It was an historic first day of school for College of the Canyons Monday, as thousands of students were welcomed to class at the newly opened Canyon Country Campus.
Officially making COC a college on two campuses but with one mission to increase access to education for all students opening day at the Canyon Country Campus (CCC) had its share of unexpected first day complications. However those problems were overshadowed by the overwhelming feeling of excitement shared by students, administration and faculty alike in seeing the new campus open.
Even before the first group of students began arriving for morning classes, an assortment of college administrators, instructors and staff members were on hand to distribute campus maps and class guides, help students locate their classrooms and otherwise assist with first day navigation of the new campus.
"I was thinking this morning it was 37 years ago that I did this very same thing on the original campus in Valencia," said COC board member Bruce Fortine, who served on the collegešs first board of trustees when the original campus opened in 1970, "and Išm very proud to be back again doing the same thing telling students how to get to class, and where to go, and how to park."
"Everything is pretty much the same. We went into temporary modular buildings at the time, and they looked good, but they didnšt look like these."
Board President Michelle Jenkins was also involved in the collegešs original campus opening but as a student, having previously attended classes at the collegešs temporary location on the Hart High School campus.
"It was pretty fun, we went to classes at the original campus in modulars too. So when I drove up here this morning and all the cars were lined up, I thought. "oh this is so exciting," said Jenkins before also commenting on how quickly the college was able to get its second campus up and running.
"I think its amazing that here we are opening our doors to 3,000 students not even two years after we purchased the land," Jenkins said. "It just shows the kind of creativity and hard work the whole college staff is willing to put in. Even with all the little glitches wešre still out here serving our students, and the glitches arenšt even in the classrooms."
While the campus did experience some first day phone system, air conditioning and classroom lock issues, for the most part things ran smoothly, thanks largely in part to the college's dedicated staff of campus guides who were quick to answer campus questions and point students in the right direction.
"It is very exciting. We have a team of staff and faculty who have been on the new campus, handing out maps, pins, water and providing assistance and direction to the students," said Dena Maloney, the collegešs CCC founding dean. "All the students we have talked with are pleased with their classes and with the new campus. And for me thatšs what this is all about, ensuring students have access to education. To see that come to fruition is very gratifying."
Located on Sierra Highway, less than two miles north of Soledad Canyon Road, the collegešs roughly $34 million CCC is terraced into the rolling hills of the 70 acre site, which provides a sweeping view of the surrounding terrain.
Opening with 24,000 square feet of instructional space, including two science labs, two computer labs, a library, a book store, a PE building, an Early Childhood Education facility, food services and 23 classrooms complete with wireless Internet connectivity, the CCC offers students more than 300 classes in the inaugural semester alone.
In addition to the high number of transferable, basic skills and vocational education courses and associatešs degree and certificate programs being offered at the CCC, students also have access to a number of non-credit and community extension courses.
Also included on the CCC is the William S. Hart Union High School Districtšs Early College High School, in which students take both high school and college level classes, with a goal to graduate with both a high school diploma
