Pacific Union College Announces Commitment to Expansion of Transfer Pathway for California Community College Students

On August 2, Pacific Union College (PUC) announced its commitment and support of a transfer pathway between the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

The pathway is designed for college students graduating with an Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or an Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) from a California community college and wishing to transfer to a four-year independent, nonprofit institution like PUC. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the AICCU President Kristen Soares and California Community College’s Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley to further strengthen the commitment of California’s independent nonprofit higher education sector toward the access and success of students, and affordability of quality education across the state.

This pathway is the AICCU sector’s adoption of the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathway between the California Community Colleges and the California State University (CSU) system. Much like the current CSU ADT pathway, PUC will commit to guaranteeing admission for ADT students who apply, as well as accepting a minimum of 60 units transferred, and assure these students start at PUC with a junior standing.

“As an institution, PUC has a history of welcoming transfer students to our learning community,” says Marlo Waters, associate academic dean at PUC. “This initiative continues in that tradition by providing a clear pathway to baccalaureate degrees in a wide variety of academic disciplines. We believe the ADT will improve our services to California community college transfer students.”

AICCU President Kristen Soares says, “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.” She continues: “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.”

California’s independent, nonprofit colleges and universities enroll about 8,500 transfer students annually, and, with this partnership with the California Community Colleges, hope to increase that number to ensure all students can find a place at a California institution. AICCU institutions serve nearly 189,500 undergraduate students, who reflect the rich diversity of the state.

“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 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.”

AICCU colleges and universities include comprehensive research institutions, specialized professional schools, liberal arts institutions, faith-based schools, as well as campuses that focus on the arts and those that offer non-traditional study programs. They are at the forefront of new and expanding initiatives, including online courses, hybrid programs, and expedited degree programs for adult learners. In total, AICCU represents 82 institutions and more than 340,000 students across the state.

Scholarships are available for transfer students; for information, call 800-862-7080. For a full list of transferable majors in the ADT program at PUC, visit puc.edu/adt. 

About PUC

Founded in 1882, Pacific Union College is an accredited liberal arts college serving more than 1,250 students. The college’s overall program offers a full lineup of bachelor’s degrees as well as several associate degrees, three master’s degrees, and pre-professional and degree completion programs. A destination campus in California, PUC is Napa Valley’s only four-year college and is affiliated with the Adventist Church.

About AICCU

The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) is comprised of 82 independent, nonprofit colleges and universities, which make up the Independent California Colleges and Universities (ICCU) sector. The ICCU sector plays a pivotal role in the development of the state's model higher education offerings and in making California a symbol of innovation across the globe. Within California, ICCU institutions award 21% of all bachelor’s degrees and 54% of graduate degrees, making them the largest preparers of California's advanced workforce.