| Los Angeles City College is a two-year publicly supported community college located in Hollywood and near the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. Brief History of Los Angeles City College.
The Los Angeles Board of Education founded Los Angeles Junior College in 1929 and Dr. William Snyder was its first director. The college began its operation with 54 faculty and 1,350 students. Since 1969, Los Angeles City College has been part of the nine-campus Los Angeles Community College District. Today the college serves more than 16,000 students, with over 300 faculty members.
The college's forty-acre campus is situated in a park-like setting approximately one mile south of the Hollywood hills in East Hollywood, and five miles from downtown LA. The campus is located on the site of the El Camino Real, which linked early California missions.
Originally farm land, the site was later home to LA's first teachers' college, and from 1919 to 1928 it was the location of UCLA's first campus. During the late 40s and early 50s, the college also was the site of the newly founded California State University, Los Angeles.
Over the years thousands of students have attended LACC and its graduates have gone on to achieve success in every field of endeavor.
The history of LACC is one of constant change and adaptation to meet the changing needs of its students-those of the depression era, the soldiers returning from the Second World War, the baby boomers as well as the student protesters of the 60s, and most recently, the influx of foreign-born students who turn to LACC for their higher education needs.
Today, the college offers more than 80 different educational programs, including career training, liberal arts and transfer, English-as-a-second-language, and basic skills training. Popular programs include those in radiologic technology, dental technology, business, psychology, and office administration.
Students in LACC's professional theatre training program as well as the Cinema-TV department prepare for careers in Hollywood's entertainment industry. In fact, many TV and film actors were graduates including Cindy Williams, Paul Winfield, Mark Hamill, James Coburn, Clint Eastwood, and Esther Williams. Our cinema graduates have won such prestigious awards as the Emmy and Oscar.
Recently, the college began offering a PACE program, an accelerated degree program geared to working adults. Also added was a City Prep Academy, with afternoon classes for high school students. The college also houses the Instructional TV program for its district.
LACC offers credit classes during spring, fall and summer semesters. The college's community service program also enrolls thousands of students each quarter in short-term self improvement and recreational classes. The International Student program is one of the largest in the State, with over 600 foreign visa students enrolled each semester.
LACC's students represent the multi-ethnic makeup of Los Angeles. More than three dozen languages can be heard on campus and the college itself teaches 15 foreign languages. LACC's large student services programs encompass EOPS, Financial Aid, Disabled Student Services, Transfer Center, Career Center, and Student Assistance Center offices.
Intercollegiate athletics include men's basketball, baseball, soccer, women's basketball, volleyball and soccer, and men's and women's track and field and cross country. The theatre and music departments present a regular program of performances and the campus Da Vinci Art Gallery hosts many exhibits. |
| Los Angeles City College
In its 70-year history, Los Angeles City College has been a significant force in Los Angeles. It has been a trailblazer in innovative approaches to education, a leader in career education and liberal arts programs, a pioneer in its work for the disabled, an advocate for the educationally disadvantaged, and a major contributor to the workforce of its city and State.
With an enrollment of more than 16,000 students each semester, Los Angeles City College continues to play a crucial role in economic and human resource development. The faculty and staff at LACC are committed to the mission and philosophy of the community college and believe that they can make a difference in the lives of the students they serve.
The 40-acre campus is located in a park-like setting one mile south of the Hollywood Hills and five miles from downtown Los Angeles. The traditional campus quad is surrounded by six three-story classroom buildings, a library, and a theatre complex. Men's and women's sport facilities, an outdoor swimming pool, a new bookstore, and a cinema-TV complex with several sound stages are also situated on campus.
LACC's students reflect the diversity of Los Angeles' multi-ethnic community. They range in age from current high school student to senior citizen. And the majority of students are in their mid-20s to early 30s.
Over 2,000 credit classes are offered each semester, both during the day and evening. The college offers programs in 80 different areas, with many programs providing both certificates and associate degrees. City's career training programs, ranging from one semester to two years in length, prepare students to enter the work place upon the completion of their studies. In addition to providing hands-on experience in the classroom, many training programs provide internships in the field.
Some of the more popular career majors include business, accounting, computer science, office administration, and child development. LACC's reputation rests on a number of equally innovative academic programs. The PACE program is geared to working adults and the City Prep Academy offers afternoon classes for high school students.
The Cinema-TV department is housed in the new Communications Building, equipped with film and TV sound stages and recording studios. The Professional Theatre Training program uses a conservatory approach, preparing actors for Broadway and Hollywood. LACC theatre alumni include Cindy Williams, Paul Winfield, Vaughn Obern, and James Coburn.
Commercial music classes offer training in band arranging and orchestration, while commercial art classes provide a solid foundation for the graphic artist.
Students in Speech, Journalism, and Photography regularly win top awards in state and national competitions. Likewise, the Men's Basketball team is a recent state champion and multi-year conference winner.
In addition, LACC offers training in four health career fields: dental technology, dietetic technician, human services, and radiologic technology. Career training programs in administration of justice and paralegal studies, family and consumer studies, and transportation-travel-tourism are also available. Reflecting the campus's diversity, American Cultures classes focus on African American, Asian American and Chicano studies.
The college's transfer programs offer students a solid core of classes in English, mathematics, the sciences, social sciences, foreign languages, and humanities. LACC's Transfer Center, Honors program, and partnerships with UCLA, Pepperdine, and USC provide added support for the transfer student.
Classes in ESL and learning skills provide increased opportunities for first-time students.
Counselors, tutors, and mentors also play an important role in the student support network.
In addition to scheduling classes at traditional times, the college has expanded its offerings with classes on the Internet, weekends, on a short-term basis, and through instructional television. The newly opened LACC MTA subway line station allows students easy access to downtown and Hollywood.
The college is noted for its wide variety of student support services. These include a multilingual Student Assistance Center, one of the largest EOP&S programs in the State, an active Disabled Student Services program, and a large International Student program. The Financial Aid office disburses more than $6 million in aid each year.
The Student Activities office presents a variety of cultural events each year in the Student Center. The Associated Student Body Government provides students with leadership opportunities. Community Services classes enroll more than 20,000 students each year.
As Los Angeles City College embraces the new millennium, it faces the future with optimism, assured that it is meeting the educational needs of its community.
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