Due to budget cuts, Sacramento State has moved the Judicial Administration Certificate program from the Department of Public Policy and Administration to the College of Continuing Education.

A change of policy in summer 2009 to the California State University system discontinued publicly supported programs that are not part of a master’s program, said Rob Wassmer, chair of the Department Public Policy and Administration.

Wassmer said cutbacks to graduate education were another reason the College of Continuing Education took over the program.

“We thought (the Judicial Administration Certificate) program was a good enough program and we wanted to keep it,” Wassmer said. “We are confident in the people working at College of Continuing Education.”

When the 12-unit program began in 2007, the Administrative Office of the Courts meant for it to professionalize those who have a bachelor’s degree and are currently working in the courts, but lack a formal graduate education, Wassmer said.

The move to the College of Continuing Education will create new benefits for students. Wassmer said even though College of Continuing Education is private and does not receive state funds, the program now costs less.

Students are paying 32 percent less this year than if the program was through the Department of Public Policy and Administration, according to current Sac State graduate fees.

When the program was through the department, students had to pay for six units even though most only take three units, Wassmer said.

Students now pay per-unit rather than the standard one-to-six or six-to-12 unit fees the university has, said Katelyn Sandoval, program manager of the College of Continuing Education.

One three-unit class in the College of Continuing Education is $1,350, said Candice Palaspas, program coordinator for the College of Continuing Education.

In addition to lower fees, the College of Continuing Education is not confined to Sac State’s semester start-and-end dates. This creates a more flexible schedule than the regular academic school year, Palaspas said.

Classes began this month rather than in August, which is when classes on the regular academic schedule started.

Despite the transition to the College of Continuing Education, the Department of Public Policy and Administration still has responsibilities in administering the program, Wassmer said.

Wassmer said he oversees the applications and approves the instructors while the College of Continuing Education does the marketing and recruitment of students.

The certificate program allows students to gain an understanding of how the court system works. Students learn through lectures, tests, assignment and guest speakers from judges and lawyers, Wassmer said.

The classes are geared toward working professionals, who have bachelor’s degrees in any field and have become involved in the court system. Class meetings are held one weekend a month, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Administrative Office of the Courts.

After completing the 16-month program, graduates have different job positions available for them, Sandoval said.

Graduates of the program can get jobs as court administrators, according to the program’s website.

“(The program) will make them more competitive candidates within the courts to move to supervisory and management positions,” Sandoval said. “(It) is going to give them the skills and information to improve their work and make them more marketable.”

Alumnus Hector Gonzalez, who works as executive officer of the Mono County Superior Court, said the program provided him with knowledge about the court system.

Before the program, Gonzalez was in mid-level court management. Less than a month after finishing the program, Gonzalez became the CEO of the Mono County court.

“This was the best thing I could have done academically and career-wise,” Gonzalez said. “There is no way I could have gotten (this) job without the program.”

Wassmer said he hopes the program will become available statewide.

“It’s a valuable degree,” Wassmer said. “By bringing in College of Continuing Education with their ability to deliver things over the Internet and marketing, we are looking to probably bring this down to Southern California.”

Michelle Curtis can be reached at [email protected].