Thursday, 01 March 2012 13:34
Traditional colleges, universities change with changing times
Written by Kent Hohlfeld
University of the Pacific is one of the four-year universities in the region and provides a vast array of educational, cultural and professional opportunities.Business Journal photo by Keith Michaud
Education is crucial for people currently in, entering or re-entering the labor market in today’s hyper-competitive economy.
At the same time, colleges across the state are faced with some of the tightest budgets in their history.
“As of 2008 up to now, more than 20 percent of our budget has been cut,” said Hamid Shirvani, president of California State University, Stanislaus. “At the same time, we have more than an 8 percent increase in students. We are doing a lot more with less.”
San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties provide a wide array of public educational opportunities.
University of the Pacific and CSU, Stanislaus are the area’s two traditional four-year institutions, while San Joaquin Delta College and Modesto Junior College serve as the area’s two-year options.
University of the Pacific in central Stockton offers a top-rated educational experience for high-school students looking for a traditional four-year college experience.
With a student enrollment of 6,710, Pacific is the only private university in either San Joaquin or Stanislaus counties.
“Nearly 32 percent of our student body come from the local four county area,” said Robert J. Alexander associate provost for enrollment at University of the Pacific, referring to San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sacramento and Alameda counties. “Over two-thirds of our student population comes from Northern California.”
The school provides degrees in more than 80 majors, but Pacific’s effect on the local economy is not limited to the graduates it produces. Out of a 2008 budget of more than $278 million, the university provided more than 2,100 local jobs and spent more than $62.1 million in Stockton on goods and services, according to its study carried out every four years.
Aside from tough academic requirements, costs that can easily exceed $50,000 per year, can be a major hurdle. That can leave students with some significant bills for attending the school.
“We have ample student aid,” said Alexander. “Over 83 percent of the undergraduate population receives student aid.”
Turlock-based California State University, Stanislaus, with a satellite campus in Stockton, is the region’s other four-year educational option. The university caters to many first-generation and non-traditional students. The average age of the freshman at the school is 23.
The college boasts a student body of just over 9,200 split between the main campus in Turlock and a smaller satellite campus in Stockton.
Like many of the area’s schools, CSU, Stainslaus has seen a shift in its student population. Schools like Business Administration and nursing have grown in popularity, while education and liberal arts have seen a decline. Like most of the educational institutions in the Central Valley, CSU, Stanislaus boasts an ethnically diverse student body with two-thirds of the student body split almost evenly between white and Latino students.
Students can find the costs associated with earning a degree at CSU, Stansilaus more manageable. Costs for attending the school range from $16,000 to $23,000 for in-state students, less than half of what a private college costs.
For students needing to brush up their academic record, are priced out of four-year schools, or are interested in technical training, two-year schools are increasingly popular.
“One of the biggest changes we have found is the increase in our students seeking our baccalaureate program,” said Mary Retterer, interim president of Modesto Junior College. “A lot of students are figuring that ‘I really need a degree’.”
Two-year schools cater to both students looking to ultimately obtain a four-year degree as well as technical trade training and those looking for a two-year degree.
The two biggest advantages are cost – $20 per credit hour – and access – nearly everyone who wants to take classes can.
“We take anyone that is over 18 that can show an ability to benefit from attending our school,” said Retterer.
San Joaquin Delta Community College District serves 23,000 students throughout San Joaquin County and has a main campus in Stockton and two regional campuses in Manteca and Mountain House.
The school offers programs in areas as varied as automotive technicians to early childhood development. Delta recently expanded its psychiatric technician program with the aid of $1.3 million from the state with the goal of providing technicians for the California Health Care Facility, Stockton slated to open near Arch Road in 2013.
Modesto Junior College is one of the few schools to keep its “junior college” moniker as a way of paying respect to the fact that it was the second such college in the state of California.
The school offers more than 70 associate degrees for more than 29,000 students throughout the Yosemite Community College District and generated roughly $41.9 million in regional income in 2006.
Its student makeup has seen a shift in recent years with 67.3 percent hoping to transfer with a degree, an increase of 25.7 percent since 2004.
“Today, people are finding that they need more education,” said Retterer. “We work to provide it.”
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