Satellite campus best bet for some
Modesto Bee 3/19/07
Attending college wasn't realistic because she works full time and lives in Stockton, far from any affordable college campuses.
But the 50-something student was able to find a solution — California State University, Stanislaus, has a satellite campus in Stockton.
"It's so convenient. It's right here. And pricewise, you can't beat it," said DeGrassi, who also works at the university overseeing the center's front office.
About 1,000 students take courses at the Stockton center, but you wouldn't know it if you were on campus before 4 p.m.
The average student age is 32, with most re-entering college while working full time. These people have families, homes and jobs, and can only take classes at night and on the weekends, said Dave Hamlett, Stockton center director.
The two-building campus is packed from 4 to 10 p.m. with people who want to get a bachelor's degree. Younger students are more likely to attend the few daytime classes.
About 130 classes are offered each semester by 13 resident professors and others from the university's main Turlock campus. Many classes are offered via satellite so students watch Turlock lectures on big-screen TVs and have microphones to talk with professors.
Popular majors are education and business, with many students drawn to the campus for communications and criminal justice courses.
DeGrassi is studying communications — "how people interact with one another and how we can communicate better," she said. She hopes to graduate next spring after five years of classes.
Many students transfer from Delta College, Stockton's community college. Without Stanislaus' Stockton campus, students would have to commute to Turlock or Sacramento, attend pricey colleges such as the University of the Pacific, University of Phoenix or National University, or worse — not go to school at all.
Tuition and fees at Stanislaus averages about $3,000 for a full-time student, while UOP is about $32,000.
"The only other university in town is UOP and that's a totally different population and talk about cost …," Hamlett said.
Souvanna LoVan, 23, is majoring in liberal studies and minoring in psychology and sociology. She praises the Stockton center for its small classes and close-knit feel.
"It's beneficial for students who live in Stockton. People are here from Tracy, Lodi and Stockton; it's very communal," said LoVan, who should graduate this fall after two years at the center.
Hospital, schools nearby
North of downtown Stockton, the campus borders a hospital, schools and social service agencies offering students the ability for hands-on learning.
Students have access to the center's library, bookstore, exercise room, health services and computer labs — though hours are limited.
Officials hope to beef up online classes and Friday and Saturday offerings, Hamlett said.
In a few decades, Stockton might be in the running to get its own public university, Hamlett said. With about 290,000 people, Stockton is the 13th largest city in California — 10 of which have public universities.
The campus is on a former mental hospital compound, but a private development group has spent years redeveloping the site and facilities, Hamlett said. Workers are putting in a lake to add aesthetics, and to serve as a water retention basin.
Although the Stockton center has been around for 30 years, some people in and around the area never have heard of it. The green exit signs on Highway99 only mention "CSU Stanislaus," so many people confuse the two campuses.
But for those who happen upon the Stockton center and take classes there, the services offered are priceless.
"I know people who would not be going to school if this center was not here," DeGrassi said. "Life being what it is, you never know where you'll end up."