Cal State Fullerton has earned a national reputation as a top destination for transfer students, thanks to its partnerships and collaborations with community colleges across California.
The university already has articulation agreements with more than 116 community colleges statewide, which specify how credits earned at each community college apply toward a degree from Cal State Fullerton. Additionally, the university has formal Memorandums of Understanding with five colleges – Fullerton College, Golden West College, Irvine Valley College, Orange Coast College, and Santa Ana College.
At the Community College Presidents’ Breakfast on Oct. 16, CSUF President Ronald Rochon told the crowd of college presidents and administrators that the university is laying the groundwork to establish even more partnerships.
“We are building upon these agreements — adding new ones and enhancing existing ones so that they provide our students with transformational experiences,” Rochon told the crowd of 21 campus leaders.
The breakfast was held so that college leaders could discuss collaborative efforts to reduce barriers for transfer students through services that support their retention, and ensure students can successfully navigate the journey from community college to a CSUF bachelor’s degree.
Rochon said that the success of these initial partnerships have laid the foundation for upcoming MOUs with other institutions, including Coastline College.
“With guidance from the Aspen-AASCU Transfer Student Success Intensive, we worked with Fullerton College to create a seamless transfer pathway and opened a Future Titans Center to engage potential future Titans and align support for them even after they arrive at Cal State Fullerton,” Rochon said.
Cal State Fullerton is ranked No. 3 in the nation for colleges with the most transfer students, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings issued in September.
Last year, 40% of all CSUF undergraduate students were transfer students, and as many as 85% of new transfers each year come from local community colleges, such as Fullerton College, Santa Ana College, Orange Coast College and more.
Each MOU supports transfer guarantees, creates a clear and direct transfer pathway, and outlines comprehensive wraparound services for students that consist of academic advising, financial aid assistance, career exploration and mental health support.
Graduate student Ladislao Figueroa transferred to Cal State Fullerton from Fullerton College and earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology. Now pursuing his master’s degree in higher education, Figueroa said these resources play an important role in creating a culture of care and belonging for all students.
“I work with a ton of prospective students. Just like when I started, current times are affecting what students think of college. Do they think this space is even for them?” said Figueroa, who served as a Titan Ambassador with the Department of Outreach, Recruitment, and Orientation. “I think it’s important to address those concerns by strengthening that first-year experience and the available support.”
“The students’ journey may begin on your campuses, but their success belongs to all of us,” Rochon said. “The students we serve do not just experience higher education as separate institutions; they experience it as one journey. Our responsibility collectively is to make sure that that journey is as seamless as possible.”
Rochon shared that this work aligns with the university’s three central commitments: to guide every student across the finish line to graduation; to prepare every Titan for life beyond graduation; and to build a culture where every student feels seen.
“We cannot achieve these commitments without our community college partners. Without them, there is no Cal State Fullerton. Without them, there is no CSU,” Rochon said. “This work reinforces something all of us know is required: collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to student success.”
These partnerships also build on the CSUF’s longstanding investment in signature programs and resources for transfer success, connecting students to specialized support programs, including the Transfer Adult Re-entry Parenting and Pregnant Student Center and Project RAISE, as well as academic pathways and resources that help them stay on the path to graduation, such as the College of Business and Economics agreement with Irvine Valley College for a 4+1 degree in accounting.
“We are true partners in the work of student success,” said Jessica Barco, associate vice president for CSUF strategic enrollment management. “We are working together for clear, direct, and affordable pathways and success for all of our students from their community college to the Titan journey and connection.”