MSJC to Lease Part of Former Temecula City Hall

Written by Karin Marriott, MSJC

The Mt. San Jacinto College Board approved an agreement to lease the second floor of Temecula’s former city hall for $1 a year. The agreement was approved during the regular board meeting on September 12, 2013.

The agreement means MSJC can serve more students in the Southwest region and allows the college to partner with emerging businesses, the city and Cal State San Marcos to benefit students.

The college will lease 15,000 square feet in the new former city hall location and pay for utilities under a renewable, three-year agreement.

Mt. San Jacinto College serves a 1,700-square-mile district, which includes Temecula. The Southwest portion of the district has high-demand for college courses. More than 60 percent of the students attending MSJC’s Temecula Education Complex on Enterprise Circle West are from Temecula and Murrieta. One out of 4 MSJC students lives in the Temecula/Murrieta area.

Greg Butler, Temecula’s assistant city manager, attended the MSJC Board meeting and told trustees that the city is excited about this partnership and about expanding higher education opportunities for residents.

“This lease agreement between Mt. San Jacinto College and Temecula represents another strong partnership and a tremendous commitment by the city and MSJC to support student success and serve the demand for higher education in the Southwest Region,” said Dr. Roger Schultz, MSJC superintendent/president. “MSJC students will benefit from the presence of Cal State San Marcos, the Temecula Valley Entrepreneur’s Exchange and the Economic Development Corporation Southwest Riverside County. Another important aspect is the long-term savings MSJC will reap from leasing the former city hall.”

The new site, called TEC2, will allow MSJC to partner with Cal State San Marcos and the TVE2 Temecula Valley Entrepreneur Exchange, which is a business incubator, also located in the former city hall. This new location will feature some unique educational experiences for students. TEC2 will offer students expedited educational programs that enable them to transfer efficiently to local universities in such majors as Business or Social and Behavioral Sciences. In some cases, students will be able to complete a master’s degree right in the southwest region.

The programs MSJC plans for the site will feature learning communities, where two or more classes are linked together with a common theme and provide stronger relationships between the faculty and students. The site will offer support services like educational counseling and financial aid. Plans include offering internships and community service, both which provide tremendous learning opportunities for students. The new location has ample parking, an extensive computer lab for conducting large group training, online education experiences or group orientations and a large video conferencing area.

The current Temecula Education Complex will continue to offer  classes and services for students like assessment, registration assistance, financial aid information and educational counseling.

The Temecula City Council approved the lease agreement with MSJC during its regular meeting in August 2013.