Press Releases

November 16, 2011

Joan Galvan, Public Information Officer
(805) 965-0581 ext. 2307
(805) 963-7222
jcgalvan@sbcc.edu

Antioch University and Santa Barbara City College Announce Collaborative Transfer Program

Antioch University Santa Barbara (AUSB) and Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) will sign an official agreement on Wednesday, November 16, at 10:30 a.m. formalizing the unique transfer arrangement between the two institutions that signifies another benchmark in their maturing and developing relationship. The signing ceremony will take place at SBCC’s Luria Conference and Press Center at the top of La Playa Stadium on East campus at 721 Cliff Drive.

AUSB’s Bridge Program with SBCC permits SBCC students to transfer up to three years of college credit to AUSB, one full year more than is accepted in transfer units to most four-year colleges and universities. After transfer, students may need to complete as little as one year of study at Antioch in order to complete their BA degree. The “80-40” program provides a cost-effective means of completing the college degree, allowing students to complete as many as 80 units at a community college and the remaining 40 credit hours at AUSB. The Bridge program allows students to stay in Santa Barbara, rather than leave the area, to complete their bachelor’s degree.

SBCC’s Transfer Center and AUSB’s Office of Admissions work closely with these students in developing an academic transfer plan, including financial aid that best suits their needs. In addition to the Bridge Program, SBCC and Antioch have a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) that ensures that qualified SBCC students are automatically guaranteed admission to any Antioch concentration.

“Never before have community colleges and four-year colleges and universities needed to work more closely together to ensure that students finish their lower-division studies, successfully transfer and complete their bachelors’ degrees,” said Dr. Jack Friedlander, Acting SBCC Superintendent/President. “Our evolving global economy has raised the bar substantially for students to acquire the skills and training needed to gain employment in jobs that pay competitive wages.” He added, “SBCC and Antioch have a long-standing relationship of working together to best serve our students. More than 50 percent of Antioch students in Santa Barbara have had some ties to SBCC, either through coursework or transfer.”

“Intentional efforts must be made in order to increase access to higher education and these efforts must provide students the ability to fit their education into their busy lives. At a time of great economic uncertainty and severely constrained opportunities to transfer to four-year colleges and universities, collaborative efforts like this are responsive to the needs of our community, which is at the heart of our strategic partnership with SBCC,” said AUSB President Dr. Nancy Leffert. “By establishing the Bridge Program and guaranteed transfer admission agreement, Antioch and SBCC have stepped forward and demonstrated that these students are important. This innovative program accommodates the needs of students today.”

Cutbacks in the state and the increasing costs of public four-year institutions have reached an inflection point that makes the four-year-old Bridge Program much more viable. SBCC and AUSB continue to strengthen their relationship and Antioch’s new location and new campus offer greater opportunities for collaboration between the two schools.

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