About the College

Stockton Campus

Two key decisions were endorsed by the Board of Trustees in the fall of 1968. Though the campus would be one of the largest in California, the student population would be divided into five instructional centers. The design of each center included a central open courtyard, snack bar, and study lounge. The goal was to encourage students and faculty to develop activities according to their own interests, creating a healthy campus-wide diversity. The decision reflected the philosophy that all knowledge, as with all work, is worthwhile and not susceptible to "status." Students with greatly different backgrounds and career interests—from musicians to mechanics—meet in the hallways, lounges, and classrooms, and learn to respect each other's values.

A committee had initially recommended the names of deceased, local historical figures who had made significant contributions to education and the trustees agreed. Cunningham Center and a portion of Budd Center were the first buildings to open in 1973, with classes in physical education, life science, public safety and services, computer science, and printing.

Cunningham Center, named after Sheriff Thomas Cunningham of the late 1800s, opened in June 1973. The center included Clever Planetarium, the only planetarium in San Joaquin Valley.

Holt Center—named after Benjamin Holt, the developer of the belt tread tractor which helped make large-scale farming possible in this region's peat soil—opened in the summer of 1974 and contained instruction in music, machine technology, heating and air conditioning, welding, and engineering. Today, the center houses the only community college electron microscopy lab in the nation.

Shima Center honors the memory of George Shima who left Japan in the 1880s after failing his university examinations and founded an agricultural empire on land reclaimed from Delta bog. Shima Center, which opened during the spring semester of 1975, offers instruction in agriculture, natural resources, broadcasting, visual arts, early childhood education, business, and photography. The L.H. Horton, Jr. Art Gallery provides exhibits and displays in creative artistry.

Budd and Locke Centers were completed in the fall of 1976, except for the vocational shops in Budd which had opened in conjunction with Cunningham Center in 1973. James Budd was the only Stocktonian to become Governor of California. The center houses physical education, athletics, and dance facilities, including the 3,000-seat Blanchard Gymnasium and June Fergusson Pool.

Locke Center honors Dr. Dean Jewett Locke, founder of Lockeford and the Lockeford School District. The center includes instruction in nursing, business, and drama. It includes Tillie Lewis Theatre as well as the 100-seat Alfred H. Muller Studio Theatre, named in 2013 to honor the highly-regarded former Professor of Drama. Adjacent to Locke Center is Warren Atherton Auditorium which seats over 1,400 guests and serves as a focal point for arts in the region.

Three other campus buildings also bear historical names: Goleman Library is named after Dr. Irving Goleman, a former Delta teacher and thinker who believed no one was truly educated without experiencing the liberal arts; Danner Hall honors Helen Danner, Associate Dean of Students at Delta until her death in 1970. Danner Hall contains the Academic Computing Center, main cafeteria, The Student Chef, a student-run gourmet restaurant, and College Bookstore. The perimeter roads connecting the different campus areas are named in honor of Dr. Burke Bradley, Burke Bradley Road in the south part of the campus and Burke Bradley Drive in the north. Dr. Bradley was President of Stockton College in 1956 and presided over the separation of San Joaquin Delta College from the Stockton Unified School District in 1963.

The first new building to be erected since the initial campus construction of the 1970s was the Child Development Center. Opened in 1994, during the presidency of Dr. L.H. Horton, Jr., it provides students and staff with a much needed place for child care and also serves the instructional Child Development program as a laboratory. The Delta College Child Development Center was rededicated in spring of 2016 in memory of longtime Dean and Career Technical Education advocate, Dr. Hazel Hill. Dr. Hill was instrumental in the development and construction of the center and for many years worked tirelessly in support of students pursing their educational goals. She had served the College and community for over 35 years as faculty, Division Chairperson, and Dean of Career Technical Education.

The Center for Microscopy and Allied Sciences was opened in fall of 2003 to house the long-established program in Electron Microscopy. The only program of its kind in the western United States, it trains technicians in the preparation of materials and operation of various electron microscopes.

Following the successful passage of a $250 million bond measure in 2004, planning for improvements of the Stockton Campus began. In 2009, the College established the Lawrence and Alma DeRicco Student Services Building—a one-stop shop for critical student services functions—to honor the former president for his many years of service and commitment to San Joaquin Delta College. Dr. DeRicco is considered one of the "Founding Fathers" of the College. In addition, the state-of-the-art, Olympic caliber Merv Smith Track Complex was dedicated in early 2010 to honor the former track coach and long-time faculty member. Coach Smith led Delta teams to numerous championships from 1970-1997. In 2010, the College rededicated the newly refurbished Goleman Library, followed by the dedication of the Bucky Layland Softball Complex and Lee Belarmino Sr. District Data Center in 2011.

The spring of 2014 saw the opening of the College's new Science and Mathematics building. The building includes over 70,000 square feet of office, classroom, and laboratory space wrapped around a central service core with dry labs on the first floor, wet biology labs on the second, and chemistry labs on the third. The building is equipped with the latest equipment and technology expected in a modern college science facility. In addition, the College opened newly remodeled diesel and heavy equipment technology shops and classrooms in Shima Center. As the spring semester moved forward, regular visitors to the campus began to see Cunningham Center, the former science and mathematics building beginning to be prepared for demolition. By the end of 2014, the building had been razed and a new open plaza area was developed.

Other improvements enabled by the Measure L Bond program include the following: a new greenhouse; restroom modernization and ADA compliance; a 40,000 square foot consolidated Data Center for information technology services; safety and seating improvements in the Tillie Lewis Theater and Atherton Auditorium; and state-of-the-art facilities for student athletes and physical education classes, including a world-class track facility, new turf for the softball, baseball, and football fields, a new soccer pitch, and improved parking facilities.

South Campus at Mountain House

South Campus at Mountain House (SCMH) encompasses approximately 126 acres north of Interstate 205 at the boundary of San Joaquin and Alameda Counties. Located at the southwest corner of Mountain House, the educational center is the result of a decade of efforts to expand service offerings to Tracy, Manteca, and South County students. Initial plans for SCMH called for an initial build-out of 85,000 square feet. The Board of Trustees postponed full-scale development of a large educational facility and built 25 modular buildings that freed up bond money for other projects on the Stockton campus and the future purchase or lease of property in the District's northern region. The modular buildings have a useful shelf life of only 20 years, and the District needs to provide a more permanent structure that will serve the residents of the region more effectively. SCMH has been targeted in the educational master planning process to feature three signature programs: renewable energy, computer science, and engineering.

Manteca Center

Bordered by Highway 99 on the east and Lathrop Road on the south, the Manteca Center features two portable classrooms, a barn, and crop land that provide training to students in agriculture, agribusiness, and animal husbandry. With agriculture remaining one of the major economic industries of the region, the Center's importance for local training cannot be overstated. Plans are underway to build a new barn, refurbish the classroom building, and improve the security of the campus with new fencing.

North County and Calaveras

In 2006, the District purchased a 140-acre parcel north of Lodi, near Galt (Liberty Road and N. Lower Sacramento Road parcels). District officials and consultants have completed a due diligence review of the site for use as an educational center. Delta has also requested proposals for other sites in the North County region that can accommodate 35,000 to 50,000 square feet of instructional space. The District recognizes the population growth within the region and its emerging labor market needs and, thus, seeks to develop an educational center in the North County area. The District is also increasing its limited course offerings in the Foothills region through collaboration with Calaveras County's local high school district and Columbia College. Most of these students take courses online or commute to the Stockton campus. However, limited courses can be held in the evening in Calaveras Unified School District classrooms and through new dual enrollment opportunities.