College of Marin was founded April 6, 1926, and was originally called Marin Junior College. The first class enrolled in August 1926 with a total of 87 students. By the 1927-28 school year the student body had increased to 205 full-time and 200 part time students. Stanley Moore, who had a year of college at Stanford, was the first graduate in 1927. In 1928 the College held its first commencement exercises. The College was renamed College of Marin in 1948.
The social unrest of the 1960s led to the demand for more personalized, coherent education. In 1971, the Board of Trustees established the second college of the district and named the new institution Indian Valley Colleges (IVC), a series of small cluster colleges with a distinctive curriculum. IVC operated in temporary facilities at Hamilton Air Force Base and at the Pacheco School while new facilities were under construction. Indian Valley Colleges’ first associate degrees were awarded in 1972 and the new campus opened in the fall of 1975. In 1985, the two colleges merged and are now known as College of Marin (COM). Classes are offered on the Kentfield Campus in Kentfield and the Indian Valley Campus in Novato.
In 2004, Marin County voters approved a $249.5 million facilities improvement bond to revitalize the aging Kentfield and Indian Valley Campuses. The complete scope of the bond included eight major construction projects, including the Irwin P. Diamond Physical Education Center, Fine Arts Building, Performing Arts Building, Child Study Center, Science/Math/Nursing Building, and Academic Center at the Kentfield Campus; and at the Main Building and Transportation Technology Complex Indian Valley Campus. As part of the modernization process the College also installed a new all-weather 400 meter eight lane track at the Kentfield Campus, as well as infrastructure improvements at both campuses.
These projects have resulted in more energy efficient facilities. Under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Building Rating System, the Irwin P. Diamond Physical Education Center, Main Building, Fine Arts Building, Performing Arts Building, and Science/Math/Nursing Building achieved LEED® Gold; the Transportation Technology Complex was awarded LEED® Silver; the Child Study Center achieved LEED® certification. LEED® Gold is pending for the Academic Center.
In June 2016 voters overwhelmingly passed the $265 million Measure B facilities bond. Measure B funds will address buildings still in need of upgrades and repairs in order to meet current codes for earthquakes, fire, and safety. In order to maintain and enhance the quality education COM provides, many of the oldest classrooms, labs, and vocational education facilities must be upgraded as well.
For 90 years COM has remained committed to educational excellence, providing equitable opportunities, and fostering success in all members of its diverse community. Today, COM serves over 13,000 students annually in its credit, noncredit, and community education programs. Currently, 62 associate degrees, 24 certificates of achievement, and 20 skills certificates are offered.
With student success the number one priority, the College prepares students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities, and has one of the highest transfer rates to UC Berkeley in the state. COM helps keep the local economy thriving by providing job training and skill enhancement for thousands of workers each year. Students of all ages have affordable access to an exciting variety of credit and noncredit courses, as well as community education classes for lifelong learning.
The high-quality education and training is made possible by faculty and staff who are committed to excellence. There are 121 tenured/tenure track faculty, 279 adjunct faculty, 22 administrators, and 186 professional, technical, clerical, and service employees at the College. The faculty, administrators, and staff hold degrees representing colleges and universities in some 26 states and foreign countries. A number of faculty members hold doctorate degrees. A faculty and staff directory is listed in the back section of this catalog.