Tracy College Consortium

The dream of having Tracy become a "college town" may yet be achievable. Under direction from the Tracy City Council, a concerted program was initiated to recruit 4 year colleges and universities to a site on Chrisman Road. The Chrisman Road site has belonged to the City of Tracy for quite a few years now. Down through the years, various ideas have surfaced on the most effective use for this City land. But now there is a strong consensus that to attract a number of colleges to use the site as the basis of their provision of educational services to the citizens of Tracy is the best way to maximize the use of this land

Evelyn Tolbert has been a key figure in actualizing this dream. In 2006, Evelyn, along with a few top City of Tracy staff members, journeyed to the University of California Merced to discuss the Chrisman Road site as an ideal location for the University of Merced to provide services to the Tracy population. Carol Tomlinson-Keasey, Chancellor at that time, provided a warm and receptive welcome to the visitors and to the premise of the University providing a presence at the Chrisman Road site, pointing out that not only was it ideal for serving students of Tracy and surrounding areas, but also an excellent location from which to fulfill its service agreements with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Since that initial visit to the University of California at Merced, Evelyn Tolbert has been involved in the review of proposals received by the City of Tracy for companies desiring to become the Master Developer for the structures at Chrisman Road. The selected entity, Concord Eastridge not only has an excellent reputation, but always builds "Green" and has stated that the facility it plans, develops, and constructs on the Chrisman Road site will be high in energy efficiency and low in its negative impact on our environment.

During a more recent personal visit to colleges to discuss the Chrisman Road proposal, Evelyn Tolbert, together with Mayor Brent Ives and City staff, met with key personnel at not only the University of California Merced, but Chapman University College in Modesto, the California State University at Stanislaus, and the University of the Pacific. The reception was even stronger than previously experienced. Most of the universities are expecting to see their budget amounts decreased. And yet they are obligated to continue working towards their educational objectives. They each realize that the Chrisman Road site in Tracy will allow them to expand into and tap a new market of enrollees while at the same time keeping their cost to a minimum. The University and College staff members are already thinking ahead and outlining courses for which there is both high demand by students and high demand by industry.