College of the Mainland

College of the Mainland
Motto	English: Education for Everyone
Established	1966
Type	Community College
President	Michael A. Elam, Ed.D
Undergraduates	3,527 (as of 2009)
Location	Texas City, Texas, USA 29°23′43″N 94°59′58″W
Campus	Urban
Colors	COM Blue, COM Red and COM Yellow
Website	www.com.edu

College of the Mainland (COM) is a community college located in Texas City, Texas, United States. Its name comes from its location on the "mainland" portion of Galveston County, Texas (that portion north of Galveston Island).

History

College of the Mainland was launched in late 1966 when the voters of Dickinson, Hitchcock, La Marque, Santa Fe, and Texas City approved a building-bond issue of $2,850,000, having been largely an idea since 1935. Herbert F. Stallworth, who previously had helped establish two colleges, was selected to head the new college in April 1967, and Fred A. Taylor was appointed dean of instruction. Classes were begun in temporary quarters in 1967. On March 21, 1970, the administration building, learning-resources center, math and science building, and technical-vocational building were completed, and the College of the Mainland moved to its new campus on Palmer Highway. On May 16, 1970, residents of the college district approved $4,750,000 for a second phase of construction. The campus was expanded to include a fine arts building, a physical education complex, and a student center. The math-science and technical-vocational buildings were improved. In 1984 a third addition to the technical-vocational building was constructed. In 1991, two industrial education buildings were completed to house auto mechanics and diesel technology programs. In 1999, a new public service careers building opened to provide classrooms and labs for EMS, fire and police academies as well as housing the College’s pharmacy technology program. In 2003, the College opened a North County Learning Center in League City, Texas, part of COM’s extended service area. The center is a leased facility that offers college credit and continuing education classes as well as dental assistant and medical assistant programs. In 2004, the College became one of only three in the state of Texas to offer a Collegiate High School program on its campus allowing high school students to complete their last two years on a college campus while earning an associates degree. In 2009, Dr. Michael A. Elam became the College’s seventh president. The college budget is supported by state appropriations and local property taxes. Other sources of revenue are federal grants and funds raised by the College of the Mainland Foundation for scholarships.

Governance and Service Area

The college is governed by a seven-member board of trustees elected to six-year terms by the residents of the college district.

As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of COM includes:

• the Dickinson, Friendswood, Hitchcock, La Marque, Santa Fe, and Texas City school districts, and
• the portion of the Clear Creek Independent School District located within Galveston County.

Educational offerings

Besides traditional community college transfer classes, vocational programs, and continuing education courses, such as those designed for students pursuing careers in nursing and business, the college offers a process technology degree for those seeking employment as operators in the refineries and other petroleum-related plants near the college in Texas City.

The college has also launched a collegiate high school program, allowing high school students to complete an associate's degree while finishing their high school diplomas. (It is even technically possible for students to finish their associate's degree before graduating from high school.) The students, unlike dual-credit students, attend all their classes on the college campus.

In 2007, the college announced that it would offer an associate's degree in Bible Studies, with courses beginning in Spring 2008. In a rather unusual arrangement, the college will partner with nearby Abundant Life Ministries of La Marque, Texas, where all the Bible Studies courses will be taught.

As of 2009, student enrollment was 3,527; approximately 47 percent of which were registered in university-parallel degree programa, with 53 percent in vocational programs.

Allegations of Discrimination Against Hispanics

In September, 2007, the Texas City and Galveston chapters of the League of United Latin American Citizens accused four of the seven trustees of racism after a 4-3 vote against hiring Hispanic Juan Garcia of Tarrant County College to the post Vice President of Student Services (which had been vacant for a year prior), despite a recommendation from President Hayes. Board of Trustees member Don Criss, who voted in the majority, said in regards to the decision that ""There's no race involved." Jesse Ponce, President of The Texas City chapter of LULAC, through a spokesperson, countered, saying "To note that `race played no part' in the rejection is pretty ridiculous..."

As of August, 2010, the post of Vice President for Student Services has yet to be filled.

Facts

• The creation of COM led the citizens of Galveston Island to revive a community college district it had created in 1935, but never funded, leading to the creation of Galveston College.
• The COM website features a unique section titled Calm Waters, solely devoted to the purpose of allowing College of the Mainland students (anonymously if desired) to determine whether a rumor circulating around campus is true or false. Rumors submitted to Calm Waters include whether a deceased man was found in one of the parking lots (false), whether COM was getting rid of ducks on the campus (false, COM does not own the ducks, and further does not allow hunting of the ducks), and whether COM was going to offer on-line physical education classes (true, but only class assignments and lectures would be on-line). As a result of the duck rumor mentioned above, in 2006, the college adopted the "Fighting Ducks" as its official mascot.
• The college garnered national attention in 2002 when political science instructor and self-avowed Marxist David Michael Smith applied for tenure, prompting vocal opposition from some residents and another former professor, Howard Katz. The college president, as well as Smith's department and many former students, supported Smith's application and he was granted tenure.

External links

• College of the Mainland