STOCKTON -- With the COVID-19 pandemic and the recession elevating the importance of a quality education, San Joaquin Delta College is making it easier for students to identify their career interests and achieve their goals promptly. 

The new effort, known as “Mustangs Moving Forward,” has been under development for several years but is even more relevant in this COVID era.  

Among other changes, Delta students are now automatically enrolled into the College’s new Transfer and Career Pathways, or TrACs, which give students a clear understanding of their career path options and provide them with special support from professors, counselors, librarians, and a new team of “success coaches.” 

Ultimately, this approach is expected to improve student success rates and reduce the amount of time needed for students to transfer to a university or begin a new career right out of Delta College. 

Information about the new TrACs along with a video overview of Mustangs Moving Forward are now available at deltacollege.edu/tracs. Open registration for Spring Semester is underway, with most classes offered online. Tuition is free for first-time, full-time college students and those who meet certain income requirements. 

“We are proud to be among the first community colleges in the state to adopt this new structure to better support students from the day they enroll at Delta to the day the finish their educational journey here,” said Dr. Omid Pourzanjani, Superintendent/President at Delta College. “We invite current Delta students, along with future students, parents, and community partners, to explore our new TrACs and learn more about the educational possibilities Delta offers. I believe that our College’s renewed focus on student success will be key to helping our region recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

A culinary arts student at Delta College.

Delta College is one of 20 community colleges across the state that has been participating in the California Guided Pathways Project over the past several years, which led to the vision for and creation of Mustangs Moving Forward. 

The collaborative effort included extensive feedback from College faculty, staff, and students. 

The result is a “new” Delta College, fundamentally redesigned with students in mind. 

Each of the new TrACs includes a success team that will guide students from the beginning to the end of their educational journey. The TrAC webpages will introduce students to the concept, help them stay in touch with their success teams, make them aware of upcoming events, and provide them with a clear explanation of the courses they’ll need to take to earn certain degrees or certificates. 

Current students already have had some exposure to this new approach. As part of a soft rollout of Mustangs Moving Forward this Fall Semester, students attended virtual welcome day events and received free “TrAC Pack” goodie packages at their homes. They also learned about the TrACs through Delta’s online learning tool, Canvas. 

Future steps include development of a new welcome center on campus that will serve as a one-stop shop for students. 

In sum, these actions are expected to significantly improve the student experience. 

“At Delta, students can gain the skills they need to launch a new career, or take the classes they need to transfer to a university without accruing massive amounts of debt,” Dr. Pourzanjani said. “We encourage all community members to see how Mustangs Moving Forward can help them realize their dreams as quickly as possible.”