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Developing Higher Education
Placer County plans to add a Sacramento State satellite campus to its university roster
by Christina Kiefer
While Placer County is known for its highly regarded K-12 schools , it is also home to Sierra College and William Jessup University in Rocklin and Brandman University in Roseville , and plans are in place to build a satellite Sacramento State campus in unincorporated southern Placer County to serve its growing population .
“ Building this satellite campus has been in the works for decades ,” says Steve Perez , provost and vice president of academic affairs of Sacramento State . He says providing a campus in Placer County will reduce the need for many students to commute to Sacramento . “ We ’ ll be able to provide them with an education in their own community .”
The satellite campus will be on 300 acres in Placer Ranch , a 2,213-acre development within the Sunset Area Plan that will include 5,600 homes and more than 8.4 million square feet of commercial and nonresidential use . The satellite campus plans to offer both general education and some graduate courses . Perez says in the short term , the campus expects to serve 5,000 students . Sierra College will also have a center located on the university ’ s satellite campus . ( Sierra already has an extension campus on Vernon Street in Roseville .)
Willy Duncan , Sierra College ’ s superintendent and president , recognizes the need for higher education in Placer County has steadily increased over the years . The college , founded in 1936 , has an enrollment of 20,000 , and Duncan supports the addition of more local institutions .
“ I ’ m a firm believer in doing everything we can to expand our opportunities so that students can stay in the region ,” Duncan says . “ Investing in higher education allows us to do more . It creates a better trained workforce and a stronger economy .”
Echoing Duncan is John Jackson , president of William Jessup University , a four-year private university with on-site housing and an enrollment of around 1,700 students . “ I think there ’ s a huge demand , not just for higher education , but the ability to connect your educational work with a vocation . The marketplace continues to rapidly change , and we need both higher education and jobs to retain people in our community .”
County supervisors have approved the project , but Perez estimates that it will be “ a handful of years ” before construction for the satellite campus breaks ground .
Christina Kiefer is a communications consultant and freelance writer in Sacramento who specializes in public relations , copywriting , content marketing and strategy . She is online at christinakiefer . com .
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