3

Chico State-Shasta College Collaboration Offers Cost-Conscious Local Students a Chance to Earn a Bachelor’s in Business Management

shasta-college-redding

Beginning this fall, local students can obtain a four-year degree from one of the best business schools in the country without leaving Redding’s city limits.

A new partnership between Shasta College and Chico State University will allow students to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business management in as little as two years, according to Scott Gordon, director of Shasta College’s business administration department.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Gordon said. “This is a four-year bachelor degree from one of the better business schools, right here in Redding.” It’s also more affordable than most programs.

Students can take their undergraduate classes at Shasta College, paying about $150 for a three-unit course—unless they qualify for a Bogg fee waiver, grants or other financial aid—and then transfer to the Chico State program and take evening classes at the Shasta College University Center in downtown Redding.

“There are a sequence of classes and if a student wants to, he or she can be done in two years, or they can take half that and finish in four years,” Gordon said.

“The new business administration program is an affordable option for students living in Redding and wanting to complete a professionally accredited business administration program in four years,” said Judith Hennessey, dean of Chico State’s College of Business, in a statement.

“In addition to the business administration program, we look to advance our collaboration with Shasta College and the community’s business leaders in support of expanding job opportunities and the economic development of the region,” Hennessey said.

Jake Mangas, the new president and CEO of the Redding Chamber of Commerce, shares the dean’s excitement. “This is so important to the future of Redding in terms of economic development in terms of attracting employers to this area,” Mangas said. The Shasta College-Chico State program nicely augments the degree-completion programs already available through Simpson University and National University, Mangas added.

“Anything we can do to raise the bar in terms of education is a positive. Not only in offering a four-year degree, but in having a skilled work force,” Mangas said. “Trade schools are important, too.”

“We have a lot of employees in Shasta County who never finished their degree, and they can’t move up because they don’t have the right degree,” Gordon said. “This is a way they can move up. I also like it because Redding is trying to attract businesses. When they ask what the work force is like, we can say we have a good pool of trained workers, thanks to Shasta College.”

Shasta College is an open access community college and students are accepted regardless of their high school grades, Gordon said. “You don’t have to worry about getting in or transferring credits. Maintain a ‘C’ average and you will get into Chico State.”

Students with college credits from other schools are encouraged to bring in a copy of their transcripts and sit down with an academic counselor at Shasta to find out what classes they still need, Gordon said.

“This is probably the cheapest business degree you can get in California,” Gordon said. “There’s no commuting to Chico and you’re paying junior college tuition for the first two years.”

Just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean it isn’t a quality education, Gordon said, noting that Chico State’s College of Business is among the top 15 percent of business schools worldwide that meet the standards for accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

“A lot of people don’t realize that. We’re excited to be partnered with them because of that,” Gordon said.

The management degree replaces a bachelor’s in supply chain management that had fallen out of favor.

“The new management emphasis will provide more high-impact classroom practices, including hands-on, community-based problem solving, face-to-face instruction and program-credited internships in the Redding community,” Hennessey’s statement says.

To help develop the management degree and additional programs to be offered through Shasta College, a community advisory board has been created. Members include Mayor Missy McArthur; Chico State President Paul Zingg; Lee Salter, president and CEO of the McConnell Foundation; Michael Sloan, Shasta College’s dean of business, agriculture, technology and safety; Gordon; and Mangas.

“It is a great honor to host regional leaders in Redding in our quest to deliver an excellent program in partnership with Shasta College and the regional civic and business community,” Hennessey said.

Jon Lewis

Jon Lewis is a freelance writer living in Redding. He has more than 30 years experience writing for newspapers and magazines. Contact him at jonpaullewis@gmail.com.

3 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments