PLACER VALLEY
transfer programs and certificates for a very diverse student population . “ We are the access point for higher education for all of the people ,” Duncan says , emphasizing that 60-70 % of graduating high school students do not move on to the state college or University of California systems .
Duncan notes that only about twothirds of his nearly 20,000 students are traditional high school graduates . “ The remaining 40 % are people of all ages ,” he says . “ They could be someone who
took a gap year after high school , a parent looking to get a later-in-life degree and we have a lot of life-long learners . We ’ ve had graduates in their 60s , 70s and 80s walk across our graduation stage .”
He also says that “ our students transferring to a four-year school appreciate what we are doing for them , but it ’ s what we do for the other students that is vital .” Duncan , who serves on the Placer County Economic Development Board , says he spends “ a lot of time looking at wage and salary data ” to craft a curriculum that meets the practical needs of his students .
An affiliation with the North State Building Industry Association , for example , has produced an eight-week bootcamp that teaches basic construction skills to work on a job site , while a certificate program lays the foundation for a four-year degree in Construction Management . Likewise , a collaboration with a group of manufacturers and Valley Vision produced a new curriculum that teaches industrial design and manufacturing techniques .
Duncan is also excited for the planned satellite campus for Sacramento State that will be built in Placer Ranch , part of an 8,497-acre area in unincorporated Placer County known as the Sunset Area . “ It ’ s a game-changer and a huge opportunity for students to be in close proximity to higher education and a huge opportunity for us ,” Duncan says , as it will allow Sierra College and Sac State to expand on collaborations they already have underway .
Duncan recently collaborated with Sac State President Robert S . Nelsen to combine the schools ’ nursing curricula in anticipation that all Registered Nurses may soon be required to have a four-year degree ( as part of the 2010 report by the Institute of Medicine that recommended increasing the number of RNs with a bachelor ’ s degree in nursing to 80 % by 2020 ). Students can enroll in both schools simultaneously and complete their degree in three years .
As for secondary education in the region , Placer County Superintendent of Schools Gayle Garbolino-Mojica calls herself “ the accountability agent ” who sets the course for 16 school districts
88 comstocksmag . com | July 2021