Mesalands Community College
Encyclopedia
Tucumcari, New Mexico
Tucumcari is a city in and the county seat of Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 5,989 at the 2000 census. Tucumcari was founded in 1901, two years before Quay County was founded.-History:...
, is a two-year higher education institution offering instruction at the associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
level. Program offerings include Business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, Wind Energy Technology, Farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
Science, Fine Arts Bronze, Paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
, Agri-Business, Animal Science, Automotive and Diesel Technology, and Building Trades. It is the home of the North American Wind Research and Training Center.
History
Mesalands Community College was originally known at Tucumcari Area Vocational School (TAVS). It was established under the Area Vocational School Act of New Mexico during the 23rd Legislative Session of the State of New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. A 1979 act of the Legislature authorized the creation of a vocational school in Tucumcari.
In 1993, the school received authorization from the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education to begin offering Associate of Applied Science degrees for two of its programs. Additional programs began offering degrees the following year and Tucumcari Area Vocational School was renamed Mesa Technical College. Owing to additional growth and expansion during the succeeding years, on September 11, 2001, the school's name was changed to Mesalands Community College. The institution currently offers both Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Arts degrees.
Collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories
On April 14, 2009, Mesalands Community College and Sandia National LaboratoriesSandia National Laboratories
The Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation , are two major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratories....
signed a memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
allowing the college's North American Wind Research and Training Center and the lab to collaborate on such projects as turbine operations and maintenance, reliability of turbine components, and repair methods. It is the first memo of its kind between a national laboratory and a two-year college.