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Moorpark College president outlines campus growth, new bachelor’s program and facilities plans
Summary
Dr. Julia Sokenu told the Simi Valley City Council Moorpark College enrollment is up 4% year-over-year, described the college’s new bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing and outlined campus projects including an outdoor training facility, a media studio and an amphitheater fundraising effort.
Moorpark College President Dr. Julia Sokenu updated the Simi Valley City Council on campus growth, workforce-focused degree programs and capital projects at the March 10 meeting.
Dr. Sokenu said Moorpark College — which draws more students from Simi Valley than from any other city in the college’s service area — reported a 4% enrollment increase compared with the prior year. She described the college’s first applied baccalaureate program, a bachelor’s degree in biomanufacturing that began last August, and said the college plans additional applied baccalaureate degrees tied to high‑wage industries such as cybersecurity.
The presentation included student outcome figures the president cited: an associate-degree graduate in related fields earns about $54,000 annually on average, and a baccalaureate graduate about $85,000, a differential the college uses to justify investment in applied bachelor’s programs that align with local labor demand.
Dr. Sokenu also highlighted campus facilities projects: a high‑end, NCAA-caliber outdoor volleyball training center built on repurposed tennis courts; a planned media studio to support online course recordings; and an amphitheater project under active fundraising to expand outdoor performance and classroom space. She also described the Moorpark College Zoo, which she said hosts about 400 school‑age students per weekday and reported a 25% increase in attendance year over year; she noted the zoo recently completed an 8,000‑square‑foot habitat for two Bengal tigers.
Council members asked about fees and funding: Dr. Sokenu said the applied baccalaureate units are charged at a higher per-unit rate than associate units — approximately $84 per unit for the bachelor’s program versus $46 per unit for an associate degree — and estimated the total four‑year program cost at about $11,000. When asked about federal funding, she said roughly $3 million supports Moorpark College operations and the district receives about $60 million in federal funds district‑wide.
Council members commended the college’s career‑focused programs, dual-enrollment partnerships with local school districts and plans to return with updates as projects progress.
