The History of Coastline Community College

The History of Coastline Community College
As we celebrate our 30th Anniversary, we share with you the history of Coastline Community College

Coastliners celebrate 30 years

In 1947, the Orange Coast Junior College District was formed. A year later, the District opened its first college, Orange Coast College, in Costa Mesa, using facilities that had served as a U.S. Army Base. 

By 1966, the growing population of the District’s 105-mile, eleven-city service area prompted the opening of a second college, Golden West College in Huntington Beach. With the opening of the second college, the District changed its name to the Coast Community College District (CCCD), which it is still known by today.

In 1972, the CCCD had become one of three community college districts in California to own and operate a public television station, KOCE-TV (Channel 50). The station was used to broadcast credit courses. As the District population continued to grow, a new type of student emerged: working adults who could not attend college during the day.
 
An evening college was established to cater to this segment of the community not yet served by any other college in Orange County, and enrollment in the program exploded.
 
A task force of District faculty and staff was formed to analyze the needs of this new market segment and make recommendations on how to best serve this nontraditional student.
 
The ultimate result was the formation of a third college. This third college would not have a campus. Instead of students attending classes at one of the existing campus facilities, students would attend classes at a variety of locations near where students work and live. This new “college without walls” would be known as Coastline Community College.
 
When Coastline Community College opened its “virtual doors” to students in September 1976, it boasted the largest opening-day student population in community college history. This record still stands. Today, Coastline Community College is a known leader in innovative education via distance learning and today also offers site-based instruction at three “neighborhood campuses” in Costa Mesa, Garden Grove and Westminster.

Coastline Offers Bi-lingual Math Courses to Address Needs of Vietnamese Community

Coastline Community College now offers four mathematics courses taught by bi-lingual instructors who can explain mathematical concepts in both English and Vietnamese. The classes, held at Coastline’s Le-Jao Center, are aimed at attracting Vietnamese-Americans from Westminster and the surrounding area.
 
Although the courses are taught primarily in English and are open to all students, Bilingual Vietnamese/English instructors can facilitate learning for students whose primary language is Vietnamese. These instructors are able to reinforce the concepts in the students' own language if they have trouble understanding the material, whether they are English-speaking or Vietnamese-speaking.
 
“Research has shown that collaborative learning contributes to most to student success,” said Fred Feldon, Chair of Coastline’s Math Department. “They can collaborate easily rather than be hesitant to speak in a classroom where, perhaps, the majority of students might be all English-speaking,” he continued.

Mr. Chau Duc Tran, who teaches Math 005 (Beginning Mathematics), expressed excitement about the new courses. “We want to wake up the spirit for learning mathematics that is present in the Vietnamese tradition!” Mr. Tran has more than 25 years of experience in teaching mathematics.   Math 008 (Pre-Algebra), Math 010 (Beginning Algebra) and Math 030 (Intermediate Algebra) are all taught by Ms. Thu Kim Nguyen. Ms. Nguyen came to the United States in 1994 and can easily relate to students who are fearful of continuing their studies in college classes that are taught only in English.“When I came to the U.S., I was scared to take English so I took math instead,”she remarked. “Although I excelled in math, it would’ve been much easier to learn in both English and my native language of Vietnamese.”

Mr. Chau Duc Tran

Higher level mathematics courses up to and including Calculus are also offered at the Le-Jao Center, and details can obtained by calling (714) 241-6184 or by visiting the Coastline web site at http://www.coastline.edu/.

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Golden West College Faculty and Staff Celebrate 40 "Colorful" Years

Current Golden West College faculty and staff wearing t-shirts signifying the decade in which their careers with the college began assemble in the school's amphitheater. Front Row: 1960s (tie-dye); Orange Shirts, 1970s; Green Shirts, 1980s; Purple Shirts, 1990s; Red Shirts, 2000s.

What's red and orange and tie-dyed all over? The staff and faculty of Golden West College kicking off a year long celebration of the school's 40th anniversary!

Members of the staff and faculty donned brightly colored tee shirts on a recent September afternoon, signifying the year in which they began their careers with Golden West College. Red shirts, including former Huntington Beach Chief of Police, Ron Lowenberg who now is the Director at the criminal justice department, represented those who joined the esteemed college in the 2000s. The 1990s and 1980s were represented by purple and green shirts, respectively, while the 1970s stood out in orange.

Mai-Ying Woo, Business Department Chair, and a handful of others proudly announced their service to the college dating back to the 1960s in their distinct tie-dyed shirts.

Prior to gathering in the amphitheater for a group photo, faculty and staff joined guests like former Golden West College president and current Coast Community College District Chancellor, Ken Yglesias, Ed.D., for a celebratory lunch on the patio of the student union.

Local legends, "The Surf City Allstars," rocked the crowd with classic surf tunes and GWC's vintage Volkswagen bus the G-DUB stood at the ready to transport folks to the photo shoot, and no doubt through a flood of memories.

Among the celebrants, John Furbish and Brandon Shelly shared a special bond. Furbish served as the first Associated Student Body president at Golden West College and Shelly currently serves in that role. "Back in 1968, there were probably 2000 students here, at most," Furbish recalled. "We did a lot of organizing of new clubs and basically learning what the interests of our student population were and how we would accomplish those goals."

Furbish, who was also a member of the first full graduating class at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, came back to Golden West in the 1980s to attend the Police Academy before signing on with the Anaheim Police department. He was contacted by the college to ride in this year's Huntington Beach 4th of July parade. "It was a surprise and a thrill," Furbish said of his appearance on the college's float. "And, I'm flattered to be included in the anniversary festivities." Shelly's ASB presidency will serve a very different and diverse student population that now has swelled to over 13,000. While Furbish had to start from scratch, Shelly has decades of history to pull from and utilize as he pursues his goal of getting students more involved on campus and in the community. The college has planned a year long celebration of activities and

John Furbish and Brandon Shelly

"The other day at our 40th birthday all college meeting we watched a short video on our college's history, including pictures of our founding President Dudley Boyce and pictures of the college being built," noted Golden West College President, Wes Bryan. "It was thrilling to be reminded of the creativity and innovation that formed this institution. It's why our motto is celebrating 40 years of excellence."

Bryan summed up the significance of reaching the 40 year benchmark, noting that "at forty, people and institutions often have a dual focus because they have a sense of accomplishment and confidence in their performance,  and they think more about their future and how to continue their traditions of service and professional responsibility."

"Golden West College is no different. In the past few years we have seen a number of faculty and staff retire, and we have had the opportunity to hire new colleagues who will take this college to even higher levels of excellence."

"So we celebrate our past 40 years while we make grand plans for the next 40. Already architects are drawing plans for two new buildings and a complete overhaul of our aging infrastructure. In many ways it's like revisiting that old video footage as we rebuild and renew the creativity and innovation that was present at our founding."

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California Community College Enrollment Fees to be Reduced by Nearly 25%, Beginning January 1, 2007

OCC Dedicates New Student Services Building to Dr. Norman E. Watson

California Community College Enrollememt Fees to be Reduced by Nearly 25 Percent, Beginning January 1, 2007

California Secretary of Education Alan Bersin and Community Colleges Chancellor Mark Drummond are celebrating a nearly 25 percent reduction in enrollment fees for current and prospective students at California's 109 community college campuses. Signed by Governor Schwarzenegger with bipartisan legislative support in AB 1802, the education trailer bill implementing the 2006-07 State Budget, fees will decrease from $26 per unit to $20 per unit for courses beginning after Jan. 1, 2007. "We celebrate this news for the positive short-term and long-term impact the fee reduction will have on ensuring access and affordability in higher education," said

OCC Dedicates New Student Services Building to Dr. Norman E. Watson

“I really don’t deserve this building…BUT I’LL TAKE IT!” Those words were spoken last Wednesday (Oct. 4) by Dr. Norman E. Watson, former Orange Coast College president and chancellor emeritus of the Coast Community College District. The 91-year-old Newport Beach resident was honored with the naming and dedication of a beautiful new four-story, $28 million, 56,000-square-foot campus structure. The building is called Norman E. Watson Hall. Watson Hall, OCC’s new student services building, is an elaborately renovated and refurbished update of the college’s 38-year-old Norman E. Watson Library. Watson Library was closed due to seismic concerns in 2000, and

The Watson facility sat vacant for nearly four years, then was completely renovated with funding provided by the Coast Community College District’s 2002 Measure C ballot initiative. Partial demolition of the building was completed in October of 2004, and the construction phase of Watson Hall ran December of 2004 through August of 2006.

“I am very honored to have a building that bears my name,” Watson told the 300 students, staff and community members who attended Wednesday’s grand opening.

“I came out to the campus several times while the building was under construction. During one of those visits, I was swarmed by the construction workers. They wanted to shake my hand. You could see that they took a great pride in their work. I was very touched.

“I dedicate this building to the thousands of students who have found success at Orange Coast College, and to the thousands more who’ll be successful here in the future. This is THE outstanding community college in the nation.”

Watson served as an Orange Coast College dean and vice president, OCC president, and chancellor of the Coast Community College District for more than three decades. He joined the college’s administrative staff in 1952 and retired from the district in 1984.

Dedication speakers included Watson; OCC president, Robert Dees; Coast District Board of Trustees president, Walter G. Howald; and OCC vice president of student services, Jess Craig. OCC’s Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Ricardo Soto, sang the National Anthem and Hallelujah Chorus. Additional music was provided by OCC music professors, Joseph Poshek and Paul Navidad. Watson Hall’s first floor contains the college’s Enrollment Center and the Records Office. The second floor houses the Transfer Center, Transfer Opportunity Program Center, International Center, Honors Program, and Puente Program. The third floor includes the Counseling Department, Career

Architect for the project was the Hill Partnership, Inc. of Newport Beach. Hill Partnership principal, Rush Hill, is an OCC graduate and a member of the college’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Construction manager was C.W. Driver of Irvine.

Prop 1D to Fund New Facilities at OCC for Programs That Train Health Workers

Orange Coast College could receive almost $17 million through Proposition 1D to help fund a new Consumer and Health Sciences and Biology complex that will house the Allied Health, Biology and Consumer Sciences programs.

Proposition 1D, a statewide education facilities bond on the November 7 ballot, will, if passed, change the way thousands of future Dental Assistants, Emergency Medical Technicians, Radiologists, Interior Designers and others are trained at OCC. The measure will provide half of the funding for a new building that will allow the college to prepare students for the real world in upgraded facilities equipped with the most technologically advanced equipment used in industry, doctors' offices and hospitals today.

Currently, most of the Biology, Health Occupations, and Consumer Science programs at OCC are housed in one-story buildings that are over 50 years old. Biology is taught in three different buildings; Consumer and Health programs are spread among four buildings, with faculty offices in yet another building.

The current facilities are not equipped with the most updated equipment, making it difficult to meet today's technology-driven curricula for these in demand, highly specialized programs. Some classes are even being held in buildings that were originally tractor sheds! The lab prep and storage spaces can no longer keep up with day-to-day instructional requirements, and the existing mechanical and electrical systems cannot accommodate modern teaching equipment.

To rectify the situation, OCC is planning to build a new facility that will house all of these related programs under one, updated roof. Most Allied Health programs require students to take several courses in the biological sciences. By consolidating facilities, OCC will be able to better serve all students enrolled in these programs.

The new complex will house the School of Allied Health Professions and the Family and Consumer Sciences, including Cardiovascular Technology, Dental Assisting, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Emergency Medical Technology, Medical Assisting/Transcription, Neurodiagnostic/Polysomnographic Technology, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Speech Language Pathology, Early Childhood Education, Fashion and Interior Design. Each year, nearly 1,300 students are enrolled in these programs. The complex will also house the entire biology department which includes microbiology, molecular biology, all biology, anatomy and physiology majors as well as house the cadaver labs and plastination lab (like body works)!

Due to the shortage of health care workers, this building is vital to providing the highest quality education with latest technology to our future doctors, nurses, dentists and many other health care professionals.       

Proposition 1D would provide funds for approximately 50 percent of this project. The college plans to fund the other half through Measure C, the Coast Community College District's general obligation bond measure passed by voters in November 2002.

If approved by voters, Proposition 1D would be funded by the sale of state bonds to private investors, who would be repaid over time from the state general fund. Taxes would not be raised to fund Proposition 1D.

For more information on Proposition 1D, go to the California Secretary of State's Web site at www.ss.ca.gov or www.prop1d.org .

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