Arapahoe Community College

Arapahoe Community College (ACC) is a public community college in Littleton, Colorado. It was founded in 1965 as the first community college to open in the Denver area.[2][3]

Arapahoe Community College
TypePublic community college
Established1965 (1965)
PresidentStephanie J. Fujii[1]
Students20,000 (annually)
Location
Littleton, Colorado
,
USA

39.6084°N 105.0196°W / 39.6084; -105.0196
CampusUrban / rural
Colors   Purple and White
MascotPumas
Websitewww.arapahoe.edu

History

The college began after a grass-roots movement by Littleton residents, led by Littleton activist Virginia Baker,[2] to provide post-high school education in the area.[3] Arapahoe Junior College began with 550 students.

In 2001, a new campus building in Parker was constructed next to Chaparral High School and opened as the University Center of Chaparral which worked with Arapahoe Community College, the University of Colorado at Denver, and the Douglas County School District. In 2010, it became a part of ACC and was renamed the Arapahoe Community College Parker Campus.[4]

After some years of independent operation, ACC joined the Colorado Community College System, comprising 13 institutions.

In 2013, Frank Lee Earley (one of the founding faculty members) self-published an illustrated memoir, The View From the Fourth Floor: A Personal History of Arapahoe Community College, 1965–2005,[5] which gives a first-person account of the founding and growth of the college.

In January 2017, the college announced plans to construct a $40 million campus in the Meadows community of Castle Rock, Colorado. The campus was planned to be a collaborative project between ACC, Colorado State University, and Douglas County School District.[6] Construction on the campus broke ground on May 21, 2018, and opened August 16, 2019.[7]

Academics

ACC enrolls over 21,000 credit and non-credit students yearly across its three campuses in the southern portion of the Greater Denver Metropolitan area. The college has three campuses in the south Denver area, in Littleton, Parker, and Castle Rock.

The college offers over 90 degree and certificate programs. In addition to its traditional classroom learning environment, ACC has over 200 courses available online.[8]

Grants and endowments

ACC is one of six community colleges with a Great Books Program[9] approved by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Participants in the program receive a certificate that is recognized by admission councils at many 4-year colleges and universities.[9]

In June 2015, ACC earned a $2.3 million workforce training grant to support its Health Information Technology program (HIT), one of 71 such grants distributed nationwide.[10]

Other campuses
  • Parker Campus, opened in 2001, 15653 Brookstone Drive, Parker, Colorado
  • Castle Rock sturm collaboration campus, opened in 2019, 4500 Limelight Avenue, Castle Rock, Colorado

Notable people

Notable faculty

References
  1. "CCCS Announces Next President for Arapahoe Community College". Arapahoe Community College (Press release). May 3, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  2. "Arapahoe Community College: A look at the early days". Douglas County News-Press. Douglas County, CO. May 8, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  3. "Happy 50 birthday to ACC". Littleton Independent. Littleton, CO. September 8, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  4. "Arapahoe Community College". littletongov.org. Littleton Colorado. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  5. "New Publications in 2013". Center for Colorado & the West at Auraria Library. Archived from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  6. "Higher-education campus finds home in Castle Rock – Colorado Community Media". Colorado Community Media. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  7. "Castle Rock Collaboration Campus groundbreaking approach to higher education – SOURCE". SOURCE. June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  8. "Fast Facts". Arapahoe Community College. Archived from the original on July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  9. "Great Books Program". Arapahoe Community College. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  10. "ACC earns tech grant". Littleton Independent. Littleton CO. June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
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