High School Academic Enrichment
As you may be aware, Sierra College has been facing drastic budget cuts due to the current economic climate. The funding we receive from the State of California has been significantly reduced this year and will be reduced even further next year. Additionally, we have been forced to reduce our course offerings, as the state will no longer pay us to serve the number of students that we had been serving in prior years.
The net result of these reductions is that we are unable to meet the needs of thousands of students wishing to enroll at the college. The college has therefore been forced to make many difficult decisions and choose among competing priorities. One decision we have had to make has been to change our admissions and registration polices for Academic Enrichment students.
Special-admit students wishing to take classes at Sierra College through the Academic Enrichment program must:
- Be at least 16 years of age and completed the sophomore year of high school; and
- Have a minimum high school GPA of 2.7
Admitted Academic Enrichment students must also have availed themselves of courses provided by their local high school and may only register for college-level classes. The specific courses in which Academic Enrichment students may not enroll are published on the Academic Enrichment Restricted Course List. In addition to the courses on the list, Academic Enrichment students may not enroll in honors courses, study abroad courses, and any other courses for which health and safety is a consideration.
Under Section 49061 of the Education Code, parents of community college students do not have a right of access to their children’s student records, regardless of whether the student is under the age of 18. High school student’s attending Sierra College must abide by the same FERPA laws as any other college student. For more information on FERPA laws please visit the website, http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
Additionally, Academic Enrichment students will now pay the same enrollment fees as other regular community college students.