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The
Skyline View The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, California
Volume XXXVI - Issue 3
October 2, 2014
Learning to dance to a different beat
www.theskylineview.com
Skyline hopes to pilot new 4-year degree
California becomes one of many states to experiment with bachelors degrees from community colleges
by Jeanita Lyman TSV News Editor
Dance professors Heike Mansel (left) and Amber Steele (center) perform during the festival showcase with students.
Photo by Michelle Kelly/The Skyline View
Skyline College hosts its first Dance Festival on Sept. 27. It ran from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with workshops in the morning to a social dance with live music in the evening. It was an event with a little bit for everyone, from classes in tap to hip-hop many found something that interested them.
Financial aid fraud hits close to home by Danielle Bautista
ent ways. Director of Financial Aid services, Regina Morrison, recommends the website ed.gov, College of Marin recently which lists various ways that became the latest victim of students’ personal information financial aid fraud, which has can be obtained by criminals, been a continuing problem such as through mail theft and both locally and nationally. internet scams. The website also “Across the country, colleges gave advice on how students face students attempting to get aid (typically Pell grants) without can protect themselves from identity theft in general. actually attending,” College of To prevent financial aid Marin’s Vice President of Student fraud on campus the financial Services, Jonathan Eldridge, aid office started enforcing said. “This often happens with stricter policies last year. online courses, where students “Any student that comes to the will register, get the aid, and Financial Aid window must have then either walk away or drop a valid picture ID before inforthe course—and then move on to mation will be given or docuanother institution. Sometimes ments accepted,” Morrison said. there are “ringleaders” who steal “No faxed documents will be or otherwise obtain a number of individuals’ information and regis- accepted to complete a student’s ter them in the course so as to get file, all documents must be more aid. In our specific instance, submitted in person, or if doctwo faculty members noticed that uments are mailed to the FAO, the student must attach a photo a number of their students shared copy of a valid picture ID.“ the same contact information. Many students benefit from This led to further investigafinancial aid, both at Skyline tion, which is still ongoing.” and nationwide, making fraud Financial aid fraud can occur a large problem for schools. for multiple reasons and students Students often require can access each other’s personal continued on page 2 information in a variety of differTSV staff writer
Community colleges statewide have recently been granted the opportunity to experiment with offering upper-division coursework and four-year degrees Senate Bill 850, which overrides previous legislature that required community colleges in the state to only offer lower division coursework, was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 29, making California one of more than 20 states in the nation to offer four-year degrees at its community colleges.
The pilot program will allow 15 two-year colleges in the state to offer one experimental bachelor’s degree each in high-demand fields that are not currently available in the university system. Enrollment in the programs will begin no later than the 2017-2018 academic year. Fees for upper-division coursework will be an extra $84 per credit, but lower-division fees will remain the same. “Thanks to the governor, Legislature, and college educators who supported this bill, like Chancellor Constance Carroll of San Diego, the country’s largcontinued
Community colleges offer support to prospective law students by Shereena Singh TSV Staff Writer
A pathway to a law school program is taking flight, which will involve a partnership between some two-year colleges in the state and several law schools. 24 community colleges and six law schools in California have gotten on board to create a partnership for a smoother ride to law school. The California Community College system and the State Bar of California have taken this initiative to enhance the opportunities in the legal profession, hoping to increase diversity in the field and provide opportunities to those who have previously been underrepresented. The project is being sponsored by the State Bar’s council on access and fairness, and will help put talented and bright community college students on the right track to enter some of the state’s top law schools. The program will provide students with support and intends to improve access to the study of law. The program will assure law students at the 24 participating
community colleges that all prescribed course credits will be transferred to one of the six participating law schools. It is also aimed to give students exposure to the law school experience, individual mentoring from law school advisers, financial aid counseling, preparations for the Law School Admission Test. Admission fees from the six law schools will be waived. “We have discussed creating events that will allow community college students to visit SCU to learn more about the undergraduate programs and our law school,”
Phyllis Brown, associate provost and professor at Santa Clara University law school said. “Our Admission Officers will include information about our participation in the pathway to law school in their outreach to community colleges.” According to Brown, students who will be entering the pathway to law school program will either participate in the LEAD scholars program for first generation students or will have access to similar programs to facilitate the transition and support commucontinued
Photo by Jeanita Lyman/The Skyline View University of San Francisco is one of the six law schools partnering with community colleges in the pathway to law school program.