CSUN Connections & L.A. Compact Participate in Reverse Transfer Conversation

Juana Hernandez, Senior Manager of Postsecondary Initiatives at UNITE-LA, participated in California Competes’ “Higher Ed Chat” on CSUN Connections, a reverse transfer initiative to support adults in the L.A. area who have faced barriers to completing their degree. Moderated by California Competes’ Interim Executive Director Ria Sengupta Bhatt, Hernandez was joined by Dr. Ryan Cornner, vice chancellor of education programs & institutional effectiveness at Los Angeles Community College District, and Dr. Deborah Cours, interim assistant vice president of academic undergraduate programs at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). 

CSUN Connections was born out of the L.A. Compact's Student Success Workgroup, a body convened by UNITE-LA, the education affiliate of the Chamber, to identify common challenges and develop collaborative solutions. The collaborative effort targets students who were transferring in without an associate degree and were then, several years later, leaving CSUN without a B.A. in hand. After an initial outreach campaign to bring in qualifying adults, community colleges are now in the process of awarding degrees.

“It’s important for the business community to understand how their needs can be served by candidates with associate degrees and why programs like CSUN Connections are so critical to helping employers find skilled talent,” said Hernandez.