Numerous amenities planned for Sacramento State, Sierra College joint campus

The layout for the Sacramento State and Sierra College transfer center, known as Placer Center, was approved by the CSU Board of Trustees unanimously Feb. 1. The Placer Center, located at the north end of Woodcreek Oaks Blvd., is designed to facilitate students transitioning from Sierra College to Sacramento State. The center has plans for dual-admission, which would allow students to be automatically enrolled at Sacramento State while at Sierra to streamline the process of transfer students since 40 percent of Sierra students transfer to Sacramento State, according to Sierra College President William Duncan. "We are really excited about the support that we have from our Placer County partners, Sierra College, and the unwavering commitment from our CSU Board of Trustees," Senior Associate Vice President for Placer Center Vajra Watson and Campus Architect Tania Nunez said in a statement. "We are ready to start building so that we can best support an innovative model for student success." According to the master plan, Placer Center will include a student center, conference center, dining area, library, recreation and wellness center that will likely be similar to Sacramento State's The Well, performing arts center, forensic science lab and a hotel. Placer Center is part of the Placer One site, which hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2022 with Duncan and former Sacramento State President Robert Nelsen in attendance, according to a previous Gold Mountain California News Media article. "Never before in California has a community college and a California State University come together" to collaborate in a project combining two colleges, Duncan said at the groundbreaking ceremony. Since most of the transfer students remain local, Nelsen acknowledged at the ceremony the commute to the university can become challenging. "Placer One will expand access to four-year degrees by giving students a campus that is closer to home, and our partnership with Sierra College will help to make the transition from community college to Sac State seamless," Nelsen said. Duncan echoed the sentiment, saying "proximity" to higher education is important, especially when the "demand" continues to rise. Placer One, formerly known as Placer Ranch, is a project in a 2,200-acre area, with 300 acres going toward the new collaborative college campus. It will have thousands of homes, commercial space, a town center and recreational facilities including parks, according to the Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan. Placer Center is estimated to open within five years. The center will be developed in four phases over 25 years. At full buildout, Placer Center expects 12,000 full-time students, according to Duncan. "Sacramento State and the greater Sacramento region are becoming increasingly diverse," Sacramento State President Luke Wood said at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting. "The Placer Center will be a welcoming and inclusive place where students and faculty thrive and the community and individuals will be provided with equitable access."