Officials seek to reinstall resource

Before the application of a bandage known as Proposition 30, Contra Costa College was forced to cut courses, services and faculty thanks to a slight budgetary crisis — to the tune of $21 million.

This problem has left the campus as the only college in the district without a functioning Transfer/Career Center since its elimination in the fall of 2011.

Its absence has not gone unnoticed by students, and the students’ grievances have not gone unheard by college administration.

“If (having a Transfer/Career Center) is a priority for the students, then it’s a priority for the campus,” college President Denise Noldon said.

Throughout the fall 2012 semester, Dr. Noldon met with ASU President Jazmine Ramezanzadeh among others. During these meetings, students talked about different problems they would have with the campus.

A lack of a Transfer/Career Center was a main concern.

In light of this issue, Noldon plans to reinstitute the Transfer/Career Center, but needs the input of the students in order to provide everything they need.

“She asked us to find out what the students wanted,” Ramezanzadeh said. “She let us know that she heard the demands of the students and their need for a transfer center. She said it is something the college can provide. She just wants to know exactly how to carry out the plans.”

Students who plan to transfer from CCC are facing multiple difficulties.

“It’s weak that the college doesn’t have a transfer center,” political sciences major David Ross said. “When they had the center, it was helpful. There were a lot of resources to help students especially if they wanted to get into competitive colleges.”

Because there is no center students are forced to turn to the counseling department for assistance with transferring, however, getting an appointment with a counselor is difficult.

“To see a counselor for a drop-in can take up to two or three hours,” Ross said.

Leticia Sandoval is a student-worker who works at the counseling desk.

“It can take up to two or three weeks to see a counselor once an appointment is made,” she said. “I think (transferring) would be much easier with a transfer center.”

Students have the option to meet with representatives from different four-year institutions during designated times for 20-minute appointments.

Interested students can find out the representatives schedules at the Counseling Office.

To meet with the UC Berkeley representative, students must email her directly to make an appointment.

The ASU Board has been holding focus groups in conjunction with its regular meetings to find out what the campus wants in a Transfer/Career Center.

As of yet the board has not been able to attract many students to the meetings, however, it will continue to seek input.

“Other than focus groups and talking to students individually, we aren’t doing anything official as of yet,” Ramezanzadeh said. “We definitely intend to gain more knowledge from students and find out what they want in a transfer center.”

No action other than gathering information from students has been taken pertaining to making the Transfer/Career Center a fully operational service.

“We’re hoping to get as much information from students as possible before moving forward,” Noldon said.

“We plan to institutionalize (the center) so it becomes a fabric of the college.”