Navigating Cypress College: A Comprehensive Guide to the Campus

Cypress College, founded in 1966, is a vibrant institution offering a wide array of academic and vocational programs. As part of the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD), Cypress College has grown significantly since its inception. This guide provides a detailed overview of the campus, its key locations, and the resources available to students.

A Brief History of Cypress College and NOCCCD

The roots of Cypress College trace back to 1913 with the establishment of Fullerton Junior College, one of the first community colleges in California. Fullerton Junior College provided students in North Orange County with the opportunity to complete the first two years of a traditional post-secondary education in their local community. Reorganized in 1922 as the Independent Junior College District-Fullerton Junior College District-, it broadened its mission in the 1920s to include vocational programs like oil production, typing, stenography, and bookkeeping.

The transition from Fullerton Junior College District to NOCCCD began in 1964 with the merger of several school districts. This led to the development of additional sites, including Cypress College, which welcomed its first students in 1966. Another campus opened in Yorba Linda in the fall of 1982. While Fullerton College and Cypress College focus on the traditional two-year education for students seeking an associate’s degree and/or transfer to a four-year university, the Yorba Linda campus was established to provide noncredit educational opportunities to the adult student population.

In 2001, NOCCCD acquired the former Martin Luther Hospital building and converted it to an educational site called the Anaheim Campus. In 2003 noncredit programs were relocated from the Yorba Linda Center to the Anaheim Campus and the Yorba Linda site was sold to the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District.

In 2017, the School of Continuing Education was renamed North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE). The same year, Cypress College expanded its offerings with the District’s first baccalaureate degree program in Mortuary Science. Today, Cypress College stands as a comprehensive community college offering 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. It is also one of the few California community colleges with two baccalaureate degrees-in Funeral Service and Dental Hygiene.

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Key Landmarks and Buildings

Gateway Plaza and the Campanile

The Gateway Plaza serves as the welcoming entrance to Cypress College. The park-like space focuses students and visitors to the campanile, which towers above the Student Center and Bookstore buildings and is visible from the city streets surrounding Cypress College. The campanile, the vision of founding President Dan Walker, is reminiscent of spires of the world’s great educational institutions. Encircled by a planter, the campanile today serves as a spot for students to gather, provides a backdrop for commencement, and often is adorned with colors to mark a holiday or to bring awareness.

Student Center

The Student Center building stands in the heart of the campus, in front of the Cypress College campanile at Gateway Plaza. The Student Center building gently curves around it, with wall-to-wall windows from the ground to the roof atop the second story. Banners of former outstanding students hang in the large windows, offering current students representation and inspiration.

Inside the Student Center building, you’ll find several services to begin or support students’ college careers. The Welcome Center is located inside the western entrance, where helpful student ambassadors are waiting to assist students in navigating campus resources. The Admissions & Records office is on the first floor as well, providing access to necessary files for enrollment and commencement. Finally, Charger Café resides on the ground floor, serving students and employees hot meals. Upstairs on the second floor, students can access Charger Experience, Transfer Center, and Express Counseling. The International Students Program (ISP) - located inside the Student Center - assists international students in all aspects of the college experience, including the application and admission process, assessment testing, orientation, academic counseling, and course registration.

Library & Learning Resource Center (L/LRC)

The Library & Learning Resource Center (L/LRC) supports students’ academic progress. Its hi-tech, environmentally friendly design is coupled with the convenience of a one-stop academic support service center, which includes an English Success Center, Mathematics Learning Center, supplemental instruction, computer labs, and tutorial services.

Humanities Building

The Humanities building is home to the college’s Language Arts and Social Sciences divisions. It is located on the northern tip of campus off of Lot 9 and next to the new Science, Engineering, Mathematics building. Inside the building you’ll find a My Cypress Story wall down the western corridor featuring stories from current students, alumni, faculty, and staff. The building is also home to new community spaces for the college’s Puente and Legacy programs.

Fine Arts Building

The Fine Arts building houses the college’s fine and performing arts programs and is adjacent to the Cypress College Theater. The building hosts a space for the college newspaper, The Cypress Chronicle, as well as course and lab spaces for the college’s programs in art, commercial music, dance, media arts design, and music. Just west of the Fine Arts building is a chilled-water, thermal-energy storage tank, which reduces overhead costs and increases energy efficiency on campus. The Fine Arts Swing Space is a temporary home for several of the college’s fine and performing arts programs during the renovation of the Fine Arts building.

Cypress College Theater and Art Gallery

Drop by the Cypress College Theater and be treated to an exciting performance from students, community members, and other veterans of the stage. The 580-seat theater is one of the campus’ premier facilities. Every semester, this grand space features multiple college performances in theater, dance, and music. The Cypress College Art Gallery is housed adjacent to the theater and features multiple professional and student exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and other events each year.

Bookstore

The Bookstore is located next to the Student Center and in front of the campanile at Gateway Plaza. This is a central point of the Cypress College campus, where students can gather between classes. The Bookstore is one of the campus’ newer buildings, built for the expanding student body and growing course offerings. Inside the Cypress College Bookstore, students can find materials needed for class, including books, writing instruments, notebooks, test scoring sheets, etc.

Business Building

The Business building sits is noticeable for its orange tile staircase exterior. It stands at the edge of campus in front of Parking Lot 1, in front of the flagpoles. The Campus Safety headquarters are at the south side of the building. Here, students can get help with parking permits and can call for officers to escort them across campus and parking lots after dark. The Business building houses classes in Accounting, Court Reporting, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Management, and Marketing. It also contains the Business and Computer Information Systems Lab and Division Assistance Services. With in-person and virtual services, the lab has assistance for current CIS, Computer Science and Court Reporting students with classes that require use of the lab to enhance their skills.

Cypress College Complex (CCCPLX)

When you first step onto the Cypress College campus from Lot 1, the unique acid-stained concrete mural entwined in the Cypress College Complex building is sure to catch your eye. Completed in 1967 by artist Sergio O’Cadiz, the mural is one of a diminishing number of works created by O’Cadiz. The CCCPLX exterior also features the college’s core values and student portraits across three levels. CCCPLX houses Disability Support Services and Financial Aid on the 1st floor; EOPS and associated programs on the 2nd floor; administrative offices on the 3rd floor; and student study spaces, conference rooms, and featured artwork on the 4th floor.

Read also: Navigating Cypress College Courses

Technical Education Buildings (I & III)

Technical Education I is one of three buildings on campus dedicated to Career Technical Education. This first building is accessible via the walkway between the Student Center and Bookstore, in front of the campanile off Gateway Plaza. Another entrance is located on the second level piazza, which connects it to the other Technical Education buildings. The simulator lab features a unique Boeing 737 Max commercial aircraft as the centerpiece of the facility. Created at the direction of faculty, this simulator is a replica of the 737 series of jets flown across the globe. The lab also features a full-motion, twin-engine simulator, and individual flying stations. The Automotive Technology and Automotive Collision Repair classrooms and labs occupy the ground floor of Technical Education I. A body yard behind the building allows students to perform hands-on work on several types of cars. Our Toyota and Lexus T-TEN Program offers students precise training for Toyota and Lexus vehicles, and connections to repair shops nationwide. The second floor of Tech Ed I house the Photography and Aviation and Travel Careers classrooms.

Technical Education III is the location of Cypress College’s Health Science programs. It’s accessed on the second floor either from the piazza, which connects many of the college’s original buildings, or the walkway from Lot 4 on the southeastern side of the campus. Students interested in our Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Mortuary Science, Psychiatric Technology, and Radiologic Technology programs take classes in this building under instructors with real-world and current experience. Inside Technical Education Building III, Health Science students have access to modern lab facilities and teachers with real-world experience. On the ground level, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration students train with teachers who have led successful HVAC and other AC/R careers. The second floor houses the Psychiatric Technology and Mortuary Science classes and labs.

Student Life & Leadership Building

Student Life & Leadership provides an element of students’ lives that coexists with their academic endeavors. The Student Life & Leadership building offers students a computer lab, student lounge, food pantry, game room, conference room, and a general work area for student club projects. It is also where Associated Students is located.

Veterans Resource Center (VRC)

The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) assists active-duty military personnel, veterans, and dependents seeking to complete an educational degree or certificate of achievement. The VRC provides opportunities for peer-to-peer support for academics and wellness as well as camaraderie, mentoring, and social networking through active participation in campus and local communities. The VRC welcomes volunteers from the veteran student community to work with their fellow veterans as mentors.

Gymnasiums 1 & 2

Gymnasium 1 is home to a variety of kinesiology courses designed for the overall fitness of students. Here, students can participate in fitness and strength training, total body fitness, spinning, futsal, athletic weight training, conditioning for athletes, and more. Gymnasium 2 features Don Johnson Court, the college’s primary indoor playing surface for basketball and volleyball. The facility also houses the Kinesiology Division office, the Health Center, and the athletics Hall of Fame.

Student Health Center

The Student Health Center supports the student’s learning experience through the delivery of services and programs that promote the health of the student.

Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (SEM) Building

The new 106,000-square-foot SEM building serves students in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Designed from the ground up, the classrooms, labs, and common spaces are envisioned as a collaboration hub. The facilities include classrooms, research and teaching laboratories, interactive student resource areas, a multidisciplinary classroom, lecture spaces, conference rooms, and a garden-like open-air corridor.

Other Important Features

The Pond

The pond is located within the central portion of the campus and provides a popular and relaxing outdoor space for students to study year-round.

Tribute Garden and Memorial Bridge

The new Tribute Garden features flags waving in tribute for each branch of the military to honor those who served. Also in this area is the new memorial bridge, and an outdoor event plaza, which combine to connect the Tribute Garden to Cypress College’s new Veteran’s Resource Center.

Crematorium

This facility creates cross disciplinary educational opportunities for the safe and ethical treatment of lab specimens.

Navigating the Campus

Parking

Parking is available in various lots around the campus. The Campus Safety headquarters, located on the south side of the Business building, provides assistance with parking permits and escorts across campus and parking lots after dark.

Accessibility

Cypress College is committed to providing accessible facilities for all students. An accessible version of the campus tour is available for users needing extra accessibility features.

Student Ambassadors

Student Ambassadors are active leaders of our campus. They help students manage transitions and navigate the higher education system, and answer general student questions. Ambassadors have a wide range of knowledge about Cypress College, from student support services on campus to the instruction component of higher education.

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