Ventura College is in short supply of a course required by students transferring to a Cal State University. Since 2021, new students graduating from a Cal State University (CSU) are required to pass one course in Ethnic Studies. This semester, only 460 spots were available in a course that fulfills the new CSU requirement at Ventura College (VC).
VC currently has 1.5 full-time faculty in the Department of American Ethnic Studies (AES). Students in MEChA met with VC President Hoffmans last November asking to hire another AES professor. The VC Academic Senate ranked a new hire in AES as their top hiring priority for 2023. The recommended position also included a specialization in Native American Studies. Recently, President Hoffmans publicly refused to hire a new full-time professor in AES despite the various pleas and advocacy by VC faculty concerned with the student transfer rate.
In 2025, the University of California (UC) will also incorporate an Ethnic Studies requirement. Community Colleges already have this requirement, however, there is no plan to address the scarce courses offered at VC for their 12,548 students who plan to transfer to a CSU.
Latino students do not want to pay more or delay their graduation. While the overwhelming majority of VC’s general student population seeks to transfer to a CSU, VC’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness reports little more than 700 students actually transfer each year. The inability of community colleges to effectively support their student transfer population, of which the majority are Latino, is well documented. However, President Hoffmans’ decision is out of touch with student experiences and new graduation requirements.
MEChA held rally on Tuesday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day) on campus to demand the VC President hire an Ethnic Studies professor with an emphasis on Native American Studies. Student.
