LTCC denied 4-year pilot school status
By Kathryn Reed
Lake Tahoe Community College is not one of the 15 two-year institutions that will be part of a pilot program to offer a four-year degree.
LTCC was one of 36 schools vying for this opportunity.
“The board, faculty, staff, students and administration are disappointed, although remain supportive of the California Community College baccalaureate pilot,” LTCC President Kindred Murillo told Lake Tahoe News.
The University of California and California State University systems need to find ways to accommodate more students. Allowing community colleges to offer four-year degrees would do that.
LTCC proposed a public safety administration degree.
The campuses and programs approved Jan. 20 are:
• Antelope Valley College — airframe manufacturing technology
• Bakersfield College — industrial automation
• Crafton Hills College — emergency services and allied health systems
• Cypress College — mortuary science
• Feather River College — equine industry
• Foothill College — dental hygiene
• Mira Costa College – biomanufacturing
• Modesto Junior College –respiratory care
• Rio Hondo College — automotive technology
• San Diego Mesa College — health information management
• Santa Ana College — occupational studies
• Santa Monica College — interaction design
• Shasta College — health information management
• Skyline College — respiratory therapy
• West Los Angeles College — dental hygiene.
The setback does not mean LTCC won’t offer four-year degrees at some point. This has been Murillo’s mission since arriving in South Lake Tahoe a handful of years ago.
“LTCC will continue our efforts to bring public undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the university center model,” she said.
Through a more than $5 million donation from Lisa Maloff the college within the next two years plans to begin construction on a standalone 5,500-square-foot university center. A university center is a location on a community college campus occupied by staff from four-year colleges who offer their programs locally.
As much as I love LTCC, and particularly its public safety programs, California, especially in the public safety area, has always been skeptical about encouraging and funding educational programs in what the rest of the state views as a resort area.
If anyone recalls the local excellent, and nationally recognized, Bahn-Fair law enforcement crime scene training program, it departed SLT because the state had difficulty politically justifying funding for training crime scene investigators at a vacation resort. When you see on TV the little yellow tents being placed over evidence on some phony crime show, those little tents and their use were developed in South Lake Tahoe as part of an evidence collecting system, and today used almost universally. Now the building where Bahn-Fair built and trained crime scene investigators from all over the country, is a Verizon store – a Bill Kingman photo alert.
South Lake Tahoe PD benefited from their time in town – SLTPD crime scene investigators were recognized for years, by among others the FBI and federal agencies, as well as their neighbors at the Lake, as the best around. And their record demonstrated it.
I no longer live in South Lake Tahoe, although I continue to be an occasional participant in the college public safety programs, which, particularly in the area of Fire Science, are widely known as being superior to almost every program in California.
But politics is politics, and, historically, any state agency approving funding for schooling in South Lake Tahoe has to be prepared for the political accusation that they’re feeding money into a vacation/gambling resort. Sin City north, I believe the area is sometimes known as. To me it’s a tremendously sad thing that excellence in the South Lake Tahoe community is often diminished by off the hill critics who see it as just another poorly maintained resort. And its local politics don’t always help.
Perhaps LTCC would be better off initiating their four year program with specialties in environmental,climate and ecological studies, all of obvious importance at their location. Politically, those might seem more appropriate for the area, and the excellent Fire Academy could be an appropriate tag-along. We certainly don’t want to lose it.
This is disappointing, but I can’t help but notice that many of the colleges that were successful in securing a spot in the pilot program are offering what used to be known as vocational training. You know, back when a 4-year degree was not an absolute necessity unless you were going to be doctor, lawyer, scientist, etc.
Over the past 25 years there has been a campaign that most everyone bought into that preached that EVERYONE needs a 4-year degree. Now we have kids fresh out of college who have debt so deep they can’t see the forest for the trees. Many can’t find jobs that even begin to match the high expectations that they have after hearing that a degree is the ticket to making money.
I was fortunate to have come through the Lake Tahoe Unified School District and received a wonderful education that was augmented over time by additional classes at LTCC. But it was a different time; a time when on-the-job training was offered and valued.
I believe Copper is correct in his assessment that our community is seen as a resort where some types of training may not be seen as serious stuff, and our offerings need to tie specifically to our unique area. Environmental studies and perhaps, physical therapy, might be better fits in the long run.
Two key selling points for the $55 million bond were 1) we would get State matching grants, so we’d double our money, and 2) LTCC was going to expand to offer 4 year programs.
A few weeks ago we were told that the State matching money isn’t currently available, and now, the 4 year degrees aren’t going to happen either.
Can we get our $55 million back?
dingo: agree with 55 mil refund
Anybody who trusts “promises” made by government institutions deserves what they get.
Unfortunately, the rest of us also get punished.
Boy, the administrators sure got their raises and bonuses lined up and squared away before the curtain fell. The timing was superb. Measure F, a shakedown to remember.
a bigger stadium for SnoGlobe with all that extra money.
looks like all those other Colleges have the population to back them up.
If not an immediate reversal, we should at least be able to revote on the $55 mil. And on the revote, be advised: don’t believe LTCC’s promises!
Shocking, I tell you! Bureaucrats misrepresented the situation? Say it ain’t so! Well, at least they got their raises.
SO LTCC didn’t make the grade (bad pun) to become a four year college, but as Steve commented ,and as I mentioned earlier, they voted themselves a raise in wages for administrors right away. Even my 91 year old dad saw that one coming! He said ,”Thats the first thing they’ll do”.
Will they hire local contractors to repair a leaky roof and put in a better heating and cooling system?
Will they still build 5,500 ft. building for a community college that’s at half capacity?
Can we get our 55 million dollars in property tax back? Nope. Your cost of living here went up and your wages remain the same, or less, with reduced hours or being layed off due to lack of business.
Have a great day! OLS
The 4 year program that was awarded to other schools was and is a pilot program, that if it does well will be expanded out to the rest of the schools, so we may become a 4 year school yet. The money for the university center is coming from a donation, not from the taxpayers. The hope is to attract more students if they can get degrees here awarded from other universities as well as keep our own students here which will grow our enrollment.
Excellent. Send your kids to a resort town for a 4 year degree with no viable housing. Who in their right mind would send their kids to live in Tahoe to go to school without proper housing.
“Cooper Says” comments are well spoken, and unfortunately I believe a correct assessment. It’s also why Tahoe has problems attracting professional conferences from certain organizations. Proposing a degree program that was more relevant to a Tahoe location and can not be had in many other places, like environmental sciences or recreation management, rather than Public Safety, would have made more sense. Face it, no matter how good a program the school could have put together, Public Safety could be offered anywhere.
Ljames, the problem is that they had to choose a degree that was not offered at any of the UC or Cal State universities which I believe the two you mention are offered. We would do better with being a satellite to one of these.
The 4 year pilot program had nothing to do with with bond measure F. Stop spreading bad information people.
Well, just stand by and see what the requirements will be for another CA college to export faculty to teach courses they already have in the schools they work for now.
Roberta Mason wrote it would be simple to do. Riiiight!
There are a huge number of environmental science, ecology, climate and other related courses bring offered at UNR 60 mi away in Reno.
The Desert Research Institute is world renowned for its research.
UC Davis also, 120 miles away has a huge environmental program, which has already a whole arm of it focused on Tahoe.
Leave it to LTCC to try and reinvent the wheel.
How dare anyone criticize this magnanimous effort to better educate and train our future. It is a measly 55 million plus another 50 million or so for interest on the bonds and if only one degree is awarded it is more than worth it.
Is it true that the words shame and guilt have been removed from all dictionaries at LTCC.
Let’s all hope that the pilot program is successful and leads to more programs like it in the future.
LTCC has the potential to reshape this town and completely eliminate the ‘slow or shoulder seasons’ that we currently experience.
Think about it: In college towns, it is busy in the fall when students arrive… They leave all the times we experience an influx of tourism; for the holidays in the winter, again in the spring, and then all summer… but are a steady presence throughout the rest of the school year and they have a fair amount of expendable income usually sent from somewhere else.
And just for the heck of it, here’s my favorite ideas for LTCC degree programs:
Resort & Hotel-Restaurant Management
Environmental Studies
Fire Science
Public Safety
IT & Computer Science
Had nothing to do with it? No one from LTCC tried to say or imply that a 4 yr. degree program would happen if F passed? It wasn’t a selling point?
Again, post raises and this new info., what do you think the vote would be?
It’s just damn funny how desperately some people want to trust the people in authority. Doesn’t matter how many times they show you exactly what they’re about, you keep trusting the lies and the theft.
Thank you, Sir, may I have another?
Ryan, the college is working on a hospitality program now with the high school
Parker, I spoke directly with members of the school staff before the election, and it was made it crystal clear that the two had nothing to do with each other. The only tie they have is they happened within a few months of each other. I’m not saying people didn’t get confused, but the college never said that.
LeanForward,
In reading the Pro F statements, including those on this website, multiple ones mention building a University Center offering 4 year degrees. If that wasn’t the plan, LTCC should’ve stepped up and clarified.
If it’s now going to be stated, well we didn’t mean now, we meant ‘eventually’. Well guess what. We’re all planning on doing things ‘eventually’. I mean that’s when I plan to climb Mt. Everest and take a trip to the Space Station.
LTCC, Big Fish, Little Pond….
One might start the discussion by spelling a major donor’s name – it is Maloff, not Maloof. . .Bob and his brother Sasha were major business people in the region, so Maloff’s $ 5-million donation to the college should at least be acknowledged correctly. . .
As to the denied major, one only has to check the experience of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (aka the ‘Mounties’) in Regina, Saskatchewan to sense what kind of community experience they have had with their Academy. . .
Of Mr. Payne’s ‘favorites’, perhaps we can use a more sophisticated ‘environmental studies’ to not teach students things that will cause them to leave town to find an adequate career – HERE !. . . as to “Cranky’s” suggestion, there are areas of environmental study that are closer to Tahoe, as even UNR & DRI come here to do their studies. . .
I would like a formal response from LTCC. This is $200.00 a year from me. So far I’ve seen employee raises. I’m not impressed. You got the funding, tell me I’m not being screwed. I’m fed up and ready to move away from SLT.
Bill, you can volunteer for the College and jump right. I think they are accepting applications for the funding oversight committee.
Bill Swim. Type in the requirements to become a member of the oversight committee in regards to the taxpayer funded measure F money for LTCC. I could’nt pass muster but maybe you can. I wish you luck. OLS
legalbeagle- “How dare anyone…..” What? Yes, we all dare to comment here. Don’t read comments if you can’t put it in the proper perspective- which isn’t personal.
Well OLS I don’t meet the requirements ether. I’m a senior, but I don’t belong to a senior organization. I’m a taxpayer, but I don’t belong to a taxpayer organization. I guess we don’t get a voice in the LTCC spending process…..just keep sending in those tax dollars. Take care.
To Mr.Swim and the community. Your property taxes went up and more than likely if you are a renter your rent bill will go up due to the “F’ funds going to LTCC to the tune of 55 million dollars of local taxpayer money to replace a leaky roof in a couple of spots and the other improvements.
A heating improvement going up in a couple of cold rooms in the winter. Plus build a new building for some sort of campus center. Which by the way, is at a campus that is at roughly half capacity.Hard to get exact numbers.
I’m sure it’s all cool, as the Gerken motel,which was the original college, was kind of a rough start as our first communty college. OLS