Shasta College Awarded $5 Million for Innovation in Higher Education

On Friday, March 20th, the State of California’s Committee on Awards for Innovation in Higher Education confirmed a $5 million award to Shasta College for innovative programs in partnership with high schools and other community partners.  This program recognizes California community colleges, California State Universities, and University of California campuses that have embraced change to achieve the following priorities:

• Significantly increase the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded.
• Allow students to complete bachelor’s degrees within four years after beginning higher education.
• Ease transfer through the state’s education system by better recognizing learning that occurs across the state’s education segments and elsewhere.

Out of the 57 colleges and universities that submitted award applications, Shasta College scored in the top five.  Superintendent/President Dr. Joe Wyse commented, “We are excited to be among the public educational institutions recognized for our innovative efforts to improve educational opportunities for the students of our region.  The funds provided by this award will both enhance our efforts to help high school students get a head start in college and support other related innovative efforts well into the future.”

Since January 2014, Shasta College and its community partners have created the ideal conditions for every district high school student to accelerate progress toward a bachelor's degree. By combining fee waivers, enrollment policy changes, on campus programs, concurrent enrollment and, most dramatically, dual enrollment, the college supports interested high school students in earning transferrable units toward degrees at minimal or no cost to students and often without having to leave a high school classroom.

Through PACT (Promise for Access, Completion and Transfer), a dual and concurrent enrollment program that meets the needs of three distinct high school student populations (at risk, on-track, advanced), Shasta College is removing financial, academic and cultural barriers to higher education for high school students while enhancing the opportunities to accelerate through to bachelor's degrees through rigorous and aligned coursework.

PACT has specific potential for California's more rural districts such as Shasta’s.  This innovation will increase the amount of bachelor’s degrees awarded, shorten the time to degree achievement, and build on the strengths of each academic segment.

Shasta College will be working with its partners to strengthen existing programs and fund further innovations to benefit district students.

The award is subject to the Committee on Awards for Innovation in Higher Education approving Shasta College's spending plan proposal.

For more information, please contact the Superintendent/President’s Office at (530) 242-7510.