Mission, Vision and Core Values

Mission, Vision and Core Values

Sierra College serves a diverse set of communities from the Sacramento Valley to the Sierra Nevada mountains, including Placer, Nevada and portions of El Dorado and Sacramento Counties. To meet the needs of these communities, Sierra College offers a wide range of degree, transfer, career, and technical training programs at four campuses in Rocklin, Roseville, Grass Valley and Tahoe-Truckee.

Mission Statement

The mission of Sierra College is to provide an inclusive and safe educational environment where learners are supported while challenging themselves and achieving their goals.

Vision Statement

Sierra College will be the preferred destination for higher education and training in our region while eliminating achievement gaps among our students.

Core Values

The following core values will establish our ethical principles and will guide our institutional decision-making. Sierra College will:

  1. Empower students in their education.
  2. Strive toward student success and continuous improvement.
  3. Be an inclusive and equitable community.
  4. Be responsive to the education and workforce needs of our local community and businesses.
  5. Demonstrate collaboration with all stakeholders in decision making.
  6. Manage all resources in a manner that is sustainable and responsible.
  7. Support and model excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, scholarship, and creativity.

Reference: Sierra College Board Policy 1200

The mission of Sierra College is to provide an inclusive and safe educational environment where learners are supported while challenging themselves and achieving their goals. Further, as an educational institution, we are governed by freedom of expression as outlined in the First Amendment to provide space for individuals to express their position on various issues.

Free Speech and First Amendment Rights at Sierra College

Sierra College is committed to ensuring that all persons may exercise their constitutionally protected rights of free expression, speech, and assembly.

The mission of Sierra College is to provide an inclusive and safe educational environment where learners are supported while challenging themselves and achieving their goals. Further, as an educational institution, we are governed by freedom of expression as outlined in the First Amendment to provide space for individuals to express their position on various issues.

Specifically, Sierra’s Board Policy 3900 and Administrative Procedure 3900 establish that, as a publicly funded entity, we do not limit free speech to safe zones.  Rather, outside our buildings, our campuses are open to the public with some stipulation as to amplification and special events. However, this allowance should in no way be interpreted as the college supporting or condoning messaging and content, and we continuously attempt to facilitate an equitable campus climate.

While we honor and protect free speech, we also attempt to address any concerns that arise in a timely manner. When free speech content generates tensions or concerns by students, faculty, and staff about safety, our security team and Rocklin Police Department are called on-site to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.

Members of the Sierra College community who feel unsafe or that their ability to pass freely through any area of campus is being impeded, should contact Campus Security at (916) 660-7120 (extension 7120 on campus). We also encourage students, faculty, and staff to investigate all issues for fact and truth in conjunction with their own ethics.

Additionally, students at Sierra College are guaranteed the right of free expression protected by state and federal constitutions and Education Code 76120 (from Sierra College Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook).