It began with a simple question: “What would you think about hosting our classes at your campus two mornings a week?” Just over a year later, Mt. San Jacinto College and Azusa Pacific University share a partnership that provides opportunities to more than 50 adult students in Murrieta. Wonderful possibilities exist when like-minded partners work together for the good of those they serve.
Mt. San Jacinto College has offered ESL and GED courses in the region for some time, but their purchase of the Abbott building in Temecula precipitated a change for their Adult Education Programs. The move led the institution to adjust course offerings in Temecula, so Program Director Amy Campbell took advantage of the opportunity and moved their day classes from the former Temecula City Hall to Azusa Pacific. The new location allows students considering future education opportunities for themselves and their families to get an up-close look at the valley’s leading four-year private university.
This partnership is mutually beneficial. Azusa Pacific’s Murrieta Campus, located by Sam’s Club at Murrieta Hot Springs and the 215 Freeway, is conveniently located for students. Since we offer our classes in the late afternoon and evening, this arrangement with Mt. San Jacinto College provides the added bonus of making use of the space during the daytime. The campus learning environment serves MSJC students, faculty, and staff well and they regularly linger in our classrooms and common areas after class is done. As hosts, we enjoy interacting with these students and hope the arrangement will lead many from this diverse population to enroll at Azusa Pacific University in the years ahead.
Our two schools share similar values and work well together. The MSJC Adult Education Program team brings a strong service mentality, is collaborative, and communicates directly and effectively. With an education-seeking population to serve and a host of common interests, the future is promising–both for the students we serve and for the partnership between Mt. San Jacinto College and Azusa Pacific University. It will be exciting to see what comes of it and how the community benefits in the years ahead!
For more information about MSJC’s Adult Education Program, please visit www.msjc.edu/adulted/.
