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Community Colleges Offer More Than Transfers to UC, Cal State Systems

Mortuary science, airplane and auto repair, dental hygiene, firefighting and nursing.

True, you won’t find Orange County’s universities offering degrees in these professions. But the county’s community colleges have plenty of programs to keep students working toward a non-traditional career.

Cypress College’s mortuary science program is on the map thanks in part to HBO’s critically acclaimed “Six Feet Under” TV show. It’s the alma mater of two characters on the show, which is about a family that runs a Los Angeles funeral home.

Despite their impact, community colleges generally get overshadowed by OC’s trio of major universities: University of California, Irvine; California State University, Fullerton; and Chapman University.

In fact, community colleges here have some 150,000 students a year and employ more than 11,000 people.

Last year 10,500 students earned certificates and degrees from OC’s community colleges.

Many students attend community colleges with hopes of transferring to a university in OC or elsewhere. And they cost a fraction of what it costs to go to a four-year college.

But two-year community colleges also offer courses and programs to students in niche areas that universities don’t cover. OC has four community college districts: Coast Community College District, North County College District, South Orange County Community College District and Rancho Santiago Community College District.


Coast


Coast Community College District includes Coast Mesa-based Orange Coast College, Huntington Beach-based Golden West and Coastline, which has a few campuses in North County.

Orange Coast has a sizable aviation department. Programs include airplane maintenance, which has more than 300 students, plus a pilot training course with about 200 students.

“About 80% of graduates in the programs go work for the airlines, while others work for aviation companies and airports,” said Orange Coast spokesman Jim Carnett.

Some students transfer to Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Embry-Riddle Aero-

nautical University, Carnett said.

Orange Coast has a photography program with 1,500 students per semester. John Upton, who headed that department for more than three decades, is the author of the book, “Photography,” the world’s best-selling photography textbook, according to school spokesman Jim Carnett.

“Graduates from the program go on to commercial work, and also transfer to UC and Cal State schools,” Carnett said.

The school also has a marine science program that counts 970 students and boasts OC’s largest saltwater aquarium. The department offers classes in introductory oceanography, coastal oceanography, marine biology and marine aquarium science.

Graduates work for marine biological consulting companies, ocean theme parks and marine research labs, Carnett said. The college also has a school of sailing and seamanship down at its facility on North Lido Channel in Newport Beach. Some 6,000 students take non-credit sailing classes each year.

The Coast Community district, like other post-high school colleges, is battling budget cuts from Sacramento.

Coast Community district has seen its state funding fall 16% to $71.7 million in the past two years.

The district’s budget is $179 million for this school year, with the bulk of funding coming from student fees.

“We had to reduce the number of sections and classes offered, and had to implement an internal hiring freeze that we’re just coming out of now,” said district administrative director Jorge Sanchez. “We also had to implement an early retirement incentive plan for qualified faculty.”

Before the budget cuts, OC’s community colleges counted 165,000 students, Sanchez said. There’s now closer to 150,000.

“We went more after federal dollars, trying to replace state money with federal money,” Sanchez said.


North County


North County College District comprises Cypress College and Fullerton College. The district has about 37,000 students a year, with a budget of $175 million.

Cypress has a big auto repair program, with classes in brake and alignment, performance and driveability, emission control, engine and transmission. It also offers a certificate program as a Toyota specialist.

The two-year auto program has 350 students, with 150 to 175 graduates a year. Almost all graduates go on to jobs in OC or in the Los Angeles area, according to Cypress spokesman Marc Posner.

Cypress also offers programs in air conditioning, marine technology, dental hygiene as well as a school for flight attendants.

Fullerton College boasts a one-year police academy, which graduates about 100 students each year.

“Many graduates end up in the Bay area as well as in cities like Fullerton and La Mirada,” said spokeswoman Andrea Hanstein.

South OC

South Orange County Community College District comprises Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. The two colleges count 38,000 students, employ 2,500 full- and part-time workers and have the county’s biggest community college budget of $234 million.

Saddleback has strong nursing and paramedics programs. Its two-year nursing program graduates about 100 students a year.

“There’s a national shortage of nurses and paramedics right now,” said Tracy Daly, director of marketing, governance and community relations at the school.


Rancho Santiago


The county’s fourth district is Rancho Santiago Community College District, which includes Santiago Canyon College in Orange and Santa Ana College. The district has more than 4,000 full- and part-time workers and counts 30,000 for-credit students, plus another 20,000 students enrolled in non-credit courses. Its budget is $151 million.

Like Saddleback, Santiago Canyon Community College’s nursing program sends about 100 nurses into hospitals each year. The school also has a water utility science program for those who want to get into the wastewater industry.

Santa Ana College has a fire academy, which is run under the direction of the Orange County Fire Chiefs’ Association and is nationally recognized as a premier program.

The school’s advanced fire academy provides maintenance and skills training for commissioned firefighters. Classes in handling hazardous materials, fire safety education and officer training also are offered. n

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