CSULB, community colleges build on 25-year partnership to tackle shortage of nurses, teachers

For 25 years, Cal State Long Beach has been breaking down barriers for community college students - helping them transfer seamlessly, earn their degrees faster and step into much-needed careers in education and healthcare.

In 1999, CSULB partnered with Cerritos College to launch Teacher TRAC,the first community college-to-CSU educator preparation pathway in California. Since then, the program has paved the way for thousands of students to become teachers, and similar partnerships within the School of Nursinghave expanded opportunities for those entering the healthcare industry.

For students, these partnerships offer more than just degrees; they provide a clear roadmap to success, with streamlined coursework, built-in financial support and personalized guidance every step of the way.

"The state of California has unique needs in terms of the job market and our community," said CSULB Interim Vice Provost Pei-Fang Hung. "We want to make sure that when transfer students come to us, they don't feel lost. We're working to provide them with clear pathways and access to high-demand programs."

Just two years after transferring from Los Angeles Harbor College, aspiring special education teacher Marisa Saxon will graduate from The Beach this May with both her undergraduate degree and two teaching credentials. It's an achievement made possible, in part, through the College of Education's Urban Dual Credential Program, which allows transfer students to work toward their bachelor's degrees and teaching credentials simultaneously.

In doing so, Saxon was able to eliminate three semesters of coursework and save thousands of dollars in tuition - no small thing, considering cost was the reason she chose to attend community college in the first place.

"I'm going to be a first-generation college graduate," Saxon said. "I wanted to make it easier for my family, especially right after high school, since I didn't have a full-time job and money was an issue."

Urgent need for teachers and nurses

CSULB's pioneering work in transfer partnerships has set a standard across the CSU system, serving as a model for how universities can collaborate with community colleges to create transformative opportunities. When workforce shortages arise, these intercollegiate relationships become key to the state's ability to quickly train and place skilled professionals where they are needed most.

That was the case two years ago when CSU launched a systemwide Transfer Success Pathwayinitiative, which guarantees future CSU admission to high school graduates who attend community college due to academic, financial or personal hardships. The systemexpands access for students who might have otherwise faced barriers in pursuing four-year degrees.

The urgency of the efforts is evident.

Data from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing shows an 11.2% drop in new teaching credentials between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. Similarly, projections from the Health Resources and Services Administration indicate that the state could face a 26% nursing deficit by 2036. These statistics have caught the attention of state legislators, who have put forth several bills and grants aimed at reducing barriers for aspiring professionals.

Nursing track: Tackling healthcare shortage

In response to the growing demand for highly skilled nurses, the state has prioritized strengthening RN-to-BSN (Registered Nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing) tracks through grants andcollaborations. CSULB's top-ratedSchool of Nursing has embraced the initiative, said Director Michael L. Williams, strengthening alliances with a number of community colleges.

"Unfortunately," he said, "the School of Nursing has limited seats for its BSN program, primarily due to clinical placement limitations. But with the RN-to-BSN programs, our clinical placements are much fewer, and we can accommodate many more students in that program."

One standoutagreement is with Long Beach City College, whose students can now complete their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) while attending classes at CSULB. The students are then guaranteed entry to the BSN program.

"It's like the Long Beach College Promise," Hung said, "but for nursing."

CSULB's School of Nursing is highly competitive, and demand is only expected to grow as hospitals recognize the value of employing nurses who hold BSN degrees. RN-to-BSN classes are offered on campus and online, creating more opportunities for transfer students locally and across the state of California.

"We also recently revised the RN-to-BSN curriculum and adjusted the required clinical hours to assure students are receiving cutting-edge information in a way that meets the need for greater flexibility while maintaining quality," Williams said.

Education track: Preparing new teachers

College of EducationAssociate Dean Rebecca Bustamante said faculty and staff have built strong alliances with Cerritos College, Golden West College and Long Beach City College, among others. She noted that the curriculum has been refined in several key areas to help future teachers enter the classroom faster - especially when it comes to high-need fields such as bilingual and special education teaching.

"Within Liberal Studies, students can do two things," she explained. "They can either get a Liberal Studies undergraduate degree and then pursue a post-baccalaureate credential, or they can pursue what we call an Integrated Teacher Education Program - ITEP."

ITEP allows transfer students with 60 units to earn a bachelor's degree and teaching credential simultaneously. Meanwhile, the Urban Dual Credential Program makes it possible to earn both a multiple subject credential (required to teach elementary school) and an education specialist credential.

The college, Bustamante said, also has launched a four-year Education Specialist Credential Programand developed a PK-3 Early Education Specialist Instruction Credential Programset to launch in Fall 2025.

"CSULB is pivoting and making immediate changes to the curriculum to meet state and local needs," she said.

Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn is proud of the fact that The Beach's strategic cooperationand forward-thinkinginitiatives are helping tackle California's workforce shortages head-on.

"The BSN and ITEP teacher-preparation programs are standout examples of The Beach's commitment to building California's workforce in these professions," Gunn said. "Innovative transfer degree programs like these, coupled with robust partnerships with community colleges, position us to play a vital role in addressing the urgent needs of our communities and the state as a whole."

'Full steam ahead'

Yorgley Jimenez will graduate from CSULB in May with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies and a minor in American Sign Language and Deaf Cultures. She will enter the workforce fully credentialed to teach bilingual education, elementary school and special education - a dream come true, she said, given that just a few short years ago she was struggling to navigate community college.

"I didn't really have any family members or close relatives who had gone through that experience, so it was a lot of myself and my cousins figuring it out at the same time," she said. "Community college gave me the time and resources to get informed."

The same is true for Saxon, who said her decision to pursue special education is deeply personal.

"I have a learning disability myself," she said, adding that she didn't get diagnosed until high school. "I struggled a lot in school, and I didn't get a lot of help. I don't want kids to have the same bad experience I did. I want to make their school experience as enjoyable and smooth as possible, so they can learn and not feel inadequate."

The teacher shortage means Saxon and her fellow graduates are virtually guaranteed jobs right out of college; she said she is both grateful for the opportunity and determined to make a difference.

"I'm going full steam ahead," she said.