News

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is proud to announce that one of its professors was recently awarded international distinction.  

Assistant Professor of Business, James Cadena, received the 2025 International Teaching Excellence Award from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) during their national conference held last month in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cadena also received the 2025 Teaching Excellence Award for the ACBSP region which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. 

“Professor James Cadena truly exemplifies the highest ideals of teaching by inspiring curiosity, fostering critical thinking, and empowering students to reach their greatest potential,” said Jeffrey Alderman, ACBSP president & CEO. “Receiving both the Teaching Excellence Award and International Teaching Excellence Award is a well-deserved tribute to the lasting impact he has made in the lives of so many.” 

These awards are given once a year to one recipient from an associate degree institution. These prestigious accolades are bestowed upon educators who demonstrate outstanding teaching prowess within the academic realm. Cadena received this based on his teaching & learning, professional development, and institutional and community commitment.  

“It is also a wonderful testament to Doña Ana Community College as this is the third consecutive year in which a DACC faculty member has been bestowed an ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award,” says Alderman.  

 The ACBSP is a global business education accrediting body. Its mission is to pursue a better tomorrow by advancing and recognizing excellence in business education through continuous improvement. 

Wraparound services continue to grow and are a priority at Doña Ana Community College (DACC).  

The college’s AVANZA program provides support and resources to students and their families. The goal is to empower and advocate for students as they navigate their college journey. The AVANZA program has now grown to serve students at five of DACC’s campuses and centers, including the opening of food pantries.  

According to the Spark Collaborative, 28% of community and technical college students are food insecure, 30% participate in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and 7% are homeless.  

To help combat this and other issues facing students, AVANZA assists with:  

• Food resources: DACC’s in-house food pantry, Comfort Casita, at the Espina campus, and its micro-casitas located in Chaparral, Gadsden, East Mesa and Sunland Park 

• Resources for housing including DACC’s Emergency Aid program 

• Children and family resources: directing students to the childcare assistance program and other childhood services 

• Inclusion and mental health resources such as DACC’s equity space, student accessibility services, the college’s counseling services and social worker 

• Information on accessing immigration and legal services, as well as medical and dental services, including DACC’s dental program 

• Access to transportation services and technology assistance, including a laptop & wifi assistance for qualifying students, DACC’s virtual learning, computer labs, and basic needs grant 

• Career resources: career exploration, planning, job seeking, career training and access to the Career Closet which provides free professional attire to students 

AVANZA routinely holds events to assist students who could benefit from these resources. Events include mobile food pantries, financial wellness fairs, community fairs and fundraising activities to support the program.  

For more information on DACC’s AVANZA services, please visit their webpage at https://dacc.nmsu.edu/student-services/avanza/. 

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) has a mobile app for students, faculty, staff, and the public. 

The app is available for free on both Google and Apple app stores. The app offers important and helpful information such as the college directory, campus locations, Crimson Connection, academic programs, deadlines, course catalog and social media.  

“This app is also incredibly useful in helping students and the community stay current with a calendar of important dates and college events,” says Ike Ledesma, vice president for Student Services. “The app is a one-stop shop that contains everything you need when navigating through important information the college has to offer.”  

The app can be downloaded to your mobile device through these Apple and Google stores. 

Hours for Doña Ana Community College (DACC)’s food pantry, Comfort Casita, have changed for the summer. 

The pantry’s main location is at DACC’s Espina campus, 3400 S. Espina St., inside Alex Sanchez Hall in room 109B. Summer hours will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until August 6th. DACC’s food pantry provides free supplementary food assistance to DACC students, staff and faculty.  

There are certain eligibility requirements for individuals to use the pantry:  

• Students must actively be enrolled in at least one DACC course during the summer. They can only receive items once per week, must have an Aggie ID, be present to receive items and bring a reusable bag.  

• Faculty and staff may receive items once per month, must provide an Aggie ID and bring a reusable bag.  

Those who are not eligible for DACC’s food panty can visit DACC’s THRIVE Resources. For more information on DACC’s food pantry and mobile food pantries, which are open to the public, please visit the Comfort Casita website. 

Area residents are invited to a free Thanksgiving & Food Resource Expo at Doña Ana Community College (DACC).

The expo, Nourish & Flourish, will be held on Wednesday, November 20th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Espina campus, 3400 S. Espina in the commons area inside Alex Sanchez Hall. The purpose of the event is to offer information on local non-profits and government assistance programs designed to assist families. There will also be a free Thanksgiving food box for the first 100 DACC students who sign up in advance through DACC. The box is provided by Casa de Peregrinos. 

According to the New Mexico Indicator Based Information System (IBIS), nearly 16% of people or 34,000 people in Doña Ana County suffer from food insecurity. This percentage is higher than the national average which is 11.5%. 

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is collecting items for families in need this Thanksgiving holiday. 

The college is partnering with Casa de Peregrinos to collect items as part of the Hope for the Holidays drive. The college is asking for donations of stuffing and dressing to compliment Thanksgiving meals. Donations may be dropped off at any donation bin at the information or front desks at the following locations:  

• East Mesa campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch  
• Espina campus, 3400 S. Espina  
• Gadsden center, 1700 E. O’Hara Rd. in Anthony, NM 
• Sunland Park center, 3365 McNutt Rd. in Sunland Park, NM 

All donations are due by Friday, November 8th. Casa de Peregrinos is southern New Mexico’s largest food bank serving thousands of families each year. To make a donation to the Hope for the Holidays food drive, go to  https://casadeperegrinos.org/