Students at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria will now have the opportunity to earn an additional degree from Cal Poly without leaving campus.
“The opportunity makes everything easier for me and my family," third-year Allan Hancock student Edward Lamberson explained.
Lamberson is earning his bachelor’s degree in sociology through the Cal Poly 2+2 program. The program allows for his support system in Santa Maria to help him with day-to-day functions like getting up and transportation while he works toward his four-year degree. It's a degree that wouldn't have been possible for Lamberson if not offered at the Hancock campus in Santa Maria.
“You don't have to go anywhere," Lamberson said. "You can come here and better yourself and stay in your community and then help better your community.”
Both schools are now adding to the program, rolling out a business administration degree at Allan Hancock through Cal Poly, addressing the need for higher education opportunities in not only Santa Maria but all of Northern Santa Barbara County.
“It's hard to keep the tears from flowing," the president of the Board of Trustees for Allan Hancock, Hilda Zacarias, said during the announcement. Zacarias earned a business administration degree from Cal Poly and was excited that the opportunity is now afforded to the Santa Maria community for people who don't have the means to go to San Luis Obispo.
“To finally get to a point where we can break through that bureaucracy and do what's right for our community is really, really rewarding," Superintendent and President of Allan Hancock College Kevin Walthers stated.
With remarks on Monday from many people including both Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong and Walthers, the new bachelor’s degree builds upon the sociology degree first offered in the fall of 2024, currently with about 50 students in the cohort.
“We learned about the sociology degree is that was, that it was good, it was well-received, but clearly, more was needed," Armstrong said.
Between the sociology and business administration bachelor's degrees, nearly 100 students will earn their four-year degrees from Cal Poly through Allan Hancock’s campus so that people like Lamberson have a greater educational opportunity.
“He'll have an opportunity where he can be on a campus where he's safe and supported and be able to get that four-year degree that all of California should have an opportunity to get," Walthers added.
The business degree is scheduled to start in 2026 with additional programs set to be rolled out in 2028 and 2030.
