PLACER VALLEY
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
PLACER SCHOOLS FOCUS ON ACADEMICS AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS by Bill Sessa
In the early 2000s , William Jessup University was wandering in the academic desert , so to speak , looking for a place to locate a satellite campus . Created as the San Jose Bible College in 1939 , the school had been rebuffed nearly a dozen times as it sought potential sites in the Bay Area before it found an abandoned furniture warehouse in South Placer County .
Local officials were eager to find a new use for the 125-acre property formerly inhabited by the Herman Miller Corporation — which the school purchased in 2003 and opened for classes in 2004 . The property was located in unincorporated Placer County but was annexed to Rocklin as part of the sale . “ That approval took only 11 minutes ,” recalls Dr . John Jackson , president of William Jessup University . “ We felt so welcomed by the city after being rebuffed so much in the Bay Area .”
Since then , Placer County has become one of the state ’ s fastest growing regions and William Jessup University has grown in step with the community ’ s needs , adding robust secular academic programming over the last decade . The school offers two dozen degree or certificate programs in liberal arts , the sciences and business for its nearly 2,000 students .
The school emphasizes preparing students for a working career , recognizing that up to 85 % of their graduates remain in the region . “ Almost every degree requires an internship ,” says Jackson , who participates on economic development councils in Greater Sacramento and Placer County . “ A smart company will take these students because they are already trained .”
That close collaboration with the business community helps to shape the school ’ s curriculum . After discussions with local health care companies revealed a shortage of qualified nurses , the university made plans to expand a nursing certificate program into a full Bachelor of Science degree program expected to begin in the spring or fall of 2022 .
William Duncan , superintendent and president of Sierra College , supports the same pragmatic approach to education for a school that functions like a Swiss Army knife , offering 126 degrees ,
86 comstocksmag . com | July 2021