College of the Canyons (COC) is a public community college in Santa Clarita, California. It comprises the Santa Clarita Community College District. The college is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and has campus locations in Valencia and Canyon Country.
The college is located on 153.4 acres (62.1 ha) of rolling, tree-dotted hills in the neighborhood of Valencia in the city of Santa Clarita in northern Los Angeles County, California.
Recent additions to the campus include a 926-seat performing arts center, built in partnership with the city of Santa Clarita, that offers academic, community and professional productions. The facility, which also holds a smaller experimental theater, opened in late 2004. A new Music/Dance Building opened adjacent to the performing arts center in 2005. As of early 2006, construction was under way on a new High-Tech Classroom Building (34,000 square feet) and a major expansion of the Laboratory Building.
In 2007, the college opened its Canyon Country campus on a 70-acre (28 ha) site located at 17200 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita, CA 91351. The campus had an enrollment of 3,845 in the fall of 2009. Its first permanent building, the Applied Technology Education Center, was scheduled to open in 2011 to provide education and training in a variety of high-demand "green" technology fields. The campus is composed primarily of modular buildings that are situated to best accommodate planned permanent buildings as they are built in the years to come. The campus has an outdoor venue, the Carl A. Rasmussen Amphitheater, that has hosted a variety of campus and community events such as the popular Star Party.
| Room Type | Duration | Fee/Student |
|---|
Dr. Omar Torres, who serves as chief instructional officer at College of the Canyons, has been named President of De Anza College, effective January 3, 2025. “I wish to congratulate Omar Torres on his new position as president of De Anza College,” said College of the Canyons Interim Superintendent/President David C. Andrus, J.D. “He was instrumental to the college’s successful transition to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. His wealth of knowledge and passion for higher education has benefited countless COC students.” Torres first came to COC in 2010 as an Instructional Dean for the Division of Mathematics, Sciences, & Engineering, subsequently heading the School of Mathematics, Sciences & Health Professions in 2015. In 2017, Torres became the interim Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, a position that became permanent in 2019. In July 2020, he was named chief instructional officer. “I am very excited to take on this new opportunity at the Foothill-De Anza Community College District,” said Torres. “I will miss College of the Canyons and all the incredible people I have had the chance to work with over the years.” At COC, Torres handled a breadth of academic programs and instructional support services in the instructional service area. He oversaw the development of annual class schedules using a Guided Pathways framework; enhanced opportunities for students through leading and supporting the creation of new programs such as the college’s first baccalaureate degree in Building Performance, emerging disciplines that will be housed in the college’s new Advanced Technology Center, as well as new programs in Cybersecurity, Physical Therapist Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, and Pharmacy Technician; and he supported college initiatives through the college’s Employment Center and Work Experience Education, noncredit instruction, inmate education, and the expansion of public safety training. In addition, Dr. Torres served as the college's Accreditation Liaison Officer, successfully leading the college through full reaffirmation through the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), and he is an active member of the college's Educational Alliance, which resulted in the significant expansion of concurrent and dual enrollment courses offered at William S. Hart Union High School District campuses.
| Document Name | File Name | File |
|---|
Get a fully personalized list of programs all around the globe that match your eligibility and aspirations.
Sign Up
