College of the Siskiyous (COS) 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 sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

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 s ...

with campuses in

Weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

and

Yreka Yreka ( ) is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, near the Shasta River; the city has an area of about , most of it land. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,807, reflecting a meager increase f ...

Siskiyou County Siskiyou County (, ) is a county in the northernmost part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Cascadia bioregion ...

in Northern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It is part of the

California Community Colleges System The California Community Colleges is a postsecondary education system in the U.S. state of California.California Education CodSection 70900(added to the Education Code by Chapter 973 of the California Statutes of 1988Assembly Bill No. 1725 secti ...

, serving as the northernmost college in the state of California and the only college in Siskiyou County. The college is in the service area of

California State University, Chico California State University, Chico, or commonly, Chico State, is a public university in Chico, California. Founded in 1887, it is the second oldest campus in the California State University system. As of the fall 2020 semester, the university h ...

and one of only eleven community colleges in California that provide on-campus housing for students.

History

In 1957, COS was founded after a special election. Buildings on the current location first opened their doors on September 8, 1959. Facilities at the Weed Campus include Herschel Meredith Stadium for

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

and

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

events, Kenneth W. Ford Theater for musical and theatrical performances, tactical training center and five-story fire training tower, two-story science complex, two on-campus resident lodges; and in Yreka, the Rural Health Science Institute and Training Center. COS also is known for its administration of justice program, paramedic program, nursing program, and fire academy, considered by many to be the best in California. It has been fully accredited by the

Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Sam ...

since 1961, the Fire/Emergency Response Technology Program is approved by the State Fire Marshal's Office, and the Emergency Medical Technician, Licensed Vocational Nursing and Registered Nursing Programs are accredited by the proper state agencies. College of the Siskiyous

A common misconception about COS is that it is named after Siskiyou County. But it is actually named after the

Siskiyou Mountains The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal subrange of the Klamath Mountains, and located in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California, nort ...

, a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have ari ...

that runs along the California-Oregon border, which is referred to as "the Siskiyous" (referenced in the plural form, instead of singular). Siskiyou County is located in far northern California, approximately 30 miles south of the Oregon border, with a population of about 45,000 residents. The current president of COS is Char Perlas, PhD, who is an interim president.

Athletics

College of the Siskiyous athletic mascot is the

Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

. COS offers student intercollegiate athletic competition in a number of sports. Women's collegiate sports include: basketball, softball, cross country, track, soccer, and volleyball. Men's collegiate sports include: baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track, and football. Under the direction of former Head Football Coach, Charlie Roche (now the current Athletic Director), the Football team was the 2012 winner of the Top of the State Bowl. For two consecutive years (2012 and 2013), the football team was conference champion of the Mid Empire Football league and was host of the Top of the State Bowl Game (Central Division Championship football game). In 2014, COS hosted and won the North State Bowl Game, against

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 ...

Redding, California Redding is the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California and the county seat of Shasta County. Redding lies along the Sacramento River, north of Sacramento, and south of California's northern border ...

. In 2017, the Eagle Football team finished conference with a record of 8-2, winning all five of their home games. The COS Women's Basketball team is also widely known for its program. Under the direction of long-time Head Coach Tom Powers (who retired in May 2020), the Women's Basketball team was the Golden Valley Conference Champion for eight consecutive years and in 2017 was the California Community College State Runner-up in Women's Basketball.

Alumni

* Mark Acre, professional baseball player * Emilio Fraietta, professional football player *

Dan Hawkins Danny Clarence Hawkins (born November 10, 1960) is an American football coach at UC Davis. A former player and sportscaster, he served as the head football coach at Willamette University (1993–1997), Boise State University (2001–2005), and t ...

, college football coach *

Adris De León Adris Geraldo De León Jiménez (born July 10, 1984) is a Dominican professional basketball player for Metros de Santiago of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto. He has previously played in Canada, Spain, Puerto Rico and Poland, and is well known in ...

, professional basketball player * Robert Rosenstiel, professional football player * Chris Szarka, professional football player * Darren Yewchyn, professional football player

References

External links

* {{authority control California Community Colleges Universities and colleges in Siskiyou County, California Yreka, California Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Educational institutions established in 1957 1957 establishments in California