More degrees, more opportunities headed to Fullerton College

More degrees, more opportunities headed to Fullerton College More degrees, more opportunities headed to Fullerton College Fullerton College’s first bachelor’s program launched this fall, with more programs expected in 2028. Nathan Tabio, Staff Reporter October 11, 2026 Fullerton Drone Lab The beginning of the fall 2026 semester saw the introduction of the Bachelor of Science in Drone and Autonomous Systems program, Fullerton College’s first bachelor’s program. The four-year program aims to prepare students in the field of autonomous technology, teaching students how to handle hands-on flight operations, safety management, advanced sensor technologies, and other professional standards necessary to excel. Professor Gary Graves, a business faculty member at Fullerton College, took the lead in developing the Bachelor of Science in Applied Human AI Collaboration and Leadership program within the business management department. Graves has already begun submitting his request for the program to the California State Chancellor’s Office, according to Fullerton College President Cynthia Olivo. “It’s exciting to think about being able to help students access an even more affordable pathway to a bachelor’s degree than our local public universities,” said Olivo. Story continues below advertisement In 2022, Assembly Bill 927 was signed. The bill stated that 116 community colleges in California and 73 different educational districts had to fight over a single pool of 30 program slots. This rule solidified a strict statutory limit on the number of degrees community colleges could offer. Originally, the bill was designed to amplify California community college programs by helping students access degrees that lead to filling the workforce in rural or urban areas where specialized programs for these degrees aren’t yet established. The bill explicitly stated that community colleges offering bachelor’s degrees may not duplicate degree programs that bigger CSU’s and UC’s have. “We [struggled] with enrollment after Covid . . . the Cal States and the UC’s are the same . . . We’re all trying to pull students from the same population,” Fullerton College’s Head of Faculty Senate Bridget Kominek explained. On Sept. 23, Newsom signed a law to expand the dedicated amount of bachelor’s degrees each school can have. Instead of 73 districts splitting 30 degrees, Newsom’s new signing states that each school district in California can now offer between 2 and 12 new programs in 2028. According to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the state’s bachelor’s degree program intends to help students access more affordable four-year degrees while preparing them for a broader range of employment opportunities. Fullerton College faculty members like Olivo and Kominek are hoping to expedite the process, even through the recent law signed for the 2028 promise. “California hasn’t been looking at it from the perspective of job availability, and our opportunity to help the public access those good-paying jobs . . . we really need to focus on serving students,” Olivo said. View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment About the Contributor Nathan Tabio, Staff Reporter Nathan Tabio is a journalism major. He is a 3rd year of Fullerton college, with hopes of transferring to Cal State Long Beach next fall!