Maricopa Community Colleges

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Chronology

1913 Phoenix Union High School enrolls its first 2 postgraduate students.
1920 Benjamin McFall, Daniel Jantzen and Weston Carpenter design the first year Phoenix Junior College curriculum.
1920-3 1920-3 Weston W. Carpenter is the first Dean of the Phoenix Junior College. Enrollment began at 60 students and grew to 10,000 by 1968.
1927 Phoenix Junior College becomes the second post high school institution to attain membership in the North Central Accrediting Association.
Fall 1939 Construction began on a 50 acre field on West Thomas Road for the Phoenix College campus.
1947-67 Dr. Robert J. Hannelly is appointed the first President of the Maricopa County Community College District.
1962 Maricopa County Junior College District is created and acquires Phoenix College. Governing Board sets up the Glendale and Mesa campuses as extensions of Phoenix College.
1962 Maricopa Skill Center begins classes at Phoenix Union High School with federal funding from the Manpower Development and Training Act.
1963 Mesa Community College operates as an extension campus of Phoenix College. The first extension centers were: Northwest Phoenix, 15th Ave & Maryland (Glendale Extension); North east Phoenix, 16th St. and Camelback (Camelback Extension); and at 809 W. Main Street in Mesa (Mesa Extension).
The Mesa Extension consisted of 3 buildings and 2 houses on a ¾ acre of land. Today this site is the Landmark Restaurant which opened in January 1974. This 1911 building was used by MCC until 1965. The main room was the library and classrooms were in the basement.
May 1963 Bond election for MCCCD of $9.8 million is defeated by a vote of about 12,000 to 8,000.
Sept. 11, 1963 330 students register for classes the first semester at Mesa Community College.
May 1964 A second bond election for $4.9 million is successful.  This enables MCCCD to receive state funds of $500,000 for each campus.
August 1964 Land is purchased for the new Mesa Community College campus at Baseline and Southern Roads, Mesa.
1963-74 John Riggs, Executive Dean and President for Mesa Community College.
1964-65 Mesa Community College enrollment is 814 students.
1965-67 Governing Board appoints Dr. John F. Prince, Provost of Glendale Community College.
1965-66 MCC enrollment jumps to 1369 students.  Six different locations in Mesa are found to facilitate classes.  The campus desperately needs more parking and the city graveled a ¼ acre field to accommodate the students and faculty who had to travel to attend their classes.
April 1965 Mesa Community College is Governing Board approved as an independent campus.
April 12, 1965 Maricopa Junior College District Board meeting officially names Glendale Community College and Mesa Community College.  Capital funds from the bond election enabled Mesa Community College to purchase 120 acres with an option to purchase the adjoining 40 acres.  Dr. John D. Riggs, Dean of the Mesa Extension becomes Executive Dean of Mesa Community College.  Other MCC administrators are: Keith Breon, Dean of Admissions; Jinnett Kirk, Dean of Students, Theo Heap, Associate Dean of Students.
April 27, 1965 Glendale Community College campus groundbreaking.
June 10, 1965 MCC’s first graduating class of 27 students held their commencement ceremony on the Phoenix College athletic field.
   
September 1965 Tibschraney Bros. Construction Company of Mesa begins building on the new Mesa Community College campus. First phase of buildings include: Student Union, Life Science and the Maintenance buildings.
Oct. 15, 1965 Mesa Community College ground breaking ceremony conducted by the Student Body President “Jeep” Anderson.
Fall 1965 Glendale Community College begins classes 1510 E. Camelback and 1718 W. Maryland Ave.
May 6, 1966 The Phoenix College tradition of Bear Day at Encanto Park imitated by Mesa Community College’s  annual HoKam Day at Rendezvous Park. The day of class competition features swimming, shuffleboard, football, horse-shoes, badminton, croquet, softball and volley ball along with a picnic.
May 27, 1966 Mesa Community College holds its first Baccalaureate Service in the Interstake Center.  This is a religious service before graduation.  The Commencement ceremony is held on June 1 at Rendezvous Park.
Fall 1966 Mesa Community College campus opens at its new site the corner of Dobson and Southern.  The buildings are: the student center, the science building, the maintenance building and 26 portable classrooms—giving MCC the nickname “portable university.”   Kemper, Goodwin & Horlbeck, and Hickman & Associates are the architectural firms for the new campus.
Fall 1966 Glendale Community College begins classes at its permanent facility at 6000 W. Olive Avenue.
Sept. 9, 1966 The first graduating class for the MCC Practical Nursing program has 16 graduates.
Oct. 30, 1966 Mesa Community College campus dedication day.  The program was held in the area north of the student union and west of the flagpole.
1967-75 Governing Board appoints Dr. Matt O. Hanhila, Provost of Glendale Community College.
January 1967 Maricopa County Junior College District governing board approved $3.4 million budget for six new buildings at Mesa Community College.  The facilities planned for MCC are: a gymnasium, technology, business education, classrooms, physical science and library buildings.
April 10, 1967 Governing Board approves the founding of Scottsdale Community College.
April 10,  1967 Ground breaking ceremony for the MCC library and physical science buildings.
August 1967 Phoenix College, Glendale Community College and Mesa Community College all receive institutional accreditation and Maricopa receives district accreditation from North Central Association.
Fall 1967 MCC enrollment is 2717 headcount for day students, far exceeding the projected enrollment of 2400.  Agriculture and Home Economics were added to the curriculum.
Fall 1967 Jim Brock starts the MCC baseball program with a 163-80 record in 6 years. 
Oct.23, 1967 Governing Board names the new college Maricopa Technical Community College located at 1st. St. & Washington.
Dec. 13, 1967 Ground breaking ceremony for MCC gymnasium and stadium.
1965-71 Mr. J. Lee Thompson is appointed the 2nd President of the Phoenix College.
1967-76 John Prince is appointed the 2nd MCCC District President.
1968-1970 Mr. Irwin Spector is appointed Executive Dean of GateWay Community College
1968 Mesa Community College names its mascot the Hokam.
1968 MCC becomes a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) enabling our athletic programs to compete on the national level winning 18 National Championships and 83 Conference Titles in 30 years of competition.
1968 MCC track and field Hokams win the state conference championship four years in a row 1968-1971. They also win the national track and field championship 1968-69 and 1973.  Ernie Bullard is their first head coach followed in 1969 by Coach Carvel Jackson winning 5 national titles.   MCC track and field has produced 127 All-Americans including Ron Semkiw’s (1974) shot-put record and Mark Murro’s (1968) javelin throw.
Spring 1968 The MCC library and classroom building is completed.  With 36,000 square feet, the new building houses the library collection and operations, 6 classrooms, a media center, a learning/tutoring center and a copy center.
March 25, 1968 Ground breaking ceremony for Mesa Community College’s three new facilities: technology, business education and general classroom buildings.
April 1968 The Department of Health, Education & Welfare awards a $166,667 grant to Mesa Community College to help with the construction of their Music Building.
May 16, 1968 Open house for the new MCC library and physical science buildings.
Fall 1968 MCC enrollment is 3473 day students.  Registered Nursing is added to the curriculum.
Sept. 1968 Maricopa Technical Community College has a begining enrollment of 1,260 students.
Oct.24, 1968 A successful $9.8 million bond issue for the Maricopa Community College District provided $440,000 in funds for the MCC music building.
1969 Scottsdale Community College begins classes at Scottsdale High School and North Scottsdale Baptist Church
June 1969 Mesa Community College baseball team, the Hokams, win state and regional championships 1969-1973.  Under Coach Lot Christensen the tennis team wins the state championship and 6th nationally.  Jim Brook’s baseball team wins state title and second nationally.  Carvel Jackson, track coach took his team to state and national championships for the 2nd year in a row. Joe Nix’s wrestling team placed 3rd in nationals.
July 1, 1969 Dr. Marion G. Donaldson is the Founding Executive Dean of Scottsdale Community College.
September 1969 Scottsdale Community College opens as Mesa Community College Extension with 100 evening courses offered at Scottsdale High School.  Over 1000 students are expected to enroll.
Fall 1969 Dedication of the football stadium.
Fall 1969 MCC enrollment is 3973 day students, 2538 headcount for night students.  Additional vocational-technical programs are added to the curriculum along with teacher aide and Fashion Merchandising.
December 1969 The Tibshraeny Construction Company has completed their MCC building project.  It includes: new $600,000 technology building, a social science building, a faculty office building, a $325,000 business education building and a gymnasium.
1970-1981 Dr. Norbert Bruemmer is appointed Provost of GateWay Community College.  His title changed to President in 1977.
1970 Mesa Community College football team wins second place in the national championship.  Coach Paul Widmer takes the team to 2 National Championships and five Conference Titles during his decade of leadership with an 83-14-1 record.  MCC’s football team has produced over 50 All-Americans, 30 Academic All-Americans and 29 professional football players including: Bobby Thomas (1968) LA Rams, T.C. Wright, San Diego Chargers, Mike Johnson, British Columbia Lions, Trevor Cavanaugh, Edmonton Eskimos, Jerold Jeffcoat, NY Giants.
1970 MCC baseball team, the Hokams, win the national baseball championship for 3 successive years—1970, 1971 and 1972.
Fall 1970 MCC enrollment is 4424 day students, 2905 evening students.
Sept.14, 1970 Scottsdale Community College begins class at its permanent site with portable buildings.
Sept. 28, 1970 Groundbreaking ceremony for Scottsdale Community College.
October 1970 The music building is completed.
1971-1989 Dr. William E. Berry is appointed Provost for Phoenix College.
Summer 1971 Mesa Community College, Cochise College in Douglas, Eastern Arizona College, Thatcher and Arizona Western College in Yuma join forces to form the Arizona Community College Consortium. The organization plans to coordinate special programs and plan curriculum development with a special focus on Hispanic and Mexican American culture.
July 30, 1971 GateWay Community College receives its NCA accreditation.
Fall 1971 Mesa Community College has a record enrollment of 4475 day students and 3132 evening students.
1972 Mesa Community College wins the national tennis championship. Coach Lot Christensen is considered the “Father of Tennis.” In his 21 years as coach MCC scores an unbelievable 409 wins to only 50 losses.
1972 Jim Frye becomes MCC’s second head baseball coach with a 334-172 record for 11 seasons.   Jim is inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996 for his work in community college baseball.  Over 70 former MCC stars have signed professional baseball contracts including: 1988 World Series hero Mickey Hatcher, 1986 American League play-off MVP Marty Barrett, Mike Devereaux, Dave Collins, Hubie Brooks, Paul Single, Brett Merriman.
January 1972 MCC baseball coach Jim Brock wins the NJCAA’s Coach of the Year Award, The Adirondack “Big Stick” award.
1973 MCC football team wins the national championship at the Sunkist Bowl at Yuma, Arizona.
July 1, 1973-1976 Dr. Ray Cattani is appointed Executive Dean of Scottsdale Community College.
1974 The MCC mascot was changed to the from the Hokam to the Thunderbird. Students select red and blue as the school colors.
January 1974 The MCC nursing building is opened.
1974-78 Helena Howe is appointed MCC President.  She is the first woman President in the Maricopa Community College District.
Jan. 1975-Jul. 1983 Jack Riddle is appointed Director of the Center.
July 1, 1975-95 Governing Board approves Dr. John R. Waltrip as Provost of Glendale Community College.
1976 Groundbreaking for the Outback Theatre constructed on MCC campus.
July 6, 1976-1977 Mike Svaco is appointed acting Dean of Scottsdale Community College.
Fall 1976 The Mesa Community College liberal arts building opens for classes.
Oct.6, 1976 Maricopa Skill Center enrolls 380 students.
1977-99 Paul Elsner is appointed the 3rd Chancellor to the Maricopa County Community College District.
Dec. 28,1977-present Dr. Arthur DeCabooter is appointed President of Scottsdale Community College.
1978-1979 Walter Morrison is appointed Provost of Rio Salado College.
March 14, 1978 Governing Board approves the development of Rio Salado College. It's first location is 640 N. 1st Avenue, Phoenix
April 25, 1978 Governing Board approves the creation of South Mountain Community College.
July 1978 Rio Salado College leases 180 facilities throughout Maricopa County--making it a valley-wide college.
1979 Rio Salado receives candidacy status from North Central Accreditation.
Aug.23, 1979 Groundbreaking ceremony for South Mountain Community College.
Oct. 1, 1978-
Oct. 5, 1992		 Dr. Raul Cardenas is appointed founding President for SMCC.
1978-84 Theo J. Heap is appointed MCC President.
1979-80 Mr. Lionel Martinez is appointed interim Provost for Rio Salado College.
1980-85 Ms. Myrna Harrison is appointed President of Rio Salado College.
Fall 1980 First classes begin for South Mountain Community College in the temporary locations at Holy Family Catholic Church, Greenfield Junior High School and South Mountain High School.
1981-1985 Governing Board appoints Dr. Charles Green President of GateWay Community College.
1982 Complete construction of the Health Improvement Center.  A weight room is added in 1983.
   
1982-89 South Mountain Community College receives the following North Central Accreditations: 1982 2 year accreditation, 1984 5 year accreditation, 1989 10 year accreditation.
Jul.25, 1982-1988 Louis Salebra is appointed Director of the Maricopa Skill Center.
1981 Rio Salado College receives 5-year accreditation from NCA. This is the highest possible years for a new institution.
Fall 1981 South Mountain Community College has an enrollment of about 1,150 students.
June 1982 GateWay Community College begins classes at its permanent facility, 108 N. 40th Street.
March 1983 Governing Board approves the development of Paradise Valley Community College.
1984-2002 Ms. Arnette Ward is appointed Provost of Chandler-Gilbert Community College. On March 25, 1992 Arnette is named President.
1984 Successful Maricopa County Community District Bond election.
April 1984 Governing Board approves the development of Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Estrella Mountain Community College.
Fall 1984 MCC new Technology Building opens.  It includes laboratories for agriculture, electronics, and automotive classes along with areas for drafting and home economics.  The architect firm was Hickman, Schafer and Turley.
1984-88 Wallace A. Simpson is appointed MCC President.
1985-1988 Governing Board appoints Ms. Myrna Harrison President of GateWay Community College.
1985-90 Dr. Charles Green is appointed President of Rio Salado College
Jan. 1985-1992 John Cordova is appointed Provost for Northeast Valley Education Center (Paradise Valley College).
April 23, 1985 MCCCD Governing Board approves purchase of 90 acres at   $2.25 million for the site of Northeast Valley Education Center (PVCC) at 32nd Street and Union Hills
Aug. 26, 1985 PVCC classes begin at a temporary site: Temple Chai and Paradise Valley High School.  There were 80 classes and 356 students.  PVCC operates as an extension of Scottsdale Community College, its accredited parent institution in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Fall 1985 Chandler/Gilbert Education Center begins its first year of operation as an extension of Mesa Community College. Classes are held at the former Seton High School.
Dec.5, 1985 Ground lifting ceremony at 32nd Street & Union Hills dedicating the Northeast Valley Education Center (NVEC) future PVCC.
1986 Rio Salado College receives its 6 year NCA accreditation renewal.
Jan. 22, 1986 Registration figures are up 61.10%.  Fall Semester was 85 FTSE, Spring Semester is 135.94 FSTE.
Mar. 3, 1986 Construction begins on NVEC/PVCC campus which includes the construction of 10 buildings totaling 175,340 square feet.  The buildings include: a Learning Resources Complex, four classroom buildings, Student Community Services Center, Physical Activity Center, Administration Building, Child Care Center and Physical Plant.
Sept. 1986 Groundbreaking for Chandler-Gilbert Community College campus.
Nov.9, 1986 Northeast Valley Education Center is formally named Paradise Valley Community College Center at the MCCCD Governing Board meeting.
May 2, 1987 PVCC Campus Dedication Day with the 1st annual Don Ruffin Memorial Art Exhibit.
Oct.1, 1978-Oct.5, 1992 Dr. Raul Cardenas is appointed founding President of South Mountain Community College.
Fall 1986 MCC Fitness Center opens with 400 student members.
Feb.20, 1987 Jinnett B. Kirk, MCC’s first Dean of Students is honored with the Don Carlos Humanitarian Award.
Sept. 1987 PVCC classes open at the 90 acre permanent campus site, 32nd Street & Union Hills.  10 buildings totaling 175,000 sq. ft. and a 100 station computer lab comprise the new campus.  Fall 1987 4018 students are enrolled in 365 classes. This is a 369%             increase in headcount and 573% increases in FTSE over last year.
Oct. 10, 1987 Chandler/Gilbert Community College Center, an extension of Mesa Community College opens its new campus with a dedication day. The campus includes 50,000 sq. ft. of instructional facilities including classrooms, offices, child care center, Learning Resources Center, computer lab, cafeteria, science labs and exercise room.  Arnette Ward is CGCC Provost.
October 24, 1987 The MCC Children's Center is open offering affordable child care for MCC students, faculty and staff.  The Director Barbara Mezzio has also developed a scholarship fund to assist students with child care needs.
Fall 1987 Chandler-Gilbert Community College begins its first classes at their permanent campus on Pecos Road.
Dec. 1988-2000 Governing Board appoints Dr. Phil Randolph President of GateWay Community College.
1988-2002 Stan Grossman is appointed Director of the Maricopa Skill Center.
1988-present Dr. Larry K. Christiansen is appointed Mesa Community College President.
Sept.12, 1988-present Governing Board appoints Dr. Homero Lopez Provost of Estrella Mountain Community College. In 1996 he is named President.
1989-90 MCC basketball team scores a perfect 22-0 in league play.
1989-93 Myrna J. Harrison is appointed Phoenix College Provost.
June 1989 PVCC receives $800,000 capital allocation from the District Construction Development Executive Council.  The funds are from the 1984 bond election and will be used to purchase campus furniture, equipment and landscaping.
   
June 1989 The Puma becomes the official PVCC mascot based on over 300 votes from students, faculty and staff.  Last year they voted the official school colors to be sand and turquoise.
June 6, 1989 Governing Board approves the name Estrella Mountain Community College for the new campus.
August 21, 1989 25th Anniversary reception at the Landmark Restaurant.
Dec. 1989 Maricopa Skill Center begins classes at its permanent 40th Street location.
1990-present Governing Board appoints Dr. Linda M. Thor President of Rio Salado College.
1990 GateWay Community College is awarded the full 10 year NCA accreditation. 
1990 The East Valley Think Tank is formed as a consortium of 18 institutions across the continuum of elementary, secondary, and post secondary public education. The collaborative activities of the EVTT include business, government and other non-profit agencies.
1990 MCCCD begins a district wide Travel Reduction Survey for employees and students as mandated by the State Legislature.
April 24, 1990 MCCD Governing Board votes to change the position of MCCCD campus Provost to President. 
1990 Tom Bennett, MCC basketball coach is voted NJCAA Basket ball Coach of the Year.
Feb. 13, 1990 North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) recommend that PVCC receive full independent accreditation.   Prior to 1990, PVCC was accredited with its parent institution, Scottsdale Community College, in Scottsdale, Arizona and operated as an extension of that institution.
Feb. 1990 Dr. Warren Buxton, a faculty member at PVCC has donates his art collection to the school.  It is over 600 pieces of Western art from 1880 to the present including such artists as: de Grazia, August Lennox, Swazo, Bruce Winn and Harrison Begay.
May 1990 Paradise Valley Community College receives NCA accreditation.
Fall 1990 MCC-ASU Transfer Center is formed on MCC campus.  Students considering a transfer to ASU have a full time staff person to help with that decision.
Sept.4, 1990 First classes for Estrella Mountain Community College are offered at the following High Schools: Tolleson Union, Agua Fria Union, Westview, and Buckeye.
Oct. 18, 1990 The Alumni Clock Tower dedication.
November 1990 MCC and Motorola form a training partnership in downtown Mesa.  The new facility will be called Motorola University and offer classes to train more than 20,000 Motorola employees. The facility includes 7 classrooms, 3 computer labs and a fitness center.
November 1990 MCC women’s cross country team wins the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference with an overall record of 33-3 and a conference record of 7-0.  Spencer Peterson is the team’s coach. The team goes on to win 4th place in the National Junior College Athletic Association championship.
1991 MCC was allotted $63,000 in a 1984 bond election for the purchase of campus art.
April 11, 1991 Groundbreaking ceremony for Estrella Mountain Community College.
September 1991 MCCCD moves its administrative office to the Interstate Corporate Center at 2411 W. 14th Street, Tempe.
September 1991 MCC Governing Board approves a grant of $38,500 for the East Valley Tech Prep Consortium.  The funds will aid the four postsecondary partners MCC, Rio Salado, Scottsdale and Chandler-Gilbert.  The Consortium promotes vocational/occupational programs on these campuses.
September 1991 PVCC fall enrollment tops 6,000.  This is a 50% increase in enrollment since the campus opened in Fall 1987 with 4,018 students.  Last Spring’s enrollment was 5,880 students.
October 1991 U.S. News & World Report contains an article about the Maricopa County Community College District.  “Enrolling some 177,000 full-time students on its 10 campuses, the Maricopa system has become the model for community involvement – launching programs to aid everything from literacy to small business start-ups.  During the past five years, the District has developed 350 customized employee-training programs for local businesses and government.”
October 1991 The MCCCD Governing Board approved a $35,250 grant for an MCC Compact Center and ACTION which will provide technical assistance and resource information for volunteerism.
November 1991 Chandler-Gilbert Community College is awarded a five year initial accreditation by the North Central Association (NCA).
Dec. 5, 1991 The Arizona Board of Regents approved the MCCCD & ASU joint operation of the new educational radio station, KJZZ which will serve the Phoenix area.
1992 MCC Capital Development Plan includes four new construction projects: Integrated Library/High Tech Center, Nursing/EMT Fire Science & Wellness Bldg., Music/Fine Arts instruction space and the Liberal Arts classroom space currently planned for Mathematics. $29 million is assigned for construction with about $7 million for remodeling.
1992 Rio Salado College is awarded its 10-year NCA accreditation.
January 1992 Six of the 10 Maricopa County community colleges are now connected through the District video/audio communication system called Video Conference Network (VCN).  Campuses can now share faculty, classes, conferences and other special events.
Feb.28, 1992 Chandler-Gilbert Community College receives it NCA accreditation.
June 23, 1992 Voters defeat the MCCCD $340 million bond for capital development.  MCC would have received $42 million to create   
a new east Mesa campus and improve the existing campus. 
Aug. 31, 1992 First classes are offered in the Estrella Mountain Community College permanent campus on Dysart Road.
Oct. 5, 1992 Dr. John Cordova and Dr. Raul Cardenas swap positions.  Dr. Raul Cardenas becomes the new president of Paradise Valley Community College.  He joined MCCCD in 1978 to oversee the construction of South Mountain Community College and to head the college as its first president.  Dr. Cordova becomes President of SMCC.
Oct.5, 1992-2001 Dr. John Cordova is President of South Mountain Community College.
Oct.5, 1992-1999 Dr. Raul Cardenas is President of Paradise Valley Community College.
1993-2001 Dr. J. Marie Pepicello is appointed Phoenix College President.
May 4, 1993 First issue of Puma Press, Paradise Valley Community Colleges student newspaper.
August 1993 Northern Arizona University opens a Phoenix office on PVCC campus. The office serves as an admissions office for the Flagstaff campus and administers the operations of upper-division NAU classes at PVCC and other sites in the Phoenix area.
1994 Maricopa Community College District receives $385.5 million in the bond election
Feb. 3-4, 1994 MCC hosts the first annual Cooperative Learning in Higher Education conference.  The conference is co-sponsored by MCCCD and ASU.
Feb. 25-26, 1994 MCC hosts the Scottish Gathering and Games sponsored by the Caledonian Society of Arizona.  Music, dancing and athletic events feature the culture of the Scottish, Irish and Welsh clans.
1995 President Christiansen creates the Commission on Excellence in Education which includes 530 business leaders, government officials and Arizona residents.
1995 MCC receives NCA accreditation.
1995 The new Mortuary Science program opens at the MCC Williams campus which also hosts the MCC Fire Academy.
Feb. 1995 North Central Association Team gives PVCC a maximum accreditation recommendation of 10 years.
Apr.21-23, 1995 1st Paradise Days brought the Paradise Valley community to PVCC for food, carnival, entertainment, business showcase, health fair and hot air balloons.  The event brought 20,000 attendees and was a continuation of the annual Community Festival & Volunteer Fair.
Sept. 1995 PVCC celebrates its 10th anniversary.  The campus began in 1985 as the Northeast Valley Education Center with 356 students.  Today PVCC is a 90-acre campus at 18401 N. 32nd St. with an enrollment of over 5,600 students.
Jan. 1996-2002 Governing Board approves Dr. Tessa Martinez Pollack as President of Glendale Community College.
Sept. 1996 PVCC begins an $11 million remodeling project to include a 35-room classroom building, and remodeling of the Student Center and expansion of the central plant with utility upgrades along with remodeling of computer services and H building science labs.  The project should be completed in 1998/99.
Sept. 1996 Partnering with community high schools and ASU West, PVCC offers a 6 year art program which begins with high school juniors, includes an Associate of Arts Degree and moves on to 2 years at ASU West.
March 24, 1997 A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates the opening of MCC's new east-side access.   From Longmore you can access MCC at the new stoplight and additional parking is available.
April 30, 1997 Dedication of the MCC and Mesa-East Valley Rose Society Rose Garden. The garden is the largest in Arizona with 2000 donated roses representing 140 varieties.
Fall 1997 MCC East Campus at Mckellips and Power Roads opened its doors to 700 students in temporary facilities.
Sept. 18, 1997 Groundbreaking ceremony for PVCC’s M (multi-purpose) building which will allow them to double the size of the college.
Nov. 15, 1997 PVCC Pumas Women’s Cross Country Team finish no.1 at the National Junior College Athletic Association championship at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas.
January 15, 1998 Groundbreaking ceremony for the MCC Paul A. Elsner Library.  Construction will be in 2 phases: Phase I--new Library and Math/Science Complex; Phase II--remodeling of the old library and construction of the connector.
June 1999 Gina Kranitz is appointed interim President of PVCC while Raul Cardenas takes over the duties of Chancellor of the MCCCD for one year.
Spring 1999 Apr. 22, 1999  Open House for PVCC new and remodeled facilities including: M Building with faculty offices, theatre and art studio and the award winning remodeled Student Services Center, Microcomputer Commons and Learning Support Center.
September 9,1999 Dedication of the MCC Paul A. Elsner Library and High Technology Complex.  The original library is now the Academic Support Building including classrooms, media services, copy center, and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).
October 8, 1999 Dedication of the MCC Life Science Building.
Dec. 1999 PVCC begins construction of a new track and field/soccer facility to be completed in March 2000.
2000-2002 Dr. Fred Gaudet is appointed interim President of GateWay Community College
2000 Mesa Community College develops its wireless technology with a WEBCAM at the Red Mountain Campus.  The MCC Social Cultural Building, Physical Science Building and the Diesel/Welding and Physical Education portables all have wireless technology to support classroom laptops.
March 2000 Phase I construction begins for Red Mountain Campus, which includes four buildings: the Desert Willow Bldg. (library & commons), Mesquite Bldg. (student & administrative services), Palo Verde Bldg. (classrooms & laboratories), and the Ironwood Bldg. (central plant).
June 13, 2000 MCCD will receive $3.7 million in additional revenue to meet the demands of their projected 10% enrollment growth.  The funds came from a 2% property tax increase and a $1 per credit tuition increase.  PVCC will receive $1.65 million to fund the new performing arts center and pay for additional faculty and new course offerings.
July 1, 2000 Dr. Raul Cardenas is appointed MCCCD Vice Chancellor for External Affairs.  Dr. Kranitz will continue as PVCC interim President and she will be a candidate in the national search for the new PVCC President.
Fall 2000 Complete Phase I of the Mesa Community College Mathematics/Science Complex.  Remodel the former Life Science Building creating five classrooms, a geology lab and student study areas.  A portion of the adjacent Nursing building is also remodeled and now provides office, meeting and workspace for life science faculty and staff.
Oct. 5, 2000 Dedication of the MCC Center for Teaching and Learning.
2000-03 The MCCCD Governing Board selects Fred Gaskin as the new District Chancellor.
2001-present Dr. Ken Atwater is appointed President of South Mountain Community College.
2001-2005 Governing Board appoints Dr. Corina Gardea President of Phoenix College
May 1, 2001-2003 Dr. Gina Kranitz is appointed PVCC President.
May 3, 2001 MCC celebrates the opening of the new and remodeled Advisement/Transfer Center and the Kirk Center Courtyard.
Oct. 3, 2001 Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for Red Mountain campus in East Mesa.  MCC is the first of 10 colleges in the Maricopa Community College District to have two campuses.
2001-02 MCC reached an enrollment of 44,000 students with classes offered at Southern & Dobson, Red Mountain campus, MCC Downtown Center, ASU Research Park, Mesa Public School’s Country Club, Brown Facility and Williams Education Center.
2002-present Governing Board appoints Dr. Eugene Giovanini President of GateWay Community College
2002-present Governing Board appoints Dr. Maria Hesse President of Chandler-Gilbert Community College.
October 2002 PVCC is certified by the Arizona State Board of Nursing to offer a Nursing Assistant Program which began this Fall in conjunction with Paradise Valley Hospital.
2002-2005 Governing Board appoints Dr. Phil Randolph as President of Glendale Community College.
2003-present John Underwood is appointed Director of the Maricopa Skill Center.
Feb 2003 An overview of PVCC enrollment indicates that annual enrollment grew 74.2% from 1987-94 and 66.7% from 1994-2002.
May 1, 2003 John C. Lincoln Healthcare System agrees to partnership with PVCC for an associate degree in nursing.  The Arizona Board of Nursing approved the addition of PVCC/John C. Lincoln Health Network site to the MCCD Nursing program September 19th.  The first class of 30 students will begin in January 2004.
Sept. 23, 2003 Maricopa Community College Governing Board approved Dr. Rufus Glasper as the new Chancellor.
Oct. 2, 2003 Gina Kranitz, PVCC President passed away following a long illness.
Nov. 25, 2003 Paul Dale, Dean of Learning Support Services is appointed PVCC Interim President until June 30, 2004.
Spring 2004 PVCC North offers 14 non-credit classes to the communities in the Cave Creek area.  Judi Anderson is named as the “point person” for facilitating activities and strategic planning.
March 12, 2004 Groundbreaking ceremony for the PVCC Performing Arts Center featured a musical fanfare by Christopher Scinto and a poem by poet-in-residence Lois Roma-Deeley.
June 22, 2004-present The Governing Board approved the appointment of Dr. Mary Kay Kickles as President of Paradise Valley Community College.  She is currently the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois.
Oct.13, 2004 Dedication of the Cindy Shoenhair Soccer field.  Cindy was a PVCC Fitness and Health faculty member and Athletic Director who passed away from cancer in October 2001.  Cindy received Employee of the Year and Innovator of the Year awards in 2001 for her work with the First Year Experience program.
Oct.19, 2004 The PVCC Student Center is dedicated and renamed the Gina Kranitz Student Center. Dr. Kranitz has a 34 year career with MCCCD.  She was appointed president of PVCC in 2001.  The Student Center is a fitting tribute to Gina since she was close to the students and knowledgeable about them on a personal level.
Nov. 2, 2004 A Community College Bond is on this ballot that includes a $10 million fund for the construction of the PVCC North campus on a 70 acre property near Carefree Highway and 60th Street.  The property was purchased in 1996 for $2.4 million. Actual development of the site is not expected to begin until 2009. 
Nov. 6, 2004 PVCC men’s and women’s cross-country teams won the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I titles in El Paso, Texas.   This was the 4th straight title win for the women’s team but the first National title for the men.
2005- Ms. Jean Abel is appointed acting President of Glendale Community College.
2005 PVCC's women's cross county and soccer teams have been named to the 2004-2005 NJCAA Fall Academic Teams of the Year. This honor is a great recognition to go along with the women's cross county National Championship and the women's soccer team's appearance at the regional playoff level.
2005-present Dr. Anna Solley is appointed acting President for Phoenix College.
March 2, 2005 The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools reviews PVCC’s Self Study and awards us a 10 year accreditation.  The 2005 Self Study report which assessed PVCC as a learning center took faculty two years to develop.  
March 24, 2005 Scottsdale Community College Gets Go-Ahead For Business Center - Workforce Development Program to be located near Loop 101 and Raintree Drive
March 6, 2006 Maricopa Community Colleges host first annual Heroes of Education recognition dinner. Peter S. Fine, Banner Health president and chief executive officer, is honored for his commitment to education.
April 25, 2006 Maria Harper-Marinick is appointed Maricopa Community Colleges vice chancellor for academic affairs.
April 25, 2006 Anna Solley is appointed President of Phoenix College.
May 2006 Velvie Green is appointed the new President for Glendale Community College.