Rio Hondo College

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Rio Hondo College
File:Rio Hondo College logo.jpg
Type Public Community College
Established 1963
Endowment $79.6 million (2011)[1]
President Teresa Dreyfuss [2]
Vice-President, Academic Affairs Dr. Kenn Pierson[2]
Academic staff
 590[1]
Address
3600 Workman Mill Road
Whittier CA 90601
,
Whittier
,
California
,
USA

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Nickname Roadrunners
Mascot Roadrunner
Website Rio Hondo College

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File:Rio Hondo College Library.jpg
Former Rio Hondo College library

Rio Hondo College is a community college located in the city of Whittier, California, United States, named after the Rio Hondo. Founded in 1960, it mainly serves the cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, El Monte, and South El Monte. The college is accredited by Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Aside from its academic programmes, the college is also home to Rio Hondo Fire Academy and Rio Hondo Police Academy.

Rio Hondo offers on-campus, online, and off-campus courses to all of its students.

History

Rio Hondo College District was established in October 1960, encompassing the boundaries of Whittier Union High School District.[3] As it expanded to include the El Rancho Unified and El Monte Union High School Districts, it established a Board of Trustees in April 1962. In May 1963, the Board named the proposed community college Rio Hondo, named after the neighbouring Rio Hondo River.[3]

While voters in the district approved a US$12 million to build Rio Hondo College in October 1963, classes were temporarily conducted at Sierra and El Rancho High Schools.[3] The present campus, off Workman Mill Road, was opened for classes in Fall 1966.[3]

In October 2011, the Rio Hondo College Board adopted a "No Cuts" budget, while neighboring community colleges were suffering from across-the-board budget cuts due to insufficient state funding.[4] In October 2011, the college's president, Ted Martinez Jr. filed a formal grievance against 3 professors at the school, who were active union leaders. He said that they had created a hostile work environment which caused him to suffer a stroke.[5] The president requested that the Board of Trustees hire a consultant for an initial payment of $5,000, without telling the Board that it was for an independent investigator for the claim. The cost later blossomed to $40,000. The independent investigator Angela J. Reddock found that the claim had no merit. Ted Martinez, Jr. retired when the Board of Trustees upheld the findings of the investigator. An action against the Rio Hondo Community College District was filed by the California Teacher's Association for an unfair labour practice.

Demographics

In 2010-2011, Rio Hondo College enrolled 12,672 full-time students with a total of 20,671 in Autumn 2010.[6] The largest group of students consists of 20- to 24-year-olds (30%).[7] The second largest group (20%) were 19 or younger.[7] The average age of students at Rio Hondo is 26.[1] 51% of students intended to transfer.[1]

The ethnic breakdown is as follows: Hispanic (72%), White (5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3%), Black (1%), other/decline to state (18%).[1]

The top feeder high schools (2005-2009) are as follows: Whittier High School, El Rancho High School, Montebello High School, California High School, Schurr High School, Santa Fe High School and Pioneer High School.[6]

Student life

All full-time students (students enrolled in 12 or more units in a semester) are eligible for a free bus pass for transport with the Norwalk Transit, Metro, Foothill Transit, Sunshine Shuttle and Montebello Bus Lines. Negotiations between the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees created this programme as early as 2006, which was proposed by Gary Mendes, Governing Board Member and followed by staff member Dr. Andy Howard.[8] The programme was named the Rio Hondo College Bus Pass Subsidy Programme, and has since been dubbed "GO RIO" and officially began during the 2006–2007 school year.[9] In 2012, the school also received a $500,000 federal grant to run a shuttle bus around campus.[10]

The official student newspaper of the college is titled El Paisano.[11]

El Paisano

Academics

In October 2010, the Rio Hondo College Police Academy was suspended by the California government's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, following a security breach in testing.[12]

National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium

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Main article: National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium

Rio Hondo College is a NAFTC Training Centre.

Facilities

In 2004, voters in the Rio Hondo College Community School District approved Measure A, which gave the school US$245 million to renovate the campus, including the construction of new buildings on campus, such as the Learning Resource Centre and Library, Student Services and Student Union and Administration of Justice Buildings (completed 2011).[1][13] Construction began in 2006 and is expected to continue until 2018, as part of the master plan.[14][15] Rio Hondo College has also expanded off-site, at the 297 square metres South Whittier Educational Centre and plans to construct a 404 square metres facility in El Monte.[13][16]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ El Paisano newspaper. Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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