Victor Valley College to offer bachelor's degree in respiratory care therapy
Victor Valley College will soon offer its first bachelor's degree following the unveiling of six new baccalaureate programs throughout the state.
A bachelor's degree in respiratory care therapy will soon be available at the High Desert campus, California Community Colleges announced Tuesday. The organization also announced five new bachelor's degree programs at other schools, bringing the total number now offered system-wide to 39, according to CCC spokeswoman Melissa Villarin.
A respiratory care therapy bachelor's degree program will also be established at Antelope Valley College.
The degrees made available through the state's community college Baccalaureate Degree Program are selected to be ones in "high-demand career fields," Vice Chancellor of the California Community Colleges' Equitable Student Learning, Experience and Impact Office.
"Through the Baccalaureate Degree Program we are broadening the reach of higher education and skill development to a greater number of students by offering affordable and quality opportunities close to home," she said.
Expanding access to four-year college degrees is a vital component of California Community Colleges' strategic plan, known as "Vision 2030," officials said.
"Equitable baccalaureate attainment is one of three strategic directions that will help achieve the plan’s goals of equity in success, equity in access and equity in support," Villarin said.
"In addition to that, graduates of community college bachelor’s degree programs earn twice as much as they id before obtaining their degree, according to a UC Davis Benefits and Opportunities report," she added. "And more than half of graduates reported that they would not have pursued a bachelor's degree had it not been offered at their community colleges."
It was not clear Tuesday when the new program would be available for Victor Valley College students to enroll.
After first launching in 2014, the California Community Colleges' Baccalaureate Degree Program was made permanent in 2021, according to officials.
The degrees offered through the program are exclusive to the California Community Colleges' system and do not duplicate bachelor's degrees offered at Cal State University or University of California Campuses.
More information, including a list of all available bachelor's degrees offered in the CCC system, is available online at cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Educational-Services-and-Support/What-we-do/Curriculum-and-Instruction-Unit/Curriculum/Baccalaureate-Degree-Program.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Victor Valley College to add bachelor's degree in respiratory care
