Oregon CC Consortium Advances 4 Year Teacher ED Degrees

A consortium of five Oregon community colleges made headline news with their collaborative approach to advancing a new Bachelor’s Degree of Applied Science in Education (BASE) in their state. The degree was proposed after legislative approval to offer applied bachelor’s degrees in Oregon in 2019 and follows several successful applied bachelor’s degree offerings in the state. The group received grants to support this effort. Community colleges engaged in the project include Linn-Benton CC, Chemeketa CC, Rogue CC, Columbia Gorge CC, and Treasure Valley CC.

The consortium model is innovative, enabling the five community colleges to pool resources in curriculum, instruction, and student support services while offering students the flexibility to take classes at any participating institution. The degree program prioritizes place-based practicum opportunities to support rural communities in Oregon, which face the most significant teacher shortages in the state. The proposed bachelor’s degree has faced opposition from several of the state’s four-year university teacher preparation programs, which argue that it would create unnecessary duplication and potentially diminish degree quality. The degree is currently being reviewed by Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission, and the Oregon consortium hopes to launch the new degree in Fall of 2027.

Members of the Oregon community college consortium plan to present at the upcoming NACCTEP pre-conference in February. We are excited to share updates on their project and progress, and we hope to see you there!