Rio Hondo College is a community college located in the city of Whittier, California, United States, named after the Rio Hondo. Founded in 1960, it mainly serves the cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, El Monte, and South El Monte. The college is accredited by Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Aside from its academic programs, the college is also home to Rio Hondo Fire Academy and Rio Hondo Police Academy.
Rio Hondo College:
- Is one of the top 25 community colleges for Hispanic students nationwide.
- Is the first community college in California offering a bachelor's degree in Automotive Technology.
- Offers a Pathway to Law School program to one of six top California law schools.
- Offers 23 associate degrees for transfer that guarantee transfer to California State Universities, 50 associate degrees and 60 certificates.
- Is one of the top community colleges in the state at transferring underrepresented minorities to University of California campuses.
Rio Hondo offers on-campus, online, and off-campus courses to all of its students.
Vision
Rio Hondo College strives to be an exemplary California community college, meeting the learning needs of its changing and growing population and developing a state of the art campus to serve future generations.
Mission
Rio Hondo College is committed to the success of its diverse students and communities by providing dynamic educational opportunities and resources that lead to degrees, certificates, transfer, career and technical pathways, basic skills proficiency, and lifelong learning.
History
Rio Hondo College District was established in October 1960, encompassing the boundaries of Whittier Union High School District. As it expanded to include the El Rancho Unified and El Monte Union High School Districts, it established a Board of Trustees in April 1962. In May 1963, the Board named the proposed community college Rio Hondo, named after the neighbouring Rio Hondo River.
While voters in the district approved a US$12 million to build Rio Hondo College in October 1963, classes were temporarily conducted at Sierra and El Rancho High Schools. The present campus, off Workman Mill Road, was opened for classes in Fall 1966.
In October 2011, the Rio Hondo College Board adopted a "No Cuts" budget, while neighboring community colleges were suffering from across-the-board budget cuts due to insufficient state funding. In October 2011, the college's president, Ted Martinez Jr. filed a formal grievance against 3 professors at the school, who were active union leaders. He said that they had created a hostile work environment which caused him to suffer a stroke. The president requested that the Board of Trustees hire a consultant for an initial payment of $5,000, without telling the Board that it was for an independent investigator for the claim. The cost later blossomed to $40,000. The independent investigator Angela J. Reddock found that the claim had no merit. Ted Martinez, Jr. retired when the Board of Trustees upheld the findings of the investigator. An action against the Rio Hondo Community College District was filed by the California Teacher's Association for an unfair labour practice.
Demographics
In 2010-2011, Rio Hondo College enrolled 12,672 full-time students with a total of 20,671 in Autumn 2010. The largest group of students consists of 20- to 24-year-olds (30%). The second largest group (20%) were 19 or younger. The average age of students at Rio Hondo is 26. 51% of students intended to transfer.
The ethnic breakdown is as follows: Hispanic (72%), White (5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3%), Black (1%), other/decline to state (18%).
The top feeder high schools (2005-2009) are as follows: Whittier High School, El Rancho High School, Montebello High School, California High School, Schurr High School, Santa Fe High School and Pioneer High School.
Student life
All full-time students (students enrolled in 12 or more units in a semester) are eligible for a free bus pass for transport with the Norwalk Transit, Metro, Foothill Transit, Sunshine Shuttle and Montebello Bus Lines. Negotiations between the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees created this programme as early as 2006, which was proposed by Gary Mendes, Governing Board Member and followed by staff member Dr. Andy Howard. The programme was named the Rio Hondo College Bus Pass Subsidy Programme, and has since been dubbed "GO RIO" and officially began during the 2006â€"2007 school year. In 2012, the school also received a $500,000 federal grant to run a shuttle bus around campus.
The official student newspaper of the college is titled El Paisano.
El Paisano
Academics
In October 2010, the Rio Hondo College Police Academy was suspended by the California government's Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, following a security breach in testing.
National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium
Rio Hondo College is a NAFTC Training Centre.
Facilities
In 2004, voters in the Rio Hondo College Community School District approved Measure A, which gave the school US$245 million to renovate the campus, including the construction of new buildings on campus, such as the Learning Resource Centre and Library, Student Services and Student Union and Administration of Justice Buildings (completed 2011). Construction began in 2006 and is expected to continue until 2018, as part of the master plan. Rio Hondo College has also expanded off-site, at the 297 square metres South Whittier Educational Centre and plans to construct a 404 square metres facility in El Monte.
Notable alumni
- Lorna Patterson - American film actress
- Lauren Tewes - American film actress
- Luis Aguilar - American soccer player, Montreal Impact
- Troy Archer - American football player, New York Giants
- Troy Tulowitzki - Major League Baseball, Toronto Blue Jays
- William John Cox, public interest attorney, author and political activist.
- Gloria Molina, American politician, former member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 1991-2014
- Evan Longoria - baseball player, Tampa Bay Rays
- Jose Mejia - Soccer Player (C.D. FAS, C.D. Alianza,/El Salvador)
References
External links
- Rio Hondo College, official website
- Rio Hondo College: AccessRio Student Portal - Register Online
- Rio Hondo College Online Education: Online Courses Page