Consumnes River college.
The future looks like this free textbooks,
student housing,
more flexible class schedules.
You know the school is reinventing
what Community College looks like.
Following a steady decline
in enrollment at community
colleges in recent years,
Devin Truby looks at how the
school is removing barriers
and looking toward the future.
Consumnes River College
recognizing their past,
the Community College sits on Native
American tribal land while embracing history.
They're also striving for first
angling to be the first Community
College in the nation where students
don't have to buy textbooks,
and to reach that goal by fall 2023,
for students like Austin Newton,
the cost of a textbook is also
the cost of gas to go to school.
I mean, Physiology class,
there was a book that you can buy.
Twice because you can rent it
for a certain period of time,
and then you had to rent it
again because it goes away
by the time the term is over.
So you then had to buy the same book again.
45% of faculty have already made the switch,
but the average cost at our
campus of a single class for
a textbook was about $100.
And when you're talking about 15 units,
that starts to add up.
In the spring semester alone,
that saved Consumnes River College
students $1.2 million for the current.
Fall semester 1.5 million in savings
student is relying on financial aid.
They actually don't get that payment
until after the semester starts.
So they might try to get through the
first few weeks of the class without
the textbook and it can be really,
really challenging.
And it already puts them at a disadvantage.
And that's if there are textbooks left.
These empty shelves in the student
bookstore show the demand for materials.
Saving the money now can be an
investment in future education.
I'm transferring so
that money. Go towards college
apps because and for more colleges
since each is 70 bucks to apply,
CRC doesn't want to be
first in just textbooks.
They also have plans to be
the first in the lowest Rios
district to offer housing,
which is a huge barrier of knowing
where they're going to sleep,
where they're going to eat.
It removes that barrier.
It takes a lot of the stress
off of their day-to-day
life. Knowing that they have a roof over
their head and a safe place to sleep,
they receive 44 million in a
grant from the state that will
cover the cost of construction.
Expecting to break ground in the fall of
2023 with completion by 2025 does elevate
the Community College
status and we know most for
your institution students do
feel that sense of community.
The Community College's goal is to align
students with a four year institution.
Whether it's the housing project
that looks to provide the same sense
of community or class programs.
When students arrive at CRC,
they are presented with a full time
15 credit schedule that includes
transferable math and English. Credits
connected to the program
that they're interested in,
in the major that they're interested in.
So that's what's unique about it.
So instead of justice taking courses
that may not have anything to do with
their program or program of study,
we want them to come in and stay focused
on the area that they're interested
in, but also to graduate
in two years by being and
staying a full time student.
But students get a choice,
giving them the flexibility
for family commitments.
For jobs but for those like Rebecca
Cetera and demanding program of
VET technician she can choose
to balance the course credit.
I've done
variations so like depending on how
hard the class is from you
while still feeling confident that she
will transfer at the two year Mark.
I've been on the wait list though
yet so that's been the good thing
for first year student Maloney St
Team was able to get the classes
she wanted and feels confident in a
transfer after two years. Also a little
bit stressful just a little bit I did.
Procrastinate a little bit on trying
to get the enrollment stuff done.
Another barrier the college is removing
is their COVID-19 vaccine requirement
that will start next semester.
CRC president Doctor Bush says
it served its purpose during
the height of the pandemic,
but they lost students and
vulnerable populations,
low income and students of color,
African American and Latinx students.
We also saw that we had a decline
in those student populations,
so we are doing targeted equity
focus outreach to those communities.
To ensure that they have access
to our institution, President
Bush, as they want to make sure
communities of color know CRC is here
for them to continue to honor Native
American land the school sits on.
And Devin, Truby joins us now in the studio.
Devin, we know that the pandemic
impacted college enrollments across
the country, right? How did it
impact someones specifically? Well,
the group where they saw the
biggest loss was actually what they
would consider reentry students.
Now those are people that are 25
and older that maybe they didn't
catch on to the idea of online
education or they couldn't because
they were supporting their family
or working another job as well.
And next semester you are going to see that
COVID-19 vaccination requirement go away.
Because we're hoping to attract
underprivileged communities,
communities of color as well,
back to the institution
now, getting rid of
those physical textbooks.
I think some people would see
that as a pretty radical move.
How about professors and
teaching staff at Casselman?
I was able to speak to one professor
and she admitted it did take her
the whole summer to make that
transition to an online textbook.
But she thinks it is going to be better
for the students because she can implement
current events into the textbook.
So discussing things like the pandemic
instead of just decades old history,
that's there and they don't
have to wait for a new.
To constantly be reprinted. All
right, Devin Truby, looking at the
future potentially of education.
We appreciate it. Thank you.