Foothill College
Encyclopedia
Foothill College is a community college
located in Los Altos Hills, California
and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District
. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.
was hired as the first District Superintendent and President; he started work on March 1, 1958.
Candidates for the new college's name, besides Foothill, were Peninsula, Junipero Serra, Mid-Peninsula, Earl Warren, Herbert Hoover, North Santa Clara, Altos, Valley, Skyline, Highland, and Intercity. At first the name was Foothill Junior College, but because Flint insisted that his new college would be "not junior to anyone", the Board dropped the "Junior" in September 1958.
Foothill held its first classes in the old Highway School campus on El Camino Real
in Mountain View on September 15, 1958. It was accredited by March of the next year and was the first school in the state to ever reach full accreditation in less than six months. The owl mascot originated from a concrete owl that was a decoration on the Highway School's bell tower; it was later moved to the new campus.
Foothill's unique neo-Japanese architecture is well-known among architects; the campus was designed by architect Ernest Kump and landscape architect Hideo Sasaki
.
Traditionally, Foothill serves the communities of Los Altos Hills
, Los Altos
, Mountain View and Palo Alto
; together these communities form the northwest corner of Silicon Valley
. The college sits next to Interstate 280
, at the interchange with El Monte Road.
In 2003, the college began the most dramatic construction project ever attempted since its founding, to accommodate the fact that a campus designed for 3,500 is now serving 19,000. It is renovating nearly all buildings, tearing up and rebuilding its potholed parking lots, demolishing several unsafe buildings (including the campus center), and constructing several replacement buildings. Two of the new buildings feature sod roofs (part of the lower campus complex).
For detailed demographic information go to http://research.fhda.edu/factbook/factbook.htm.
These months are filled with cultural activities, speakers and art exhibits tied with the culture of each month respectively.
More details available on:
http://www.foothill.edu/news/releases/heritage.html
in nearby Cupertino
.
The school was harshly criticized in 2002 by the Wall Street Journal for its aggressive recruitment of such students (who are a lucrative revenue source because they must pay the higher tuition required of all out-of-state students). It has been noted, though, that foreign students receive no tuition or fee subsidy from any public source; they pay the full and true cost of their education; they must have proof of full financial support and medical insurance prior to arriving on campus; and they can only enroll in programs that are not impacted and have enrollment slots that would otherwise go unfilled.
On 10 December 2001, Foothill College abruptly canceled its men basketball season after completing just six games. Questions arose over how housing and tuition for six foreign players were being paid by Tariq Abdul-Wahad
, then with the NBA's Denver Nuggets
and alumni of San Jose State University
.
Community colleges in the United States
In the United States, community colleges are primarily two-year public institutions of higher education and were once commonly called junior colleges....
located in Los Altos Hills, California
Los Altos Hills, California
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 7,922 at the 2010 census. Located in Silicon Valley, Los Altos Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.-Strictly residential:...
and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
The Foothill De Anza Community College District is a community college district headquartered on the grounds of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California. The district operates Foothill College and De Anza College in Cupertino.-External links:*...
. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.
History
In July 1956, Henry M. Gunn, superintendent of the Palo Alto School District, called a meeting of local school superintendents that led to the creation of Foothill College. Calvin Flint, then President of Monterey Peninsula CollegeMonterey Peninsula College
Monterey Peninsula College commonly called MPC is a public community college located in Monterey, California. Established in 1947, it is a part of the California Community Colleges system.-External links:*...
was hired as the first District Superintendent and President; he started work on March 1, 1958.
Candidates for the new college's name, besides Foothill, were Peninsula, Junipero Serra, Mid-Peninsula, Earl Warren, Herbert Hoover, North Santa Clara, Altos, Valley, Skyline, Highland, and Intercity. At first the name was Foothill Junior College, but because Flint insisted that his new college would be "not junior to anyone", the Board dropped the "Junior" in September 1958.
Foothill held its first classes in the old Highway School campus on El Camino Real
El Camino Real (California)
El Camino Real and sometimes associated with Calle Real usually refers to the 600-mile California Mission Trail, connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions , 4 presidios, and several pueblos, stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego...
in Mountain View on September 15, 1958. It was accredited by March of the next year and was the first school in the state to ever reach full accreditation in less than six months. The owl mascot originated from a concrete owl that was a decoration on the Highway School's bell tower; it was later moved to the new campus.
Foothill's unique neo-Japanese architecture is well-known among architects; the campus was designed by architect Ernest Kump and landscape architect Hideo Sasaki
Hideo Sasaki
Sasaki Hideo was an influential American landscape architect.-Biography:Sasaki Hideo was born in Reedley, California, on 25 November 1919. He grew up working on his family's California truck farm, and harvesting crops on Arizona farms. He began his college studies at the University of California,...
.
Traditionally, Foothill serves the communities of Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills, California
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 7,922 at the 2010 census. Located in Silicon Valley, Los Altos Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.-Strictly residential:...
, Los Altos
Los Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
, Mountain View and Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
; together these communities form the northwest corner of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
. The college sits next to Interstate 280
Interstate 280 (California)
Interstate 280 is a 57-mile long north–south Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It connects San Jose and San Francisco, running along just to the west of the cities of San Francisco Peninsula for most of its route.I-280 from its northern end at King...
, at the interchange with El Monte Road.
In 2003, the college began the most dramatic construction project ever attempted since its founding, to accommodate the fact that a campus designed for 3,500 is now serving 19,000. It is renovating nearly all buildings, tearing up and rebuilding its potholed parking lots, demolishing several unsafe buildings (including the campus center), and constructing several replacement buildings. Two of the new buildings feature sod roofs (part of the lower campus complex).
Facts
- Founding Date: January 15, 1957.
- First Classes Offered: September 15, 1958.
- Foothill College Opening: September 5, 1961.
- Campus area: 122 acres (49.4 ha).
- Enrollment (Fall 2009): 18,036.
- Full Time Students: 4,561.
- Part Time/non-credit: 13,475.
- Full Time Employees: 352.
- Associate Degree Programs: 79.
- Certificate Programs: 107.
For detailed demographic information go to http://research.fhda.edu/factbook/factbook.htm.
- On-site Foothill ObservatoryFoothill ObservatoryFoothill Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by Peninsula Astronomical Society and Foothill College. It is located on the college's campus in Los Altos Hills, California...
. - Online Degrees Available: 11
Accreditation
Foothill College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community & Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This organization is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Foothill is also accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, American Medical Association Council on Medical Education, and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.Heritage Months series
Foothill, following the example of the national Black History Month, has combined a series of celebratory months starting every year in January, organized completely by students and funded by the student government (ASFC).These months are filled with cultural activities, speakers and art exhibits tied with the culture of each month respectively.
- January is Jewish Heritage Month
- February is Black History Month
- March is Women's History Month
- April is Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- May is Latino Heritage Month
- June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered Heritage Month
More details available on:
http://www.foothill.edu/news/releases/heritage.html
Presidents
- Dr. Calvin C. Flint (1957–1973)
- Dr. Hubert H. Semans (1967–1973)
- Dr. James S. Fitzgerald (1973–1982)
- Dr. Thomas H. Clements (1982–1994)
- Dr. Bernadine Chuck Fong (1994–2006)
- Dr. Penny Patz (interim President) (2006–2007)
- Dr. Judy Miner (2007–)
Divisions
- Adaptive Learning
- Biological & Health Sciences
- Business & Social Sciences (BSS)
- Computers, Technology & Information Systems (CTIS)
- Fine Arts & Communication
- Language Arts
- Physical Education & Human Performance
- Physical Sciences, Mathematics & Engineering (PSME)
- Student Affairs
Administration
The community college district's headquarters are located in one corner of the Foothill campus. The district also administers De Anza CollegeDe Anza College
De Anza College is a community college located in Cupertino, California. It was founded in 1967 on the site of the Beaulieu Winery and is named after the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza...
in nearby Cupertino
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
.
Athletics
Foothill is a member of the Coast Conference of the California Community College Commission on Athletics and NorCal Football Conference. The school mascot is an owl.Intercollegiate Teams
- Football
- Men's & Women's Basketball
- Men's & Women's Soccer
- Men's & Women's Swimming
- Men's & Women's Tennis
- Men's Golf
- Women's Softball
- Women's Volleyball
- Women's Water Polo
Famous alumni
- Chris RobinsonChris Robinson (director)Chris Robinson is an American film director working mostly with music videos and commercials. He has directed commercials for brands such as iPod, Coca Cola and Verizon and music videos for songs like "Fallin'" and "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys, "Roc Boys" by Jay-Z, the grammy nominated...
, hip-hop/pop music video director. - Steve SampsonSteve SampsonSteve Sampson is a soccer coach and the former head coach of the United States men's national team and the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer...
, All American soccer player at Foothill, member of 1976 California state championship team from Foothill, coach of Santa Clara men's soccer team (1989 NCAA co-champions), coach of the United States men's national soccer teamUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
at the 1998 FIFA World Cup1998 FIFA World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, coach of 1995 Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
championship team Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... - Brad GilbertBrad GilbertBrad Gilbert , is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School ....
, All American tennis player at Foothill, former pro player ranked as high as #4, and coach to Andre AgassiAndre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game... - Adrienne BarbeauAdrienne BarbeauAdrienne Jo Barbeau is an American actress and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay in the sitcom Maude...
, actress in the TV series MaudeMaude (TV series)Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, and former wife of the film director John CarpenterJohn CarpenterJohn Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born... - Jon NakamatsuJon NakamatsuJon Yasuhiro Nakamatsu is a Japanese American classical pianist who still resides in San Jose but mostly performs away from home. He is the son of David Y. Nakamatsu and Karen F. Maeda Nakamatsu .In June 1997 Nakamatsu won the Gold Medal at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition...
, Japanese-American pianist - Gene Block, chancellor of the University of California Los Angeles.
- Debbi FieldsDebbi FieldsDebbi Fields is the founder and current spokesperson of Mrs. Fields Bakeries. Additionally, she has written several cookbooks. She currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband, former Holiday Inn and Harrah's CEO, Michael Rose...
, founder of Mrs. FieldsMrs. FieldsMrs. Fields Famous Brands is a franchisor in the snack food industry, with Mrs. Fields and TCBY as its core brands. Through its franchisees’ retail stores, it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the US and the largest retailer of... - Karl Zinsman Jr.Karl Zinsman Jr.Karl Zinsman Jr. is an Hawaiian/ Reggae multi-instrumentalist , singer-songwriter, music producer, graphic designer and manager. He is an award winning artist/ producer and founder of island reggae music groups "Three Plus" and "Hi-Town". He is also owner and C.O.O. of CK Music Co...
, American musician, All West-Coast Conference football center at Foothill 1995. COO and founder of CK Music Co. Two-time Na Hoku Hanohano Award winner (Hawaii's equivalent to 'The Grammy's) with Hawaii based island music group "Three Plus" along with former Foothill College alumni and All West-Coast Conference football player Abraham "Tanoa" Kapana 1996-1997. - Paul BravoPaul BravoPaul Bravo is a former American soccer midfielder and forward who played six seasons in Major League Soccer, two in the American Professional Soccer League and two in the USISL. He also earned four caps, scoring one goal, with the United States men's national soccer team...
, Santa Clara Broncos soccer national championship. San Jose Clash, Colorado Rapids major league soccer, UCLA asst. coach mens soccer , Los Angeles Galaxy asst. coach, director of soccer Colorado Rapids MLS.
Student government
Foothill's student government is known as the Associated Students of Foothill College (ASFC). Student government provides its student body the opportunity to self-govern and participate with faculty, staff and administration.Noteworthy Accomplishments
- Completed a $120-million campus enhancement and facilities expansion funded by the community through the 1999 Measure E Bond Initiative. With the district passage of Measure C in 2006, Foothill College will use $168 million for additional capital projects as well as to ensure the college stays current with technology and equipment.
Controversy
The campus serves a large number of international students who are attempting to earn associate's degrees as the basis for transferring into prestigious American universities; according to a Community College Week survey in 2001, Foothill had the 12th highest population of international students out of all community colleges in the United States.The school was harshly criticized in 2002 by the Wall Street Journal for its aggressive recruitment of such students (who are a lucrative revenue source because they must pay the higher tuition required of all out-of-state students). It has been noted, though, that foreign students receive no tuition or fee subsidy from any public source; they pay the full and true cost of their education; they must have proof of full financial support and medical insurance prior to arriving on campus; and they can only enroll in programs that are not impacted and have enrollment slots that would otherwise go unfilled.
On 10 December 2001, Foothill College abruptly canceled its men basketball season after completing just six games. Questions arose over how housing and tuition for six foreign players were being paid by Tariq Abdul-Wahad
Tariq Abdul-Wahad
Tariq Abdul-Wahad is a French former professional basketball player.Saint-Jean was born near Paris from parents who were natives of French Guiana. He changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad after converting to Islam in 1997. He is the first player to be born and raised in France and play in the NBA...
, then with the NBA's Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and alumni of San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
.