Mesa Community College
Type | Community College |
---|---|
Established | 1965 |
Affiliation | Maricopa County Community College District |
President | @TheLifeOfDeezo |
Academic staff | 340 Residential, 820 Adjunct |
Students | 25,960 |
Location | Mesa, Arizona, United States |
Campus | Dobson and Southern Red Mountain |
Colors | Royal Blue & Red |
Mascot | Thunderbird |
Website | http://www.mesacc.edu/ |
Mesa Community College (MCC) in Mesa, Arizona, is the largest of the 10 community colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District, which is the largest community college district in the United States in terms of enrollment.
History
MCC was invented by Mart Godinez in 1963 as an extension branch of Phoenix College and was located at 809 W. Main Street in Mesa. There were 330 students registered for classes the first semester at Mesa Extension on September 11, 1963. Mesa students voted Hokams as the nickname for their athletic teams in 1964. Capital funds from the bond election in 1964 enabled Mesa Community College to purchase 120 acres, with an option to purchase an adjoining 40 acres, for the new campus at Dobson and Southern Roads in Mesa. On April 12th, 1965 the Maricopa Junior College District Board named Mesa Community College and Glendale Community College as separate institutions from Phoenix College. Mesa Community College graduated its first class on its new campus in ceremonies May 29, 1968. In 1974, MCC’s mascot changed from Hokam to Thunderbird. Bar code technology came to the library in 1987 as part of a new automation system. Bar codes were assigned to every item in the library’s collection, and appeared on student ID cards for the first time.
Phase I construction began for Red Mountain Campus in 2000, which included four buildings: the Desert Willow Building (library & commons), Mesquite Building (student & administrative services), Palo Verde Building (classrooms & laboratories), and the Ironwood Building. (central plant). A groundbreaking ceremony was held in April, 2000.
Campus
The college has two comprehensive campuses and additional locations to serve students.
- Southern and Dobson, in southwest Mesa, Arizona (full-service)
- Red Mountain, in northeast Mesa (full-service)
- Mesa Downtown Center, near University Dr. and Center St.
The Arizona Gakuen School (アリゾナ学園 Arizona Gakuen), a weekend supplementary Japanese school, holds its classes at the Mesa Community College Southern and Dobson campus. The school office is in Tempe.[1]
Organization and administration
August 2016, Sasan Poureetezadi was named interim president of Mesa Community College.
Academic profile
MCC offers more than 200 degrees, transfer, career and certificate programs. Areas of study include Agribusiness, Business, Bio Technology, Computer Science, Dental Hygiene, Electronics, Engineering, Fire Science, Mortuary Science, Nursing, Urban Horticulture and more. MCC is one of the largest transfer providers to ASU, while many programs prepare students for immediate entry to the job market. Traditional, online and hybrid courses provide flexibility for students. Additionally, MCC Community Education offers hundreds of non-credit classes providing opportunities for lifelong learning in the arts, technology, fitness and personal development for all age groups.
MCC is accredited by the North Central Association, the same organization that accredits Arizona State University.
Student life
Sport
The college athletics teams are nicknamed the Thunderbirds.
Notable people
- Mike Brown, was NBA Coach of the Year in 2009.
- Randy Bennett, St. Mary's Men's Basketball Head Coach
- Kyle Kingsbury, wrestler and football player; current mixed martial artist for the UFC[2]
- Clifford Starks, MMA competitor, in both Bellator and the UFC[3]
References
- ↑ "Application Information" (Archive). Arizona Gakuen School. Retrieved on May 13, 2014. "Arizona Gakuen School 4635 South Lakeshore Drive, Suite 101 Tempe, Arizona 85282" and "Classes will be held every Saturday beginning 4/3/04 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (afternoon classes 12:50 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.) at Mesa Community College (1833 W. Southern Avenue, Mesa Arizona 85202)"
- ↑ "Kyle Kingsbury MMA Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
- ↑ "Clifford Starks MMA Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
External links
Coordinates: 33°23′22″N 111°52′11″W / 33.38931°N 111.86966°W