Pima Community College

Voters in Pima County approved the creation of a junior college district in 1966 and the first classes were held in 1969 at a temporary campus in an airplane hangar at the Tucson airport, Tucson Medical Center, Villa Maria, and Marana. The college was originally named Pima College but the name was changed to Pima Community College in 1972 to better reflect the mission of the college.^[4]

In 2008, PCC's Board of Governors began receiving anonymous complaints of sexual harassment by PCC chancellor Roy Flores. The board took no formal action until 2011 and Flores resigned in 2012 citing health problems.^[5] The search for his replacement has been troubled. In February 2013, PCC discovered that the search consultant failed to disclose an issue with a finalist for the job; the consultant was fired and the job search extended.^[6]

One month after the chancellor search was extended, the interim chancellor resigned in the wake of a scathing report issued by PCC's regional accreditor the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).^[7] The report documented not only the ignored complaints of sexual harassment but also a hostile work environment and numerous administrative and financial problems. The report also discussed problems with admissions standards that PCC changed in 2011, problems the college has admitted.^[8] As a result of these problems Pima been on probation with the HLC; however, on Feb. 26, 2015 this probation was rescinded. Although the probation was retracted, Pima continues to remain "On Notice" for deficiencies.^[9]

PCC also received media attention in early 2011 as the former school of 2011 Tucson Shooting perpetrator Jared Lee Loughner. While at PCC, some of his teachers complained to the administration about his disruptions and bizarre behavior, as they thought them a sign of mental illness and feared what he might do. The college decided to suspend Loughner.^[10]

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Pima County, Arizona

Pima County, Arizona

Pima County is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the population is centered. The county is named after the Pima Native Americans who are indigenous to this area.

Junior college

Junior college

A junior college is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and support roles in professions such as engineering, accountancy, business administration, nursing, medicine, architecture, and criminology, or for additional education at another college with more advanced academic material. Students typically attend junior colleges for one to three years.

Higher Learning Commission

Higher Learning Commission

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The headquarters of the organization is in Chicago, Illinois.

Hostile work environment

Hostile work environment

In United States labor law, a hostile work environment exists when one's behavior within a workplace creates an environment that is difficult or uncomfortable for another person to work in, due to illegal discrimination. Common complaints in sexual harassment lawsuits include fondling, suggestive remarks, sexually-suggestive photos displayed in the workplace, use of sexual language, or off-color jokes. Small matters, annoyances, and isolated incidents are usually not considered to be statutory violations of the discrimination laws. For a violation to impose liability, the conduct must create a work environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to a reasonable person. An employer can be held liable for failing to prevent these workplace conditions, unless it can prove that it attempted to prevent the harassment and that the employee failed to take advantage of existing harassment counter-measures or tools provided by the employer.

Jared Lee Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner is an American mass murderer who pled guilty to 19 charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the January 8, 2011, Tucson shooting, in which he shot and severely injured U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, and killed six people, including Chief U.S. District Court Judge John Roll, Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Giffords' staff, and a 9-year-old girl, Christina-Taylor Green. Loughner shot and injured a total of 13 people, including one man who was injured while subduing him.

The original campus for Pima College was located at the site which is now the West Campus. Before the campus opened, classes were taught at a variety of locations around Tucson. From 1971 to the present, the college district has expanded to meet the growing educational needs of the Tucson area. The campuses and learning center provides traditional classroom, distance learning, and hands-on learning opportunities. There are six campuses across the Tucson metropolitan area:

• Community campus (closed in 2019)^[11]
• Desert Vista campus
• Downtown campus
• East campus
• Northwest campus
• West campus

Additionally, there are four Learning/Education Centers:

• Davis Monthan Air Force Base Education Center
• Green Valley Community Learning Center
• Northeast Education Center (closed in 2011)
• Southeast Education Center

Community campus

The Pima Community College Community campus was opened in 1975 to meet non-traditional educational needs, including distance learning, non-degree activity classes, and adult education. In 1997, the campus moved to Bonita Avenue and Commerce Park Loop, near St. Mary's Road and Interstate 10. The campus was home to the teacher education program. Many of its services were moved to the Northwest, West, and Downtown campuses when Community campus was closed in 2019.^[11]

Desert Vista campus

First established as the South Education Center in 1986, the Desert Vista campus moved to its present location in 1993. The campus is located at Valencia Viejo, a site once occupied by the Hohokam people, between Irvington Road and Valencia Road on Calle Santa Cruz, west of Interstate 19. The campus supports the nearby Aviation Technology Center at Tucson International Airport and supplies workforce training to the business community at the Center for Training and Development.

Downtown campus

Opened in 1974, Downtown Campus is situated between Speedway Blvd. and Drachman Street on Stone Avenue, close to downtown Tucson and east of Interstate 10. It has traditional academic, occupational, technical, and trade programs. In 2018 the historic Tucson Inn was purchased by the district and added to the campus.^[12]

East campus

In 1976, the college established the East Learning Center, which became East campus in 1981 with the construction of a new facility located on 58 acres (23 ha) of land at Irvington Road and Fred Enke Drive, near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Its programs include Veterinary Technology and Emergency Medical Technology.

The College East Campus Observatory was established in 1989 by Professor David G. Iadevaia. It includes the Pima College – East Campus observatory and teaching planetarium. After many years in temporary, makeshift facilities, the observatory now has a new, permanent home which was designed by Professor Iadevaia. The observatory is an important part of astronomy education, not only for registered students but also for the public.^[13]

Northwest campus

In 2003, the Northwest Community Learning Center (established in 1998) became the Northwest campus, the newest PCC campus. The 50-acre (20 ha) campus is located on Shannon Road, between Ina and Magee roads in north Tucson. The campus is home to the hotel/restaurant management and therapeutic massage programs.

West campus

The oldest Pima Community College campus, West campus is located on 267 acres (108.1 ha) of land between Anklam Road and Speedway Blvd., west of Interstate 10. The campus was opened in 1970. Facilities located at West Campus include the Center for Archaeological Field Training, the Center for the Arts, and the offices of The Pima Post newspaper and Cababi literary magazine. The campus is home to the college's programs in health-related professions. West Campus is home to Sand Script, a student literary magazine.

Learning centers

The learning centers provide administrative functions and teach classes. These centers are:

• Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Education Center, meeting the needs of active duty military at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and members of the general public.
• Green Valley Community Learning Center, south of Tucson along Interstate 19, serving the Green Valley community.

Adult learning centers for basic education, ESOL instruction, citizenship classes, and GED preparation are located at the following locations:

• Eastside Learning Center on south Alvernon Way
• El Pueblo Liberty Learning Center on Irvington Road, east of Interstate 19
• El Rio Learning Center on west Speedway Blvd.
• Lindsey Center on south Third Ave.

Partnership with The Catholic University of America

In 2019, a partnership with The Catholic University of America was announced whereby students could earn an associate degree from Pima and a bachelor's degree in business management from Catholic University.^[14][15] The program is administered by Catholic's Metropolitan School of Professional Studies and taught by professors at Catholic University's Busch School of Business.^[14]

Under the program, first year students enter Pima and take a blend of courses from the two institutions, including foundational courses in philosophy and theology.^[14] Over the course of the program, two-thirds of courses will be taken remotely and one-third will be taken in dedicated space on the Pima campus.^[15][14][16]

Between 20 and 25 students will initially be admitted to the program, which has a total four year cost of $32,000,^[15][16][17] far less than the cost of in-state tuition at a four-year Arizona public college.^[18] At the time of launch, it was hoped to grow the program to include 100 students per cohort in three years.^[19] Financial aid is available through both institutions.^[19] Local businesses in Tucson are also fundraising to support the program.^[19][18]

Catholic University officials recognized that most Hispanics in the United States are Catholics but historically have not had access to Catholic higher education in their areas.^[17] An analysis by Catholic University found that of "the 25 U.S. cities with the largest total increases in the Hispanic population, nine have no Catholic college or university in close proximity."^[19] Given this, in 2017, Catholic University began exploring partnerships with existing institutions in the Southwest instead of opening up a new campus.^[17][16] Several cities with large populations of Hispanics and Catholics were considered when then-Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild heard of Catholic University's desire to open a satellite campus.^[17] He called the University's provost and then connected the provost with the bishop and over 300 local business leaders and other members of the community.^[17][18]

The two colleges worked with local business leaders^[17] and with Education Design Lab and Extension Engine^[18] to develop the curriculum for the program. Local business leaders will also serve as adjunct professors.^[17] The program is targeted at first generation Americans and other under-represented socio-economic groups.^[20]

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Hohokam

Hohokam

Hohokam was a culture in the North American Southwest in what is now part of Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 AD, with cultural precursors possibly as early as 300 BC. Archaeologists disagree about whether communities that practiced the culture were related or politically united. According to local oral tradition, Hohokam societies may be the ancestors of the historic Pima and Tohono O'odham peoples in Southern Arizona.

Tucson International Airport

Tucson International Airport

Tucson International Airport is a civil-military airport owned by the City of Tucson 8 miles south of downtown Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is the second busiest airport in Arizona, after Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Interstate 10

Interstate 10

Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at 2,460.34 miles (3,959.53 km), following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally planned network that was laid out in 1956, and its last section was completed in 1990.

Tucson Inn

Tucson Inn

The Tucson Inn is a motel located in Tucson, Arizona, in an area now known as the Miracle Mile Historic District. The motel was built in 1953 in the Googie architecture and Modernist style, and is an example of historic 1950s Mid-century modern highway motel architecture.

David G. Iadevaia

David G. Iadevaia

David G. Iadevaia was born in Providence, Rhode Island on 7 September 1949. He retired in 2013 as professor of astronomy and physics from Pima College - East Campus in Tucson, Arizona. He has been at Pima since his hire in 1983. He is also the author of a science fiction novel Of Stranger Things as well as author of various articles about science education. He established the first online astronomy course with real time telescope observations. This was published in T.H.E. Journal, January 1999.

Interstate 19

Interstate 19

Interstate 19 (I-19) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Arizona. I-19 travels from Nogales, roughly 90 meters (300 ft) from the Mexican border, to Tucson, at I-10. The highway also travels through the cities of Rio Rico, Green Valley, and Sahuarita.

Green Valley, Arizona

Green Valley, Arizona

Green Valley is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 22,616 at the 2020 census.

General Educational Development

General Educational Development

The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high school diploma, as is HiSET. The GED Testing Service website as of 2023 does not refer to the test as anything but "GED".

Busch School of Business

Busch School of Business

The Tim and Steph Busch School of Business is the business school of the Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C. (USA), and one of the twelve schools of the university.

Jonathan Rothschild

Jonathan Rothschild

Jonathan Rothschild is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 41st mayor of Tucson, Arizona from 2011 to 2019. From 2001 to 2011, Rothschild was managing partner at the law firm Mesch Clark Rothschild.

PCC is governed by a five-member Board of Governors, whose members serve six-year elected terms. Board members are elected based on County electoral district.

The Governing Board of the Pima County Community College District has five members elected by the voters from geographical districts within the Pima County. The Chancellor of PCC serves as its chief executive officer with each campus led by a president and each administrative area run by a vice chancellor.

PCC offers many community-related programs to support the needs of the Tucson metropolitan area. It provides GED and adult literacy classes, art and theater, senior facilities, and summer camps. PCC also has an extensive small-business development center.^[21]

PCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.^[22] Additionally, many medical programs (such as nursing or veterinary technology) have additional specialized accreditation by the Arizona and United States Departments of Education. PCC's Aviation Technology Program, through Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Pima Community College also hosted the Aztec Middle College, a program operated by the Tucson Unified School District; it offers credit recovery and concurrent earning of high school and college credits to older students on four Pima College campuses.^[23]

Degrees and certificates

PCC awards the following degrees:

• Associate of Arts (AA)
• Associate of Business (AB)
• Associate of Science (AS)
• Associate of Fine Arts (AFA)
• Associate of Applied Arts (AAA)
• Associate of General Studies (AGS)

It also awards certificates in many disciplines.

AGEC

In 1999, Arizona approved the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) for students transferring from an Arizona community college to one of the three state universities. A 35-credit block of general education courses, the AGEC transfers to the state universities (and some other baccalaureate degree granting institutions) to meet their lower division general education requirements.^[24] PCC awards the AGEC-A, AGEC-B, and AGEC-S certificates.

Student publications

• Pima Post, the student-run online news service. The newspaper has been named a national finalist by the Society of Professional Journalists for best all-around two-year college newspaper.
• SandScript, a literary magazine. This publication has won the Best Overall Publication, Southwest Division, from the Community College Humanities Association, most recently in 2013.^[25]

Pima Post

The Pima Post is the student newspaper at Pima Community College. It was created in the 1970s as the Campus News (1973 to 1977), then named the Aztec Campus News (1977–1978), the Aztec News (1978–1981), the Aztec Press (1982–2021) before becoming the Pima Post in 2021.^[26] Valerie Vineyard is the current adviser and Joshua Manis is the current business manager.

The Pima Post publishes online. The Pima Post covers all six campuses of Pima Community College with their news service. Print circulation was 5,000 copies of bi-weekly editions until 2020 when the publication moved to online-only media distribution.

Other programs

• Army ROTC
• Performing arts (theater, music, and art)
• Student government
• Honors program
• Phi Theta Kappa honors society

Athletics

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2020)

PCC sponsors fifteen intercollegiate sports teams for men and women. Pima's teams are nicknamed the Aztecs.

Fall Sports

• Men's Cross Country
• Women's Cross Country
• Men's Soccer
• Women's Soccer
• Women's Volleyball

Winter Sports

• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball

Spring Sports

• Baseball
• Men's Golf
• Women's Golf
• Softball
• Men's Tennis
• Women's Tennis
• Men's Track and Field
• Women's Track and Field

• Warren Faidley, storm chaser
• Jared Lee Loughner, perpetrator of the 2011 Tucson shooting^[27] (did not graduate)
• Ned Norris Jr., former Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation^[28]

Athletes

• Abdi Abdirahman, Olympic long-distance runner
• D. J. Carrasco, professional baseball pitcher
• Erubiel Durazo, professional baseball player
• Horacio Llamas, professional basketball player
• Shakir Smith, professional basketball player
• Donald Toia, professional soccer player (MLS)
• Minh Vu, professional soccer player (USL)

Mixed martial artists

• Seth Baczynski, professional mixed martial artist, 10x veteran of the UFC, and contestant for The Ultimate Fighter 11 as well as The Ultimate Fighter 25.
• Anthony Birchak, professional mixed martial artist, 4x veteran of the UFC, and current color commentator for Rizin Fighting Federation.^[29]
• Dominick Cruz, professional mixed martial artist, 7x veteran of the UFC, and the former 2x UFC bantamweight champion, as well as the final WEC bantamweight champion.
• Efrain Escudero, NJCAA All-American wrestler; professional mixed martial artist, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 8, and 12x veteran of the UFC.^[30]
• Drew Fickett, professional mixed martial artist, and 7x veteran of the UFC.^[31]
• Jesse Forbes, NJCAA All-American wrestler; mixed martial artist, contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 2, and 3x veteran of the UFC.^[32]
• Chad Griggs, professional mixed martial artist, and 2x veteran of the UFC.
• Rich Hale, professional mixed martial artist, and two time Bellator MMA tournament runner-up.
• Danny Martinez, professional mixed martial artist, and 4x veteran of the UFC.^[29]
• George Roop, professional mixed martial artist, contestant for The Ultimate Fighter 8, and 13x veteran of the UFC.^[33]
• James Terry, professional mixed martial artist, Strikeforce & Bellator MMA veteran.
• Jamie Varner, NJCAA All-American wrestler; retired professional mixed martial artist, 10x veteran of the UFC, and former WEC Lightweight Champion.^[34]
• Ed West, professional mixed martial artist, and Bellator MMA veteran.

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Jared Lee Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner

Jared Lee Loughner is an American mass murderer who pled guilty to 19 charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the January 8, 2011, Tucson shooting, in which he shot and severely injured U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, and killed six people, including Chief U.S. District Court Judge John Roll, Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Giffords' staff, and a 9-year-old girl, Christina-Taylor Green. Loughner shot and injured a total of 13 people, including one man who was injured while subduing him.

2011 Tucson shooting

2011 Tucson shooting

On January 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords and 18 others were shot during a constituent meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in the Tucson metropolitan area. Six people were killed, including federal District Court Chief Judge John Roll; Gabe Zimmerman, one of Giffords's staffers; and a 9-year-old girl, Christina-Taylor Green. Giffords was holding the meeting, called "Congress on Your Corner", in the parking lot of a Safeway store when Jared Lee Loughner drew a pistol and shot her in the head before proceeding to fire on other people. One additional person was injured in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. News reports identified the target of the attack to be Giffords, a Democrat representing Arizona's 8th congressional district. She was shot through the head at point-blank range, and her medical condition was initially described as "critical".

Ned Norris Jr.

Ned Norris Jr.

Ned Norris Jr. is chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation of southern Arizona. He previously held the office for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2015, and was returned to the office in 2019. Norris previously worked as the director of marketing and public relations for the O'odham Gaming Authority.

Abdihakem Abdirahman

Abdihakem Abdirahman

Abdihakem "Abdi" Abdirahman is an American long-distance runner. He is a five-time Olympian competing for the United States in the 10,000 meters and the marathon.

D. J. Carrasco

D. J. Carrasco

Daniel J "D. J." Carrasco is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He is currently the pitching coach of the Syracuse Mets.

Erubiel Durazo

Erubiel Durazo

Erubiel Durazo Cárdenas is a Mexican former professional baseball player. Durazo played for the Arizona Diamondbacks (1999–2002) and the Oakland Athletics (2003–2005) in Major League Baseball.

Horacio Llamas

Horacio Llamas

Horacio Llamas Grey is a Mexican former professional basketball player. He played two seasons with the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), becoming the first Mexican-born player in NBA history. He currently serves as an assistant coach for Astros de Jalisco in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP).

Shakir Smith (basketball)

Shakir Smith (basketball)

Shakir Smith is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Wyoming from 2011 to 2012, Pima CC from 2013 to 2014 and Adams State from 2014 to 2016.

Donny Toia

Donny Toia

Donald Austin "Donny" Toia is an American soccer player who plays for FC Tucson in USL League One.

Minh Vu

Minh Vu

Minh Alva Vu, commonly known as Minh Vu, is an American soccer player for National Soccer League US side Deportivo La Real FC.

Seth Baczynski

Seth Baczynski

Seth Baczynski is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional since 2006, Baczynski has formerly competed for the UFC, and was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz and The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption. He has also fought for top promotions such as the International Fight League, Tachi Palace Fights, World Lethwei Championship, and the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

Anthony Birchak

Anthony Birchak

Anthony Birchak is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2009. he formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Legacy Fighting Alliance, Bellator, Rizin and the MFC.