The Colorado Community College System 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 ...

system A system is a group of Interaction, interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its environment (systems), environment, is described by its boundaries, ...

in the U.S. state of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. Created by legislation in 1967, it has 13 member institutions and serves more than 163,000 students annually.

History

The 1937 Junior College Reorganization Act laid the foundation for Colorado's existing

junior college A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...

s to flourish and local districts to start new junior colleges by providing for local district funding of junior colleges under Colorado's public school districts. The Community College and Occupational Act of 1967 separated community colleges and vocational schools from sole local district control by establishing a State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE) to share control of a new statewide system with local boards. The act was signed on May 27, and control of the functions, powers, and funds from the state board of education to the SBCCOE took effect on July 1, 1967. Two Colorado state House Bills brought more change in the late 1980s. In 1985, House Bill 1187 established the SBCCOE as the system governing body, local boards change to advisory councils, oversight of the community college and vocational program merge and the Community College of Denver System was split into three separate community colleges. In 1986, House Bill 1237 abolished and recreated the SBCCOE into its current configuration and mandated that the SBCCOE and Colorado's four-year institutions develop a core academic program for community college students. In 1988, that curriculum was implemented and guaranteed transfer agreements were signed with all Colorado four-year public colleges and universities. The redevelopment of the former

Lowry Air Force Base Lowry Air Force Base (Lowry Field in 1938–1948) is a former United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) training base during World War II and a United States Air Force (USAF) training base during the Cold War, serving as the initial 1955–1958 si ...

brought additional land and building space to the SBCCOE. The Lowry Campus offers classroom space and the permanent headquarters of the Colorado Community College System.

Governance

The system is governed by the eleven-member State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE). The nine voting members of the board are appointed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and confirmed by the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

for staggered four-year terms. These nine appointed members are geographically and politically distributed, with one from each of the state's federal congressional districts, plus two at-large members, with no more than five members from any single political party. The two non-voting members are one faculty member and one student member, each selected via the faculty's and students' governance structures respectively.

Colleges

State community colleges

There are 13 community colleges under direct governance of the SBCCOE, the System's chancellor, and the state system office. *

Arapahoe Community College Arapahoe Community College (ACC) is a public community college in Littleton, Colorado. It was founded in 1965 as the first community college to open in the Denver area. History The college began after a grass-roots movement by Littleton reside ...

Colorado Community Colleges Online Colorado Community Colleges Online is part of the Colorado Community College System. It provides online courses, development, and support for the other community colleges in the system. External links Their website
Colorado Community Colle ...

(CCCOnline) *

Colorado Northwestern Community College Colorado Northwestern Community College is a public community college with campuses in Rangely and Craig, Colorado, plus online. The college participates in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association The National Intercollegiate Flying As ...

Community College of Aurora The Community College of Aurora (CCA) is a public community college in Aurora, Colorado. It is part of the Colorado Community College System. CCA serves over 10,000 students annually at its CentreTech Campus in Aurora; Lowry Campus at the former ...

Community College of Denver Community College of Denver (CCD) is a public community college in Denver, Colorado. The main campus is at Auraria Campus and it has two other locations in the Denver metropolitan area. CCD focuses on underserved, first-generation, and minority ...

Front Range Community College Front Range Community College (FRCC) is a public community college with multiple campuses in Colorado. It has campuses in Westminster, Longmont, and Fort Collins, as well as centers in Brighton and Loveland. It is the largest community college ...

Lamar Community College Lamar Community College is a public community college in Lamar, Colorado. Founded in 1937, it is the smallest member of the Colorado Community College System. History The college was founded as the Junior College of Southeastern Colorado in 19 ...

Morgan Community College Morgan Community College (MCC) is a community college in Fort Morgan, Colorado Fort Morgan is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Morgan County, Colorado, United States. The city po ...

Northeastern Junior College Northeastern Junior College (NJC) is a public community college in Sterling, Colorado. It is a member college of the Colorado Community College System. In 2021 Colorado legislators and college administrators considered changing the college nam ...

Otero College Otero College is a public community college in La Junta, Colorado. History Otero College was established in 1941 and was named La Junta Junior College. Which was operated by the school district. In 1949, an election was held to consider proposa ...

Pikes Peak State College Pikes Peak State College is a public community college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is the largest institution of higher education in the Pikes Peak region. PPSC offers more than 150 programs in liberal arts and sciences transfer and car ...

Pueblo Community College Pueblo Community College (PCC) is a public community college in Pueblo, Colorado. History ''Pueblo Community College'' (PCC) traces its history to the founding of Southern Colorado Junior College (SCJC) in 1933. In 1937 SCJC became part of the ...

* Red Rocks Community College *

Trinidad State College Trinidad State College is a public community college in Trinidad, Colorado. It was founded in 1925, making it the first community college in the state of Colorado. Trinidad State operates a satellite campus in the nearby city of Alamosa, Color ...

Local district community colleges

There are two community colleges that are generally governed by local elected boards of trustees within the college's own special electoral district. These colleges are generally not considered a part of the "System" proper, though the SBCCOE has a role in governing the schools. *

Aims Community College Aims Community College is a public community college serving northern Colorado with locations in Greeley, Windsor, Fort Lupton, and Loveland. Aims has more than 200 degree and certificate programs and provides day and night classes. Aims was f ...

Colorado Mountain College Colorado Mountain College (CMC) is a public community college with multiple campuses in western Colorado. Founded in 1965, the institution offers numerous associate degrees, seven bachelor's degrees and a variety of career-technical certificates. ...

Area technical colleges

The state's three area technical colleges are generally governed by local school district boards of education. As with the local district community colleges, these are generally not considered a part of the "System" proper, though the SBCCOE has a role in governing the schools. *

Emily Griffith Technical College Emily Griffith Technical College is a public technical college in downtown Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded by Emily Griffith in 1916 as ''Opportunity School'', it was renamed in her honor in 1933. The school is a part of Denver Public ...

Pickens Technical College Pickens may refer to: People * Pickens (surname) Places in the United States of America * Pickens, Mississippi * Pickens, Oklahoma * Pickens, South Carolina * Pickens, Texas * Pickens, West Virginia * Pickens County, Alabama * Pickens County, ...

Technical College of the Rockies Technical may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle * Technical analysis, a discipline for forecasting the future direction of prices through the study of past market data * Technical drawing, showing how something is co ...

University-affiliated community colleges

Western Colorado Community College Western Colorado Community College (WCCC) is a division of Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado specializing in vocational studies. Unlike other institutions deemed "community college," WCCC is not a separate entity from its parent ...

(part of

Colorado Mesa University Colorado Mesa University is a public university in Grand Junction, Colorado. The university's other locations include Bishop Campus, which houses Western Colorado Community College in northwestern Grand Junction, and a regional campus in Mont ...

)

Notes

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Public education in Colorado C Educational institutions established in 1967 1967 establishments in Colorado