Otero Junior College
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Otero 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 ''Öffentlichk ...
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 se ...
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 proposal that the college become an independent unit supported by the county instead. It was approved and the college was renamed as Otero County Junior College. The College changed its name again, to Otero Junior College in 1956. On February 20, 1968, the Otero County Junior College District voted in favor of Otero Junior College joining the state system. The college officially became a state two-year college on July 1, 1968. On May 18, 2021, Colorado's governor signed a law officially changing the college's name from Otero Junior College to Otero College.


Academics

Otero College offers more than thirty academic programs covering a variety of topics including Agriculture Business Management, Cosmetology and Community Health Worker to Nursing, as well as nine Certificate Programs, including Nursing Assistant, Welding, and Law Enforcement, nursing and health programs, including Nursing and Practical Nursing.


Athletics

The Otero Rattlers compete in the Northwest Plains District/Region IX in NJCAA. Otero College compete in men's basketball, baseball, golf, soccer, wrestling, and rodeo. As well as women's basketball, softball, golf, volleyball, soccer, and rodeo.


Campus

Otero College is located on a 40-acre campus on the southern edge of La Junta. The
Koshare Indian Museum The Pueblo clowns (sometimes called sacred clowns) are jesters or tricksters in the Kachina religion (practiced by the Pueblo natives of the southwestern United States). It is a generic term, as there are a number of these figures in the ritua ...
, featuring a collection of Native American artifacts and a kiva which is a performance space for the Koshare Indian Dancers, is located on the campus of Otero College.


Athletic Facilities

On the Otero College campus, there are two gyms. The McDivitt Center Gym & Fitness Center, which are in the same building. The Fitness Center includes racquetball courts, equipment that can be used to tone certain areas or to build the entire body. The McDivitt Center Gym hosts the Otero College volleyball and basketball events. Lastly, the Auxiliary Gym is another athletic facility on campus, mainly used for wrestling practices or other athletic practices.


Academic Facilities

Macdonald Hall, the first building built on the Otero Campus, now houses the college's administrative offices and is now serving as the Welcome Center for Otero College. The Humanities Center includes music and art classes. Inside the Humanities Center is the Ed Stafford Theater which accommodates musical, theatrical, and presentation events. The Learning Commons includes the library, computers, and other necessities for students while in college. Wheeler Hall and Life Science are part of the same building as the Learning Commons, and includes the science, math, and nursing or other medical classes. In the McDivitt Hall, it includes the agriculture, welding, and cosmetology departments. McBride Hall includes history, business, and the Law Academy programs. Other facilities include the Telescope, Forestry, and Greenhouse facilities.


Residences

Otero Campus includes the Conley Complex, a suite-style housing, which accommodates up to four students. Wunsch Hall, which is the traditional residence hall, includes two beds, with community bathrooms. The last housing option is the South Site - suite-style which is specifically reserved for Rodeo and Law enforcement students. All three Residences have laundry facilities as well as a lobby with a game room.


Notable alumni

*
Brian Shaw Brian Keith Shaw (born March 22, 1966) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He could play both guard positions, but wa ...
Otero College official website
/ref> - strength athlete, Strongman Super Series World Champion in 2009, and 3rd place in
World's Strongest Man The World's Strongest Man is an international Strongman competition held every year. Organized by American event management company IMG, a subsidiary of Endeavor, it is broadcast in the US during summers and in the UK around the end of Decem ...
in 2009. *
Darvin Ham Darvin Ham Sr. (born July 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Tech Re ...
, head coach of
the Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
.


References

{{authority control Colorado Community College System Education in Otero County, Colorado Educational institutions established in 1941 NJCAA athletics 1941 establishments in Colorado