Dallas College is a public community college with seven campuses in Dallas County, Texas.[2] It serves more than 70,000 students annually in degree-granting, continuing education, and adult education programs.

Dallas College
MottoEducation That Works.
TypePublic community college
Established1965
Academic affiliations
CONAHEC
ChancellorJustin Lonon
Academic staff
885 full-time and 1,453 part-time (fall 2022)[1]
Administrative staff
3,996 (fall 2015)
Undergraduates64,156 (fall 2023)[1]
Location, ,
United States
CampusUrban
Websitewww.dallascollege.edu
Dallas College Garland Center

Dallas College offers associate degree and career/technical certificate programs in more than 100 areas of study[3] as well as a bachelor's degree in education.[4] It is one of the largest community college systems in Texas.

History

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Dallas College was founded as the Dallas County Junior College District in 1965, and became known as the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) in 1972. The first campus, El Centro College, was established in 1966 in downtown Dallas. Bill J. Priest served as the founding chancellor from 1965 until his retirement in 1981.[5]

Consolidation

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In February 2020, the Dallas County Community College District announced a plan to consolidate its seven constituent institutions, which at the time were separately accredited, into one accredited institution with multiple campuses. The move was primarily aimed at simplifying the enrollment process and graduation requirements. Students originally needed to complete at least 25% of credits at one campus; the merger removed this requirement.[6]

The merger was approved by accreditor SACSCOC on June 12, 2020.[7] In tandem, the district changed its name to Dallas College, repositioning its former constituent institutions as campuses (e.g., Brookhaven College became Dallas College Brookhaven Campus).[8]

The merger was controversial among faculty, as it resulted in layoffs, changes to campus culture,[9] and a more centralized governance structure. In particular, the college eliminated its rolling three-year faculty contracts in favor of one-year contracts, which substantially weakened job security for full-time faculty.[10] In October 2021, roughly a year after the consolidation, full-time faculty passed a resolution of no confidence against then-chancellor Dr. Joe May.[11]

Service area

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As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Dallas College consists of Dallas County and the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, a portion of which is in adjacent Denton County.[12]

Dallas College maintains an "open-door" admissions policy regarding new students, allowing many people to attend college who otherwise might not be able to do so.

Campuses

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15km
10miles
 
Richland
 
North Lake
 
Mountain View
 
El Centro
 
Eastfield
 
Cedar Valley
 
Brookhaven
Dallas College Main Campuses

Dallas College has seven primary campuses. Prior to the 2020 consolidation, each of these institutions were separately accredited.

# Campus Opened City/Neighborhood Mascot Colors
1 Brookhaven 1978 Farmers Branch Bears    
2 Cedar Valley 1977 Lancaster Suns    
3 Eastfield 1970 Mesquite Harvester Bees    
4 El Centro 1966 Downtown Dallas Eagles    
5 Mountain View 1970 Oak Cliff, Dallas Lions    
6 North Lake 1977 Las Colinas, Irving Blazers    
7 Richland 1972 Lake Highlands, Dallas Thunderducks    

Centers

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In addition to the seven campuses, Dallas College has Centers which either serve surrounding communities or are used for specific purposes.[13] Prior to the 2020 consolidation, each center was associated with a specific campus.

Center City/Neighborhood
Bill J. Priest Deep Ellum, Dallas
Cedar Hill Cedar Hill
Coppell Coppell
Culinary, Pastry and Hospitality Northwest Dallas
Downtown Design Downtown Dallas
Downtown Health Sciences Downtown Dallas
Garland Garland
Irving Irving
Lancaster Workplace Development Oak Cliff, Dallas
Pleasant Grove Pleasant Grove, Dallas
South Dallas Training South Dallas
West Dallas West Dallas
Workforce Redbird, Dallas

Administration

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The Dallas College board of trustees consists of seven members who are entrusted with governing the district. The board defines the vision of the district, serves as a liaison between the district and the community, approves annual budgets and sets policies, among other responsibilities. Board members are elected officials who serve six-year terms without compensation.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Dallas College". College Navigator. United States Department of Education.
  2. ^ "Maps and Locations". Dallas College.
  3. ^ "Degrees, Certificates and Classes for Credit". Dallas College. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  4. ^ "Dallas College launches a 4-year bachelor of education program". KERA News. 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  5. ^ "History of Dallas College". Dallas College. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  6. ^ Avala, Eva-Marie (2020-02-03). "DCCCD wants to make college degrees easier for students by uniting campuses". The Dallas Morning News. DallasNews Corporation. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Accreditation Actions taken by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees" (PDF). Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. 2020-06-12. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  8. ^ Wallis, Jay (2020-03-04). "'Dallas College' approved as new name for community college district". WFAA. Tegna, Inc. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  9. ^ Forney, Fiona; Duff, Ryan (2021-12-01). "Dallas College merger: gains and growing pains". Richland Student Media. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  10. ^ Carter, Simone (2022-04-20). "McCollege: As Dallas College Consolidates Its Campuses, Some See Crisis". The Dallas Observer. Voice Media Group. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  11. ^ Carter, Simone (2021-10-05). "As Battle Heats Up at Dallas College, Faculty Vote 'No Confidence' in School Chancellor". The Dallas Observer. Voice Media Group. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  12. ^ Texas Education Code, Section 130.176, "Dallas County Community College District Service Area".
  13. ^ "College Locations". Dallas College. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  14. ^ "Board of Trustees". Dallas College. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
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