Page 3 - cocannualreport2014

FROM THE CHANCELLOR
The starting point of all
achievement is desire.
~Napolean Hill
On the cover: An aerial view of the Valencia Campus
location in 1969. This year, 2014, marks the beginning
of the college’s 45th anniversary.
As we conclude the 2013-14 academic year at College of the Canyons, we find ourselves on
the eve of the college’s 45th anniversary of service to the Santa Clarita Valley.
It was in 1969 that College of the Canyons opened its doors to the community, welcoming 735
students to classes held at Hart High School until a permanent campus could be established.
Forty-five years later, we serve more than 31,000 individual students annually on modern,
well-equipped campuses in Valencia and Canyon Country.
While much has obviously changed over the years as the college has seized opportunities,
overcome challenges and blazed new trails to meet the needs of a dynamic, growing
community, some things have remained constant. Four underlying qualities have enabled
us to consistently thrive over the previous four-and-a-half decades and have fueled our
journey, laid the foundation for our progress, enhanced our success and motivated us as an
innovative place of higher education: our willingness to dream, our dedication to planning, our
enthusiasm for teamwork, and our unwavering commitment to serving this community in the
most innovative ways possible.
A Willingness to Dream
Author C.S. Lewis once said, “You are never to old to set another goal, or to dream a new
dream. …” That is a good reminder, and one that we have certainly heeded at College of the
Canyons. In fact, the passage of time has only strengthened our resolution to dream, and then
take the action needed to bring our dreams to life.
The more we dream, the more successful we are, which in turn inspires us to dream more
boldly, to the benefit of our students and our community. From building new educational
facilities like the Culinary Arts building, to adding new bachelor’s and master’s degree options
in the University Center, to setting a new record for student scholarships, to securing $3.1
million for workforce training, it is clear that College of the Canyons is marked by big dreams!
Dedication to Planning
Dreams do not result in outcomes without planning. We would not be where we are today
without our focus on strategic, integrated planning. We have annual program plans, a district
Strategic Plan, Educational and Facilities Master Plans, Technology Plans, and more.
Simply stated, planning gets results. Business writer Alan Lakein said, “Planning is bringing
the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” We look at the world
around us; we examine the needs that exist; we create solutions to meet them; we secure
the necessary resources; then we go do it! Instead of waiting for things to happen, planning
enables us to see possibilities where others see none, and make things happen.
The results of our planning were evident on multiple fronts this past year as we:
• Expanded our course offerings (upon receiving additional state funding), which led to an
11 percent increase in the number of classes available to students.
• Generated $3.1 million in external funding to provide cutting-edge customized training
to nearly 900 area companies.
• Joined the California Bar Association’s statewide “Pathway to Law School” partnership
that will move students from College of the Canyons to a four-year campus, and then on
to law school.
• Set a new scholarship award record, with 241 of our students receiving more than
$175,000 from our Foundation.
• Continued construction of a new Student Services/Administration Building and Culinary
Arts Institute.
Continued on next page