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Houston Community College

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Houston Community College
San Jacinto Memorial Building, formerly San Jacinto High School
TypeCommunity College System
Established1971
ChancellorDr. Margaret Ford Fisher
Academic staff
2,535[1]
Administrative staff
1,465[1]
Students52,000+ [2] (Fall 2024)
Address
3100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77004
,
Houston
,
Texas
,
U.S.A.
Campus23 Commuter Campuses
NicknameHCCS (or HCC)
AffiliationsSACS
MascotEagle
Websitewww.hccs.edu

Houston Community College, also known as the Houston Community College System (HCCS), is a community college that operates community colleges in Houston, Missouri City, Greater Katy, and Stafford in Texas. It is notable for actively recruiting internationally and for the large number of international students enrolled, over 5,700 in 2015. Its open enrollment policies, which do not require proficiency in English, are backed by a full-time 18-month English proficiency program and remedial courses.[3]

As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of HCCS includes the following school districts:[4]

History

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In 1927, the Houston Independent School District founded its first community colleges, Houston Junior College (for whites), which later evolved into the University of Houston and the Houston College for African American students (now Texas Southern University). In 1971, the district founded HCCS after HJC's and HCN's evolutions into the University of Houston and Texas Southern University respectively. In its early days, HCCS once used HISD school campuses for teaching facilities with classes during evenings and weekends like its founders. Around 1997, HCCS began to transfer operations to community college district-operated campuses throughout the HCCS service area.[5]

Former campus in Qatar

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The country of Qatar operates Education City to bring U.S. universities to the Middle East. Houston Community College ran a satellite campus in Education City. However, in early 2016 HCC announced that they were "massively scaling back operations" and closed this campus.[6] Over a five-year period, Qatar's government paid HCC approximately $30.5 million to subsidize the Education City campus. In a news interview, the HCC Board of Trustees Treasurer said he did not support continuing the campus. "We're a community college to educate kids in our district," he said.[6] When HCC first sent teachers to its Qatar campus, the Qatari government made some of them return to the United States because they were Jewish.[6]

Houston Community College System Administration Building

Police

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HCC operates its own police department.[7]

As peace officers, state law grants HCC Police the power to arrest without warrant for any felony, breach of the peace, disorderly conduct or intoxication offense that is committed in their presence or view while in Texas.[8] They may make an arrest pursuant to a warrant anywhere in Texas.[9] The HCC Police Department is divided into six divisions: Administrative, Criminal Investigations, Patrol, Bike Patrol, Training, Communications.

HCC Television

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HCCS Central Campus (Midtown)

HCCTV began in 1994 when the City of Houston chose the Houston Community College System (HCCS) to operate one of its educational access channels. Already in place since 1980, HCCTV was the college system's video component, producing programs of education, training and college promotion.[10]

HCCS operates Houston Community College Television (HCCTV) on Xfinity Channel 19, TV Max Channel 97, Phonoscope Channel 77 and Cebridge Channel 20 and streamed over the internet. The studio complex, which has one large studio unit, five editing suites, and a digital master control system, is located at the HCC District Campus.[11]

Athletics

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HCC offers several sports activities to its students throughout its campuses; the sports offered include:

List of colleges in HCCS

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Central College

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Willie Lee Gay Hall (South Campus)

[12]

Coleman College for Health Sciences

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Northeast College

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Northline Campus (Northside)

[14]

Northwest College

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Houston Community College Spring Branch (Memorial City, near Spring Branch)

[15]

  • Alief Campus (Houston)
  • Alief Continuing Education Center (unincorporated Harris County)
  • Katy Campus (Katy)
  • Spring Branch Campus (Houston)

Southeast College

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Fraga Campus (Near Downtown)

[18] Southeast College is home to two separate campuses in different parts of the HCC Southeast service area.

  • Felix Fraga Academic Campus (Houston)
  • Eastside Campus (Houston)

Eastside Campus (Houston)

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It is in Pecan Park.[19][20]

Felix Fraga Academic Campus (Houston)

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The Felix Fraga Academic Campus is located a mile and a quarter east of Downtown Houston at 301 N. Drennan St.

The campus opened in January, 2010 and was named for Felix Fraga by the HCC Board of Trustees in honor of his dedication to the educational, social, and economic success of the young people of Houston's southeast community and his devotion to improving their neighborhood. Fraga served as an HISD trustee and as a member of the Houston City Council. Today he is the Vice President of External Affairs for the Neighborhood Centers, Inc.

The Felix Fraga Campus hosts classes to over 1,500 students every semester. Its flagship offerings include Maritime Logistics, Pre-Engineering, and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) classes. Most core courses are also available.

In partnership with HISD, the Felix Fraga Campus is also the host location of HISD's East Early College High School.

Southwest College

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HCC West Loop Center

Notable alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "HCC Fact Book". Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  2. ^ "College Navigator - Houston Community College". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  3. ^ Manny Fernandez (October 30, 2015). "A Global Community's College". The New York Times. Retrieved November 3, 2015. Because the college has an open admission policy and does not require the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or Toefl, most students must go through an 18-month, full-time English-language program as well as remedial courses.
  4. ^ Texas Education Code, Section 130.182, "Houston Community College System District Service Area" Access date: March 10, 2024.
    See also: "HCC Single Member Districts 2023" (PDF). Houston Community College. Retrieved 2024-03-10. - See profile page
  5. ^ "TSPR Houston Community College System Archived 2003-06-26 at the Wayback Machine." Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Accessed September 23, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c Nakano, Hanna (2016-03-16). "Houston Community College scales back operation in Qatar". Gulf News Journal. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
  7. ^ "Police Department". Houston Community College. hcc.edu. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  8. ^ "Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 14. Arrest Without Warrant".
  9. ^ "Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 15. Arrest Under Warrant".
  10. ^ "HCC Television." Houston Community College. Retrieved on May 2, 2009.
  11. ^ "How to Access HCCTV Archived 2010-02-15 at the Wayback Machine." Houston Community College. Retrieved on May 2, 2009.
  12. ^ "Central College Archived 2008-09-06 at the Wayback Machine." Houston Community College District. Accessed September 5, 2008.
  13. ^ There are separate boundaries for the Midtown Super Neighborhood and the Midtown Management District. See City of Houston maps: Midtown Super Neighborhood and Management district map. Retrieved on June 4, 2019. - Also see: 2006 Midtown Management District Land Use Map and "SERVICE AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR FISCAL YEARS 2015-2024." Midtown Houston Management District. Retrieved on April 4, 2009. Map on page 25/25 of the PDF.
  14. ^ "Northeast College Archived 2025-03-17 at the Wayback Machine." Houston Community College District. Accessed May 6, 2025.
  15. ^ "Northwest College Archived 2011-12-25 at the Wayback Machine." Houston Community College District. Accessed September 5, 2008.
  16. ^ Foster, Robin. "Deadline to apply to Alief Early College High School is April 15." Houston Chronicle. April 2, 2009. Retrieved on April 8, 2009.
  17. ^ "Alief Early College High School Archived 2012-02-14 at the Wayback Machine." Alief Independent School District. Retrieved on April 8, 2009.
  18. ^ "[1] Archived 2025-04-20 at the Wayback Machine." Houston Community College District. Accessed May 6, 2025.
  19. ^ Harris County Block Book maps:
    • "Pecan Park Blocks 60-62, 70-72, 80-85, 90-95, 100, 105, 111-115, 121-123, and 131-133." Volume 60, Page 127. PDF and JPG.
    • "Houston Community College Eastside Campus Extension." Volume 117, Page 179. PDF and JPG.
  20. ^ "Eastside Campus." Houston Community College. Retrieved on April 1, 2019.
  21. ^ "Exit Vietnam: Photo shows Vietnamese transformation". Houston Chronicle. August 16, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
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