California’s new Calbright College faces questions weeks before opening

EdSource.org

California’s new online community college officially starts in eight weeks but it has yet to have a formal application for students or identify employers that will host its three new industry-certified programs.

But Calbright College’s new president, Heather Hiles, said the institution is on track to meet those goals by its Oct. 1 start date.

“This is not meant to be the fully loaded, fully technologized program,” Hiles said. “We’re right on schedule for all the things we need to set up our training programs.”

With this first group of students, Hiles said the online community college is starting small just as any other startup would. Calbright officials will focus on increasing enrollment once they figure out what technology works and doesn’t work for the college’s target group of adult learners, she said. They’ve set a goal of launching with no more than 400 students who would learn skills online and in the workplace.

So far, about 160 prospective students have filled out a form on the Calbright website expressing interest, said Taylor Huckaby, the college’s communications director.

He said the college has not yet followed up with those people. It’s unclear how many students will enroll, but as an open-access institution, the college would select almost… (continue reading)