- Introduction
- About GCC
- University Transfer Pathways
- Career Technical Degrees & Certificates
- MCCCD General Info
- Admission, Registration & Enrollment
- Scholastic Standards
- Graduation Requirements
- Programs and Courses
- Student Services and Activities
- College Environment
- Student Rights and Responsibilities
- Indexes
Other Catalogs |
About GCC
- About the college
- One College - Three Campuses
- GCC Vision
- GCC Mission
- College-wide outcomes for Students
- Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment
About the college
Glendale Community College - Established 1965
Glendale Community College (GCC) keeps pace with the constant growth of the West Valley, offering increased breadth and depth of educational opportunity. Last year, more than 32,000 students enrolled in courses or pursued degree and certificate programs at one of three GCC locations, making the College's enrollment the third largest in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD). Since 1965, more than 340,000 students have enrolled in credit courses at GCC to prepare for transfer, to advance or change their careers, to earn a degree or certificate, or to enrich their lives through special interest classes.
Created in 1962 with one college, the MCCCD currently consists of ten separately accredited colleges. MCCCD is one of the largest community college districts in the United States. On April 12, 1965, GCC was established by the Governing Board as the second MCCCD college, and charged with serving the higher educational needs of the West Valley. In August 1967, the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools first accredited GCC as an individual college. Accreditation continues today through The Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association and includes GCC main campus, GCC North and the GCC-ASU Partnership at the West campus.
One College - Three Campuses
GCC Main Campus
Located at 59th and Olive Avenues, the GCC main campus spans 147 acres and serves as a focal point for diverse community activities. The College offers a friendly, welcoming environment for learning. During GCC's inaugural fall semester, 2,000 students enrolled in classes held at two temporary locations. September 16, 1966, was the first day of classes on this beautiful, palm tree-lined campus. A dynamic, future-oriented Facilities Master Plan guides the ongoing development of GCC main campus to accommodate the changing needs and interests of thousands more students and community members. Planning is underway for two new classroom buildings and multiple renovation projects as a result of the voter-approved 2004 capital development bond.
GCC North Campus
GCC continually reaches out to where students live. A good example is GCC North, a campus extension at 57th Avenue and Happy Valley Road. GCC North opened in fall 2000 with 797 students; its fall 2006 enrollment was 1,383. GCC North offers a variety of courses, programs and student services.
GCC North is projected to enroll 7,950 students annually by 2014. The 75-acre site has a Facilities Master Plan that incorporates four new buildings and renovation of the existing facility. This expansion will include a new classroom building and a student services building with funding from the voter-approved 2004 capital development bond.
GCC-ASU Partnership at the West Campus
Since 1997, GCC has worked closely with Arizona State University. The partnership on the West campus of ASU is one of the most innovative public university-community college collaborations of its type in the U.S. Through the GCC-ASU Partnership at the West campus, students may take a range of GCC classes offered on the West campus of ASU - at Maricopa Community College District tuition rates. The award-winning Partnership allows students full access to both community college and university resources and expertise, making university transfer easier than ever. The West campus of ASU is located at 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road.
GCC Vision
Glendale Community College will be an innovative educational provider of quality lifelong learning experiences for all members of the community.
GCC Mission
The mission of Glendale Community College (GCC) is to address the higher education needs of its community. Through its diverse programs and services, GCC assists students in meeting their educational goals.
We fulfill this mission as an institution of higher education by preparing students:
• To participate responsibly in a culturally diverse, technological and global society.
• For successful transfer to colleges and universities.
• For employment and advancement within their chosen careers.
College-wide Outcomes for Students
The following outcome statements represent the college-level skills, qualities and attributes we desire our students to acquire as a result of their experience with the college to provide for college preparedness, university transfer, certification and or employment.
Core Outcomes
• Writing — communicates thoughts, ideas, information and messages.
• Critical Reading — interprets and synthesizes a variety of written information.
• Critical Reasoning — thinks creatively and critically; acquires and applies new knowledge and skills. Applies mathematical techniques to problem solving, analyses and exposition.
Secondary Outcomes
• Speaking — organizes and communicates ideas and information.
• Information Literacy — uses a variety of resources to locate, evaluate and use information to solve a problem or make a decision.
• Technology Literacy — demonstrates proficiency with technological tools.
Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment
GCC evaluates the effectiveness of our institution, especially student academic achievement, through assessment. We ask questions like "What should students think, know, and do upon completing a course or program?", "Are we meeting student expectations?", and "What can we do better?"
Assessment is the first step in the process of "plan - do - check - improve" which utilizes data as the basis for decision-making and continuous improvement. The "umbrella" for assessment at GCC is our institutional effectiveness (IE) plan.
Assessment Objectives for Academic Success
• Evaluate student preparedness for employment and work.
• Evaluate student preparedness for transfer to a four-year college or university.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of college-wide general education.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs, including transfer and developmental education.
• Track retention and degree and certificate trends.
• Measure student success in goal achievement.
• Improve instruction and curricular offerings through collaborating and sharing of assessment results.
Assessment Objectives for Student Services
To evaluate progress by students in:
- Student success, specifically the completion of educational goals and/or the transfer to further education and employment;
- Student development, specifically the improvement of skills for life-long learning and decision-making;
- Accessing campus information and services.
