Grossmont College is a community college located in El Cajon, California, in the county of San Diego. The campus sits in the Fletcher Hills community of El Cajon and is bordered by the cities of San Diego and Santee. Grossmont College along with Cuyamaca College make up what is the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. Grossmont is one of the 110 community colleges in the California Community College System.
Grossmont College was voted "San Diego's Best" community college in polls conducted by the San Diego Union Tribune newspaper in 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2010.
In addition to preparing thousands of students for four-year universities, Grossmont is also home to Grossmont Middle College High School, where selected high school students can receive both high school and college credit for taking courses on campus.
The newspaper for Grossmont College is The Summit. Its radio station is Griffin Radio.
History
- November 8, 1960 (1960-11-08)
- Area voters approve the formation of the Grossmont Junior College District.
- July 1, 1961 (1961-07-01)
- The first official organizational meeting of the new district's Governing Board is held.
- September 11, 1961 (1961-09-11)
- The first college classes take place on the Monte Vista High School campus in Spring Valley with an opening enrollment of 1,538.
- October 10, 1961 (1961-10-10) / June 5, 1962 (1962-06-05)
- Two separate bond elections are held to provide funds for the construction of a college campus. Neither gathers the two-thirds majority needed for passage.
- September 18, 1962 (1962-09-18)
- Third bond election gathers 73% voter approval. A $7.5 million bond issue allows the Governing Board to purchase a 135-acre site for what will be Grossmont College.
- December 1963 (1963-12)
- Groundbreaking for the new campus.
- September 14, 1964 (1964-09-14)
- Before construction is completed, the administrative offices are moved to the new campus. Classes are officially opened.
- December 12, 1964 (1964-12-12)
- Campus is officially dedicated.
Facilities
The facilities of Grossmont College are situated across 135 acres. At its inception, the campus was planned to accommodate an enrollment of 2,500 daytime students. The first incarnation of the completed campus was expected to hold 4,800 students. On October 18, 1965, a bond for $3.5 million was approved by area voters. This made it possible to complete the college's initial master plan. By September 25, 1967, the new facilities were completed. Since that time, student enrollment increased dramatically and created the need for new and remodeled campus facilities.
In recent years, the college has undergone major improvements of its facilities including:
Academics
Grossmont College offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs. Each year, about 1,500 students earn Associate in Arts degrees, Associate in Science degrees, and/or advanced/basic certificates. In addition, the students are offered general education and transfer programs.
The college offers several specialized programs including:
Athletics
Grossmont College offers several men's and women's intercollegiate sports:
Football
The head football coach is Mike Jordan who took over in 2007 for his father Dave Jordan. Dave Jordan had led Grossmont to multiple championships and been named Coach of the Year.
Past presidents
Notable alumni
- Chad DeGrenier - American football player and coach
- Akili Smith - NFL quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals
- Todd Watkins - NFL wide receiver
- Mike Whitmarsh - Olympic silver medalist in beach volleyball
- Lester Bangs - Music journalist
- Sean O'Sullivan - MLB Player, Boston Red Sox
- Quintin Berry - MLB Player, Boston Red Sox
- Dan Melville - American football player
- Doug Benson - Comedian
- Rachel Bilson - American actress
- Priscilla Mendez - Reality TV, MTV's The Real World
- Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace - Professional wrestler and actress, better known as Nikki Bella
References
- About Grossmont: History of the College (dead link)
- Grossmont College Fast Facts (dead link)
- GCCCD: About the District
- Grossmont College NCES Info and Data
External links
- Official website