Fullerton College - History 1972 To Present

History 1972 To Present

Following the reorganization and ownership changes, it was decided that Fullerton Junior College should be renamed to reflect its new found independence from the high school. In 1972 the name of "Fullerton Junior College" was changed to "Fullerton College."

No major construction took place on campus during the 1970s. However, in 1977 Fullerton College was designated an Orange County Historical Site. During the early 1980s, construction projects resumed. In 1982, a major signage project took place which identified major classrooms and buildings for student reference. The 2000 Building, located across Chapman Avenue, was completed the same year and currently houses a variety of programs including Counseling, Admissions & Records, the Bookstore, Academic Support Center, and Distance Education.

In 1984, the California legislature passed AB 1XX which established a mandatory enrollment fee of $50 per semester. Students taking less than 6 units only paid $5 a unit, and those taking non-credit courses were exempt from fees. Until that point, students had not paid an enrollment fee and were only responsible for the cost of textbooks and any laboratory fees required for specific classes. As a result of the increase, student enrollment dropped 2,300 to 16,652.

In spite of that dip in enrollment, the college continued to expand throughout the 1980s. In 1980, classes, mainly self-paced and general business, were first held in the former Wilshire Junior High School, which closed the year before. Ten years later, in 1990, the college celebrated the opening of the Plummer Parking Structure on the corner of Lemon Street and Chapman Avenue. The project was funded by the North Orange County Community College District in conjunction with the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency.

During the spring of 2002, North Orange County voters passed a $239 million facilities bond measure, benefiting the North Orange County Community College District. Nearly $135 million of that bond measure was allotted to Fullerton College, and was used for renovation of current campus facilities and also to construct new facilities. On June 13, 2005, the new library inside of the LLRC was opened, and a formal dedication occurred on October 28, 2005.

As the cultural make-up of Orange County continued to change, greater emphasis was placed on both issues of diversity and cultural understanding. In an effort to promote diversity, the Cadena/Transfer Center was also established in 1996. A dual-purpose center, it offers both transfer assistance and cultural resources to students, faculty, and staff.

Fullerton was awarded its first Title III Hispanic Serving Institutions Grant in 1996, in the amount of $350,000. Funded by the US Department of Education, the grant was designed to enhance academic programs and student services for under-represented students. In 2002, the college received a Title V Hispanic Serving Institutions Grant, and in 2003, partnered with Santa Ana College and California State University, Fullerton for a Title V Collaborative Grant.

The Office of Equity & Diversity, which was originally established in 2000, also sponsors a number of cultural events, including visits to the Museum of Tolerance, panel discussions featuring members of Gay and Lesbians Initiating Dialogue for Equality, and a presentation by Little Rock Nine member Terrence Roberts.