Mission Creep

Before I was born, California's Master Plan for Higher Education delineated three levels of post-secondary schools:  junior/community colleges, the California State University system, and the University of California system:

According to the Plan, the top one-eighth (12.5%) of graduating high school seniors would be guaranteed a place at a campus of the University of California tuition-free. The top one-third (33.3%) would be able to enter the California State University system. Junior colleges (later renamed "community colleges" in 1967) would accept any students "capable of benefiting from instruction."^[8] These percentages are now enforced by sliding scales equating grade point average and scores on the SAT or ACT, which are recalculated every year. No actual ranking of students in high schools is used as many schools do not rank students.

Graduates of the junior colleges would be guaranteed the right to transfer to the UC or CSU systems in order to complete bachelor's degrees. This practice was carried over from previous years before the Plan was enacted; graduates from the junior colleges had traditionally been accepted as upper-division transfer students at the state colleges or UC campuses by virtue of their prior coursework. Finally, the Plan established that the University of California would be the sole portion of the system charged with performing research, and would award master's and doctoral degrees in support of that mission. The Cal State system, in addition to awarding master's degrees, would be able to award joint doctorates with the UC.^[8]

The "California Idea"—California's tripartite system of public research universities, comprehensive 4-year undergraduate campuses, and open-access community colleges—has been highly influential, and many other states and even nations have imitated this structure.^[11] However, California higher education has had a poor record of college completion and four-year baccalaureate degree attainment. Subgroups such as Latinos and African Americans (whose demographics are large and growing) show even worsening statistics of degree attainment.

One can argue that the Master Plan hasn't lived up to the promises of its most ardent proponents, but what government plan has?  Even if it hasn't been implemented very well, the idea behind it is still strong. 

You think the system is screwed up?  I know what let's do, let's screw it up some more:

Three California community colleges are fighting to start new baccalaureate programs, which their leaders insist would fill critical local workforce needs and help students who couldn’t otherwise afford to pursue a four-year degree. But their plans have faced repeated roadblocks from the California State University system. Cal State faculty members argue these programs, and future programs like them, shouldn’t proceed without their go-ahead...

Half of states now allow community college baccalaureate degrees. California launched its first community college baccalaureate programs on a pilot basis seven years ago.

Community colleges should focus on their own mission.  Additionally, unprepared students shouldn't be admitted to universities.  Implementing those two common sense points would allow plenty of room in the universities for students to take the classes they need, and also give the community colleges all the work they can handle getting the unprepared students ready for university-level work.  You know what the problem is with my idea?  Not enough opportunities for graft and fiefdom-enlargement.

To use the parlance of today, the community colleges should "stay in their own lane".