Santa Rosa Junior College: A Comprehensive Overview
Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC), a public community college located in Santa Rosa, California, with an additional campus in Petaluma and centers in surrounding Sonoma County, has been a cornerstone of education in the region since its establishment in 1918. As the tenth oldest community college in the state, SRJC has a rich history and a strong commitment to providing accessible, diverse, and sustainable learning opportunities for its students.
A Legacy of Excellence and Accessibility
Founded with the vision of being a "junior" version of the University of California, Berkeley, SRJC has evolved into a comprehensive institution offering a wide range of academic and vocational programs. Its original mascot, the Bear Cub, was even modeled after UCB's Oski, reflecting its initial aspiration as a feeder school for the University of California system.
Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) is dedicated to making the college dream accessible to as many students as possible. With a reputation of academic excellence since its founding in 1918, Santa Rosa Junior College is regarded as one of the premier two-year colleges in the United States. SRJC also ranks high among California Community colleges for acceptance rates to the prestigious University of California system, with over 80 percent of SRJC applicants being accepted to a UC campus.
Academic Programs and Opportunities
SRJC offers a diverse array of academic programs, with students able to earn degrees and certificates in 110 different fields. Santa Rosa Junior College offers more than a degree. The highest degree offered at Santa Rosa Junior College is an associate degree. Popular programs include Social Sciences, General, Biological and Physical Sciences, and Psychology, General. Santa Rosa Junior College offers over 100 majors and 150 certificate programs that can be added to a major.
For students planning to continue their education at a four-year university, SRJC provides a transfer center to help students select and apply to universities. Schedule an appointment with a counselor at your college's transfer center.
Read also: A Guide to Santa Clara University Academics
Supporting Student Success
SRJC is committed to supporting students throughout their educational journey. The school utilizes a semester-based academic year. The student-faculty ratio is 19-to-1. The school has an open admissions policy. Get additional support to help remain focused on your education and your success.
Empowering Native American students throughout their educational journeys through a supportive community, culturally relevant resources and guidance. NASSSP helps students thrive academically and personally. Every community college campus has a foster youth liaison to help support students throughout their educational journey. Community college helps returning veterans make a smooth and affordable transition from military service into the highly competitive job market.
Campus Life and Facilities
SRJC boasts multiple campuses and centers, each offering unique resources and opportunities for students.
Santa Rosa Campus
SRJC's main campus is located in central Santa Rosa, 52 miles (84 km) north of San Francisco and has traditional-style ivy-covered brick buildings on 100 acres (0.40 km2). In addition to its administration buildings, classroom facilities, and laboratories, the campus houses a Planetarium, the Robert F. Frank P. Frank P.
Doyle Library
In August 2006, SRJC moved its Santa Rosa campus library to the new Frank Pierce Doyle Library building. Named after the college's most significant benefactor, the four-story building is the largest on campus at 145,000 square feet (13,500 m2). It houses the Library, Media Services, Distance Education, and Instructional Computing Departments, as well as the college art gallery, tutorial center and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, a multimedia training and production facility for SRJC faculty. The building was constructed with green building features designed to make it energy efficient and environmentally friendly, including an array of 77 KW photovoltaic solar panels on the library roof. Santa Rosa Junior College librarians were leaders in the early movement to promote information literacy in California's community colleges, and SRJC was among the first of the colleges to institute an information literacy requirement for graduation.
Read also: Explore Santa Clara University
Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery
The Santa Rosa Junior College Art Gallery was established in 1973, the first significant exhibition space in the region. The original gallery location was in Bussman Hall on the Santa Rosa Campus, where an old anthropology museum previously existed. In fall 2006, the Art Gallery transitioned to a new space in the Frank P. Doyle Library. The gallery was later renamed in 2012 in honor of the recently retired president of 22 years, the Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery offering exhibits and programs which support the art curriculum, focusing on art history, ceramics, computer graphics, drawing, graphic design, jewelry, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. In addition to the Annual Student Show and the occasional Art Faculty exhibits, quality art from outside the area is shown throughout the year.
Jesse Peter Multicultural Museum
The college's museum, originally called the Jesse Peter Museum, focuses on the Native American art of North America and ethnographic art of parts of Mesoamerica, Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia. Permanent exhibits include Native American baskets, jewelry and pottery that come from the Elsie Allen Collection, acquired in the 1970s.
B. Robert Burdo Culinary Arts Center
The B. Robert Burdo Center is the home of Santa Rosa Junior College's Culinary Arts Program. The two-story, 22,000 square foot building includes three classrooms, and four teaching kitchens, incorporating a public demonstration kitchen. The student-run Café and Bakery is featured on the first floor of the new building.
Petaluma Campus
SRJC began offering evening classes in Petaluma, 35 miles (56 km) north of San Francisco, in 1964, and in the early 1970s held classes in leased spaces throughout the city. In 1985, the Board of Trustees purchased a 40-acre (160,000 m2) site in east Petaluma, and in 1995 the first phase of construction of a Petaluma Center was completed. The Petaluma Center officially became a campus in April 1999. The second phase of construction to expand the Petaluma Campus to a 12,000-student capacity was completed in 2008, and included: life science and physical science labs, an art studio, a new 35,000 square foot library, a physical fitness center, bookstore, student services areas, dining areas, additional classrooms and technology labs, faculty/administrative offices, a digital arts lab, a nearly 300-seat auditorium (Carole L. Ellis Auditorium), and expanded outdoor spaces.
Herold Mahoney Library
The Herold Mahoney Library at SRJC's Petaluma campus originally opened its doors in the Fall of 1995. Many of the programs in SRJC's Arts & Lectures Series take place in the Mahoney Library. With the expansion of the Petaluma campus, the Mahoney Library has expanded to five times its original size, 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m2).
Read also: A Deep Dive into SCU's Undergraduate Enrollment
Technology Academy
There is a Technology Academy located on the Petaluma Campus. Opened in January 2009 in Telecom Valley, this educational program was established to meet the training needs of North Bay technology companies, offering classes and training programs to the general public and in-service training for the technology companies.
Shone Farm
Established in 1972, the Robert Shone Farm currently operates as a self-sustaining 365-acre (1.48 km2) farm near the Russian River, in Forestville, generating income from the sale of grapes from the college's vineyard operation as well as oat hay, oat silage, and sheep and swine operations. A new Agriculture Pavilion was completed in 2006. The farm offers diversified, hands-on educational opportunities in Viticulture, Wine Studies, Equine Studies, Animal Science, Sustainable Agriculture, and Environmental Conservation.
Public Safety Training Center
The Public Safety Training Center was established in Windsor in 1961, and currently provides coursework and field training for police officers, corrections officers, police dispatchers, seasonal park rangers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and firefighters. In spring 2002 the modern facility was completed on a 20-acre (0.081 km2) site in Windsor to provide in-service training for people working in public safety.
Student Life
Student life is vibrant, and includes conference-winning athletic teams, nationally-ranked speech and debate teams, outstanding theatre arts, music, and dance programs.
Santa Rosa Junior College is home to the Bear Cubs. They are part of the Big 8 Athletic Conference and are well known for their football, baseball, soccer and wrestling programs.
Affordability and Financial Aid
SRJC strives to provide an affordable education for its students. The in-state tuition and fees were $1,328. There is no application fee.
At Santa Rosa Junior College, 44 percent of undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid and the average scholarship or grant award is $3,324.
A Welcoming and Diverse Community
Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) aspires to be an inclusive, diverse and sustainable learning community that engages the whole person.
“International education is such an important part of contributing and being a part of the global community. We have students that join us from all parts of the world and become involved in student leadership positions, engage in campus activities, and live in the residence halls.
Location and Environment
Santa Rosa Junior College is just one hour north of San Francisco. There are more than 256 days of blue skies and sunshine per year in Santa Rosa, with a July high around 82 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) and January low around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius). The college’s location is widely considered to be one of the best in the entire United States. With the Pacific Ocean to the West, the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the East, and several lakes and rivers nearby, sailing, hiking, water skiing, snow skiing, surfing, rafting, kayaking and cycling are all easily accessible.
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