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In this month’s Higher Ed Careers interview Andrew Hibel spoke with Eloy Oakley, chancellor of the California Community College System. Oakley shared his background, his experience as chancellor, and his motivation for continuing work in academia. Hibel and Oakley also discussed the unique characteristics of community colleges and the benefits of online community colleges for adult learners in the workforce.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Chancellor Oakley, your role obviously encompasses many responsibilities. What are some of your key tasks as well as main priorities and initiatives as you lead the California Community College system?
Eloy Oakley, chancellor, California Community College System: The main tasks and priorities involve advocating for the 2.1 million students who we educate and for the colleges that educate them. My priorities stem from the Vision for Success adopted by the Board of Governors that sets forth clear goals that focus on student equity in outcomes.
Hibel: As a first-generation college student and a product of California schools, including a community college, you became the first Latino chancellor to lead the California Community College system in December of 2016. How have your personal experiences shaped how you make decisions and lead today?
Oakley: I would not be able to enjoy the opportunities I have today but for the California Community Colleges. After I served in the US Army I came back to California and like many of our students was working and raising a family. Golden West College gave me the opportunity to attend college and transfer to UC Irvine. I did not grow up with an expectation of attending college nor did I have a network of family and friends who could help me navigate higher education. Golden West College provided me that support. That experience is something I lean on every day in my job.
Hibel: You have a goal of having an up-and-running, completely online community college, the first of its kind, by early 2019. Since the California Community College system already has 114 colleges serving over two million students, with some classes already online, what is the need behind this 115th college?
Oakley: There are more than 2.5 million Californians in the workforce with no post-secondary credentials. These workers are the most vulnerable to the sweeping changes in the workforce brought about by automation and the use of Artificial Intelligence. This is why we have created the 115th college to be fully online, tech-enabled, and competency based. The college will be geared toward the adult learner and focused on micro-credentials that will support the upskilling of this workforce.
Hibel: How is the population that this entirely online college will serve different?
Oakley: This population is not currently accessing our 114 colleges for various reasons. They are place-bound and need to upskill in ways that are personalized, modularized, and designed to meet their lifestyle constraints. This is a population that is critically important to the health of our economy and the Online College will give us the opportunity to serve them in a way that we have not been able to at scale to date.
Hibel: What does the California Community College system hope to gain from the new addition and what are the predicted benefits?
Oakley: What our system expects to gain is a scalable opportunity to deliver high quality upskilling opportunities to the California workforce, to develop new and improved ways to educate adult learners, to provide a public, high-quality solution to the myriad of for-profit institutions that prey on adult learners, and to improve the economic outlook of California.
Hibel: The term “stranded worker” has been used often when discussing the need for these types of alternative programs for students to gain skills. Please explain what is meant by “stranded worker” and how the online community college could be beneficial for this population?
Oakley: A “stranded worker” simply represents workers that have no post-secondary credential and have no or little economic mobility because the majority of new jobs that are being created require some type of credential. These workers are losing ground every day because they lack the demonstrable education and training in an economy that is changing at break neck speed.
Hibel: The purpose and benefits of community colleges are often misunderstood by some, including President Trump, who says that they should be called “vocational or technical.” What can be said to make the naysayers understand that there is a true need?
Oakley: Community colleges are the most local, flexible, accessible, and most affordable higher education opportunity for the majority of Americans. They provide training and education to the top 100 percent of students and are a tremendous value. To the naysayers, they need to understand that unlike elite colleges and universities, community colleges are the People’s College. They are in every community and serve every type of American.
Hibel: You’ve had an accomplished career in various areas of education. What keeps you engaged working in academia?
Oakley: What keeps me engaged with academia is the great opportunity that our colleges provide to students like me. Students of great potential but who come from limited or very challenged backgrounds. Higher education is the great equalizer, and we need to create more access for many more Americans.