A local community college is providing bachelor’s degrees for students — for free.
West Valley-Mission Community College District is offering bachelor’s degrees in land stewardship and sustainability, as well as emergency services administration. As tuition is free for students living within the district’s service areas, this means they’re able to earn a four-year degree close to home without incurring enormous debt.
The Bachelor of Science in land stewardship and sustainability, built on West Valley’s Park Management Program, offers students a pathway to careers in conservation, sustainability and public land management. At the same time, Mission College offers a Bachelor of Science in emergency services administration for jobs in emergency management, public safety administration and disaster response coordination.
Bradley Davis, chancellor of the community college district, said providing this opportunity for students is crucial.
“At a time when it’s becoming increasingly expensive to live here … having educational debt on top of that makes it difficult to navigate your long-term financial future,” he told San José Spotlight. “My long-term hope is that this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’d make bachelor’s programs available in 20 disciplines at our colleges. That would make our entire community stronger.”
The California State University system has been against expanding community colleges offering bachelor’s degree programs, claiming it would compete with its offerings. But Davis doesn’t see it that way.
“It’s the Legislature which needs to make this decision,” he said. “One of the things we’re trying to do is incentivize the hiring of faculty with more Ph.D.s, so when we can offer upper division courses in chemistry or biology, we’re ready to go.”
The bachelor’s program at West Valley College offers instruction in natural resource management, ecology, environmental law, cultural resource management and sustainable land practices.
San Jose Park Ranger Assistant Nick Verdi, who graduated in 2024 from West Valley College’s park management program, said he and many students have grown and taken on leadership positions through the experience. In addition, he said the district removing financial barriers provides opportunities for struggling students.
“Nontraditional students have an equal playing field when they have a bachelor’s degree offered at a community college,” he told San José Spotlight.
Verdi wants to advance his career and give back to the community. He’s excited to be able to do so at West Valley College and get his degree.
Mission College plans to offer a Bachelor of Science in emergency services administration. It includes emergency management, public safety administration and disaster response coordination. File photo.
From forest to fire
Mission College’s degree provides students with leadership, management and strategic decision-making skills to oversee complex emergency operations. The curriculum was designed by firefighters, EMS personnel and law enforcement. Mission College will launch its bachelor’s program in spring 2027 with about 30 students.
Calogero Monachino, a former battalion chief with the Santa Clara Fire Department and chair of the fire protection technology department at Mission College, said Mission College is the second community college in the state to offer a bachelor’s degree in emergency services administration.
He said wildfires are a significant threat in Santa Clara County and battling large blazes requires emergency management. As people progress in their careers with the fire department, they’ll need to have a bachelor’s degree, he said. It’s required to become a company officer, captain or battalion chief.
“There’s definitely a need for it,” he told San José Spotlight. “We’ve already had 61 people complete an interest form online that they want to enroll.”
Mission College President Seher Awan said many community college students have to juggle several jobs to provide for themselves and their families while living in one of the most expensive places in the nation.
“Our students don’t have the luxury of stopping work to go to school full-time,” Awan told San José Spotlight. “This is an opportunity to provide our most underrepresented and at-risk populations with the opportunity to pursue an education both at an undergraduate level and a bachelor’s level for free.”
Students will be able to step into jobs in management, emergency services administration, law enforcement, EMS and fire as emergency management coordinators, public safety administrators, firefighters and nursing administrators.
“There’s a huge shortage of not only healthcare, but law enforcement professionals in our areas,” Awan said. “We hope that being able to train them … they will want to give back to their communities. This is a wonderful opportunity to obtain a very talented workforce.”
Alice Kaufman, policy and advocacy director for Green Foothills, is “thrilled to see” the community college district offer bachelor’s degree programs.
“Our region will have an increasing need for people with expertise in conservation and land stewardship as we continue to feel the impacts of climate change, particularly when it comes to managing lands for wildfire resilience,” Kaufman told San José Spotlight. “It’s really exciting that students will be able to learn about sustainable land management and traditional ecological knowledge, and then be able to use those skills here in our region.”
West Valley College President Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza can’t wait for its first bachelor’s degree program to launch in fall 2027, or spring 2028. She said 90% of surveyed students and alumni wanted this degree, which was shaped by an industry advisory board.
“It’s much more than workforce education,” she told San José Spotlight. “We’re dealing with the complete individual and helping them to be contributors to society.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].