Bill that touted 4-year degrees for community colleges fails
While reading the paper online, I noticed that the bill for 4-year degrees at the community college level has been kicked to the curb. I’m wishing it hadn’t been. The bill isn’t particularly useful to me, as I am not persuing any of the degrees that it effected. But once the ball was rolling, other degrees would have been offered also. Currently, it is possible to get a four year degree in teaching from one of the community colleges in the area. But I don’t think I want to be a teacher either. Really, it’s the high costs of tuition at Arizona State University that is just killing me. Every year they’ve raised the rates. It’s to the point where it’s impossible to go to school without taking out loans to pay for it all. I hate that. You have to go into more debt to succeed. Anyway, the article is quoted below.
Bill that touted 4-year degrees for community colleges fails
Mike Cronin, The Arizona Republic, Feb. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
A bill that would have enabled Arizona community colleges to confer bachelor’s degrees was defeated 6-2 on Tuesday.
Rep. Laura Knaperek, R-Tempe, sponsored House Bill 2050 and has championed the issue for about a year.
The vote surprised some. Before the session began, a few lawmakers said the bill had a good chance of passing.
Knaperek is chairwoman of the committee in which the bill faltered.
“There are several reasons the bill failed,” she said. Among them: the complexity of the topic, the number of different views and the Community College Association’s lack of support.
Rep. John Allen, R-Scottsdale, said he voted against it because the bill had too many elements in it. “Once you have that in an omnibus bill that changed weekly, it becomes such a big mouthful to swallow,” he said.
Knaperek’s bill would have allowed community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in teaching, nursing, firefighting and police science, professions the local economy demands.
Knaperek is working on a bill like last year’s failed House Bill 2079. If it passes, those who earn state grants could use the money at the accredited college or university they choose.