Cuesta College Welcomes Sierra Nevada College to its Campus

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., May 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This fall, 2019, Cuesta College students in San Luis Obispo will have new educational opportunities with Sierra Nevada College's four-year extension program. Without leaving their home campus, Cuesta students will pursue bachelor's degrees in Psychology, Global Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, or General Studies. SNC degree programs will meet on the Cuesta campus through traditional classroom instruction.

"It is fantastic to welcome Sierra Nevada College to the Cuesta College SLO Campus," says Dr. Jill Stearns, Cuesta College President. "Our partnership with Sierra Nevada College launches tremendous opportunity for Cuesta College graduates, and local associate degree holders, who are ready to take the next step on their educational journey."

Cuesta College joins SNC extension programs in Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada, and Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, California. Sierra Nevada College brings its commitment to instruction delivered by professor-practitioners, small class sizes, and flexible schedules into the extension center model. The extension center provides a pathway to higher education for those who might otherwise be held back by strong ties to work, family, and community.

"Partnering with community colleges to create new pathways to 4-year degrees is good public policy," says SNC President, Dr. Alan Walker. "It helps students, it helps employers, and helps the communities where students live and work."

As pointed out in 2016 by NPR, economic changes in this country have created a surge of "non-traditional" students. Almost half of those enrolled in higher education in 2016 were such students. Many students today have intricate ties to their communities, making a transfer to another institution difficult if not out of reach entirely. Adding to this is the impacted state of the California State University and University of California systems. The extension center model addresses this shortage, without asking students to leave the community where they already live.

Interested students may apply to the program on the Sierra Nevada College admissions webpage. For more information on the Sierra Nevada College Extension Center, please email [email protected]. Degrees and site approvals pending with the NWCCU and CA Bureau of Postsecondary Education.

SOURCE Sierra Nevada College