharply that most students juggle a heavy load of jobs and loans. They can't go back and repeat courses just because someone at XYZ U doesn't like the look of their transcript from ABC Community College.

Likewise, the state needs every one of those seats at community colleges and public universities. The more efficiently schools operate, the more Oregonians can attend. The more Oregonians who earn associate's and bachelor's degrees, the better positioned the state is to attract and keep family-wage employers.

Because it will take just a year to complete, the Oregon Transfer Module is more flexible than the current option of earning an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree. The transfer module covers only general education courses, so it's a better fit for students who haven't decided what to major in.

The transfer module requires a C-minus grade or better in every course -- a big improvement over the AAOT, where students need only a D-minus in many courses, a standard so low as to be meaningless.

This is the kind of fresh thinking that Gov. Kulongoski encouraged when he revamped the Board of Higher Education last year. Gretchen Schuette, the president of Chemeketa Community College, was among those he named to the board. As chairwoman of the work group that developed the Oregon Transfer Module, she deserves a share of the credit.

However, this plan still could falter if community colleges must slash transfer classes to trim costs. Oregon's higher-education institutions have shown that they can cooperate to help government operate efficiently. Now it's up to the Legislature and the governor to do their part.

Copyright 2005 Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon