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Mt. San Antonio College

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Mt. San Antonio College
TypePublic Community College
Established1946
Location
Walnut
,
California
,
USA
PresidentDr. John S. Nixon
Websitewww.mtsac.edu
Mt. San Antonio College Campus

Mt. San Antonio College (commonly called Mt. SAC) is a community college located in the Los Angeles suburb of Walnut, California, just west of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Mt. SAC was founded in 1946 as a part of the 109 member California Community Colleges system with some of its older buildings having served as part of a small military hospital complex up until WWII. It is the largest single-campus district with more than 28,286 (Fall 2007) full-time equivalent credit enrolled students, with a total unduplicated enrollment of 38,728 (Fall 2007). The current president of the college is Dr. John S. Nixon, who joined the college in 2004. Its most recent past president is Dr. Christopher C. O'Hearn.

Overview

Panorama of campus

The school has new state-of-the-art science classroom and laboratory facilities; an outstanding music, dance, and theater building; multi-media/internet connected classrooms; a new, modern baseball complex considered the best college baseball complex in California; a football field; a putting green; soccer field; and is home of the world famous Mt. SAC Relays. It has an Olympic size swimming pool, tennis courts, and an equestrian range. The school also has a 15-acre Wildlife Sanctuary that supports a large variety of native species of birds, mammals, and insects. It consists of a lake, swamp, stream, pond, meadow, and forested area. It is one of the last "safe" places for nature to exist in Walnut due to over-development and over-population. Tours are given mainly to grade school children but are available to the public (minimum 15 people) if you contact the school and ask when Wildlife Sanctuary tours are available (909-594-5611). Also of interest is the school planetarium. There are more projects in progress, the latest being a modern agricultural sciences complex set to begin construction. More projects are also expected in the next few years as funds from a recently voter approved measure come in. Located on campus are a campus cafe, "Common Grounds" cafe (which serves Starbucks coffee, and a Carl's Jr. restaurant). Mt. SAC also boasts a nationally recognized aviation and aircraft maintenance program. The school has programs in partnership with four-year schools to which students can arrange to receive a bachelor degree.

Mt. San Antonio College promotes diversity among its students. The campus exhibits a population with ethnically diverse backgrounds.

In 2006, Mt. SAC began to accept online applications as opposed to the paper applications.

School activities

Aviation

Mt SAC Flying Team, Fall Training 2002

Mt. SAC has an accomplished aviation department.[1] Mt. SAC is one of 14 colleges in the United States to offer the College Training Initiative (CTI) program through the FAA. Due to this, the program attracts students from across the United States. This initiative trains students particularly to be air traffic controllers for the FAA. Through this program Mt SAC offers an Associate of Science degree in Aviation Science.

Besides air traffic control, Mt. SAC has the largest Associate of Science, Commercial Flight degree programs in California. It maintains a flight training association on and off campus at nearby Brackett Airport, with a hangar and facilities made possible through donations from Sophia Clarke (reknown for also providing generous gifts for the modern and stately, state-of-the-art Sophia B. Clarke theater and its adjacent equally photogenic edifices). Its flying team is ranked as the best among community colleges in the western United States from 1991 to 2006. In 2005, the flying team ranked #1 among community colleges in the United States. Also in 2005, and in 1987, the school was the recipient of the Loening Trophy, recognizing the school as having the nation's Best Aviation Program. The Mt SAC Flying team is a member of National Intercollegiate Flying Association and Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Flying Association.

In addition to offer Associate degrees, the Mt SAC aviation program also has an on-campus partnership with Southern Illinois University to offer a Bachelors of Science degree in Aviation Management.[2]

Forensics

Mt. SAC has an award-winning forensics team headed by Liesel Reinhart, Kenny Klawitter, Casey Garcia, and Anne Fleischer. The program has won numerous national and regional speech and debate tournaments, including many Readers Theater championships.

Chamber Singers

Mt. SAC's choral music department includes the award-winning Chamber Singers. Notable achievements include the ACDA convention several years running, and most recently their title as "Choir of the World" at the famed Eisteddfod International Music Competition in Wales. The mixed group won three gold medals for their performances in the Youth Choir, Mixed Choir, and Folk Song Choir in addition to their worldly title, making them the choir with the most gold medals won at any of the Eisteddfod competitions (which are going on 61 years).

Sports

File:Hilmer Lodge Stad.jpg
Hilmer Lodge Stadium

Mt. SAC supports athletics however emphasizes academics. Mt. SAC has a strong community college football program, as well as basketball, volleyball, tennis, wrestling, water polo, track, Cross Country and swimming.In the 2001 season John Lawrence coached the men's varsity tennis team to the school's first conference crown,the team finished #5 in Southern California during that season. In 2007 the Men's Cross Country team finished 3rd in state. The men's track and field team won an amazing 6 State Championships in a row from 1997 until 2002, in 2005 they won their 7th state title in the last 14 years. In addition to the the state titles the men's team have won 12 straight Conference titles. Both the state title winning streak and the conference title winning streaks are state records.

Mt. SAC Relays

This event is held annually in April over a 3 day period and attracts around 15,000 athletes from more than 150 colleges and universities and 150 high schools throughout the U.S. and abroad. Dubbed "where the world's best athletes compete!", the Mt. SAC Relays has showcased many great Olympians throughout its 49 year history.

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Cross Country Invitational

Since the first event in 1948, the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational has grown to be the largest event of its kind in the nation.[3] It is often rich in running tradition as generations within families may have run it in the past. Mt. SAC is considered one of the most challenging Cross Country courses in the nation. The runners start on a long airstrip and run over three hills. The Valley Loop is a flat loop in the beginning of the race where runners usually overtake others. The first mile, due to the flat and hard surface is extremely quick. This mile is immediately followed by the switchbacks up the side of the first hill. These consist of four tight-knit hairpin turns. The switchbacks are very technical as the runners are often closely packed entering this area, and the hill itself is both steep and loose packed. Arguably the most challenging is the infamous "poop out" hill, which is the steepest hill on the course (as well as one of the shortest). The final climb runners must conquer before a steep descent to the flat finish area is Reservoir Hill; which is a steady uphill. The end of the race loops back to the beginning (on the airstrip). It is also designed for speed and wraps right around the spectator area for a quick and exciting finish.

Student government

The Associated Students of Mt. San Antonio College is the student government of the college and is one of the largest campus organizations. Its budget of over $600,000 comes from an optional Student Activities fee paid by students. The Associated Students work hard to put on events for the student population to enhance their school spirit and their involvement in activities on campus. Such events are the Halloween Bash, Holiday Celebration and the Talent Show. On top of all this, the Associated Students fund different organizations on campus so they can put on their events and also enhance student involvement.

The Associated Students is made up of: Executive Board, Student Senate, and Student Court. Unconventionally, the student's constitution has a clause that allows its Executive Board to cancel a Senate vote with a simply majority, of which the Senate needs a 3/4 supermajority vote to override.[4] This is in spite of the fact that 2/3 of the Executive Board constists of members already present in the Senate. This situation proves rather problematic when there is a close vote in the Senate, and some have pointed to this as a major delay factor for progress within the organization.

Students also have a Student Trustee, whose power is purely social and non-impactful. It is the only paid position in student government. The Student Trustee has seats on both the district's publicly-elected Board of Trustees and Executive Board, but it is the only position in student government that lacks a true vote. Both on the Board of Trustees and on the Executive Board, the Student Trustee's vote is "advisory" and some question the usefulness of this position and whether it should continue to exist.

2008-2009 Associated Student Officers Brandie White, President Rene Kouassi, Vice President, Business (Vacant), Vice President, Activities Helen Yi, Inter Club Council, Chair Alfredo Camacho, Inter Club Council, Vice-Chair William Hsu, Senator Pro Tem Esmeralda Alvarez, Senator Pro Tem Cheryl Jamison, Student Trustee

Noted people

Among people that attended Mt. San Antonio College are:

References

  1. ^ Aviation Department
  2. ^ Southern Illinois University on-campus partnership
  3. ^ http://events.mtsac.edu/ccinvite/about.htm
  4. ^ Mt. San Antonio College Constitution of the Associated Students

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