College of the Desert
Encyclopedia
College of the Desert is a public two-year community college
located in Palm Desert
in the Coachella Valley
of Riverside County, California
. The current COD enrollment is about 10,200 students, of which about one third attend college full-time.
COD is distinguished as the home of the Energy Technology Training Center, a nationally recognized leader in alternative fuel
training, and a model for nine other community college alternative-fuel training programs throughout California. The college was also recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution
(HSI) in 2000, for which it received a $1.8 million federal grant to enable it to continue serving the Coachella Valley's 51% Hispanic population.
Courses at the college address a local need for employees in the hospitality, medical and agriculture industries, and COD offers A.A. degrees and certificate programs in culinary management, nursing, turf management, public safety and agriculture as well as in unique vocations such as transportation technology and digital design. Students planning to complete an undergraduate degree are also prepared at COD for transfer to other institutions, and admission to the branch campuses of the University of California Riverside in Indian Wells and Cal State San Bernardino in Palm Desert is facilitated for COD students.
College of the Desert was established in 1958 after a decade of planning for a junior college district in the Coachella Valley
. Voters approved the formation of the district and funded the building of the COD campus with a bond issue. In 1962 the new college opened on its 160 acres (64.7 ha) site in Palm Desert, and in 1966 it gained accreditation.
Since then, generous local benefactors have enabled the growth of the campus, with the Jeane and Justin Hilb student center and the Carol L. Meier Lecture Hall opening in 1998, and Bob and his wife "Mike" Pollock funding the creation of the COD campus's Theatre One in 1999. The Marks Center for the Arts was built from the generosity of Don and Peggy Cravens, Bob and Barbara Leberman, and the COD Alumni Association in 2003. Their substantial support has permitted COD to further upgrade and expand its arts facilities into 2006 and beyond. College of the Desert's library building, opened in 1996, is unique in California as the only one that is shared by a college with both a city (Palm Desert) and a county (Riverside) library.
From 1966 to 1999, residents in the high desert to the north of the Coachella Valley were also part of the community college district. Their affiliated Copper Mountain Campus in Twentynine Palms
was opened in 1984 and remained with the district until 1999, when it was renamed Copper Mountain College
and became an independent district.
In 2001 the Eastern Valley Center opened to address a need for more English and ethnic studies classes, such as Mexican American Culture and Intro to African American Literature, as well as for a campus located in the eastern Coachella Valley's agricultural and casino gaming corridor. More than 1,400 students are enrolled in the Eastern Valley Center located in Indio
.
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
located in Palm Desert
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
in the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
of Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
. The current COD enrollment is about 10,200 students, of which about one third attend college full-time.
COD is distinguished as the home of the Energy Technology Training Center, a nationally recognized leader in alternative fuel
Alternative fuel
Alternative fuels, known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels...
training, and a model for nine other community college alternative-fuel training programs throughout California. The college was also recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution
Hispanic-serving institution
A Hispanic-serving institution, or HSI, is a term used for a Federal program designed to assist colleges or universities in the United States that attempt to assist first generation, majority low income Hispanic students...
(HSI) in 2000, for which it received a $1.8 million federal grant to enable it to continue serving the Coachella Valley's 51% Hispanic population.
Courses at the college address a local need for employees in the hospitality, medical and agriculture industries, and COD offers A.A. degrees and certificate programs in culinary management, nursing, turf management, public safety and agriculture as well as in unique vocations such as transportation technology and digital design. Students planning to complete an undergraduate degree are also prepared at COD for transfer to other institutions, and admission to the branch campuses of the University of California Riverside in Indian Wells and Cal State San Bernardino in Palm Desert is facilitated for COD students.
College of the Desert was established in 1958 after a decade of planning for a junior college district in the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
. Voters approved the formation of the district and funded the building of the COD campus with a bond issue. In 1962 the new college opened on its 160 acres (64.7 ha) site in Palm Desert, and in 1966 it gained accreditation.
Since then, generous local benefactors have enabled the growth of the campus, with the Jeane and Justin Hilb student center and the Carol L. Meier Lecture Hall opening in 1998, and Bob and his wife "Mike" Pollock funding the creation of the COD campus's Theatre One in 1999. The Marks Center for the Arts was built from the generosity of Don and Peggy Cravens, Bob and Barbara Leberman, and the COD Alumni Association in 2003. Their substantial support has permitted COD to further upgrade and expand its arts facilities into 2006 and beyond. College of the Desert's library building, opened in 1996, is unique in California as the only one that is shared by a college with both a city (Palm Desert) and a county (Riverside) library.
From 1966 to 1999, residents in the high desert to the north of the Coachella Valley were also part of the community college district. Their affiliated Copper Mountain Campus in Twentynine Palms
Twentynine Palms, California
Twentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It was previously called Twenty-Nine Palms...
was opened in 1984 and remained with the district until 1999, when it was renamed Copper Mountain College
Copper Mountain College
Copper Mountain College is a community college located in Joshua Tree, California, USA. It was accredited in 2001 as the 108th such institution in the state.CMC is an offshoot of the College of the Desert...
and became an independent district.
In 2001 the Eastern Valley Center opened to address a need for more English and ethnic studies classes, such as Mexican American Culture and Intro to African American Literature, as well as for a campus located in the eastern Coachella Valley's agricultural and casino gaming corridor. More than 1,400 students are enrolled in the Eastern Valley Center located in Indio
Indio, California
Indio is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, east of Riverside, and east of Los Angeles. It is about north of Mexicali, Baja California on the U.S.-Mexican border...
.
Automotive
The COD Automotive Program is one of the few auto programs that are NATEF certified in all areas, including Alternative Fuels.Clubs
- VPAC (Vocal Performance and Appreciation Club)
- F.A.M.E. Connection (film, art, music, entertainment)
- College of the Desert's Dramatic Arts Company
- College of the Desert's Gay Straight Alliance
- Ballet Folklorico
- MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement)
- PiSA (Pilipino Student Association)
- Latina Leadership Network
- Agriculture Club
- International Club
- Campus Christian Network
- Black Student Union
- Automotive Technology Club
- World Beat Network