College of the Mainland

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College of the Mainland (COM) is a community college located in Texas City, Texas. Its name comes from its location on the "mainland" portion of Galveston County, Texas (that portion north of Galveston Island).

COM is led by a seven-member board of trustees, elected by the citizens of the COM district.

As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of COM is comprised of the following:^[1]

• the Dickinson, Friendswood, Hitchcock, La Marque, Santa Fe, and Texas City school districts, and
• the portion of the Clear Creek Independent School District located within Galveston County.

Contents 1 History 2 Educational offerings 3 Allegations of Discrimination Against Hispanics 4 Interesting Facts 5 References 6 External links

[edit] History

In October 1966, the citizens residing in the boundaries of the Dickinson, Hitchcock, La Marque, Santa Fe, and Texas City Independent School Districts voted to create a community college district, and two months later voted to pass a bond package and assess themselves a property tax in support of the district.

The first class of 414 students enrolled in September 1967. COM met in temporary facilities until the first phase of construction on its current 120 acre campus at the corner of Palmer Highway and Amburn Road in Texas City was completed.

Under the current administration, Dr. Homer "Butch" Hayes serves as the college president. Vice-presidents include Dr. James Templer and Lisa Templer. In Spring of 2008, the COM Board of Trustees decided not to renew President Hayes's contract.

[edit] Educational offerings

Besides traditional community college transfer classes and vocational programs, such as those designed for students pursuing careers in nursing and business, the college offers a process technology degree for those seeking employment as operators in the refineries and other petroleum-related plants near the college in Texas City.

The college has also launched a collegiate high school program, allowing high school students to complete an associate's degree while finishing their high school diplomas. (It is even technically possible for students to finish their associate's degree before graduating from high school.) The students, unlike dual-credit students, attend all their classes on the college campus.

In 2007, the college announced that it would offer an associate's degree in Bible Studies, with courses beginning in Spring 2008. In a rather unusual arrangement, the college will partner with nearby Abundant Life Ministries of La Marque, Texas, where all the Bible Studies courses will be taught.

[edit] Allegations of Discrimination Against Hispanics

In September, 2007, the Texas City and Galveston chapters of the League of United Latin American Citizens accused four of the seven trustees of racism after a 4-3 vote against hiring Hispanic Juan Garcia of Tarrant County Community College to the post Vice President of Student Services (which had been vacant for a year prior), despite a recommendation from President Hayes. Board of Trustees member Don Criss, who voted in the majority, said in regards to the decision that ""There's no race involved." Jesse Ponce, President of The Texas City chapter of LULAC, through a spokesperson, countered, saying "To note that `race played no part' in the rejection is pretty ridiculous..."^[2]

As of December, 2007, the post of Vice President for Student Services has yet to be filled.

[edit] Interesting Facts

• The creation of COM led the citizens of Galveston Island to revive a community college district it had created in 1935, but never funded, leading to the creation of Galveston College.
• The COM website features a unique section titled Calm Waters, solely devoted to the purpose of allowing COM students (anonymously if they choose) to determine whether a rumor circulating around campus is true or false. Rumors submitted to Calm Waters include whether a deceased man was found in one of the parking lots (false), whether COM was getting rid of ducks on the campus (false, COM does not own the ducks, and further does not allow hunting of the ducks), and whether COM was going to offer on-line physical education classes (true, but only class assignments and lectures would be on-line).
• Speaking of the duck rumor mentioned above, in 2006, the college adopted the "Fighting Ducks" as its official mascot.
• The school is sometimes jokingly referred to as "Princeton on the Pond" because of its small manmade duck pond, which is officially named Lake Eckert. It has also been called "Harvard on the Highway" because of its location near Interstate 45, but this unflattering appellation has been applied to several community colleges and has more frequently been used to refer to nearby San Jacinto College.
• The college garnered national attention in 2002 when political science instructor and self-avowed Marxist David Michael Smith applied for tenure, prompting vocal opposition from some residents and another former professor, Howard Katz. The college president, as well as Smith's department and many former students, supported Smith's application and he was granted tenure.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• College of the Mainland