Sierra College History

The origin of Sierra College is somewhat uncertain. Some have said that the College may have begun with the establishment of Sierra Normal College and Business Institute in 1882. It was a small, private college at the location of today’s Placer High School in Auburn. Most think that Sierra College is an outgrowth of the Placer Union High School District.

Placer & Sierra College Timeline

In 1914 the Placer Union High School District, stretching from Loomis to Lake Tahoe, was born. That same year, college-level classes were offered. The new college was named Placer Junior College. It was the fourth oldest junior college in California at the time and only one of nine statewide; the faculty numbered four.

Due to enrollment loss caused by World War I, Placer Junior College was abandoned by 1920, but the college idea never completely died. In 1936 the College was reestablished, again in Auburn, with the enthusiastic support of local voters. It is 1936 that Sierra College uses as its official date of birth.

Three wings of buildings were constructed to serve primarily Placer Junior College, but Placer High School students shared many of the facilities, instructors and organizational structure with the new college. Enrollment numbered about 100 and the College athletes went by the name “Spartans.” The College grew steadily, and by 1938, 200 students were enrolled. Enrollment crested at 282 in 1939, but events quickly overtook the College in the 1940s. The 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor essentially ended enrollment by men as many went off to serve their country. Additionally, enrollment dropped significantly when Americans of Japanese ancestry were forced into internment camps. The student population dropped to 53 by 1943. The college eliminated the “Junior” from its name, becoming Placer College.

The war’s end brought returning veterans, the end of internment, and the GI Bill of Rights. Enrollment in the post-war years exploded as a result. 1946 saw 467 students - about half were veterans. 856 were enrolled in 1949 and the Placer College facility was bursting at the seams. The College had reached full capacity and efforts to find a new location began. Area population continued to grow and the need for new facilities grew acute. In 1953 Placer College was renamed Sierra College and its athletes gained a new nickname - the “Wolverines.”

In 1957 the new Sierra Junior College District successfully passed a bond measure to pay for new facilities. In 1958, a site selection committee considered thirty-five possible locations and the present Rocklin site was chosen. In 1961, the new Rocklin campus opened and enrollment reached 1,500. In 1962 Nevada County joined Placer County forming a huge new Sierra Junior College District, which then had more square miles—3,200—than students.

Enrollment boomed in the 1960s. By the end of the decade Sierra College boasted 100 full-time faculty members and nine new campus buildings. Enrollment was nearly 4,000. However, as fast as new facilities could be built, they were filled. The next several decades saw significant student population growth. From 1970 to 1990, enrollment jumped from 4,000 to nearly 14,000 and by the year 2000 the College enrolled approximately 18,000.In 1996, the 105-acre Sierra College-Nevada County Campus was opened. Twelve locations in that county had been considered until property between Grass Valley and Nevada City was chosen.

Leased centers were opened in the Tahoe/Truckee and Roseville areas. Classes were also taught at local high schools and community centers. Projections on future “for credit” enrollment top well over 25,000.

Today the Sierra Community College District includes all of Placer and Nevada Counties and parts of El Dorado and Sacramento Counties. Sierra College serves an economy as diverse as its population and geographical district. Railroad and agriculture are no longer the dominant industries, as construction, retail business, technology and service industries have come to characterize the district’s economy. In recent years, Placer and Nevada Counties have been two of California's fastest growing areas. Placer County is currently the number one job-producing county in the United States.The College District continues to experience dramatic growth and change, and with the ongoing development of computer and information technologies, alternative delivery systems for educational and student services are evolving, making education more accessible. Sierra College continues to use technology, adapting to meet the ever-changing needs of today's students and promote learning as a lifelong process.