Riverside City College (RCC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...

. The college is part of the Riverside Community College District, as well as the larger

California Community Colleges System The California Community Colleges is a postsecondary education University system, system in the U.S. state of California.California Education CodSection 70900(added to the Education Code by Chapter 973 of the California Statutes of 1988Assembly ...

History

RCC first opened in 1916 at the same site as the

Riverside Polytechnic High School Riverside Polytechnic High School is a four-year public high school in Riverside, California, United States, and part of the Riverside Unified School District. The current facility, located on Victoria Avenue, was opened in September 1965; the ...

(Riverside Poly). Originally known as Riverside Junior College and later as Riverside City College,
University of California, Riverside, Science Library
/ref> the school changed its name to Riverside Community College in the mid-1980s. In 2008, the board of trustees renamed the institution back to ''Riverside City College''. The junior college expanded from the Riverside Poly campus and in 1924 constructed the first two buildings of the campus quadrangle in 1924. When Riverside Poly re-located to its own campus on Victoria Avenue in 1965 the college assumed total control of the Magnolia property. Today, Riverside City College is part of the greater Riverside Community College District which enrolls about 21,000 students each semester. Students may earn an

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

transfer Transfer may refer to: Arts and media * ''Transfer'' (2010 film), a German science-fiction movie directed by Damir Lukacevic and starring Zana Marjanović * ''Transfer'' (1966 film), a short film * ''Transfer'' (journal), in management studies * ...

to a four-year college or

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

, or earn a career certificate. In addition to the campus located in downtown Riverside, there are campuses in

Moreno Valley Moreno Valley is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and is part of the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Riverside County by population and one of the Inland Empire's pop ...

and Norco. Separate education centers include the

Riverside County Sheriff's Department The Riverside County Sheriff's Department, also known as the Riverside Sheriff's Office (RSO), is a law enforcement agency in Riverside County, in the U.S. state of California. Overseen by an elected Sheriffs in the United States, sheriff-corone ...

Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, the Center for Teaching Excellence at Stokoe, and the Rubidoux Annex in Rubidoux. RCC is also home to Gateway to College, a

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

that serves those returning to high school seeking diplomas as adults. RCC maintains programs in

liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

and

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

, and

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

and

vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people for a skilled craft. Vocational education can also be seen as that type of education given to an individual to prepare that individual to be gainfully employed or self employed with req ...

. The school band is the

RCC Marching Tigers The RCC Marching Tigers or "Hollywood's Band" is the marching band of Riverside City College. The band has appeared in parades such as the Tournament of Roses Parade, Fiesta Bowl Parade, the Hollywood Christmas Parade, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day ...

, which includes the Fantasia Winter Guard, which has won several

Winter Guard International Winter Guard International (WGI) is an American governing body that sanctions championship events for three competitive performing arts activities: winter guard, percussion ensembles, and indoor wind ensembles. WGI was founded in 1977 in respon ...

awards, a Fall Marching Band, a Winter Drum Line, and a Spring Pep Band. The

student newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station Graduate student journal, produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related new ...

is ''Viewpoints''. The college is home to the School for Nursing. In 2016, RCC opened the Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts on University Avenue and Market Street, adjacent to the historic White Park. The school is the home of the college's music program, including the internationally renowned RCC Chamber Singers, and the RCC Jazz Ensemble. The school combining classrooms, studios, and

digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, an ...

labs, built around a state of the art concert hall designed with adjustable acoustics. The new school serves around 1,000 students preparing for careers in vocal or instrumental performance,

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as primary education, elementary or secondary education, secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a rese ...

, and careers in the

music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...

. The college's marching band performed at the

Tournament of Roses Parade A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

in Pasadena, California on January 1, 2010, and at Bandfest at

Pasadena City College Pasadena City College (PCC) is a Public college, public community college in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. History Pasadena City College was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College. It originally o ...

Athletics

The Riverside City College Tigers compete in the

Orange Empire Conference Orange Empire Conference (OEC) is a community college athletic conference in Orange County, California. Member institutions and the OEC are governed by the California Community College Athletic Association. Commissioner * John Keever Member ins ...

(OEC) and Southern California Football Association, which operates within the

California Community College Athletic Association The California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A; formerly CCCAA) is a sports association of community colleges in the U.S. state of California. It oversees 108 athletic programs throughout the state. The organization was formed in ...

. The college currently fields nine men's teams and nine women's teams. The athletic facilities include Fran Bushman Tennis Courts, Riverside Aquatics Complex, Samuel C. Evans Complex, Wheelock Gymnasium and Wheelock Stadium.

Notable alumni

Jeff Bajenaru Jeffrey Michael Bajenaru (; born March 21, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach for the Hillsboro Hops, the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) f ...

– Major League Baseball *

Chester Carlson Chester Floyd Carlson (February 8, 1906 – September 19, 1968) was an American physicist, inventor, and patent attorney born in Seattle, Washington. Carlson invented electrophotography (now xerography, meaning "dry writing"), producing a dry ...

– Physicist, inventor, and patent attorney *

Jesse Chavez Jesse David Chavez (born August 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization. He played college baseball at Riverside Community College, and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2 ...

– Major League Baseball * John Gabbert – California Court of Appeal and Superior Court judge. * Mike Garcia – Major League Baseball *

Tommy Hanson Thomas J. Hanson Jr. (August 28, 1986 November 9, 2015) was an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Hanson made his MLB debut with Atlanta on ...

– Major League Baseball *

Jess Hill Jesse Terrill Hill (January 20, 1907 – August 31, 1993) was an American athlete, coach, and college athletics administrator who was best known for his tenure as a coach and athletic director at the University of Southern California (USC). His ...

– Major League Baseball from 1935 to 1937, first person to both play for and coach Rose Bowl champions * J. C. Jackson – NFL cornerback *

Domaine Javier Domaine Javier is a Filipino-American actress, nurse, and TV personality. She came to prominence after appearing on the MTV show ''True Life'' and being expelled by and suing California Baptist University over her right to study nursing there a ...

– Transgender actress, writer, reality TV personality, registered nurse, and activist *

Sharon Jordan Sharon Jordan (born March 11, 1960) is an American actress. One of her notable roles is Irene the concierge in the Disney Channel sitcom ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''. Jordan also appeared as Irene in ''That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana'' ...

– Film and television actress *

Bobby Kielty Robert Michael Kielty (last name pronounced KELT-ee) (born August 5, 1976) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, and Boston Red Sox during a Major League B ...

– Major League Baseball *

Noureddine Morceli Noureddine Morceli (, ''Nūr ud-Dīn Mursilī''; born February 28, 1970) is a retired Algerian middle-distance runner. The winner of the 1500 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Morceli won three straight gold medals at that distance at the Wor ...

– Olympic track champion *

Ryan Navarro Ryan Navarro (born July 5, 1994) is an American football long snapper who is a free agent. He also played for the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) and Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL. He played college football at Rive ...

– American football player * Douglas Negrete – All-American marathoner * Paul Oglesby – American football player *

Miné Okubo Miné Okubo (;, June 27, 1912 – February 10, 2001) was an American artist and writer. She is best known for her book '' Citizen 13660'', a collection of 198 drawings and accompanying text chronicling her experiences in Japanese American internm ...

– Artist and writer *

AJ Rafael Arthur Joseph Rafael (born March 12, 1989), known professionally as AJ Rafael, is a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, YouTuber, and TikToker. Born in Moreno Valley, California, he graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2010. Rafael st ...

– Singer-songwriter * Kathy Raymond – Model *

Bob Rule Bobby Frank Rule (June 29, 1944 – September 5, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. He played at center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Seattle SuperSonics, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and th ...

– NBA All-Star center *

Richard S. Prather Richard Scott Prather (September 9, 1921 – February 14, 2007) was an American mystery novelist, best known for creating the "Shell Scott" series. He also wrote under the pseudonyms David Knight and Douglas Ring. Biography Prather was born in ...

– Mystery novelist, pseudonyms David Knight and Douglas Ring *

Jake Retzlaff Jake Retzlaff (born March 28, 2003) is an American college football quarterback for the Tulane Green Wave. He previously played for the Golden West Rustlers, Riverside Tigers, and BYU Cougars. Early life Retzlaff attended Centennial High Sc ...

- college

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

– Dallas Cowboys linebacker * Chris Stewart – Major League Baseball *

Brian Stokes Brian Alexander Stokes (born September 7, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. Early life Stokes was born ...

– Major League Baseball *

Susan Straight Susan Straight (born October 19, 1960) is an American writer. She was a National Book Award finalist for the novel ''Highwire Moon'' in 2001. Biography Susan Straight attended John W. North High School in Riverside, California and took classes ...

– Writer and novelist, professor at the University of California, Riverside *

Charles Tuaau Charles Tuaau ( , born January 4, 1992) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) after he went undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft, 2015 NFL Draft. ...

– NFL nose tackle *

Ken Woodruff Ken Woodruff is an American television writer and producer. He is the showrunner and co-creator of Prime Video’s ‘’Butterfly’’ as well as the creator and showrunner of NBC’s ‘’ The Enemy Within’’. He has written and produced fo ...

- Television writer and producer

Notable former faculty and coaches

* Kurt Barber – National Football League, Coach at RCC *

Bob Boyd (basketball) William Robert Boyd (June 7, 1930 – January 14, 2015) was an American collegiate men's basketball coach who was head coach at Seattle University, the University of Southern California (USC) and Mississippi State University. Playing career & h ...

– William Robert "Bob" Boyd, Head coach at the University of Southern California (USC) and Mississippi State University, Head coach at RCC *

Edmund Jaeger Edmund Carroll Jaeger, D.Sc.,University of California, Riverside, Science Library (January 28, 1887 – August 2, 1983) was an American biologist known for his works on desert ecology. He was born in Loup City, Nebraska to Katherine (née Gunthe ...

– noted biologist (the Edmund C. Jaeger Desert Institute on the Moreno Valley College campus is named in his honor) *

Jess Mortensen Jesse Philo Mortensen (April 16, 1907 — February 19, 1962) was an NCAA champion track athlete and coach. Mortensen is one of only three men to win Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship team titles as both an athlete and coach. ...

– NCAA champion track athlete, USC track and field, Coach at RCC *

Jerry Tarkanian Jerry Tarkanian (August 8, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American basketball coach. He coached college basketball for 31 seasons over five decades at three schools. He spent the majority of his career coaching with the UNLV Runnin' Reb ...

– NCAA Basketball coach, RCC coach * Bob Schermerhorn – NCAA Basketball coach, RCC coach

References

External links

* {{authority control California Community Colleges Education in Riverside, California Universities and colleges in Riverside County, California Two-year colleges in the United States 1916 establishments in California Universities and colleges established in 1916