Cuesta College is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...
in
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a County (United States), county on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 282, ...
.
History
The first community college in the San Luis Obispo area was founded in 1916 as a
San Luis Obispo High School
San Luis Obispo High School, also referred to as "San Luis High" and "SLO High", is an American public high school in San Luis Obispo, California. It is the only non- continuation public high school within the city. The school is within the San ...
division. It lasted until 1919 with the United States involved in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Cal Poly had a junior college division from 1927 to 1932. Miramonte College of Atascadero filled the void as a private institution from 1933 to 1936. The county's second public junior college was formed in 1936 as a part of San Luis Obispo High School District but ceased operation in June 1959.
On April 16, 1963, voters in SLO County agreed to form a community college district, forming the San Luis Obispo County Junior College District. In 1964, a limited evening division began at
Camp San Luis Obispo
Camp San Luis Obispo is the original home of the California Army National Guard. It served as an Infantry Division Camp and Cantonment Area for the United States Army during World War II.
History
Camp San Luis Obispo, formerly called Camp Merri ...
, a
California National Guard
The California National Guard is part of the National Guard of the United States, a dual federal-state military reserve force. The CA National Guard has three components: the CA Army National Guard, CA Air National Guard, and CA State Guard. ...
facility located between San Luis Obispo and
Morro Bay
Morro Bay (''Morro'', Spanish for "Hill") is a seaside city in San Luis Obispo County, California. Located on the Central Coast of California, the city population was 10,757 as of the 2020 census, up from 10,234 at the 2010 census. The town ...
.
On October 4, 1965, the college was officially named Cuesta College. Five years later, following the approval of a $5 million bond, Cuesta broke ground on its current campus west of Camp San Luis Obispo to establish a 127-acre site including frontage property deeded to the college by the National Guard.
Campus
Located on
State Route 1, the Cuesta campus is from the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and from
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfwa ...
. Cuesta College also has a satellite campus, 'North County Campus', in
Paso Robles
Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles (Spanish for "The Pass of Oaks"), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River approximately north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its hot ...
, which is to the northeast of the main campus near San Luis Obispo. Limited course offerings are also available at two other sites within the county operated by Cuesta College, one at Arroyo Grande High School in
Arroyo Grande
Arroyo often refers to:
* Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek
Arroyo may also refer to:
People
* Arroyo (surname)
Places United States
;California
* Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California
* Arroyo ...
and the other at Nipomo High School in
Nipomo
Nipomo (; Chumash: ''Nipumuʔ'') is a unincorporated town in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 16,714 for the 2010 census and grew to 18,176 for the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the United States ...
.
![CuestaCollegeBowenCelestialObservatory](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/CuestaCollegeBowenCelestialObservatory.jpg)
The campus features a science forum including an observatory for astronomy courses, now named Bowen Celestial Observatory. With a 14-inch telescope including a special narrow wavelength-band filter, the observatory has been used since the 1970s, occasionally open to the public for viewing of events such as visible comets and solar eclipses.
![CuestaCollegeMiossiCenter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/CuestaCollegeMiossiCenter.jpg)
In 2018, the college's San Luis Obispo campus received a $1.5 million gift from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust; the donation toward Cuesta's Cultural and Performing Arts Center was the second-largest in the institution's then-55-year history. The center, featuring a 450-seat main theater as well as a 100-seat experimental theater, plus teaching facilities, was thereafter renamed as the Harold J. Miossi Cultural and Performing Arts Center.
Organization and administration
Cuesta College is the only college in the San Luis Obispo County Community College District (or SLOCCCD, part of the California Community College system) and is accredited by the
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) is an accrediting organization in the United States. It accredits private and public colleges that provide students two-year education programs and confer the associate deg ...
. The district is governed by an elected five-member board of trustees.
Jill Stearns, the current president, began her presidency in July 2018 after
Gilbert H. Stork retired. The gymnasium was renamed Gilbert H. Stork Gymnasium in his honor in August 2018.
Academics
The college offers 76
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree.
The fi ...
programs and 96 certificate programs. A number of Cuesta students transfer to the public
California State University
The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...
and
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
systems, including the nearby
Cal Poly SLO
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California or California State Polytechnic Univ ...
campus, as well as private colleges and universities.
![CuestaCollegeCougarPark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/CuestaCollegeCougarPark.jpg)
In 2012, Cuesta College's regional accreditor
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing School accreditation, accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary school, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, ...
placed the college on "show cause" status, warning the college that its accreditation might not be renewed.
A year later, the college's accreditation was renewed and its status upgraded to "on warning."
The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers:
United States Daily California
*''Oakland Tribune''
* ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo)
*'' San Gabriel Valley Tribune''
Indiana
*''Kokomo Tribune''
*'' Peru Tribune''
* ''The Trib ...
, the local newspaper of San Luis Obispo, described this as the result of a "years-long struggle to fix several deficiencies identified by the commission
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
/nowiki> came at a cost: lower enrollment, difficulty recruiting applicants and damaged morale." In February 2014, Cuesta's "on warning" status was removed and the accreditor certified that the college meets all of its standards.
Athletics
The college's athletic teams are known as the Cougars and the school colors are green and white. The college currently fields seven men's and nine women's varsity teams. It competes as a member of the California Community College Athletic Association
The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) is a sports association of community colleges in the U.S. state of California. It oversees 108 athletic programs throughout the state. The organization was formed in 1929 as the Calif ...
(CCCAA) in the Western State Conference
The Western State Conference (WSC) is a college athletic conference that is affiliated with the California Community College Athletic Association. The conference was established in 1950, making it the oldest community college conference in Califo ...
(WSC) for all sports except wrestling, which competes in the Southern California Wrestling Association
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
(SCWA).
Men's basketball
In the history of the Western State Conference, Cuesta accumulated 10 WSC North Division championships from 1981 through 2016, the second-most in the league; only Ventura College
Ventura College is a public community college in Ventura, California. Established in 1925, the college has a campus with an enrollment of 13,763 students. It is part of the Ventura County Community College District.
History
Ventura College ...
(with 13 such titles) won more in that time span. In 2019, Cougars head coach Rusty Blair won his 500th career victory with the college, becoming the 13th coach in state history to total at least a half-thousand wins.
The 1996-97 academic year saw Cuesta set a program record for wins in a season (32), soon due to a CCCAA revision increased to 33 wins for an overall record of 33-5. The season included a February 12 victory over then-defending state champion Ventura, 98-87, with roughly 1,300 fans in attendance. On the Central Coast, at any level of college basketball, the 33-win total is tied as the second-most victories in a year, trailing only the 34-1 season of Allan Hancock College
Allan Hancock College is a public community college in Santa Maria, California.
History
In 1920 Allan Hancock College was started by the Santa Maria High School District. Originally called Santa Maria Junior College, classes were held until ...
exactly four decades earlier in 1956-57.
Women's basketball
During the 1981-82 season, Cuesta set a program record for winning percentage, going 19-1 overall (.950). The Cougars won the state's 1982 then-Division II championship in San Mateo, defeating Shasta College
Shasta College is a public community college in Redding, California, with branch campuses in Burney, Weaverville, and Red Bluff. It was founded in 1950 and later moved to a much larger campus while the original campus became the new locati ...
68-59. LeAnne Armstrong scored 21 points in the title game and was named Tournament MVP.
Women's volleyball
Cuesta won CCCAA
The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) is a sports association of community colleges in the U.S. state of California. It oversees 108 athletic programs throughout the state. The organization was formed in 1929 as the Calif ...
state titles in 1979, 1985, and 1986.
Wrestling
The Cougars, coached by Gary Meissner, won the 1980 California Community College (then-Division II classification) state championship on February 9, 1980 at Chabot College
Chabot College (Chabot or CC) is a public community college in Hayward, California. It is part of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District.
History
Chabot College was the first college opened by the Chabot- Las Positas Community Colle ...
. Cuesta scored 29 team points for the trophy.
Notable people
*Dave Anthony
David Sean Anthony (born August 26, 1967) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and podcaster. He is best known as the creator and co-host of the comedy podcast '' The Dollop'', in which he tells notable stories from American history to ...
, comedian
* Jay Asher, writer
* Josimar Ayarza
Josimar Abdiel Ayarza Tous (born May 3, 1987) is a Panamanian professional basketball player.
Early life
As a collegiate freshman for Cuesta College, in March 2008, Ayarza was selected for All-Western State Conference First Team accolades after ...
, professional basketball player
* Doug Bernier
Douglas Howell Bernier (born June 24, 1980) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He is an alumnus of Oral Roberts University. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins.
Career ...
, professional baseball player
* Sam Blakeslee (born 1955), founding director of the Institute for Advanced Technology & Public Policy at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
* Sean Chambers
Sean Chambers (born February 27, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player, best known for being a resident import of the Alaska Aces (PBA), Alaska Aces basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1989–2001.
...
, professional basketball player
* Mangkubumi
Hamengkubuwono I (Javanese script: ꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦲꦩꦼꦁꦏꦸꦧꦸꦮꦤꦆ, Bahasa Jawa: ''Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono I''), born Raden Mas Sujana ( Kartasura, 16 August 1717Yogyakarta, 24 March 1792), was the first sultan of Yogy ...
(born 1972), Crown Princess of the Yogyakarta Sultanate
The Sultanate of Yogyakarta ( jv, ꦏꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦤꦤ꧀ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦡꦲꦢꦶꦤꦶꦔꦿꦠ꧀, Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat ; ) is a Javanese monarchy in Yogyakarta Special Region, in the Republic o ...
* Ian McCall, retired mixed martial artist
* Mike Miller, professional baseball player
* Jon Moscot
Jonathan Solomon Moscot (ג'ון מוסקוט; born August 15, 1991) is an American-Israeli former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 and 2016, and who played internationally for Israel national baseba ...
(born 1991), professional baseball player
* Kristof Ongenaet, professional basketball player
* Logan Schafer
Logan Edward Schafer (born September 8, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins.
Professional career Milwaukee Brewers
Schafer was drafte ...
, professional baseball player
* Jake Shields
Jake Sequoyah Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight ...
, mixed martial artist
* Robert Van Scoyoc, professional baseball coach
* Paula Zima, artist known for her sculptures, paintings and etchings
References
External links
*
{{authority control
California Community Colleges
Educational institutions established in 1963
Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Universities and colleges in San Luis Obispo County, California
1963 establishments in California