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.  

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®.  

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.    

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.  

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) Dental Hygiene Professor Dr. Elmer Gonzalez is the recipient of an international award.  

Dr. Gonzalez has received the World Dental Hygienist Award from the Sunstar Foundation. He is the first recipient from New Mexico to receive this international award. He is also one of six professionals chosen for the award series, and the first recipient of the Academia category. Dr. Gonzalez is the current interim dean of DACC’s Business & Public Services Division and was previously the department chair for Dental Programs.  

The World Dental Hygiene Awards are presented to dental hygienists around the world who have made outstanding contributions to oral health. The accolade also recognizes clinical care and research on education and community impact. The awards are given by both the Sunstar Foundation and the International Federation of Dental Hygienists.  

“This accomplishment is not mine alone,” says Dr. Gonzalez. ““It is shared with our Dental and Health Sciences team, our dedicated students, and the supportive DACC administration.”  

Dr. Gonzalez adds, “receiving the Sunstar World Dental Hygienist Award is truly humbling and deeply personal. As someone who came to the United States from Mexico, my passion for dental hygiene was shaped by witnessing the challenges many communities face in accessing care. This recognition reflects my commitment to empowering students and expanding access to oral health in our communities. I am grateful to serve, to teach, and to make a meaningful difference every day.” 

As part of this award, Dr. Gonzalez will gain global recognition, be part of a global network of inspiring dental hygiene professionals and attend the 2026 International Symposium on Dental Hygiene in Milan, Italy this summer.

Area volleyball players and the community donated thousands of diapers and wipes during Doña Ana Community College (DACC)‘s volleyball tournament this past weekend.  

The college’s Health & Wellness Program hosted the third annual “Serve & Support: Volley for a Cause” tournament on Saturday, April 25th to support DACC’s diaper bank. There were 19 teams – 10 recreational and nine competitive – with a little more than 130 players. The registration fee to play was a $100 donation of diapers and/or baby wipes. Players and the community donated 5,220 diapers and 15,452 baby wipes.  

“Over the past year, DACC’s Health & Wellness and Excelencia have distributed more than 1,500 diapers and approximately 60 packs of baby wipes to student families,” says Monica de Herrera-Pardo, DACC’s social worker. “In the past two years, we collected just over 5,000 diapers total, and this single event matched that amount, highlighting the incredible impact of this year’s tournament.” 

The event was held at NMSU’s intramural fields on Stewart and Locust Streets.  DACC’s Diaper Bank assists student parents who experience financial hardships when affording basic necessities.  

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is proud to announce that one of its professors has been selected for a regional teaching award and is now a nominee for the international award. 

Hillary Avitia, DACC Administrative Technologies department chair, was selected as the region 6 associate degree recipient of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Teaching Excellence Award. This award is considered a prestigious accolade presented to educators who demonstrate outstanding teaching prowess within the academic realm. 

Avitia will be formally recognized along with other regional awardees at the ACBSP Conference in Phoenix, Arizona from June 11th-13th. Avitia is now being considered for the International Teaching Excellence Award. 

“This is a significant and well-deserved recognition of Hillary’s commitment to teaching excellence, student success, and the high standards we value at Doña Ana Community College,” says Dr. Laura De La Cruz, dean of DACC’s Advanced Technologies Division. 

This marks the fourth consecutive year that a DACC faculty member has received this prestigious award. Previous recipients include James Cadena, Joaquin Tadeo, and Dr. Laura De La Cruz.  

Established in 1995 by the ACBSP Associate Degree Commission, the International Teaching Excellence Award acknowledges exceptional educators in the classroom. ACBSP is the sole accrediting body for business schools that presents an award for teaching excellence, open to applications from its extensive global membership. 

• East Mesa campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd., Las Cruces, NM - Student Resources Building (DASR)
• Chaparral center, 755 Prescott Anthony Dr., Chaparral, NM - room 111
• Sunland Park center, 3365 McNutt Rd., Sunland Park, NM – room 133

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) will host two free food distributions at the end of the month for students and the public.  

Two drive-thru food pantries will be held on Thursday, May 28th at two of DACC’s campuses:  

• Espina Campus, 3400 S. Espina St. at 9:30 a.m. Food distribution will be right outside of the library.  

• East Mesa Campus, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd. at 1:30 p.m. Food will be distributed across the parking lot from the auditorium. 

Items are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis with vehicles taking priority. For more information, please contact DACC’s Avanza Program at avanza@dacc.nmsu.edu.  

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) will hold two celebrations to honor graduates who received their high school equivalency diplomas.  

Students who obtained their General Education Development (GED) and High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) will be recognized on Tuesday, June 2nd at the DACC Sunland Park Campus auditorium, 3365 McNutt Road in Sunland Park from 5:30-7 p.m. A second ceremony will be in Las Cruces on Thursday, June 4th at the DACC East Mesa Campus auditorium, 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd., from 5:30-7 p.m. The GED test covers four subjects in math, science, social studies and reasoning through language arts. The HiSET covers five subjects from language arts (writing), mathematics, science, social studies and language arts (reading). DACC is an official testing center and offers classes to prepare students for these exams. 

There is no cost to complete a high school equivalency exam. You must be 16 years or older to attend classes.  

For more information on the program, go to this link here or call 575-527-7540. 

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) announces all campuses and centers will be closed in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. All campuses and centers will be closed Monday, May 25th.  Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, May 26th.