Maricopa County Community College District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Maricopa County Community College District, in Maricopa County, Arizona, is one of the largest community college districts in the world. The district serves the city of Phoenix, Arizona and many of its surrounding suburbs in Maricopa County. The district's administrative headquarters are located in Tempe, Arizona (east suburban Phoenix).
Contents |
[edit] Colleges
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College
- Estrella Mountain Community College
- Glendale Community College
- GateWay Community College
- Mesa Community College
- Paradise Valley Community College
- Phoenix College
- Rio Salado Community College
- Scottsdale Community College
- South Mountain Community College
[edit] Skill Centers
- Maricopa Skill Center
- SouthWest Skill Center
[edit] History
The Phoenix Union High School District established Phoenix Junior College (now Phoenix College) in 1920; it was the first community college in the state of Arizona. In 1960, the state legislature provided for junior college districts in Arizona. The Maricopa County Junior College District was established in 1962 by the approval of county voters, with the new system acquiring Phoenix Junior College.
The system established branch campuses of Phoenix Junior College in the nearby suburbs of Glendale and Mesa; these would become independent campuses within the system by the end of the decade. Other campuses were established in the following years:
- Glendale Community College is one of the most explosive campuses, this school has opened more campus locations, example: GCC North and expansion of the main campus are underway.
- Maricopa Skill Center (now part of GateWay Community College) in 1964;
- Maricopa Technical College (now GateWay Community College) in 1968;
- Scottsdale Community College in 1969;
- Rio Salado Community College, in 1978;
- South Mountain Community College holding its first classes in 1980;
- the Northeast Valley Education Center (now Paradise Valley Community College) in 1985;
- the Chandler/Gilbert Education Center (now Chandler-Gilbert Community College) in 1985;
- Estrella Mountain Community College in 1990;
- the Red Mountain campus of Mesa Community College in 2001.
In 1971 the "junior college" portion of the name was changed to "community college".
The State Board of Directors for Community Colleges of Arizona presided over the entire statewide system until June 2002, when the Arizona Legislature reduced its powers and duties and transferred most oversight to individual community college districts.
[edit] Mission
The Maricopa Community Colleges' mission is to provide access to higher education for diverse students and communities.
[edit] Chancellors
The district's vision is championed by the current Chancellor, Rufus Glasper.
[edit] Governing Board
The entire district's activities are directed by an elected governing board of five members.
| Position | Individual |
|---|---|
| President | Scott Crowley |
| Secretary | Ed Contreras |
| Member | Dr. Donald Campbell |
| Member | Linda B. Rosenthal |
| Member | Jerry D. Walker |
[edit] Name confusion
The Maricopa County Community College District, or MCCCD for short, is quite a profuse name. The District Office has simplified this name to the Maricopa Community Colleges. Since the abbreviation for Mesa Community College is the same as the simplified district name, many outsiders tend to confuse them and use the abbreviation interchangeably.
