DACC News

"How a southern New Mexico college is making workforce development work for everyone"

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has written an article about Mary Ulrich's Personal and Career Discovery course. The course is designed for students whose “potential contributions to the workforce have been ignored or dismissed". You can read more about it here:

The magic of discovery | Every Child Thrives

• Dental exams 
• Full range of comprehensive dental services, including extractions, restorations and much more. These services are provided by the staff dentist.  
• Full range of preventive dental hygiene services, including dental cleanings, periodontal therapy and more. 

• Wednesday, February 4th at the East Mesa Campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 
• Thursday, February 5th at the Espina Campus, 3400 S. Espina Street from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

• Wednesday, March 11th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Espina Campus, 3400 S. Espina Street inside Alex Sanchez Hall.  
• Wednesday, March 25th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gadsden Center, 1700 E. O’Hara Rd., in Anthony, NM.  

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) and UA Local 412 are entering into a partnership to help college students in their future careers.  

The two entities will sign a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday, March 24th at the Las Cruces Training Center, 4090 Bataan Memorial West at 11 a.m. The partnership will give Union 412 apprentices an opportunity to earn an associate degree while in the apprenticeship program. Students enrolled in the DACC HVAC program will have the opportunity to have their coursework credited towards time in the Union’s apprenticeship program. UA Local 412 is a regional union for those in fields such as pipefitters, plumbers, and HVAC.  

“This partnership gives our students a pathway from the classroom to the workforce, while supporting Union apprentices who seek a degree from DACC,” says Dr. Laura De La Cruz, dean of DACC Advanced Technologies. “It also connects students directly with a respected training organization and potential career opportunities in the skilled trades.”  

This partnership will assist students by efficiently moving them from college coursework to registered apprenticeships as they build the skills needed for high-demand careers in plumbing, pipefitting and related industries. The partnership also provides a pathway for Union members to earn college degrees. UA Local 412 covers New Mexico, El Paso and surrounding areas. 

For more information on DACC’s Commercial Technologies Department and its programs, go to Commercial Technologies. For information on UA Local 412, go to UA Local 412.    

Classifications designated by two organizations measure student success at Doña Ana Community College (DACC). 

The classifications have been compiled by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and The American Council on Education (ACE). These institutions released new classifications for universities and colleges to reflect the nature of higher education and student success on campuses nationwide. Carnegie Classifications are also tools that compare colleges in the country. 

DACC is one of 60 community colleges nationwide that earned a classification in Opportunity College and University (OCU). This designates DACC as offering higher access and higher earnings, which means DACC offers broad access to learners, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The classification looks at Pell grant recipients, undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity, and the median earnings of students' post-college. 

DACC is also classified as a Mixed Associate Medium, meaning the college offers a mix of academic programs with the highest degree awarded as an associate degree and ranks medium in terms of student population compared to other universities and colleges.  

The Carnegie Classification is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education. The classifications were first developed in 1970 and are updated every three years.  

For more information on the classifications, go to: Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education®.  

A new partnership between DACC and a local union is offering a pathway for apprentices at the union to earn college credit while receiving on-the-job training. 

DACC and the United Association (UA) Local 412 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Tuesday, March 24^th to allow union apprentices an opportunity to earn college credits leading to a degree with the college’s HVAC program. Apprentices also gain first-hand experience in the HVAC field. Furthermore, the agreement will allow current DACC students a pathway into placement with the union. It will also give graduating students credit toward classes completed while at DACC, along with a pathway.  

“This is a win-win for all involved,” says Travis Hawkins, department chair of DACC’s Commercial Technologies. “This partnership gives our students a chance to work in the field of their future career while they study to receive their degrees, while strengthening the local workforce.” 

Through this partnership DACC and UA 412 hope to create a more seamless transition between traditional academics and the high-demand careers in the local workforce as well as allowing members of the workforce to skill up and open greater opportunities while maintaining employment. UA Local 412 is a regional union for pipefitters, plumbers, and HVAC. It covers New Mexico, El Paso and surrounding areas.  

For more information on DACC’s Commercial Technologies Department and its programs, go to Commercial Technologies. For information on UA Local 412, go to UA Local 412.    

• Gael Lugo, architectural drafting 
• Julien Beltran, information technology services & job demo 
• Estevan Smith, internetworking & extemporaneous speech 
• David Deal, technical computer applications & customer service 
• Luis Velasco & Thomas Tucker, cybersecurity 
• Ricardo Morales, sheet metal 
• Chioma Abed-Amazu, computer programming 

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) will be hosting a lecture by a renowned architect from New York.  

Ronnette Riley will be offering a lecture on Friday, April 10^th at 5 p.m. at the DACC East Mesa campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd., inside the Academic Resources Building (DAAR) in room 106. Riley will be presenting a talk on her career to include early work with Philip Johnson and her contribution to the design of the Lipstick Building in New York. Riley will also discuss her current projects. Riley is owner of her own architecture firm, which opened in 1987. She is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.  

The talk is sponsored by the Coalition of Community College Architecture Students.    

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is co-sponsoring an event to help current and incoming college students apply for financial aid assistance.  

The college is joining other agencies by participating in the Thrive Beyond Event on Saturday, April 25th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mayfield High School, 1955 N. Valley Drive. This is a mega event to assist students with their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA. FAFSA allows students in higher education to be eligible for financial support such as grants, scholarships, work-study programs and loans. The application is free.  

Students at the event will also be able to register for $500 scholarships. There will also be community resource information available, including housing and food assistance. Attendees will also be able to win prizes and free college swag, in addition to free food available. 

Doña Ana Community College (DACC)’s English Department invites the public, DACC students, faculty and staff to an event celebrating the launch of a new student magazine.  

The event will be held on Wednesday, April 22^nd at 2 p.m. at the Espina Campus, 3400 S. Espina, in the Alex Sanchez Hall Commons area. The magazine features students’ writings and is for students, by students. “This project showcases the creativity and passion of our students in the English Department,” says Dr. Debasmita Roychowdhury, DACC professor of English. “This magazine is a vessel for our students to express their ingenuity and originality.” 

There will be refreshments for attendees at 1:30 p.m. with entertainment by DACC Assistant Professor of Music John De La Paz. A committee of ten English professors collaborated on different aspects of the project. If successful, the plan will be to open submissions to the entire college and invite students to serve on the editorial board. 

A free documentary showing and Q & A with the film director will take place tomorrow, Earth Day, at Doña Ana Community College (DACC).   

The film, “American Hemp Farmer”, will be shown on Wednesday, April 22^nd at 5:30 p.m. at the DACC East Mesa auditorium, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. The film documents a family’s experience after a wildfire on their remote New Mexico ranch. It follows resident Doug Fine and two other families as they set out to discover food security and wildlife migration around the world via hemp and other crops.

After the showing, a Q & A discussion will take place with the film’s director Doug Fine and editor Julian Gallegos. “I am so grateful to the southern New Mexico film community, to Film Las Cruces, NMSU and the DACC Film Department for making this New Mexico-shot film such a prominent and free Earth Day event in Las Cruces,” says Fine. “It’s an uplifting and unifying film and a ray of hope on Earth Day. There’s something we can all do about extreme climate." 

The film is currently airing nationwide on PBS stations, including KRWG-TV. Earth Day was established in 1970 and occurs every year on April 22^nd. According to earthday.org, the mission is to broaden, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.   

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is hosting a blood drive tomorrow in conjunction with Vitalant.  

The drive will be Thursday, April 23^rd from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Espina Campus, 3400 S. Espina, in the west parking lot. Appointments can be made by clicking this link at Vitalant scheduling page. Most donations take about 10 minutes. Donors can also donate power red, which collects red blood cells, but returns platelets and plasma. Donors musthave O-, O+, A- or B- blood type; that process takes about an hour and a half.  

According to Vitalant, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. To be eligible, someone who donates must be at least 16 years old, weigh 110 pounds and be in good general health. Please bring an ID, eat within two hours of your donation, drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids, and wait eight weeks between donations.

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is hosting a second blood drive this week in conjunction with Vitalant.  

The drive will be Wednesday, April 29th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Espina Campus, 3400 S. Espina, in the west parking lot. Appointments can be made by clicking this link at Vitalant scheduling page. Most donations take about 10 minutes. Donors can also donate power red, which collects red blood cells, but returns platelets and plasma. Donors have O-, O+, A- or B- blood type; the process takes about an hour and a half.  

According to Vitalant, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. To be eligible, someone who donates must be at least 16 years old, weigh 110 pounds and be in good general health. Please bring an ID, eat within two hours of your donation, drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids, and wait eight weeks between donations.