University Profile:
Del Mar College

History

Del Mar College is a comprehensive community college dedicated to enhancing the economic, cultural and social life of its students and individuals living in the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Located on the Gulf of Mexico in Corpus Christi, Del Mar College started in borrowed classrooms in the city's high school with 154 students making up the first class in 1935. Since then, the College has served well over a half-million residents living in South Texas with the institution now registering more than 21,000 students annually in academic, occupational and noncredit courses.

Today, the College offers credit programs through the Division of Arts and Sciences and the Division of Business, Professional and Technology Education on two primary campuses featuring state-of-the-art facilities. Additionally, Del Mar College offers a comprehensive range of noncredit courses through the Division of Workforce and Economic Development on the DMC Annex and provides job-related training, high school equivalency education, employer customized training services and personal enrichment opportunities.

A $108 million public bond package allowed the College to extensively renovate and construct facilities on Del Mar College's East and West Campuses as well as add the DMC Annex. Both noncredit and credit students have access to classes, laboratories and the latest technology that upgrade their current skills, prepare them for further study, or train them for immediate employment.

Academics

The core of the College's success is the faculty who supply the educational experience and credentials that maintain the institution's high standards. Committed to achieving the goals of excellence, affordability, access and equality, Del Mar College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award certificates of achievement and associate degrees as well as to provide the first two years of transferable credit toward baccalaureate degrees.

Students at Del Mar College may choose from among 37 Associate in Arts/Science transfer degree plans, 19 Associate of Arts in Teaching degree plans, 63 associate technical degree plans, and 59 technical programs offering certificates of achievement. During spring 2005, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board visited the College and rated 14 programs as exemplary--a record for an institution of Del Mar College's size.

The College's addition of the Health Sciences and Emerging Technology Complex, Public Safety Complex and Industrial Education Complex on the West Campus, among other projects, amounted to over $65 million in construction and improvements. Students majoring in nursing, health sciences, law enforcement, fire science and emergency medical technician programs, industrial and technology programs, and new programs such as pharmacy technology, nuclear medicine, echocardiography, and avionics technologies, among other programs, have access to the most advanced training technology available.

East Campus renovations expanded Department of Kinesiology, Health Studies and Recreation facilities while providing the Natural Sciences Department with cutting-edge laboratories and equipment for today's students and those enrolled in the future. The Department of English, Philosophy and Education offers a state-of-the-art writing center that provides free resources and services–both online and in-person–including computers, tutoring, workshops, handouts and labs.

The College offers an Honors Program for academically talented students in addition to Dual Credit and Early Admissions programs that allow high school students to enroll for college-level courses while completing high school graduation requirements. Del Mar College also hosts the Collegiate High School on campus with developmental funding by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Texas High School Project Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas.

Special scheduling options are available, including Rapid Track–an accelerated program that allows students to complete an Associate in Arts degree in one year–weekend, videoconferencing, off-campus, and online courses.

Success

The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education consistently ranks Del Mar College among the top 50 community colleges in the nation granting associate degrees to Hispanic students.

67% of Del Mar graduates planning to transfer do so within one year. Four-year institutions in the state report that Del Mar transfer students do as well as, or better than, students who started at those institutions as freshmen. The most recent average passing rate for Del Mar College graduates is over 94% in occupational programs that require licensing for employment.

Financial Aid

Over $16 million in assistance is awarded annually in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, student assistants, and work-study.

Campus Life

Over 2,000 students each year participate in intramural sports, including flag football, bowling, volleyball, basketball, frisbee, racquetball, and soccer. The College sponsors many Registered Student Organizations on campus representing a variety of activities and interests. Two Student Government Associations represent student interests on the East and West Campuses.

Beyond academics and noncredit courses, the College also serves as a cultural hub. From art exhibits and music recitals to theatre productions and readings and lectures, both Del Mar College students and the Corpus Christi community have access to innumerable offerings at little or no cost throughout the year.