Degrees of Change

The Basic Needs Movement in Higher Education with Dr. Rashida Crutchfield

When students can't meet their basic needs, academic success becomes exponentially harder. That reality shapes whether they enroll, persist, or graduate. For our third episode [https://californiacompetes.org/resources/student-basic-needs-as-human-rights-with-dr-rashida-crutchfield], California Competes [https://californiacompetes.org/] CEO Su Jin Jez speaks with Dr. Rashida Crutchfield [https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-health-human-services/school-of-social-work/page/rashida-crutchfield], a leading researcher and advocate whose work has helped spark a basic needs movement in higher education. They dig into what the evidence demands of institutions, policymakers, and communities, and what it will actually take to meet students where they are. Key Topics * How the basic needs movement has evolved over two decades, and why rising costs and stubborn misconceptions mean the work is far from over * Why short-term fixes only go so far, and why cross-sector partnerships are essential to winning deeper investments in student basic needs * Why housing affordability is quietly shaping who enrolls in college at all Our Guest Dr. Rashida Crutchfield [https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-health-human-services/school-of-social-work/page/rashida-crutchfield] is a professor in the School of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach, and executive director of the Center for Equitable Higher Education [https://www.csulb.edu/student-affairs/the-center-for-equitable-higher-education-cehe], a research center dedicated to studying and promoting economic, food, and housing justice. A leading researcher and advocate, Rashida's work as principal investigator for the CSU system-wide study on food and housing security helped shape basic needs programs across all 23 CSU campuses. She is co-author of Addressing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity in Higher Education: Strategies for Educational Leaders [https://www.tcpress.com/products/addressing-homelessness-and-housing-insecurity-in-higher-education_9780807761434], a widely used resource for institutions developing basic needs programs and services. Dr. Crutchfield is an advisory board member for California ASPIRES [https://californiacompetes.org/california-aspires/], a coalition California Competes recently launched to streamline public benefits for student success. In This Episode * College Focused Rapid Rehousing Program [https://www.csulb.edu/student-affairs/the-center-for-equitable-higher-education-cehe/college-focused-rapid-rehousing] * California Alliance for Streamlining Public Investments and Resources for Every Student (California ASPIRES) [https://californiacompetes.org/california-aspires/ ] * Higher Ed Research Informing Solutions for Excellence (Higher Ed RISE) initiative [ https://californiacompetes.org/resources/identifying-and-implementing-evidence-based-strategies-for-higher-education-transformation/] * Improving College Affordability by Streamlining Access to Public Benefits [https://californiacompetes.org/resources/improving-college-affordability-through-holistic-student-systems/ ] Stay Connected * Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/degrees-of-change/id1828061046], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4UQmtMxd0VQn5QlYkck83j], or your favorite podcast app.  * Sign up [https://californiacompetes.org/newsletter/] to receive updates. * Follow California Competes on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-competes].

Aligning Education and Work with Paul Fain

California Competes [https://californiacompetes.org/] CEO Su Jin Jez speaks with journalist Paul Fain about aligning higher education and workforce systems to build a strong, inclusive economy. Together, they explore what system alignment looks like in practice, the opportunities and risks of Workforce Pell, how AI is reshaping education and work, and what it will take to build an inclusive economy for all Californians. Key Topics * What aligning higher education and workforce systems actually means in practice, and where California stands relative to the rest of the country * Workforce Pell's opportunities and risks, and why tuition is only part of the affordability equation * How AI is reshaping education and work, and the need to cut through the hype to focus on what students and institutions need to prepare for Our Guest Paul Fain is a journalist who covers the connections between education and work. He is co-founder of Work Shift [https://workshift.org/], editor of the newsletter The Job [https://the-job.beehiiv.com/], and host of The Cusp podcast [https://workshift.org/the-cusp/], which explores how AI is changing the ways we learn and work. A veteran higher education reporter, Paul spent a decade at Inside Higher Ed as a senior reporter and news editor, where he led coverage of low-income and first-generation students, college completion, community colleges, and federal policy.  In This Episode * California Competes report, Insights from the Field: Barriers & Opportunities for Building Higher Education–Employer Partnerships [https://californiacompetes.org/resources/insights-from-the-field-barriers-opportunities-for-building-higher-education-employer-partnerships/ ] * California Cradle-to-Career Data System [https://c2c.ca.gov/ ] * California Alliance for Streamlining Public Investments and Resources for Every Student (California ASPIRES) [ https://californiacompetes.org/california-aspires/ ] * Georgetown Center on Education and Workforce report, Missed Opportunities: Credential Shortages in Programs Aligned with High-Paying Middle-Skills Jobs in 55 US Metro Areas [https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/high-paying-middle-skills/ ] * Pew Research report, Interest Surging in Nondegree Credentials but How Do Students Finance Them? [https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/10/23/interest-surging-in-nondegree-credentials-but-how-do-students-finance-them ] * Harvard's Project on Workforce [https://pw.hks.harvard.edu/ ] * California Competes report, From Institutions to Individuals: A Paradigm Shift for California’s Master Plan for Higher Education [https://californiacompetes.org/resources/from-institutions-to-individuals-a-paradigm-shift-for-californias-master-plan-for-higher-education/ ]  Stay Connected * Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/degrees-of-change/id1828061046], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4UQmtMxd0VQn5QlYkck83j], or your favorite podcast app.  * Sign up [https://californiacompetes.org/newsletter/] to receive updates. * Follow California Competes on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-competes].

A Data System for All Californians with Mary Ann Bates

A Data System for All Californians with Mary Ann Bates We’re excited to bring you Crystal Clear: A Vision for the Future of California Higher Ed, a new season of Degrees of Change marking our organization’s 15th anniversary—our crystal anniversary. Throughout this season, we'll delve into some of the toughest issues facing higher education: college affordability, artificial intelligence, the pathways between education and work, supporting underserved students and prospective students like those with children, workers in low-wage jobs, and other underserved and often unseen populations, along with using data to drive equitable outcomes and more. For our first episode, California Competes [https://californiacompetes.org/] CEO Su Jin Jez sits down with Mary Ann Bates, Executive Director of California's Office of Cradle-to-Career Data (C2C) [https://c2c.ca.gov/]—an initiative linking data across education, workforce, and social services to reveal pathways, outcomes, and opportunity gaps across the state. Key Topics * What California's data landscape looked like before C2C—and the vision for something better * Real examples of how linked data helps answer questions that were previously impossible to tackle * Why a community co-design approach, rooted in a "listen first, then build" mentality, has been foundational to creating a truly useful resource * Where the C2C data system is headed and its potential to transform education and workforce outcomes Our Guest Mary Ann Bates is the Executive Director of California's Office of Cradle-to-Career Data (C2C). C2C links data across California's education, workforce, and social service agencies to provide a clearer picture of pathways, outcomes, and equity gaps. It offers transparent, actionable insights that help policymakers, educators, and communities understand what works—and importantly, for whom. Prior to leading C2C, Mary Ann served as a senior fellow in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and prior to that served as the Executive Director of the North America Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which aims to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.  In This Episode * Higher Ed RISE (Higher Education Research Informing Solutions for Excellence): https://californiacompetes.org/higher-ed-rise/ [https://californiacompetes.org/higher-ed-rise/]  * CalKIDS College Savings Program: https://calkids.org/ [https://calkids.org/] * California Labor & Workforce Development Agency: https://www.labor.ca.gov/ [https://www.labor.ca.gov/] * CalFresh (California SNAP Program): https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calfresh [https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calfresh] * Medi-Cal (California Medicaid Program): https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal [https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal] Stay Connected * Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/degrees-of-change/id1828061046], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4UQmtMxd0VQn5QlYkck83j], or your favorite podcast app.  * Sign up [https://californiacompetes.org/newsletter/] to receive updates. * Follow California Competes on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-competes].

Understanding California's Higher Education Funding System: A Conversation with Dr. Jennifer Delaney

Dr. Jennifer Delaney joins the final episode of the first season of Degrees of Change to unpack how California finances its higher education system and what that means for students, institutions, and the state’s future. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Delaney explores California’s mix of institutional appropriations and student aid, the effects of funding volatility and misaligned budget cycles, and the ways in which long-standing policies such as Proposition 98 shape resource distribution across the University of California, California State University, and the community colleges. She also reflects on how today’s diverse student population no longer aligns with the assumptions baked into the 1960 Master Plan. Key Topics * Why the current system reinforces stratification among institutions and students * How Proposition 98 protects community colleges while leaving CSU and UC more exposed to cuts * What equity-based funding models could mean for California’s future Our Guest, Dr. Jennifer Delaney Dr. Delaney is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Education, and a national expert on higher education finance. Her research examines how states fund their public universities, focusing on funding volatility, policy effectiveness, and the fiscal relationships between governments and institutions. Dr. Delaney also served on the Illinois Board of Higher Education, bringing both scholarly expertise and governance experience to understanding how funding decisions shape educational opportunity. Stay Connected * Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/degrees-of-change/id1828061046], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4UQmtMxd0VQn5QlYkck83j], or your favorite podcast app.  * Sign up [https://californiacompetes.org/newsletter/] to receive updates. * Follow California Competes on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-competes].

Why Higher Education is Central to California’s Business Climate: A Conversation with Senator Roger Niello

California State Senator Roger Niello joins the latest episode of Degrees of Change. As a UC Berkeley graduate, certified public accountant, family business owner for 25 years, and former president of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Senator Niello brings decades of experience in connecting workforce needs with educational outcomes. His perspective as both a business leader and a legislator offers valuable insights on how businesses and educational institutions can collaborate more effectively to strengthen California's economy. Key Topics * Why business leaders must engage with higher education * What makes employer-education partnerships succeed or fail * How we can better prepare students for tomorrow's jobs Our Guest, State Senator Roger Niello Senator Niello represents California's 6th Senate District, encompassing portions of Sacramento and Placer counties. He brings extensive experience in both business and government, having previously served as president of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce and in the California State Assembly. As co-owner of the Niello Company, an automobile dealership he has run with his family for 25 years, and a certified public accountant by training, Senator Niello has consistently leveraged his business expertise to advance legislation aimed at improving California's business climate and supporting economic development and job creation. He also serves on the board of directors for California Competes, where his business perspective helps shape the organization's approach to strengthening education-to-employment pathways. Stay Connected * Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/degrees-of-change/id1828061046], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4UQmtMxd0VQn5QlYkck83j], or your favorite podcast app.  * Sign up [https://californiacompetes.org/newsletter/] to receive updates. * Follow California Competes on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-competes].