Sacramento City College (SCC, Sac City, SCC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Sacramento City College (SCC) is a junior community college in the city of Sacramento in northern California. The school is a member of the Los Rios Community College District. SCC was first founded in 1916, making it the oldest college in Sacramento and one of the oldest in California. First located in Sacramento High School, the college became entirely its own entity in 1922. In 1964, SCC paid one dollar to purchase the 75 acre campus where it is located today.

In addition to the main campus in Sacramento, SCC operates two outreach centers. The first, Davis Center, meets on the campus of the University of California, Davis. The second, West Sacramento Center, is a 3 story building in West Sacramento. Both centers offer a wide variety of classes, so students in many concentrations can take classes only at their nearby centers without having to travel to the main campus. Over 25,000 students attend SCC at least part-time at one of the three campuses.

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Information Summary

Ranks 137th in California and 1894th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	65.4
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$2,958
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	17 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	69% / 23%
Enrollment Total (all students)	21,379

Academics

SCC provides a wide range of educational opportunities to a diverse population. Some of the larger and best-known programs at SCC are Aeronautics, Computer Information Science, Cosmetology, Early Childhood Education, Electronics Technology, Engineering Design Technology, Mechanical-Electrical Technology, and Photography. Many of the graduates of SCC go on to work for area aeronautical and flight technology companies. SCC also offers several classes online, as well as a number of hybrid classes, for which students spend a limited amount of time meeting in person but take much of the class online.

Summer Success Academy

High school students transitioning into SCC are encouraged to attend Summer Success Academy, a program that introduces students to college-level work, time management, money management, and other aspects of independent adult study and life.

Advanced Education

Advanced Education is a program for high school students who wish to begin earning college course credit before graduating from high school. Eligible students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.7, must show that the course they wish to take is not offered through the high school, and must get the written approval of their high school counsellor. Qualified students are exempt from enrollment fees.

Academics and the Arts

The Gregory Kondos Gallery in the Fischbacher Fine Arts Building exhibits rotating collections of professional, faculty, and student art for the enjoyment of the student body and the public. The department holds a Christmas art sale every December. SCC also offers several theatrical productions a year for students and the public through City Theatre. Every year the theater department stages two Shakespearean plays and a handful of children’s productions in addition to 6-8 contemporary shows.

Study Abroad

SCC offers study abroad opportunities for their students in locations such as Florence, Italy; Paris, France; London, England; and Korea. Students normally study abroad in a school-sponsored program for one full semester.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

The admissions process does not exclude anyone who wishes to enroll in the college, with the exception of international students not in possession of an F-1 visa. An online admission application is available on the school’s website. In addition to holding an appropriate visa, international students must achieve a minimum score of 450 on the paper Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Alternatively, students may submit a score of 133 on the computer-based version of the TOEFL or 45 on the internet-based version. It is important to note that because there are no residence halls at SCC, international students must find their own housing. As part of their mission to make services available to any student who desires the, SCC publishes enrollment information in Spanish, Korean, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Hmong.

Financial Aid

Regardless of their financial status, all students are encouraged to apply for financial aid. SCC offers work-study programs as well as the standard grants and loans.

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Students

Clubs and Organizations

There are more than 50 student clubs and organizations on campus, ranging from the Animal Behaviour Conservation Alliance to the Chinese Culture Club to the Honors Club to the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA). The presiding body of the college is the Associated Student Government (ASG). This body is comprised of both elected and appointed student representatives. They have the power to contribute to policy decisions on campus and represent the voice of the students in administrative affairs. There are no residential halls, fraternities, or sororities at SCC.

Career Center Services

The career center offers a wide range of services, including career assessment for students already in the workforce, assistance with choosing a course of study, career counselling, locating mentors, practice interviews, salary guides, and links to job networks. The Assessment Center at SCC administers College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests, which allow qualified students to receive college credit for information already learned. They also offer proctored exams for apprenticeships and other off-campus opportunities for BC students.

Programs for Students with Challenges

There are a number of programs at SCC to reach out to students who may have difficult acclimating to college academics. The Office of Disabled Student Programs and Services strive to make college education at Bakersfield available to anyone who wants it. To this end, they provide counselling, registration assistance, learning disabilities assessment, assistive computer technology, materials in large print, materials in Braille, alternate testing arrangements, and more.

The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S) program is a state-funded initiative to help orient, recruit, and retain college students from California who are economically, socially, and/or educationally disadvantaged. EOP&S offers financial assistance and academic support to qualified students. EOP&S services are geared towards full-time students with risk factors for failure, including being at least one of the following: a first-generation college student, a re-entry student, a student with a disability, a student whose first language is something other than English, an ethnic minority, or a student with a poor educational record.

As part of their mission to offer higher education to everyone in their community who desires it, SCC also offers Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA). This program provides tutoring, mentorships, workshops and various other forms of assistance to educationally disadvantaged students.

International Students

In part because of the robust immigrant populations that already exist in the Sacramento area, SCC attracts nearly 200 international students from dozens of different countries in any given year. There are particularly large student populations from South Korea, China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Because SCC has a relatively high number of international students for a junior college, they provide extended services for these students, including assistance with obtaining visas, employment assistance for international students, transcript evaluation and interpreting services, travel tips, and procedural information for traveling to Canada or Mexico and then re-entering the United States.

Child Care

The Sacramento City College Child Development Center offers services to students at SCC and the wider community. Preferential admittance is given to full-time students and families with low incomes. The center is open Mondays to Fridays from 7:15 AM to 5:30 PM. The center both provides service for students with families and serves as a learning laboratory for SCC students studying Child Development and Early Childhood Education. The facility accepts children between the ages of 2 and 5.

Haircut Program

One of the nicer perks of student life at SCC is… free haircuts! The Cosmetology Department offers complimentary haircuts and manicures for a donation of canned food for a food bank at regular intervals. Affordable haircuts and manicures are available from students in the department throughout the year. All work is done by students with instructor supervision.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

Sacramento City College belongs to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) as well as the Big 8 Conference. SCC plays ten women’s intervarsity teams and eight men’s teams. Popular sports at SCC include baseball, track and field, and softball.

Alumni

SCC boasts many well-known alumni, including NASA astronaut Michael James Adams, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Herb Caen, artist Mel Ramos, magician John Powell, Shakey’s founder Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson, Chief Justice of California Tani Cantil-Sakauve, U.S. Representative and champion of the Freedom of Information Act John E. Moss, photographer Kurt Edward Fishback, and author Kiron K. Skinner.

Award-winning athletic alumni include Olympic runner Malachi Davis, karate champion Neil Estaris, Ultramarathon runner of the year Rich Hanna, NCAA champion long jumper Henry Hines, long-drive competitor Vince Howell, Olympic triple-jumper Sheila Hudson, US National softball player Lyndsey Klein, Olympic weightlifting medalist Tommy Kono, and high jump Jamie Nieto.

A huge number of major league baseball players attended Sacramento City College, including Cuno Barragan, Dave Berg, Adam Bernero, Joe Bitker, Jeff Blauser, Chris Bosio, Larry Bowa, Kevin Brown, Trace Coquillette, Ken Dowell, Bob Forsch, Ken Forsch, La Vel Freeman, Joe Horgan, Ken Hottman, John Spider Jorgensen, Buck Martinez, Darrell May, Jason McDonald, John McNamara, Geno Patralli, R.J. Reynolds, Matt Riley, Rich Rodas, F.P. Santangelo, Rick Schu, Joe Thurston, Greg Vaughn, Randy Veres, Fernando Viña, Casey Weathers, larry Wolfe, Charlie Zink, and Jeffrey Marquez.

Bibliography

Distance Education. Sacramento City College. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.

Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.

Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You. New York: Penguin. 2007. Print.

Study Abroad. Sacramento City College. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.

Sacramento City College