Irvine Valley College (IVC)began as Saddleback College North Campus in 1979, then became an independent institution six years later. The campus is only ten miles away from the beach, a significant inducement to many students who want to maximize their blend of affordable education and play.
IVC recognizes that many of their students have multiple commitments in their lives or other circumstances that require support. Support services on campus include academic counseling, transfer assistance, career counseling, English and math tutoring, subsidized child care, subsidized health care, low-income assistance, and supportive services for disabled students.
The college has been gradually expanding ever since it achieved independence. A $19 million Business Sciences and Innovation Center opened recently; a new Performing Arts Center with a traditional theatre with seating for 400 and a smaller studio theatre with seating for 200 is currently underway.
Irvine Valley College
Academics
IVC offers associate degrees in 60 different majors. Areas of study include liberal arts and sciences, social sciences, business sciences, and technologies.Irvine Valley offers both day and evening classes. Some online classes are available. Incoming students normally take an assessment exam, then attend an orientation session before signing up for their first class schedule. The college has one of the highest transfer rates of its students to four-year colleges of all the community colleges in Orange County. Irvine Valley participates in transfer agreements with both the California State University and the University of California systems for students in all of their academic divisions. Students from Irvine Valley can easily transfer to any California State University or University of California campus and be guaranteed to bring all of their credits with them.
The IVC Honors Program is comprised of 20 academically intensive classes. These classes offer enriched coursework, guaranteed priority admission at several transfer institutions (including UC Irvine and UCLA), scholarships for some students, library borrowing privileges at UC Irvine and UCLA, and smaller class sizes. To attain priority admission to transfer institutions, studenst must finish at least five courses in the Honors Program, receive at least a 3.25 GPA in their Honors classes, and maintain an over GPA of at least 3.25. To apply for the Honors program, incoming students must submit an application with transcripts demonstrating a 3.5 GPA and strong SAT or ACT scores.In addition to the Honors Program, Irvine Valley also hosts chapters of two honor societies: Alpha Omega Mu Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international organization specifically for two-year colleges; and Psi Beta, a national honor society for psychology students.
While many of their degree programs are recognized for excellence, Irvine Valley has a particularly well-known dance program. The dance curriculum includes classical ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, tap dance, social dance, Middle Eastern dance, African dance, Pilates and dance conditioning, choreography, music for dance, and dance history.
Most Popular Fields of Study
The top 5 fields of study completed at Irvine Valley College.
Irvine Valley College offers two programs for non-credit continuing education. The first, the Emeritus Institute, is geared towards critical thinking and creative expression among elders. The Emeritus Institute serves roughly 5,000 students in more than 200 classes a year. Some classes are held on campus while others are held at various sites around Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Tustin, Laguna Beach, and Newport Coast. Class sites include mobile home parks, senior centers, nursing homes, community centers, and high schools. Class subjects are selected in collaboration with faculty and administration at Irvine Valley.
Community Education is the second continuing education initiative sponsored by Irvine Valley. The Community Education Department offers classroom and online options for personal and professional growth. Community Education has its own separate website from Irvine Valley College at www.123getsmart.com. Irvine Valley hosts educational and informational videos on Irvine Valley College Television, available on channel 33 on Cox cable.
Distance Education
The Distance Education program at IVC is growing rapidly, as more students who are already highly Internet literate enroll in college. Distance Education classes are completely equal to all other college courses.The Distance Education program is recommended only to students who learn well independently, do not procrastinate, have good reading comprehension skills, can resist distraction, and won’t mind missing the social aspects of attending class in person. Distance Education allows Irving Valley students to learn from home without regional or physical barriers and with reduced time barriers. Some instructors run Distance Education classes on a schedule similar to on-campus classes, while others allow students to work independently and at their own pace.
Irvine Valley College uses the Blackboard management system to organize and implement Distance Education. Each student is added to a Blackboard course and assigned an instructor when he or she registers. Students must then attend an initial orientation session. In addition to Blackboard, some classes use MyMathLab and CourseCompass. Students must purchase a class code from the IVC bookstore to access the coursework in these classes. Many students at IVC take a combination of Distance Education classes and traditional, on-campus classes as they work toward their degrees.
Distance Education students share library and student support privileges to the same extent as any other student.
Technological help is available to Distance Education students through the Technology Services Help Desk.
To participate in Distance Education, it is necessary to have at least 32 megabytes of RAM, internet access, either Netscape 3.x or Internet Explorer 4.x, and the ability to send and receive attachments. Some math classes require students to install simple plug-ins on their computers. Blackboard allows students to download course content steam audio and video presentations, and participate in class-specific discussion boards. It is necessary to have a class ID to purchase Blackboard. Textbooks for Distance Education courses can be purchases online at the IVC bookstore website.
Veteran’s Assistance
Irvine Valley College hopes to provide the kind of assistance that will help veterans attain their educational goals. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the Montgomery G.I. benefits they have earned. Irvine Valley College also hosts its own Veteran Affairs Coordinator to encourage and assist veterans and the widows and dependents of deceased veterans in using their education benefits after an active duty discharge. The coordinator helps veterans utilize the California Department of Veterans Affairs college fee waiver program for dependents—this waiver covers enrolment, registration fees, and tuition.
Irvine Valley College
Admissions
Irvine Valley College has open admissions for anyone who is at least 18 years old (or a high school graduate) and who has passed the State Proficiency test or received a General Education Development (GED) degree. With administrative approval, current high school students make also take classes at Irvine Valley. To apply, fill out an admissions application online at www.ivc.edu.
Financial Aid
IVC students enjoy the advantages of the California Community College system, which regulates the fee structure at the college. Enrollment costs are for a minimal charge per credit hour for California residents. Out-of-state students are charged a substantial extra fee per credit. Irvine Valley disburses over $5 million in financial aid every year, contributing to roughly 25% of the student body. A quarter million is offered in scholarships. Applications are available at the financial aid office.
Student Financial Aid Details
How many students use Financial Aid, and how much do they use?
Irvine Valley College 4406th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best California scholarships and financial aid
The student body is roughly 40% European American, 30% Asian American, 11% Latino, 5% Middle Eastern American, 3% Filipino American, 2% African American, and .5% Native American. Roughly 40% of Irvine Valley College students attend full-time; the other 60% are part-time students.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Irvine Valley College boasts nearly two dozen student clubs and organizations, including award-winning Model United Nations, Forensics, and Administration of Justice teams. Student activities include the Business Leaders Society, the Chess Club, the Muslim Student Association, the Green Team Alliance, the Speech and Debate Team, and several more.
Social Occasions
Annual traditions at Irvine Valley include a homecoming basketball game and pep rally; the Halloween Spooktacular, complete with costume contest; and a Multicultural Day with a food festival and live performances.
Student Enrollment Demographics
How many students are enrolled at Irvine Valley College?
There are 13 athletic teams, known as the Lasers. Sports include badminton, baseball, basketball, golf, volleyball, tennis, and soccer. Most sports feature a men’s team and a women’s team. Irvine Valley still has a close relationship with its mother institution, Saddleback College. These days the two schools compete for a trophy called The Irons. The men’s soccer team has been the small colleges National Champions twice in recent years. The men’s volleyball team won State and National Championships twice in recent years as well.
Faculty
Acclaimed faculty include award-winning guitar virtuoso Tom “Toulouse” Englehardt, Olympic volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor, history text author Toshio Whelchel, and award-winning composer Daniel Luzko.
Bibliography
Distance Education. Irvine Valley College. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.
Information for Veterans. Irvine Valley College. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You. New York: Penguin. 2007. Print.
Demographics – Main Campus and Surrounding Areas
Reported area around or near Irvine, CA 92618-0301
Surrounding community
Midsize city (inside urban area, pop. between 100,000 to 250,000)
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Irvine, CA 92618-0301
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