Type | Public community college system |
---|---|
Established | July 1, 1967 |
Budget | $558,000,000 (2019-20) [1] |
Officer in charge | Chancellor |
Chancellor | Joe Garcia |
Students | 125,000 [2] |
Postgraduates | 32+ [lower-alpha 1] |
Other students | 35,000 concurrently enrolled high school students, plus 4,000 technical education students per year [1] |
Location | Colorado , United States |
System colleges | 13, plus 6 colleges and technical schools with partially independent governance |
The Colorado Community College System is a public community college system in the U.S. state of Colorado. Created by legislation in 1967, it has 13 member institutions and serves more than 163,000 students annually.
The 1937 Junior College Reorganization Act laid the foundation for Colorado's existing junior colleges to flourish and local districts to start new junior colleges by providing for local district funding of junior colleges under Colorado's public school districts.
The Community College and Occupational Act of 1967 separated community colleges and vocational schools from sole local district control by establishing a State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE) to share control of a new statewide system with local boards. The act was signed on May 27, and control of the functions, powers, and funds from the state board of education to the SBCCOE took effect on July 1, 1967. [4]
Two Colorado state House Bills brought more change in the late 1980s. In 1985, House Bill 1187 established the SBCCOE as the system governing body, local boards change to advisory councils, oversight of the community college and vocational program merge and the Community College of Denver System was split into three separate community colleges. In 1986, House Bill 1237 abolished and recreated the SBCCOE into its current configuration and mandated that the SBCCOE and Colorado's four-year institutions develop a core academic program for community college students. In 1988, that curriculum was implemented and guaranteed transfer agreements were signed with all Colorado four-year public colleges and universities. [5]
The redevelopment of the former Lowry Air Force Base brought additional land and building space to the SBCCOE. The Lowry Campus offers classroom space and the permanent headquarters of the Colorado Community College System.
The system is governed by the eleven-member State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE). The nine voting members of the board are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate for staggered four-year terms. These nine appointed members are geographically and politically distributed, with one from each of the state's federal congressional districts, plus two at-large members, with no more than five members from any single political party. The two non-voting members are one faculty member and one student member, each selected via the faculty's and students' governance structures respectively. [6]
There are 13 community colleges under direct governance of the SBCCOE, the System's chancellor, and the state system office. For colleges with multiple campuses, an asterisk denotes the flagship campus.
There are two community colleges that are generally governed by local elected boards of trustees within the college's own special electoral district. These colleges are generally not considered a part of the "System" proper, though the SBCCOE has a role in governing the schools.
The state's three area technical colleges are generally governed by local school district boards of education. As with the local district community colleges, these are generally not considered a part of the "System" proper, though the SBCCOE has a role in governing the schools.
Arapahoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, its population was 655,070, making it the third-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Littleton, and the most populous city is Aurora. The county was named for the Arapaho Native American tribe, who once lived in the region.
Colorado State University Pueblo is a public university in Pueblo, Colorado. It is part of the Colorado State University System and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
The Illinois Community College System consists of 39 public community college districts, composed of 48 community colleges and one multi-college center where 3 of the community colleges offer additional classes. Thirty-seven of the districts have a single college; two districts are multicollege. Since July 1990, the entire state has been included within community college district boundaries.
Arapahoe Community College (ACC) is a public community college in Littleton, Colorado. It was founded in 1965 as the first community college to open in the Denver area.
Colorado Mesa University is a public university in Grand Junction, Colorado. Originally established in 1925 as Grand Junction Junior College, the school was renamed Grand Junction State Junior College in 1932, and again renamed to Mesa College in 1937. The college began offering bachelor's degrees in 1974, and in 1988, changed its name to Mesa State College to reflect its growing educational programs. In 2011, the school officially attained university status and adopted its current name of Colorado Mesa University.
Emily Griffith Technical College is a public technical college in downtown Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded by Emily Griffith in 1916 as Opportunity School, it was renamed in her honor in 1933. The school is a part of Denver Public Schools, serving as the adult education arm of the district and is also associated with the Colorado Community College System.
In the US state of Colorado, Interstate 25 (I-25) follows the north–south corridor through Colorado Springs and Denver. The highway enters the state from the north near Carr and exits the state near Starkville. The highway also runs through the cities of Fort Collins, Broomfield, Loveland, and Pueblo. The route is concurrent with U.S. Route 87 (US 87), which is unsigned, through the entire length of the state. I-25 replaced US 87 and most of US 85 for through traffic.
Nancy Spence is a former Republican Colorado legislator. First elected to the Cherry Creek School District Board of Education in the 1980s, Spence was elected to three terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, serving from 1999 to 2005, and represented the 27th district of the Colorado Senate from 2005 until 2013.
Colorado's transportation consists of a network of highway, surface street, rail, and air options. While the public transportation system in Denver is much more complex and developed than other parts of the state, tourism and growth have led to extensive needs statewide.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. state of Colorado:
Front Range Community College (FRCC) is a public community college with three campuses in Colorado, located in Westminster, Longmont, and Fort Collins. It is the largest community college in Colorado and the most popular transfer institution for the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and CSU Global. The average class size at FRCC is around 15 students.
The 2018 Colorado gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Colorado. Incumbent Democratic governor John Hickenlooper was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term. The primary election was held on June 26.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Colorado on November 6, 2018. All of Colorado's executive offices and all seven of its seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election. Democrats swept the statewide offices up for election, leaving the at-large seat on the University of Colorado Board of Regents and the Class 2 U.S. Senate seat as the last statewide offices held by Republicans.
Bustang is an intercity bus service in the U.S. state of Colorado. Service began in 2015 and originally traveled between Denver and Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Glenwood Springs. Service has since been expanded to connect Grand Junction, Durango, Gunnison, Alamosa, Pueblo, Fairplay and Lamar among others. It is Colorado's first state-run bus service. Capital costs are paid for from various state and federal sources, and operating costs are covered 60% by fares. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 90,600, or about 1,800 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.
Dorothy Ann Ortner Horrell is an American educator, university administrator, and philanthropy administrator. From 2016 to 2020, she held the post of Chancellor of University of Colorado Denver. She was previously president of both Red Rocks Community College and the Colorado Community College System, and president and CEO of the Bonfils–Stanton Foundation. In 2009, she was appointed by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to the Colorado State University Board of Governors, which she also served as chair for a two-year term. Active on the boards of many community organizations, she was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 2018.