# Modesto Junior College

Modesto Junior College (MJC) is a public community college in Modesto, California. It is part of Yosemite Community College District along with Columbia College. MJC, and Columbia College, belong to the California Community College system along with 112 other public community colleges. The college has two campuses in Modesto. The East Campus is the original campus while the West Campus is the larger of the two. Courses are provided in general education, lower-division transfer programs, occupational and developmental education.
MJC is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).

## History

Modesto Junior College can trace its roots to the decision by the California State Legislature in 1907 to authorize high schools to create junior colleges what were termed "postgraduate courses of study" similar to the courses offered in just the first two years of university studies.
Shortly after the decision by the legislature, Fresno City College was formed 96 miles south of Modesto. Due to the success of Fresno City College, the state legislature passed legislation in 1921 allowing for the creation of community college districts. Modesto Junior College, founded in September 1921, became the first community college district.
Modesto Junior College started out with only 61 students but has since expanded to over 19,000 students. In addition to enrollment increases, the school has expanded to having two campuses MJC West and MJC East along with more than 20 community sites throughout the Yosemite College District that are used to meet particular education needs.
In 2015, it was announced that Modesto Junior College would become one of the first community colleges in California to offer Bachelor of Science degrees. The college will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in respiratory care starting in 2017.

## Campus

There are two Modesto Junior College campuses; MJC East and MJC West. MJC East is 58.3 arces and MJC West is 167.1 acres – between both campuses, there are 6 large scale agricultural units, 7 (agriculture student) housing units, 74 buildings, 370 rooms including 15 athletic areas, 104 classrooms, 36 common use areas, 21 computer labs, 12 conference rooms, 99 lab classrooms, 16 lectures halls and 10 performance rooms.

## Administration

The college is part of the Yosemite Community College District within the California Community Colleges System. The current college president is Brian Sanders. The district is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Trustees.

## Academics

Modesto Junior College offers Associate Degrees. The school boasts 19,262 students and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Modesto Junior College provides over 88 Associate Degrees, 30 of which are of Agriculture alone. MJC is also home to an agricultural internship program in which students are given residence on West Campus. The school owns over 100 acres of various crops which it uses to teach the students theory of crop and animal sciences as well as give the students in the field experience.

## Athletics

Modesto Junior College is a member of CCCAA. Sports teams are nicknamed the MJC Pirates and their colors are blue and white. MJC has the largest community college sports program in Northern California with 21 sports: Men's and Women's basketball; Men's and Women's Cross Country; Men's Football; Men's and Women's Golf; Men's and Women's Soccer; Women's Softball; Men's and Women's Swimming; Men's and Women's Tennis; Men's and Women's Track; Women's Volleyball; Men's and Women's Water Polo; and Men's Wrestling at the Intercollegiate level respectively.

## Notable people

* Oscar Zeta Acosta, Chicano activist, lawyer, and author
* René Ahumada (born 1935), Mexican Olympic sprinter
* Matt Bettencourt, PGA Tour golfer
* Shawn Boskie, Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
* Robert O. Briggs, marching band director
* Gary Condit, served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2003
* Hiram Fuller, professional basketball player
* Lee Herrick, California Poet Laureate
* Howard Everest Hinton Fellow of the Royal Society (24 August 1912 – 2 August 1977) was a British entomologist and Professor at the Natural History Museum, London and the University of Bristol.
* Steve Gonzalez, American football player
* John Soares, film director, actor, editor, and fight choreographer; directed Sockbaby
* Dot-Marie Jones, track and field Olympian (competed as Dot Jones) and actress
* Ray Lankford, professional baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres
* George Lucas, film director, screenwriter; created Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Also directed THX 1138 and American Graffiti.
* Keith Luuloa, professional baseball player
* Gino Marchetti, professional football player; defensive end for Baltimore Colts, NFL Hall of Famer
* Jeff Moorad, former sports agent, owner of the San Diego Padres baseball team
* David R. Navon, (1920-1949), WWII veteran and smoke jumper killed in the Mann Gulch Fire in Montana, August 5, 1949. Young Men and Fire
* Roger Nixon, composer
* Ronald Oliveira, American businessman and current CEO of Revolut USA
* Alex Olmedo, professional tennis player, Wimbledon champion (1959)
* Lindsay Pearce, actress
* Brandon Pettit, convicted or murdering his parents, was enrolled in the Fire Training Academy at Modesto Junior College.
* Jeremy Renner, actor
* Justin Roiland, actor, animator, writer, producer, and director; co-creator of Rick and Morty
* Joe Rudi, professional baseball player (Oakland Athletics)
* Erick Threets, professional baseball player (San Francisco Giants)
* Bill Werle, professional baseball player
* Paul Wiggin, professional football player (Cleveland Browns) and coach (Stanford Cardinal and Kansas City Chiefs)
* Cy Young 1952 Olympic gold medal, javelin