Frustration is appropriate when realizing that the vast majority of students here at Cerritos aren’t getting a two-year degree or transferring out, as most should.
With the exception of casual class takers, the 70 percent of us not achieving success within six years is unacceptable.
Blame could be put on students, professors and faculty, but in the end, it’s a matter of availability of resources, especially counseling.
Students here at Cerritos College are effectively consumers of education; paying money for services in order to get ahead in their careers.
So aside from the many things that need to be done to contribute to student success, we need to listen to the purchasers.
What students want is more help in educational planning, not long lines that last for hours coming from the counselors on campus.
Universities have much higher success rates because they have more tailored follow-through plans for their students.
Filling out educational plans, ongoing contact with counselors, and the availability of, much needed, major-specific advisors
The counselors here at Cerritos do a phenomenal job considering they are understaffed and doing what they can to meet the needs of all 23,000 of us.
The reality is that we need more counselors and advisors to help us with transferring out to the right schools, getting a degree at the end of two years, and choosing the major and education plan that best fits our career goals.
It’s nearly impossible for most counselors to know every piece of information that will fit specific majors.
We need to have this information available, but also avoid searching vainly for superhuman counselors.
A system of advisers, faculty or otherwise, that know the information students need about individual majors and the schools that are directed to them needs to be created.
Having a “one stop shop” system isn’t enough because we need an area set aside for these professionals to help us.
Placing them in their own space will allow for more attentive help, especially since most students receive counseling in rushed spurts within the faculty senate boardroom.
