Page 52 of Antelope Valley College 1996-1997 Catalog by Antelope Valley Community College Lancaster California

General Information purchase of 110 acres at Avenue K and 30* Street West for a new and permanent college plant. Official ground-breaking ceremonies were held on this corner of the high desert, then surrounded by Joshua trees, just 30 years after the founding of the institution. Since 1957, the college has expanded the campus size to approximately 125 acres through land purchases. While some of that land is still undeveloped, that is expected to change with projected growth. The district is also in the process of establishing a second campus site in Palmdale, the second largest city in the Antelope Valley. Demographics and Description The Antelope Valley Community College District consists of 1,945 square miles of semiarid terrain located north of the mountains that separate Antelope Valley from the Los Angeles basin. The college district includes 40 percent of the land mass of Los Angeles County, as well as a small section in the southwestern part of Kern County. Given the areas large amount of open land in close proximity to the Los Angeles basin, the Antelope Valley experienced tremendous population growth during the 1980s. Though growth has slowed during the 1990s, the college district is still considered one of the fastest growing areas in all of California, according to state officials. Major residential centers in the valley include the incorporated cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, and the smaller communities of Quartz Hill, Antelope Acres, Rosamond, Littlerock, Pearblossom, Sun Village and Lake Los Angeles, Residential areas such as Leona Valley, Green Valley, Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth exist in outlying regions. For the first half of the twentieth century, the basic industry of Antelope Valley was agriculture, But, by the late 1950s, aircraft and aerospace industries began to dominate the economy. The regions dry climate and high percentage of sunny days make it an ideal location for aircraft manufacturing and testing. Palmdale Air Force Plant 42 extended its runway, attracting several major aircraft plants. The space shuttle was built in Palmdale and tested at Edwards Air Force Base. There are two principal centers of the aircraft industry. One center is located at Plant 42. The other is at Edwards Air Force Base, located outside the Antelope Valley Community College District, but a significant percentage of civilian employees live within the district. A large portion of the valleys population also commutes to jobs in the Los Angeles basin. The college itself contributes directly to the economic health of Antelope Valley, with 235 full-time employees and about 275 part-time employees. Their combined income is about $15 million, and they spend most of it locally for living expenses and recreation. AVCs student body consists of a wide range in ages from teenagers to senior citizens, with the average age about 29. Women make up the majority of the student body with 57 percent of the population. More than 9,000 students attend AVC each semester. Degrees and Programs Antelope Valley College offers Associate in Science and Associate in Arts Degrees for both transfer and non-transfer students. Technical, trade, business, allied health, and service programs are offered for the occupational student. Instructional Programming Regular Session: Antelope Valley College operates on the semester system with the academic year divided into a Fall and Spring Semester of approximately 17 weeks each. Although the majority of classes contained in the catalog are semester courses, there are a certain number of short term courses available each semester. Several weeks prior to each semester, a printed schedule of classes is published and may be purchased at the College Bookstore. Summer Session: Antelope Valley College operates a regular summer session each year. Classes in most subject fields are offered during both day and evening hours. The maximum unit load for a student during the summer session is nine semester units. Several training and recreational programs have been sponsored or cosponsored by Antelope Valley College as special features of the summer session. Evening Classes: College level classes are offered in the evening in academic fields, and in business, technical, vocational, and semiprofessional areas. It supplements the day program in that many of the classes offered during the day are also offered during the evening. Also offered are courses and programs other than those available in the day program; namely, offerings of a community service nature, courses for adults, and classes designed to provide training for persons employed during daytime hours. The College is committed to the same high quality of instruction in the evening program as that offered during the day. Evening classes start between 4 and 7 P.M.

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