Santiago Canyon College

Santiago Canyon College in east Orange, the newest community college in the state, has received its first accreditation. The accreditation, from the Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges, provides students with access to financial aid and allows them to transfer credits to four-year schools. Santiago Canyon was established as a separate campus, rather than as a satellite campus, in 1997.

Recent high school graduates and mid-career adults are flocking to community colleges this fall as California campuses report enrollment jumps tied to the weak economy. Administrators say that when the economy dips, enrollment at community colleges typically surges. This fall, students are banking on these modest workhorses of California's higher education system to ease their way through the economic downturn, opting for the closer, cheaper alternatives to state universities. Older students, in particular, are seeking training at two-year colleges to escape declining industries.

Santiago Canyon College will field its first athletic teams next fall, according to its president, Dean Strenger. The Hawks will field men's and women's cross-country teams in the fall 1999 semester, followed by a men's golf team in the spring semester of 2000. Men's and women's soccer teams will debut in the fall of 2000. Santiago Canyon will compete in the Orange Empire Conference.

Juan A. Vazquez, who has spent the last 27 years at the College of Alameda in Northern California, has been named president of Santiago Canyon College in Orange. The Rancho Santiago Community College District trustees appointed him the college's third president at their board meeting Monday. Vazquez, who is interim president of the Alameda campus near Oakland, will start Aug. 19. He will be paid $131,626 annually.

Like a person hosting a big dinner party for the first time, Santiago Canyon College's staff had to do some serious planning in the months before the school's first commencement. Where would the guests sit, and how many chairs would be needed? What should the music be, and would the event require purchase of a sound system?

When Santiago Canyon College President Mark Rocha looks out the window of his second-floor office, his view is of the empty 12 acres that will lead to the transformation of the east Orange campus. Next comes $100 million of construction, expected to be completed in 2007.

Driven to raise money for everything from scholarships to landscaping, Santiago Canyon College in Orange is about to steer its fund-raising efforts in a new direction by turning a parking area into a weekend used-car lot. Starting Saturday, the community college will set aside 200 parking spaces for vehicle owners to peddle their Plymouths and sell their Scoupes. No pressure. No bad suits. A Santa Cruz company does the work, charging sellers $35 for a spot.

Santiago Canyon College's first official athletic facility--a soccer field--will be dedicated at 8 a.m. today in the southeast corner of the campus at 8045 Chapman Ave. The Santiago Canyon College men's soccer team will play its first home game on the field at 4 p.m. Sept. 1. The first home game for the women's soccer team will be at 4 p.m. Sept. 5.

Santiago Canyon College, the newest community college in Orange County, will field athletic teams beginning in July. The state Commission on Athletics has granted the school membership in the Orange Empire Conference. The school's nickname will be the Hawks. The school colors will be black, blue and gold. Information: (714) 564-4116.

Enrollment in the Rancho Santiago Community College District has increased 14.3% this fall, officials said. Santiago Canyon College showed a 25.3% increase over last fall, and Santa Ana College had a 10.6% gain. This marks the sixth year in a row that district enrollment has increased, officials said. The district serves Anaheim Hills, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin and Villa Park.

When Santiago Canyon College President Mark Rocha looks out the window of his second-floor office, his view is of the empty 12 acres that will lead to the transformation of the east Orange campus. Next comes $100 million of construction, expected to be completed in 2007.

ANAHEIM 7:30pm Pop Music Orange County's Sense Field has been in a holding pattern, at least regarding a follow-up to its 1996 album "Building," which was picked up by a major label (Warner Bros.) after being released by an O.C.-based indie label (Revelation). The band recorded another last year that Warners opted not to release, and recently the company gave the band permission to rerecord the material and shop it for another label.

The city has agreed to spend $270,000 on field lighting for two soccer fields at Santiago Canyon College. The city and college have agreed to share the fields. A recent study found that the city needs 44 soccer fields to meet current demand.

The Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees has appointed Mark Rocha to be the new president of Santiago Canyon College. Rocha was previously the chief academic officer at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. The college's previous president, Dean Strenger, left the job to return to teaching, college officials said.