The Stockton satellite campus of California State University, Stanislaus is experiencing a resurgence in enrollment, reaching over 1,300 students this fall—a five-year high amid ongoing challenges within the CSU system. This development comes as the university’s new president, Britt Rios-Ellis, outlines ambitious plans to expand the campus and enhance its role as a vital educational hub in the region.
(This article was originally reported by Stocktonia.)
“This year we will explore how we can optimize our Stockton campus’ strategic location,” Rios-Ellis said during a welcome address on August 19.
Located on East Magnolia Street, the Stockton campus serves as a convenient option for students who want to continue their education without commuting to Sacramento State or the main Stanislaus campus in Turlock. The student body is diverse, with around half being Latino, and many are first-generation college students or eligible for Pell Grants. Transfers from San Joaquin Delta College made up nearly 30% of the student population last year.
The campus, which has been in its current location for over 25 years, is set to expand further. Construction has already begun on a new academic building, expected to open next fall. Stockton Campus Dean Sarah Sweitzer expressed optimism about the campus’s growth, with plans to double enrollment in the coming years.
“I like to see us as the undiscovered gem,” Sweitzer said. “I think we have a real energy.”
To raise the campus’s profile, Sweitzer and Rios-Ellis aim to engage the broader community by hosting events that go beyond student activities. For example, the campus recently participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, where students prepared tax returns for community members at no charge, helping about 400 people.
While overall enrollment has increased, specific details about the current student population remain unclear. Last year, the 906 students enrolled took the equivalent of 390 full-time students’ worth of credits, a ratio of about 44%. Additionally, many students continue to take classes at the main Turlock campus, particularly in popular majors such as business, psychology, and liberal studies.
The Stockton campus offers various resources, including a free food pantry and a small fitness center for in-person students. Online classes are also popular, with about 55% of courses featuring some online component, and nearly a third being fully asynchronous.
Both Rios-Ellis and Sweitzer emphasized the importance of balancing online and face-to-face learning to meet the diverse needs of students, particularly first-generation college students.
“This is about really learning what today’s college student wants and how they can thrive,” Rios-Ellis said.
Despite the broader CSU system grappling with declining enrollment—a trend that has seen a 6% drop since 2019—Sweitzer is optimistic about the Stockton campus’s trajectory.
“This is where we change not just student lives, but we change their family trajectories,” she said.