CSU, SAC and SAUSD Joining Forces for Higher Education

Officials of Santa Ana College (SAC) and the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) join forces today (May 6) with California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) to create Santa Ana ¡Adelante!, an innovative program to see a college diploma in every Santa Ana home by 2020.

Santa Ana ¡Adelante! will provide local students with a seamless pipeline from middle school through high school to college and university. The program offers qualifying SAUSD students an opportunity to be first in line on the path to college, and provides plenty of concrete assistance and expert guidance along the way.

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The hourlong event, featuring public school student and parent speakers, will conclude with Santa Ana Unified School District Superintendent Jane A. Russo, Santa Ana College President Erlinda J. Martinez and California State University, Fullerton’s President Milton A. Gordon completing a formal signing ceremony inaugurating the compact. 

“By guaranteeing college and university admission to all qualified students, Santa Ana ¡Adelante! aims to put as many students as possible first in line on the path to a college degree,” said CSUF President Milton A. Gordon. “Together with Santa Ana College and the Santa Ana Unified School District, we are taking a giant step forward in accessibility.” 

“Santa Ana ¡Adelante! will deliver on the promise of higher education for local high school students in the Santa Ana Unified School District,” said SAC President Erlinda J. Martinez. “Our students can only benefit from the creative co­llaboration of the partnering institutions, and I am certain many will make the most of this wonderful new opportunity.” 

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the students of Santa Ana Unified School District,” noted SAUSD Superintendent Jane A. Russo. “By establishing a direct pathway for students from our middle schools to college, Santa Ana ¡Adelante! will benefit our students, their families, and the many companies and industries in Southern California whose future depends on continued access to a well-educated workforce.”

The new program guarantees participating students priority registration at Santa Ana College and guaranteed transfers to attend CSUF, where they will complete their bachelor’s degree. The first group of SAUSD students to benefit from Santa Ana ¡Adelante! will be the graduating seniors from the Class of 2011. They will enter SAC this fall and transfer to CSUF in 2013 or 2014, depending on their ability to enroll in required transfer classes at SAC.

Beginning in fall 2011, Santa Ana ¡Adelante! will provide a variety of educational benefits and services to participating SAUSD graduates. The program’s benefits include:

• Early college and career planning beginning in the sixth grade for both parents and students in the SAUSD.
• All sixth-grade students and parents will sign the "I'm Going to College" pledge.
• Continued and coordinated early outreach efforts and college-bound activities for both parents and students, ninth through 12th grade, led by Achieving College, a network of high school counselors and outreach staff from SAC and CSUF.
• CSUF will guarantee college admission to all SAUSD students who complete all transfer requirements at SAC and successfully meet CSUF admissions standards.
• SAUSD seniors will receive priority registration to SAC for the fall semester prior to graduating from high school.
• The city of Santa Ana will promote the Santa Ana Futures scholarship as part of its annual employee payroll deduction program, providing continuing financial support.
• All SAUSD students attending SAC will receive individual assistance to ensure they access all available financial assistance while at SAC.

Santa Ana Unified School District

Santa Ana Unified School District educates approximately 58,000 students at 61 dynamic school sites throughout the Santa Ana community. The K-12 school district is the largest in Orange County and the second largest employer in Santa Ana, with approximately 4,500 educators and staff members.

The school district boasts 28 California Distinguished Schools, five National Blue Ribbon Schools and two 2011 National Blue Ribbon nominees. In addition, Saddleback High, Valley High and Santa Ana High School were named as three of the most improved high schools in Orange County for students passing the California High School Exit Exam. For more information about our schools, visit www.sausd.us, call 714-558-555 or email pioinfo@sausd.us.

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana College, which will turn 100 years old in 2015, serves about 18,000 students each semester at its main campus in Santa Ana. The college prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions, provides invaluable workforce training, and customized training for business and industry. In addition, another 13,000 students are served through the college’s School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center.

Ranked as one of the nation’s top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students, the college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and other medical personnel. SAC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Visit www.sac.edu to learn more information.

Cal State Fullerton 

California State University, Fullerton, a comprehensive, regional university with a global outlook, enrolls more than 35,000 students and offers 103 degree programs (54 under­graduate, 49 graduate, including a doctorate in education) in eight colleges.

Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Cal State Fullerton is the largest university in the 23-campus California State University system. It is sixth in the nation for the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to minority students and first in California for the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics. Learn more about the university at www.fullerton.edu. 

More information about Santa Ana ¡Adelante! can be found at www.SantaAnaAdelante.org.

Media Contacts: 

Angela Burrell, public information officer, Santa Ana Unified School District, 714-558-5550 or angela.burrell@sausd.us.

Laurie Weidner, Rancho Santiago Community College District, 714-480-7509 or weidner_laurie@rsccd.edu.

Christopher Bugbee, director of media relations, California State University, Fullerton, 657-278-8487 or cbugbee@fullerton.edu.