New agreement marks major growth of Associate Degree for Transfer Program

Under a new agreement signed today by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), California community college students pursuing an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) can receive guaranteed acceptance and a more affordable, seamless pathway to a nonprofit, four-year institution, like the University of Redlands. 

This new agreement marks a significant expansion of the current ADT pathway between California Community Colleges and the California State University (CSU) system. Redlands will now guarantee admission to ADT students, accept a minimum of 60 units as transferrable, assure a simplified transfer process and welcome new Bulldogs as juniors.

“Projections from the Public Policy Institute of California say the state will by 2030 have a shortage of 1.1 million workers holding a bachelor’s degree needed to meet workforce demands,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “The Associate Degree for Transfer program is vital to our economy, and we are proud to work with the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities in providing our students additional opportunities to further their education and help guarantee their chances of achieving upward social mobility.”

Participating AICCU schools including Redlands, as outlined in the agreement, will also collaborate with community colleges in providing pre-enrollment information and advice to interested community colleges students and engage in discussions about potential pathways toward a bachelor’s degree.

“AICCU has been actively engaged with Governor Jerry Brown’s administration and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to open up a guaranteed transfer pathway for community college students to transfer to an independent California institution,” said AICCU President Kristen Soares. “Our commitment today will provide tremendous help toward creating new regional college access opportunities for transfer students to attend an institution that best meets their educational goals and increases their opportunity to succeed.”