The Los Angeles Community College District is one of 72 community college districts in the State of California and the largest district in the Nation.  The community college movement had its beginnings in California in l907 when the state legislature permitted high schools to offer postgraduate courses.  Subsequently, the Ballard Act of l917 included provisions for state aid and early regulations. The Deering Act of l929 assured financial support for the junior colleges of the State.  In l929, our own Los Angeles City College held its first classes.  There were only 35 junior colleges operating in California at that time.  During the 20's and 30's enrollment in junior colleges doubled.  The post-war years were also a time of dramatic expansion.  Finally, in l959, the Legislature mandated the development of a master plan and study of the State's junior colleges.  This effort moved the two-year colleges away from the secondary (K-12) system and into higher education.  In l967, Governor Ronald Reagan authorized establishment of a Board of Governors for the California Colleges and changed the official designation of the institutions from "junior" to "community" colleges.  On July 1, l969, the Los Angeles Community College District legally separated from the Los Angeles Unified School District becoming its own entity with a separate Board of Trustees and administration.

Since 1929, our District has grown from one to nine colleges serving a population of approximately 5 million citizens and a student population of approximately 200,000 in a geographic area of almost 900 square miles. The following nine colleges make up the Los Angeles Community College District.  All of the colleges are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and fully approved under the regulations of the California Community College System.

The colleges of the District provide a broad range of educational programs and services to citizens of our community. They include:

• General education programs comprised of planned experience which develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the student to be effective as a person, family member, worker, and citizen.
• Occupational education programs that offer a student basic business, technical, and professional curricula to develop skills which can lead to employment and job advancement.
• Transfer programs which enable students who complete two years of study to continue their upper division education at an accredited four-year college or university.
• Guidance programs which incorporate vocational, educational and personal counseling to a student in the selection and pursuit of a life work compatible with their interests, aptitudes and abilities.
• Community Service and Economic Development programs designed to provide non-credit educational courses to meet the cultural, educational, vocational and avocation interests of students.

The Board of Trustees for the Los Angeles Community College District is composed of 7 members who are elected at large by the voters of Los Angeles.  The Board is responsible for formulating public policy related to the operation of the District and its colleges.  The Board fulfills this responsibility through its committee structure and by evaluating information and recommendations presented by the Chancellor of the District.  In large part, the Board has delegated responsibility for daily operations of the District and colleges to the Chancellor and College Presidents.

The general responsibilities of the Board are:

• To adopt and periodically review a statement of the mission, goals and objectives for the District and its colleges.
• To approve courses and programs of study that support community needs.
• To provide ways and means of financial support, approve the annual budget and review and approve expenditures.
• To bear legal responsibility for all aspects of the operation of the District.
• To establish the policies necessary for supporting operations of the District.
• To advocate with state and federal officials and other state organizations on behalf of the District.
• To review and take appropriate action on matters relating to site and facilities development.
• To select and appoint the Chancellor and College Presidents.
• To receive timely administrative reports concerning the appointment, promotion, retention or dismissal of District employees.
• To consider inquiries and requests from citizens and organizations on matters of policy, administration and other items of public concern.

The Board of Trustees typically meets on the first Wednesday of the month.

Student Trustee

The Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District has established one non-voting Student Board Member position. The purpose of the position is to ensure that the perspectives and views of our students are part of our decision-making process at the highest level. In addition, the position provides the student member with the opportunity to learn about and experience the governance process first hand.

The term of office of the Student Board Member is one year commencing on June 1^st and ending on May 31^st.  The Student Member is elected at large.  All currently enrolled students are eligible to vote in the election.

Board Policy 2010

Board Policy 2015

The Personnel Commission is charged with developing and maintaining a Merit System for classified employees of the District. The Merit System is a personnel system that provides for the selection, retention, and promotion of classified employees on the basis of individual merit and fitness demonstrated by competitive examinations and performance. 

The Personnel Commission is composed of three commissioners.  Their term of office is three years with one seat being appointed each year. Members of the Personnel Commission are appointed on a rotating basis: One member is appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District; one member, nominated by the classified employees of the district, appointed by the Board of Trustees; and one member is jointly appointed by the other two personnel commissioners.

Functions and Responsibilities

Laws and Rules

Develop and enforce those rules and regulations required by action of the California State Legislature affecting the Merit System provisions of the Education Code and other applicable laws that are necessary to ensure the efficiency of the classified service and the selection and retention of employees on the basis of merit and fitness without favoritism or bias.

Classification

Establish and maintain a job classification plan, allocate all positions within the classified service to classes within this plan and prepare class descriptions, including minimum educational and work experience requirements for classified positions.

Salary Administration

Conduct and participate in community salary surveys to identify salary rates which are based upon the principle of “like pay for like service,” and recommend to the Board of Trustees appropriate salary schedules or rates for all job classifications and allocate each class in the Classified Service to the proper schedule or rate.

Selection Procedures

Determine the appropriate fields of competition, develop and administer Merit System examinations and establish eligibility lists.  Consideration is given to equal employment opportunity, the welfare of the service, development of a career service and promotion of employee morale.

Discipline

Conduct hearings of appeal from administrative actions, such as demotions, suspensions and dismissals and conduct investigations into Merit System matters as prescribed by the Education Code. 

Assignments

Certify that employees have been examined in accordance with competitive procedures, assigned in accordance with the rules of the Personnel Commission and are being paid the proper rate.  Salary warrants may not be drawn without this certification.

Board Rules - Chapter XI, Article III

Each year, the colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District serve over 200,000 students.  These students come from throughout the greater Los Angeles area as well as other regions of the United States and several foreign countries.  Who are our students and what are they like?

• 17% of students have an occupational educational goal
• Approximately 50% of students have an educational goal of transfer to a 4-year institution
• 83% of students belong to minority groups
• 46% of students are over the age of 25
• Approximately 60% of students are female
• 56% of students are first-generation college students
• 53% of students have income at or below the poverty line

LACCD Students You May Recognize

Although each of our students is a success story, there are some graduates who have gone on to distinguish themselves in politics, sports, and the arts and may be familiar to you.

Los Angeles City College

• Bernard Parks, Former Chief of Police and City Council Member
• Diane Watson, Congresswoman
• Mike Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor
• Mark Hamill, Actor
• Frank Geary, Architect
• John Williams, Composer

East Los Angeles College

• Frank Cruz, Channel 4 News
• Gloria Molina, Los Angeles County Supervisor
• Antonio Villaraigosa, Former Mayor of Los Angeles

Los Angeles Harbor College

• David Gascon, Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department
• Dock Ellis, Jr., Pittsburgh Pirates, MLB All-Star
• Chuck Alvarez, Grammy-Award Winning Guitarist & Recording Artis
• Ben Cayetano, Former Governor of Hawaii

Los Angeles Mission College

• Gary Mathews, Chicago Cubs
• Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of the Interior, Qatar

Los Angeles Pierce College

• Kim Kardashian, Media Celebrity
• Shia LeBeouf, Actor
• Barry Zito, Oakland Athletics

Los Angeles Southwest College

• Larry Brown, Dallas Cowboys/Oakland Raiders
• Tina McKinnor, State Representative
• Wesley Snipes, Actor

Los Angeles Trade-Technical College

• Carole Little, Fashion Designer
• David Hammons, Artist
• Matthew G. Martinez, US Representative
• Wayne Thiebaud, Painter

Los Angeles Valley College

• Richard Alarcon, California State Senator
• Sean Astin, Actor, Lord of the Rings
• Bryan Cranston, Actor, Breaking Bad
• Sue Gossick, Olympic Gold Medalist
• Paul Orfalea, Founder of Kinko’s

West Los Angeles College

• Jhene Aiko, Musician
• Harvey Kubernik, Musician/Writer
• Warren Moon, Kansas City Chiefs
• Rosie Perez, Actor