CSU Channel Islands announces online Health Science program and admissions memorandum with local school district
CAMARILLO, Calif. – CSU Channel Islands recently announced a new online Health Science degree program as well as a Memorandum of Understanding with Fillmore Unified School District.
Registration is now open for a new online Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science aimed at working professionals looking to complete a four-year degree and advance their careers detail California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) in a press release about the new program.
The fully online degree program is the first in the CSU system state CSU Channel Islands.
“It could be a working health aide, or a surgical tech looking to advance skills and opportunities toward a health management position,” explained CSUCI Health Science Lecturer Ashley Parks. “Someone earning $18 to $24 dollars an hour today doing manual labor can double or triple their salary to, perhaps, $54 an hour with a degree. They can move into research or management roles.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the health care and assistance field is expected to add almost four million jobs by 2026, constituting a third of all new jobs.
A $50,000 accelerator grant from the CSU Commission on Professional and Continuing Education was distributed in 2023 to fund the development of the program with the first batch of classes slated for the Fall of 2024 through CSUCI's Extended University.
“This completion degree program is unique in that it is designed with the working adult in mind, a busy individual juggling the demanding realities of work and care for family,” said Dr. Sonsoles de Lacalle, Chair of CSUCI’s Health Science program. “For this reason, the program will combine rigorous academics and a simplified schedule that allows for a sustainable pace.”
An additional goal of the new program is to serve military families stationed at Naval Base Ventura County and Juan Betancourt, the head of the Department of the Navy Industrial Hygiene Division at Port Hueneme, is a CSUCI Health Science Lecturer who helped in the development of the program detail CSU Channel Islands.
During the same week, CSU Channel Islands signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fillmore Unified School District that creates a guaranteed admission program for qualified high school graduates in the school district.
“Through the commitments outlined in this MOU, our graduates will have a chance to access a high-quality, affordable college education close to home,” said Fillmore High School Principal Keith Derrick. “We are excited to work with CSUCI to enhance our students’ success and future options. This agreement is an important investment in the young people of our community.”
According to CSU Channel Islands, 79% of all enrolled students in the Fillmore Unified School District are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
By guaranteeing admission to qualified students in the district, CSU Channel Islands intends to attract a larger pool of local students and increase the likelihood that those students make it to graduation.
"[Fillmore Unified School District] students often do not have access to resources or guidance related to college applications and navigating higher education systems,” explained Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Toni DeBoni. “CSUCI's guaranteed admission program and support services could address this specific need and encourage first-generation students to pursue college degrees.”
CSU Channel Islands is also assigning an admission counselor dedicated to students from Fillmore Unified School District and offering on-the-spot provisional admissions to students in the district that present their transcripts during their school's on-the-spot events.
"This MOU and new relationship demonstrates CSUCI’s commitment to the students in Fillmore and Piru,” said Fillmore Unified School District Superintendent Christine Schieferle. "This commitment to the FUSD community validates to our students that CSUCI believes in them and will offer the support necessary to see them accomplish their goals. This makes college a reality for our students before they graduate from high school."
Fillmore Unified School District is the latest to sign a MOU with CSU Channel Islands and other Ventura County school districts are either have already signed or are in the process of formulating their own MOUs with the university state CSU Channel Islands.
“This MOU offers guaranteed admission to students who meet the minimum University entrance requirements to any non-impacted major at CSUCI,” said CSUCI Director of Admissions and Recruitment Roxana Tunc. "Overall, this MOU presents an opportunity to promote and support college access and success. It can have a lasting positive impact on the lives of individuals, families and our broader community."
