Fall 2013: MSJC Offers Students More Seats in Classes That Count

Mt. San Jacinto College student Darius Clarkston said he got an early start this summer meeting with counselors and completing other tasks to make sure he would get classes for his first semester at MSJC. He said he was excited to be on the San Jacinto campus for the first day of the fall semester.

“I decided to come here because I want to be a police officer and go on to get a four-year degree,” Clarkston,18, said.

Clarkston of Moreno Valley was one of 13,700 students who enrolled for the fall 2013 semester at MSJC. The figure is up from 13,600 students in the fall of 2012. MSJC is offering the same number of classes but filling more seats compared to the same period last year, thanks to strategic planning by its instructional division. On the first day of the fall semester, MSJC offered 1,332 classes but filled nearly 500 more seats than in fall 2012.

MSJC began offering more high-demand classes, like college-level English and math, through a variety of strategic measures, such as cutting down on the classes that do not lead to a degree or transfer to four-year universities. This change cost no additional money to the district and helps students by offering them the classes they need to reach their goals.

“Mt. San Jacinto College learned a lot during the economic crisis,” Superintendent/President Roger Schultz said. “Our instructional team became very lean and efficient. They were able to strategically deliver the courses students need for degrees or to transfer without imposing additional costs on MSJC. This also helps the students save money because they can get through the two-year system faster. MSJC will continue to operate in this efficient manner because it is fiscally responsible and supports the success of our students.”

The efficiency during the regular academic year will allow MSJC to hold a solid summer session in 2014.

Samara Cuthbert of Hemet is in her eighth month of pregnancy, but is so close to getting her degree she made sure she signed up for the classes she needed.

“The classes I’m taking are hybrid, so I can do schoolwork from home,” Cuthbert, a child development and education (CDE) major, said. “I’m taking my last CDE class and math.”

Enrollment numbers fluctuate as students add, drop or take late-start classes. The official enrollment figures come out at the end of each semester.

—News release submitted by MSJC

MSJC is a comprehensive community college that is part of California’s 112-community college system. A single college District, MSJC serves a 1,700-square mile area from the San Gorgonio Pass to Temecula. We serve students throughout this region from the San Jacinto, Menifee Valley and San Gorgonio Pass campuses, the Temecula Education Complex and many off-site locations.