College Of San Mateo Honored By California Community Colleges

SAN MATEO, CA — The College of San Mateo was honored by California Community Colleges Thursday at the inaugural Excellence in Placement awards.

The college was honored for supporting English enrollment, Latinx transfer-level English enrollment, Black transfer-level English enrollment and Black transfer-level English success.

The awards celebrate colleges that implemented policy from Assembly Bill 705, which took effect in 2018 and requires community colleges to maximize the number of students that complete transfer-level coursework in English and math within one year.

This encourages colleges to place students in transfer-level courses immediately instead of starting students in remedial courses.

“At a time when community colleges have seen serious declines in student enrollment, we should be supporting students on the best pathway to achieve success and earn a degree,” said Michele Siqueiros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity. “When our colleges enroll students in transfer-level English and math within their first year, they’re making progress toward their degree from the start! The result is that students save time and money, have fewer obstacles to earning a degree, and the economic standing of our communities and California is strengthened.”

Over 40 community colleges across California were honored.