Spring 2025 Census Update

A message from the Vice President of Instruction.

Good morning, MJC!

Yesterday was Census,  the day student enrollments are counted to report to the State of California. Our Census enrollment serves as one measure of MJC’s success and provides a foundation upon which our funding is based.

I hope you will join me in feeling proud of our current numbers, provided below in contrast to Spring 2024 for context:

Increased numbers mean growth.  Growth means increased access.  Growth is a sign that all of our efforts—from Club Rush to Democracy in the Public Space to FLOW—are achieving their intended purposes.  As students feel more included, feel MJC is a place that genuinely cares about them, and feel they are part of a community, they maintain their enrollment and enroll in more courses.  People stay where they’re wanted.  Ultimately, this leads to greater numbers of students graduating and increased realization of improved lives with benefits reverberating through generations. 

In instruction, growth is supported by an increase in the number of programs available for students to select.  In the upcoming catalog, there will be 25 new programs from which students can choose. That’s in addition to the existing 202 programs that were already there.  New programs such as the Applied Electrical Technician AS Degree and Community Health Worker and Electro-Mechanical Technical Assistant Certificates of Achievement represent opportunity for students and cutting-edge curriculum for MJC.  The impact of new programs is best expressed through the words of incoming Licensed Vocational Nursing students:  

“The existence of an LVN program at Modesto Junior College means a lot to me as a mother and employee who wants to further my education in nursing because number one it is affordable and it will also help prepare me to go for my RN. … The impact of an LVN program will change my life because I will not have to work so physically with my back and also financially.”

“As someone who is interested in nursing but may not have the time or resources to pursue a longer program, this offers an opportunity to enter the workforce sooner and start making a difference in people’s lives. The program at MJC makes it easier for me to get the proper training and credentials I need to become an LVN without having to leave my community or deal with long commute times.”

Striking the right balance between what we offer and what students want is crucial, as demonstrated in Tracking Transfer, a report prepared by our Office of College Research and Planning.   As we develop innovative programs that address students’ interests and career goals, we’ll better align our offerings with student aspiration and reduce the number of students who fall into the Stopped Out/Dropped Out category.  For School specific data on transfer rates, see also the new 6-year Cohort Student Outcomes dashboard.  Let’s continue to put our best thinking behind the Tracking Transfer report and find ways to decrease the number of students in that Stopped Out/Dropped Out category.

I hope each of you feels ownership for our collective endeavors that result in the successes mentioned here.