A.A. Degree Wins Respect

La Verne College’s faculty voted unanimously Jan. 14 to accept the integrity of the junior college A.A. degree. Incoming students with the A.A. from an accredited college will be awarded junior standing at the college.

Many other universities and four-year colleges in Southern California have not fully recognized the value of the A.A. degree, according to Dr. Wayne Miller, dean of the under-graduate studies. Previously, students who transferred with the A.A. had their records reviewed by a registrar. Many times those students, who will now rank as juniors, were accepted as sophomores.

Why?

The La Verne faculty has asked that question and has decided there is no reason for it. After all, students who have the B.A. degree are automatically ac­cepted to a master’s program without having to repeat courses. So they feel that it is only right to accept students with the A.A. for junior standing.

According to Dr. Armen Sarafian, La Verne College president, this is a real breakthrough for several reasons. Previously many junior college advisors encouraged the student who planned to transfer to a four-year to take traditional courses.

This has always been considered safe advice because four-year institutions tend to accept such units. Dr. Sarafian feels that this kind of advice prevents students from taking career classes in junior college.

Now, students who wish to transfer to La Verne may have a junior college career major and still transfer all of their units. Since La Verne’s emphasis is on learning, according to Dr. Sarafian, this decision makes it possible to develop an individualized upper division curriculum for each student.

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The Campus Times is the weekly student newspaper for the University of La Verne.

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