COCC’s Redmond campus marks 25th anniversary with pair of free public events

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- In partnership with the Redmond Chamber of Commerce, Central Oregon Community College’s Redmond campus is commemorating a quarter century of providing higher education and community enrichment with free public events on March 9 and May 19.

The events will be at the COCC Redmond campus, 2324 SE College Loop. Visit cocc.edu/redmond to learn more.

The Redmond Chamber’s “Business After Hours,” a community networking and connection event, will toast the milestone beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, with snacks and beverages at the Redmond campus’s Technology Education Center.

On Friday, May 19, The Redmond Chamber’s “Coffee Clatter” will convene at 8:30 a.m. for pastries and coffee to celebrate the 25th anniversary, also at the Redmond campus’s Technology Education Center.

The 25-acre Redmond campus is the base for COCC’s apprenticeship, electric vehicle technician, manufacturing and veterinary technician programs, as well as a community health worker training site. The Redmond campus also offers credit courses that lead to transfer degrees, Small Business Development Center and professional development courses, community education classes, including the community choir, computer labs, a selection of summer youth camps and the Central Oregon Summer Spanish Immersion program for adults.

COCC board member Alan Unger, a resident of the city since 1950 and a former Redmond mayor, has seen the site grow from one structure in 1997 to its current campus of four buildings, much of it powered by a sizeable solar array on the property. “Redmond understood the need for higher education and provided land for the college to grow, to support our students, to support economic development and to enrich the community,” he said. “COCC and Redmond have a bright future together.”

With the college taking initial steps for a facility update for its manufacturing programs, the campus strives to serve the industry needs of the city and the greater region.

“This is a great moment for COCC and the city, but equally a celebration for all the individual lives who have pursued their ambitions through the college’s Redmond campus and shaped a rewarding life for themselves through education,” said Amy Ward, COCC’s Redmond campus director. “We continue to expand our catalog of classes in Redmond each year, with offerings from chemistry and emergency medical technician training to scriptwriting and sociology, working to bring more and more opportunities to best serve our community.”

For more information on the anniversary events, contact Amy Ward, Redmond campus director, at 541-504-2902.

In advance of college events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because of a physical or mobility disability should contact Caitlyn Gardner at 541-383-7237. For accommodation because of other disability, such as hearing impairment, contact disability services at 541-383-7583.