Delta College ranked fifth in nation

School is one of leading producers of 2-year degrees

What started as a marketing idea led San Joaquin Delta College to be recognized as the nation's fifth-highest associate's degree producer.

The 2007 ranking, released last month by Community College Week, was a significant increase from the previous year, when Delta ranked 58th. A total of 3,783 students received two-year degrees last year; in 2006 that number was 1,457.

The drastic increase was no coincidence. Catherine Mooney, director of admissions and records, wanted to increase enrollment and improve the college's marketing. She began to look at students who had met nearly all the graduation requirements but hadn't gotten a diploma.

When Mooney realized just how many former students were close to receiving a degree, the idea nearly took on a life of its own. The college obtained a $7,500 for overtime so staffers could go through the list of students who had attended Delta between 2001 and 2006 but hadn't returned to finish their liberal arts and science degrees. They ultimately identified 4,366 students who were eligible, Mooney said.

Then the college sent letters to those students, telling them just how close they really were to having an associate's degree. Some of them had completed all 60 units of coursework but simply hadn't filled out the paperwork to receive a diploma, Mooney said. Others were short just one or two three-unit classes.

Some students hadn't bothered getting associate's degrees because they planned to transfer to a four-year college and get a bachelor's degree. But it doesn't hurt to have something else to spruce up the resume along the way, Mooney said.

"I tell the students, no matter what your overall game plan is, it's good to have milestones that you can meet along the way," she said.

Ultimately, 2,280 students received diplomas through the efforts of Mooney's office. As college spokesman Greg Greenwood put it, some of the students just needed a little push to finish their degree.

Mooney is still working on finding more students who are very close to receiving diplomas. While most students receive liberal arts and science degrees, she said she has yet to go through the students who majored in business, computer science and engineering. And, of the more than 4,000 originally identified, more could still finish their degrees.

Delta's president, Raul Rodriguez, was pleased with the results and added in a statement: "It's not just about numbers. It's about student success and the college's commitment to the people it serves."

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.