College of the Desert (COD) is a public community college in Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California. COD enrolls about 10,200 students, of which about one third attend college full-time.
The college is federally recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI), receiving Title V grants.
COD is the home of the Energy Technology Training Center. COD offers A.A. degrees and certificate programs in culinary management, nursing, turf management, public safety, agriculture, as transportation technology, and digital design.
Video College of the Desert
History
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-acre (65 ha) site in Palm Desert, and in 1966 it gained accreditation.
The Jeane and Justin Hilb student center and the Carol L. Meier Lecture Hall opened in 1998, and Bob and his wife "Mike" Pollock funded 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.
Maps College of the Desert
Automotive
The COD Automotive Program is one of the few auto programs that are NATEF certified in all areas, including Alternative Fuels.
References
- "College of the Desert: Narrative Description." College Blue Book. Gale. 2005. Retrieved January 9, 2013 from HighBeam Research
External links
- Official webpage
Source of article : Wikipedia