General Information

Accreditation

Sierra College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), which operates under the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education.

Contact information:

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Western Association of Schools and Colleges
10 Commercial Boulevard, Suite 204
Novato, CA 94949

Telephone Number:  (415) 506-0234

Fax Number:  (415) 506-0238

Email Address:  accjc@accjc.org
Website:  www.accjc.org

Accreditation is a voluntary system of self regulation developed to evaluate overall educational quality and institutional effectiveness, providing assurance to the public that Sierra College meets the Standards; the education earned is of value to the student who earned it; and employers, trade or profession-related licensing agencies, and other colleges and universities can accept a student’s credential as legitimate.

For more information about Accreditation at Sierra College, please visit our Accreditation and SLOs website. 

Instructional Programs

General Education

A range of courses to help stu­dents gain breadth of knowledge about the en­vi­ron­ment, nat­u­ral sci­enc­es, so­cial and be­hav­ior­al sciences, hu­man­i­ties, English, com­mu­ni­ca­tion and analytical thinking, awareness of cultural differences, and the importance of main­tain­ing health and fitness.

Educational Programs

Organized sequences of courses leading to a defined objective, a degree, a certificate, a diploma, a license, or transfer to another institution of higher education.

Transfer Curriculum

Courses that meet general ed­u­ca­tion and lower-division major re­quire­ments equivalent to the first two years at a four-year university to which students may transfer with junior standing.

Career and Technical Education

Certificates and degrees designed to prepare stu­dents for entry into professional level em­ploy­ment opportunities, or update job skills in the rapidly changing workplace.

Basic Skills

Both nondegree-applicable credit courses and noncredit courses in reading, writing, mathematics, and English as a Second Language (ESL).

Contract Course

Course offered under a contract pursuant to Educational Code 78021 with a public or private agency, corporation, association, or other organization.

Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT)

Serves small to medium sized manufacturing and technology companies by providing technical assistance, technology transfer, and workforce training. Services are delivered via demonstration sites, workshops, and business consulting. For further information see the website at www.sierracollegetraining.com/cact.php.

Community Education Program

Provides convenient classes and activities to meet the needs and interests of our diverse community for enrichment and personal and professional growth. Classes are offered in areas of business, career, computers, creative arts, food, health, home and ­garden, music, and more. Additionally, special activities such as sports camps, motorcycle training, bus trips and global travel are offered. The Kaleidoscope schedule of not-for-credit, fee-based classes is published in spring, summer, and fall. Classes are open for the admission of adults and those minors who, in the judgment of the governing board, may benefit from the program. Students shall be charged a fee not to exceed the cost of maintaining the classes. For further information see the Community Education website.

Distance Learning

Online courses may be accessed from anywhere at anytime through an Internet connection. Hybrid courses, which are a combination of online and on-ground formats, are also offered.

Field Trips

Trips sponsored by the various instructional divisions to provide students with the enriching experience of visiting such locations as the Sierra ­Nevada, the ocean, and the desert. Additional fees may be assessed.

Internship Program

Work site learning which provides students an opportunity for hands-on experience, application of classroom learning and exploration and development of skills and knowledge in a particular field or profession. Sierra College offers a two-level internship program. The lower level, called Internship 94, is a ­Career Exploration internship in which the primary focus is for a student to learn more about a particular field or profession, without extensive previous knowledge or experience. The upper level placements, called Internship 95, are designed for advanced students to expand their knowledge and skills in an area related to their college major.

Noncredit

Noncredit is an educational gateway offering courses that develop foundational skills, strengthen self-sufficiency and provide pathways to higher education and/or employment. Designed for a diverse student population, courses improve access to college, enhance job opportunities, and promote lifelong learning.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)

Provides noncredit, tuition-free instruction specifically designed to serve the interests of adults 55+ years of age. Classes are short term, typically four to six weeks in length. A variety of course topics are offered, including art, film, fitness, music, nutrition, and literature. For further information see the OLLI website at www.sierracollege.edu/olli.

Short-term or Fast-track Classes

Classes not a full semester in duration. Each class des­ig­nat­ed short-term or fast-track has its own add, drop, withdrawal, refund, and pass/no pass dead­lines.

Student Services

Counseling Services

Professional counselors pro­vide academic, transfer, and career counseling; as well as crisis intervention services. 

Support Services

Ser­vic­es include admissions and records, financial aid, scholarships, housing, tutoring, EOPS/CARE, CalWORKs, TRiO, health ser­vic­es and sup­port for dis­abled stu­dents, former foster youth, international students and veterans.

Governance

The Sierra College community determines its ed­u­ca­tion­al and other pol­i­cies through a participatory governance pro­cess in­volv­ing stu­dents, classified support staff, faculty and ad­min­is­tra­tion. A sen­ate formed by each group ad­vo­cates the group’s in­ter­ests. Each organization represents its con­stit­u­en­cy with a formal voice in determining ed­u­ca­tion­al pol­i­cy, pro­ce­dures, and reg­u­la­tions as well as co­or­di­nat­ing rep­re­sen­ta­tives on com­mit­tees and coun­cils.

The Student Senate ac­tive­ly rep­re­sents the students in the Col­lege’s com­mit­tee work and plan­ning. The or­ga­ni­za­tion also promotes student activities and clubs as well as providing in­for­ma­tion on cur­rent events for the student body.

The Classified Senate represents the College’s sup­port staff on pro­fes­sion­al matters.

The Academic Senate, under authority from Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, represents all faculty on academic and professional matters.

The Management Senate rep­re­sents ed­u­ca­tion­al administrators, su­per­vi­so­ry, and con­fi­den­tial em­ploy­ees on pro­fes­sion­al matters.

The Strategic Council consists of five rep­re­sen­ta­tives from each of the constituency groups. The purpose of the Council is to present and discuss the concerns and interests of the constituent groups; to collaborate with the Superintendent/President by conveying the interests of the constituent groups on the strategic direction of the college; to share in decision-making by advising the Superintendent/President in the development of policies and procedures; and to assist in disseminating information to the ­college community.

The Board of Trustees is the elected governing body of the Si­er­ra Joint Community Col­lege District and has the final authority to es­tab­lish pol­i­cy for cur­rent and long-range ed­u­ca­tion­al plans and pro­grams, promote or­der­ly growth and development, and ensure fiscal responsibility. Board Policies and Administrative Procedures may be found at www.sierracollege.edu/about-us/board/policies.

Advisory Committees

To insure that meaningful curricula in the career technical programs are maintained, department advisory committees, comprised of specialists in the subject matter area, meet to advise on program emphasis and change. Individual committee members are listed on the appropriate department overview pages in this catalog.

Sierra College Foundation

The Foundation seeks private funds to support Sierra College students and programs, assisting in the development of a trained workforce that promotes the economic development and viability of the community. The Foundation assists students in pursuit of higher education by offering scholarships, book vouchers, computers, and emergency grants.

Foundation accomplishments include: establishment of a million dollar scholarship endowment; establishment of a technology endowment; funding for the implementation of WiFi on all campuses; establishment of an emergency fund endowment to provide grants to students facing one-time emergencies; and funding and equipment for the Sierra College Veterans Resource Center. The Foundation offers refurbished computers to students with financial need; supports former foster youth attending Sierra College with care packs; and offers approximately $300,000 in scholarships annually.

The Foun­da­tion is sup­port­ed by fi­nan­cial con­tri­bu­tions (cash, stocks, planned gifts, me­mo­ri­als, be­quests, real estate, trusts) and activities (wine and food tastings, auctions, golf tour­na­ments, dinners, the auto fair and oth­er fund-rais­ing events). For additional in­for­ma­tion or to contribute, please visit the website at www.sierracollege.edu/foundation, call the Foun­da­tion Office at (916) 660-7020, or write to:

Sierra Col­lege Foun­da­tion
5000 Sierra College Boulevard
Rocklin, CA 95677

Speakers Bureau

The Speakers Bureau is designed to acquaint community members with Sierra College and its fine staff. Fac­ulty and staff are available to address a variety of timely subjects at meetings of community groups and organi­zations. For information, contact Marketing/Public Rela­tions, (916) 660-7272.