Basic Needs Center

The Basic Needs Center aims to bring together support and resources to assist students with unmet needs in a centralized location. Primary services include food and housing assistance, connection to public benefits, emergency financial assistance, and resources for parenting students. The Rocklin Campus Food Pantry is located in the Basic Needs Center. For more information, contact the center at (916) 660-7595, email basicneeds@sierracollege.edu, or visit the website. 

For information about the food pantry at the Nevada County Campus, please call (530) 274-5303.

Bookstores

The Sierra College bookstores are committed to providing the highest qual­i­ty ser­vic­e to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff and the community of Sierra College.

Textbooks for classes at all campuses may be ordered online at the bookstore web page. Sierra College merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and Wolverine gift items may also be ordered online. Refund/return policy information is available at any location.

Selling Books

Books may be sold back at any time for up to 50% of the original selling price. The best time to sell is at the end of each semester when the bookstore purchases textbooks for the upcoming term. A Sierra College Student Body ID is required. No receipt is necessary and it doesn’t matter where the books were purchased. Instructor and international editions cannot be sold.

Tahoe-Truckee Campus Bookstore Services

Books for Tahoe-Truckee classes are available at the Rocklin Campus Bookstore or can be ordered online. Orders for Tahoe-Truckee students must be shipped to the customer street address (no P.O. Boxes) or picked up at the Rocklin campus. For further information call (916) 660-8200.

Cafeteria/Campus Dining

The Rocklin campus provides hot and cold items in the cafeteria and has a variety of snack and beverage vending machines. The Nevada County campus provides hot and cold items in the café Monday through Thursday, limited hours, during fall and spring semesters only, and has snack and beverage vending machines. The Tahoe-Truckee campus and Roseville Center have snack and beverage vending machines available.  Please check the Sierra College website for current  services and hours of operation. 

CalWORKs

The CalWORKs program provides support services focused on helping students who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)/cash aid to achieve their educational and career goals. This program aims to help qualifying students obtain the necessary education and skills to begin and enhance their careers and to achieve long-term economic self-sufficiency. Services provided to eligible students includes counseling, work study opportunities on-campus, assistance with campus services and referrals to public and private agencies as needed. For questions and eligibility information, students may contact the Sierra College CalWORKs office at (916) 660-7367 for the Rocklin campus, or (530) 274-5306 for Nevada County. The Sierra College CalWORKs program is not part of the Department of Human Services.

Career and Transfer Connections

Career and Transfer Connections provides an array of resources tailored to support students in navigating their career, internship, and transfer endeavors. Our services include assistance in exploring potential career paths, creating resumes and cover letters, conducting effective job searches, obtaining academic credit for internships, learning important job readiness skills, and developing essential professional skills. We also assist students aspiring to transfer to institutions within the California State University (CSU) system, the University of California (UC) system, or private or out-of-state colleges/universities. Transfer services include assistance with the transfer application process, facilitating connections with college/university representatives, and furnishing transfer-related resources and information.

For more information, visit the Career and Transfer Connections website, email ctc@sierracollege.edu, or call 916-660-7481.

Child Development Services

Sierra College partners with several educational agencies to provide child development programs for college students and the local community.  Sierra College Child Development Centers serve as teacher training lab sites for Sierra College students who are pursuing careers working with children and families. All centers are staffed by certificated, nurturing teachers who view learning as an active, engaging process that provides ample opportunities for exploration, hands-on experiences, and decision-making in a content rich setting.

Sierra College, in partnership with the Placer County Department of Education, Early Childhood Education Department, offers State Preschool programs at no cost to income eligible families. These programs, serving 3-5 year-olds, are offered on the College’s Rocklin Campus, the “Little Blue House” in Lincoln and at Rock Creek Elementary School in Auburn. State Preschools operate a three-hour morning and three-hour afternoon session, with full-day options at Rock Creek.

The Sierra College Nevada County Campus Child Development Center, in partnership with the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, offers two programs at no cost to income eligible families. The State Preschool/Head Start program is offered for seven hours a day, and the toddler program for 18–36 month-olds is offered year round with full-day care.

For hours of operation and further information, contact the following:

  • Placer County Office of Education, Early Childhood Education: (530) 745-1380
  • Nevada County Campus Child Development Center, Grass Valley: (530) 274-5350

Community Safety

The District Department of Community Safety is lo­cat­ed in building Xt, Room 1 on the Rocklin campus. Parking and Security Ser­vic­es at the Nevada County campus is located in the N1 building. Security Of­fic­ers are re­spon­si­ble for en­forc­ing park­ing reg­u­la­tions, responding to emer­gen­cies, lock­ing/unlocking fa­cil­i­ties, pro­vid­ing pub­lic as­sis­tance, and providing security escorts. Information regarding security policies and campus crime statistics, as required by the Clery Act, is available on our website.

Dial 911 for an emergency, or dial extension 7120 for a non-emer­gen­cy, from any of the help phones lo­cat­ed through­out the Rocklin and Ne­va­da Coun­ty cam­pus­es. To contact the Rocklin office from non-campus phones, dial (916) 660-7120. The Nevada County Campus Parking and Security Services office may be reached at (530) 274-5323.

Cooperative Agencies Resources for Ed­u­ca­tion (CARE)

The CARE program provides services for those EOPS students who are at least 18 years old, single parent or head-of-household, and receiving CalWORKs/TANF cash aid for self and/or dependent child.

In addition to the services provided by EOPS, CARE students may receive an extra financial aid grant to be used for educationally related expenses such as child care, textbooks/school supplies, and transportation. Contact the Rocklin EOPS office at (916) 660-7366, or the Nevada County EOPS office at (530) 274-5306 for further information and application assistance

Counseling Services

Si­er­ra Col­lege coun­se­lors pro­vide ac­a­dem­ic ad­vis­ing, ca­reer, transfer, per­son­al, and crisis coun­sel­ing to stu­dents. Typ­i­cal ar­eas of con­cern to stu­dents are choos­ing ma­jors or ca­reers that are ap­pro­pri­ate to their in­ter­ests, abilities and val­ues; cop­ing with per­son­al prob­lems that may be caus­ing stress; and se­lect­ing cours­es in the prop­er se­quence to meet re­quire­ments and ed­u­ca­tion­al goals. Coun­se­lors also teach class­es de­signed to fa­cil­i­tate per­son­al growth, col­lege suc­cess and ca­reer ex­plo­ra­tion. See the Per­son­al De­vel­op­ment department in this cat­a­log.

In-person counseling is available by appointment and on a drop-in basis at each of the following locations. For appointment information call:

Rocklin Campus (916) 660-7400
Nevada County Campus (530) 274-5303
Tahoe-Truckee Campus (530) 550-2225

For more information or to book an appointment online, click here.  

Distance Learning Courses

Distance learning courses are full-credit courses which allow students to complete college studies from the convenience of their own home. These courses are especially appealing to students with busy schedules who have a difficult time coming to campus on a regular basis. Online courses may be accessed from anywhere at anytime through an Internet connection. Instructors typically distribute course content on a weekly basis and require students to maintain a high level of interaction throughout the course. Hybrid courses, which are a combination of online and on-ground formats, are also offered.

State Authorization (Out-of-State Policy for Online Courses)

The United States Department of Education regulation 4 C.F.R.§ 600.9 © requires each state to apply for and receive authorization to provide online/distance education programs to out-of-state students. In order to maintain compliance, students living outside of California or Nevada, based on their mailing address AND physical presence, are prohibited from taking online classes at Sierra College.

Distance learning support is located in the Learning Resource Center on the Rocklin campus, in the Library/Learning Commons at the Nevada County campus, and in the library on the Tahoe-Truckee campus. For more information, please visit the Distance Learning website. 

Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS)

EOPS is a stu­dent suc­cess pro­gram that provides access to a college education and assistance with reaching an educational/career goal for those in­di­vid­u­als affected by language, economic and so­cial dis­ad­van­tag­es. Eligible stu­dents may re­ceive academic, career and personal coun­sel­ing, spe­cial­ized ori­en­ta­tion, free tu­tor­ing, financial aid assistance, priority registration, help with the cost of books, trans­por­ta­tion as­sis­tance, cafeteria meal cards and other services designed to sup­port the student to stay in school and achieve their goals. Prescriptive/comprehensive Student Educational Plans (SEP) are developed for each EOPS student as part of the specialized counseling services provided by the program.

Students must meet cer­tain income and ed­u­ca­tion­al­ly disadvantaged cri­te­ria to receive services. Contact the Rocklin EOPS office at (916) 660-7366, the Nevada County EOPS office at (530) 274-5306, or go to the EOPS web page for further in­for­ma­tion.

Guardian Scholars

The Guardian Scholars program provides services to current or former foster youth attending Sierra College. The program’s goal is to equip and empower students to succeed academically, through services that include counseling, textbook assistance, on-campus housing, care packs, college transfer assistance, as well as helping students navigate the many life and financial challenges that are barriers to their success. Contact the Rocklin GSP office at (916) 660-7366, the Nevada County GSP office at (530) 274-5306, or go to the GSP web page for further information.

Health Services

Sierra College Health Centers offer a wide variety of services. Nurse practitioners, licensed therapists, and a physician staff the clinics. Students are encouraged to utilize these services, which include:

  • Education about healthy living and disease prevention
  • Evaluation and treatment of students, who are ill, injured or need family planning
  • Referrals to on-campus and community resources
  • Laboratory testing
  • Mental health therapy
  • Immunizations
  • Physical examinations.

Students must be registered in and actively attending classes to be eligible for services at a health center.

The Rocklin Campus Health Services Clinic is lo­cat­ed in the Winstead Center. For fur­ther in­for­ma­tion call (916) 660-7490.

The Ne­va­da Coun­ty Cam­pus Health Services Clinic is lo­cat­ed in N3-101. For further in­for­ma­tion call (530) 274-5317.

Housing

Sierra College is one of the few community colleges in California that offers the unique experience of residence hall community living on our Rocklin campus. North Hall is a two-story co-ed residence hall. A total of 121 students live in double occupancy rooms; two double rooms share a bathroom. Facilities that are available for residents include a large rec­re­ation room, kitchenette and laun­dry room. Basic util­i­ties are included as well as a meal plan for use in the cafeteria and select restaurants off-campus. In-room tele­phones and cable services are not included. Additional information can be found on the website or by calling (916) 660-7389. 

Learning Aligned Employment Program

The Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) offers eligible students at public colleges and universities the opportunity to earn money to help defray their educational costs while gaining education-aligned, career-related employment. This program allows a participating student placement in an educationally beneficial position that relates to the student’s area of study, career objective, or the exploration of career objectives. The program includes and emphasizes positions for students with employers that are capable of providing them with full-time employment opportunities after graduation, or opportunities to connect with other employers that are able to offer full-time employment opportunities after graduation, within their areas of study.

Eligible students are from an underrepresented background and meet all the following criteria:

  • At least half-time enrollment 
  • California resident classification
  • Satisfactory academic progress in a program leading to a degree or certificate
  • Demonstrated financial need
  • Eligibility to work in the United States

Priority will be given to eligible students who are first-generation college students, current/former foster youth, homeless, or at risk of being homeless. Further priority will be given to eligible students majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) discipline.

The following entities may employ students: 

  • Nonprofit and for-profit employers – Nonsectarian, nonpolitical organizations capable of providing full-time employment after graduation or connection to another employer able to provide full-time employment after graduation. 
  • Public colleges – Research centers and institutions operated by public postsecondary educational institutions, if their learning-aligned employment opportunities provide participating students with direct opportunities to participate in the research that is undertaken by the respective research centers and institutions. 
  • Public schools - Public schools operated by school districts, county superintendents of schools, the Department of the Youth Authority, or the Department of Education.

For more information please visit the California Student Aid Commission website.      

Library & Learning Commons

The Library and Learning Commons, provides a myriad of free academic services including technology help, textbook reserves, and research and writing consultations and assistance. Within the space, students can take advantage of a computer lab and printing, as well as collaborative working spaces, group study rooms, and quiet study areas. The library collection consists of over 85,000 print and 200,000 electronic books, and free around-the-clock access to magazines, journals, newspapers, streaming films, and eBooks through subscription databases. Librarians are available to assist students in-person and online with research questions including navigating library resources, evaluating source credibility, and refining topics and searches. The library website also offers online research guides and information literacy tutorials.

The Rocklin Campus Library and Learning Commons, located on the second and third floors of the Learning Resource Center, has a Writing Center, family friendly study room, podcasting equipment, video cameras, greenscreens, and other loanable technology.

The Nevada County Campus Library and Learning Commons, located in N6,  houses the Tutor Center, Writing Center, anatomy models, a zine library, podcast equipment, and other loanable technology.

The Tahoe-Truckee campus provides a range of library services in the Learning Center. 

NextUp (CAFYES)

NextUp, also known as CAFYES (Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support) provides enhanced support and services to eligible current and former foster youth attending Sierra College. The additional services may include:

  • Housing Assistance Grant
  • Monthly NextUp (CAFYES) Grant
  • Emergency Shelter Assistance
  • Additional funds to buy required textbooks/materials
  • Additional funds to buy school supplies
  • Monthly Disbursements of: Grocery Food Cards, Meal Cards, Gas Cards or Bus Passes
  • Transportation Assistance
  • Specialized Counseling and Supportive Success Coach-Advocate

Contact the Rocklin NextUp office at (916) 660-7366, the Nevada County NextUp office at (530) 274-5306, or go to the NextUp web page for further information.

On-Campus Student Jobs

The Financial Aid offices at the Rocklin and Nevada County cam­puses assist cur­rent­ly en­rolled Si­er­ra Col­lege stu­dents in ob­tain­ing part-time jobs on campus. Currently, the college offers three on-campus em­ploy­ment pro­grams. These are:

  • Federal Work Study—Students must qual­i­fy un­der Fed­er­al guide­lines by completing the FAFSA, be enrolled in at least six units, and maintain a 2.0 GPA.
  • District Student Help—This program is to assist stu­dents who do not qualify for Fed­er­al Work Study. Stu­dents must be en­rolled in at least six units and main­tain a 2.0 GPA.
  • CalWORKs Work Study—Students must be currently receiving TANF or CalWORKs As­sis­tance.
  • Learning Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) - A California Work Study initiative designed for underrepresented students. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a minimum of six units, maintain satisfactory academic progress, and hold California residency. LAEP offers participating students placement in positions that align with their area of study.

All programs pay on the student em­ploy­ee wage scale. Each program has special en­roll­ment and ac­a­dem­ic re­quire­ments.

For further information regarding these pro­grams, con­tact the Rocklin campus Fi­nan­cial Aid office at (916) 660-7310 or the Nevada Coun­ty cam­pus Financial Aid office at (530) 274-5346.

Placement and Testing Services

The Placement and Testing Services Center provides course placement, prerequisite clearance and make-Up testing. 

The center serves all Sierra College students and provides accommodations for students with disabilities.

For further information please visit the testing web page.

Puente Program

Puente (Spanish for bridge) is a national model for student success and has provided tens of thousands of California students with the support to make college a reality. Students achieve success by graduating from Sierra College, enrolling in four-year colleges and universities, earning degrees, and eventually returning to the community as leaders and mentors to future generations. The Puente learning environment offers support in which students work one-on-one with a Counselor, English professor, and mentor to prepare for transfer. Coursework and cultural enrichment activities are included throughout the program and focus on the cultural experiences of the Mexican American/Latinx community. The Puente Program is open to all students and is co-sponsored by the University of California and the California Community College Chancellor's Office. More information is available on the Sierra College website or by contacting the Counseling department at (916) 660-7400.

Sierra Promise

Sierra Promise is a commitment to provide local high schools students the opportunity to go to college.  Students are encouraged to complete a FAFSA or California Dream Act Application, register for the maximum semester units for their education plan and participate in registration and orientation events sponsored by Sierra Promise.  In return, students receive guided assistance through the enrollment process, receive priority registration for their first semester, and are connected to student success programs for additional academic and financial resources. For additional information please visit the Sierra Promise website.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS)

(formerly Disabled Students Pro­grams and Services (DSPS)

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is designed to assist students with disabilities so that the students may have access to all programs and activities on campus. The primary goal of SAS is to encourage and promote independence in students so they may achieve their full potential. SAS offers a number of specialized programs to help students with their academic, vocational, and career planning goals.1) SAS counselors are available to answer questions, help solve problems, and authorize accommodation services to mitigate students’ disability-related educational limitations. Students with disabilities are encouraged to meet with a counselor and become familiar with the services available to them. 2) Learning Disability Services provides educational assessment, study strategies training, appropriate accommodations, and other support for students with learning disabilities. 3) Assistive Computer Technology (ACT) provides training in the use of adapted computer technology for word processing, internet access, and other applications integral to academic success and compensatory strategies. It also provides instructional material in accessible format and other alternate media services as appropriate to students with disabilities. 

  • For the Rocklin Campus or Roseville Center, call (916) 660-7460.
  • For the Nevada County Campus, call (530) 274-5330.
  • Tahoe-Truckee Campus call, (530) 550-2225

For more information please visit the SAS website. 

Student Engagement Centers

Sierra College offers three distinct Student Engagement Centers (SECs):

  • the Cross Cultural Center;
  • the Pride Center; and
  • the Women and Gender Resource Center.

The SECs provide cross-cultural, LGBTQIA, and gender intersectional programs and services to historically marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented students. These spaces, within the larger community of learners, provide leadership development training, student employment, and co-curricular activities beyond the classroom that support the academic experience for all students.

For more information, contact the Student Engagement Center at (916) 660-7550, email sec@sierracollege.edu, or visit the website.

Student Tech Support

The Information and Technology Services (ITS) department offers complimentary support to students for accessing and effectively utilizing Sierra College technology. Our staff is accessible for assistance through live chat, email, and in-person at the Learning Commons Lab located on the Rocklin campus. Students may request assistance with various platforms including mySierra, Canvas, Sierra Connect, Microsoft Office 365, remote lab access, and other course-related software, along with receiving basic troubleshooting support for personal devices. Additionally, the Student Tech Support department is available to aid with account security concerns and setup procedures.

Phone: (916) 660-7777

Email: studenttechsupport@sierracollege.edu

Webpage (live chat from here)

Success Center

The Success Center aligns with Interest Areas, which are groups of related academic programs offered at Sierra College. Services are designed to bridge the gaps between continuing students' needs and the various campus resources, programs, and services Sierra College provides to help students succeed. Services include: tracking academic goals, exploring careers and interest areas, and assistance navigating Rocklin Campus programs and resources. For more information please visit the website. You may also call (916) 660-7520 for the Rocklin campus, or (530) 274-5340 for the Nevada County campus, or send an email to successcenter@sierracollege.edu . 

TRiO Student Support Services

TRiO Student Support Services (TRiO SSS) is a federally funded program that helps students overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to education. TRiO supports first-generation college, low-income, and students with documented disabilities in achieving an associate degree and/or transferring to a four-year university. Eligible students may receive specialized academic counseling, personal counseling, a comprehensive academic map, priority registration, help with the cost of textbooks, campus tours to four-year universities, free additional tutoring, free off-campus events, a laptop, an educational technology loan, and education regarding budgeting for college. Students must meet specific eligibility requirements to be selected for services. For more information, contact the Sierra College TRiO office at (916) 660-7377, or go to the TRiO web page.

Tutorial Services

The Tutor Centers provide students with the academic support needed to achieve success. Free tu­to­ri­al ser­vic­es are available to stu­dents for classes in which they are en­rolled at Sierra College. Tutors are successful Sierra College students who support peers in a welcoming online and in-person learning community. Tutors help with study skills and class content in over 140 subjects. 

Students do not need to be fail­ing a class to request tu­to­ri­al as­sis­tance; in fact, stu­dents very of­ten seek tu­tor as­sis­tance to maintain un­der­stand­ing or to fur­ther ex­pand their in­for­ma­tion base.

Academically strong students with effective communication skills who have received A's and B's in their classes are encouraged to inquire about the possibility of be­com­ing paid tutors.

For further information, contact the Rocklin Cam­pus Tutor Cen­ter at (916) 660-7220, Room LR-402 on the fourth floor of the Learning Resource Center; or the Nevada County Campus Tutor Center at (530) 274-5308, Library/Learning Commons N6.

Umoja Learning Community

The Umoja Learning Community is open to all students and is designed to increase the retention and success rates as well as the graduation and transfer rates of African ancestry students. Umoja (a Kiswahili word meaning unity) is dedicated to enhancing the cultural and educational experiences of Black and African American students, seeking to educate the whole student—body, mind and spirit. The curriculum focuses on improving reading, writing, self-discipline and critical thinking skills. Umoja also provides assistance with the personal issues that often hinder Black and African American students in an educational setting. Benefits of participating in the Umoja program include a strong support system, integrated instruction, tutoring, motivational/cultural workshops and college campus tours, book loan program, and mentorship with campus faculty/staff and community members. Applications and enrollment eligibility information are available on the Sierra College website or in the Rocklin campus Counseling Center. For additional information, contact Tonya Times at ttimes@sierracollege.edu.

Undocumented and International Student Center

A welcoming and supporting space that offers guidance and resources to undocumented students, mixed status families and international students to meet their higher education and career goals.

For more information, contact the Center at (916) 741-0711, email undocu@sierracollege.edu, or visit the website.

Veterans Success Center

The Sierra College Veterans Success Center provides assistance to veterans and their dependents who are eligible for various educational benefits. For more information, please visit our website.

Students receiving VA educational benefits are subject to the following general policies and requirements:

  • New students must attend orientation and meet with the Sierra College Veterans Counselor before the start of their first semester.
  • Official transcripts from all prior colleges, universities and training institutes must be submitted to the Sierra College Admissions and Records office.
  • All prior college work must be evaluated for prior credit reporting. For this reason, it is best to order transcripts from previous colleges as early as possible.
  • A veteran’s educational goal/objective must be declared upon application for VA educational benefits.
  • Each program change requires an appointment with the Veterans Counselor to obtain an education plan.
  • Academic progress toward the stated degree objective must be satisfactory. For details, see the Probation and Dismissal sections of this catalog. Failure to maintain a 2.0 GPA may result in termination of benefits.
  • Adds, drops, changes of address, etc., must be reported to the Veterans Resource Center.

Students may receive credit towards degree requirements for training completed while in the military. Please submit transcripts to Admissions and Records. These may include Joint Services Transcript (JST); Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART); Army and American Council on Education Registry Transcript Service (AARTS); Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript; Coast Guard Institute (CGI) transcript; official transcripts from DANTES/USAFI; Defense Language Institute Foreign language Transcripts (DLIFLC); Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) DLPT Examinee Results; DA Form 330 Language Proficiency Questionnaire; or verified copies of DD214 or DD295 military records.

Veteran Dependent Exemption: Those children and spouses of U.S. veterans with service connected disabilities or U.S. veterans who died in service or from service-connected disabilities may be eligible for a college fee waiver. For more information contact your county ­Veterans Services Office or the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

Writing Center

The Sierra College Writing Centers pro­vide stu­dents with pro­fes­sion­al support and guid­ance in all writ­ing projects, regardless of course level or as­sign­ment com­plex­i­ty. Stu­dents may come to the Writ­ing Center, second floor, Learning Resource Center at the Rocklin Cam­pus, or Library/Learning Commons N6 at the Nevada County Campus, for these ser­vic­es.

The Writing Center staff is committed to help­ing all stu­dents com­plete writing assignments suc­cess­ful­ly and on time, regardless of the stu­dent’s academic prep­a­ra­tion or lan­guage background. For fur­ther in­for­ma­tion, call the Rocklin Campus Writing Center at (916) 660-7230 or the Nevada County Campus Writing Center at (530) 274-5362, or email writingcenter@sierracollege.edu.

Voter Registration

Voter registration materials are available at the Campus Life Office and the Civic Engagement and Voter Empowerment webpage for students who wish to register to vote. For more information please visit the Civic Engagement and Voter Empowerment webpage.