Welcome to Orange Coast College!

President Angelica L. SuarezDear Orange Coast College friends, 

Traditionally, the gift for a 75th anniversary is a diamond. Good things that are valuable and beautiful take time. Great things, however, take more than time— They require perseverance, commitment, and flexibility. They must adapt and respond to a community's changing landscape and needs. This is the story of Orange Coast College, providing 75 years of educational excellence, building upon a level of success and transformation, and creating a place that inspires students to dream, learn, and thrive.

It is an honor to serve an institution alongside dedicated and caring faculty, classified professionals, and administrators whose commitment to the success of students is unwavering:

  • Physical changes. Did you know the Technology Building was the first permanent structure built on campus? Fast forward 75 years to today, when the OCC campus has nearly 100 buildings, including the brand-new Student Union and Aquatic Center.

  • Academic growth. In 1950, OCC offered its first health occupation program. Today, in 2023, the college boasts more than 135 educational and career programs, ranging from photography and powerplant to dance and diagnostic medical sonography. Students can choose from 160 career and technical certificates. Our graduates are chefs and vice presidents of research and development. Entrepreneurs and OCC professors, classified professionals, and administrators. Aviation maintenance technicians and students at four-year colleges.

  • Top priorities. OCC has consistently prioritized the needs of its students and the surrounding community. As those needs have changed, so have OCC's priorities. Today, the college is the top community college in the country for transfers to UC and CSU, and it’s the first community college in SoCal to offer student housing. OCC is also proud of programs like Pirates' Promise, which provides free tuition to all first-time college students, with additional support through OCC's Financial Aid program and more than $600,000 in scholarships through the OCC Foundation.

By listening to what the community needs and responding to them, OCC is graduating students ready to contribute to their respective fields. Steve Morissette, a staff photographer at the surfing company Rip Curl, credits OCC's photo department with getting him where he is today. And professional musician Brandi Birdsong says her time at OCC helped prepare her to tour across the country, including performing at the Hollywood Bowl.

Our graduates' success is a testament to not only OCC's extensive student support resources and stellar academic programs but also the dedicated and caring faculty, classified professionals, and administrators, who consistently demonstrate a commitment to student success.

OCC is celebrating 75 years of educational excellence, a diamond anniversary we're thrilled to share. Please join me in celebrating this important milestone by attending the many celebrations planned at the College.

OCC's 75th Anniversary

signature of Angelica Suarez

Dr. Angelica L. Suarez
President, Orange Coast College

President's Goals

THEMES SUPPORTING GOALS

Student success & achievement for all students
Uplifting every student to acheive academic excellence & success
Valuing the unique needs & experiences of diverse groups

Foster Climate of Inclusive Excellence for Students & Employees

  • Focused professional development on equity, inclusion & racial justice
  • Vision 2030 (facilities - space design)
  • Enhance internal/external communications
  • Recruit/support diverse students & employees

Advance Educational Excellence Through Equitable Access & Achievement

  • Close student equity gaps
  • Advance Guided Pathway efforts
  • Provide leadership in institutional accreditation & recommendations for Institutional Effectiveness

Re-Imagine Organizational Sustainability & Efficiencies

  • Strengthen financial planning, resource development & allocation
  • Streamline & re-imagine processes & procedures
  • Diversify & augment funding to reduce state reliance

Cultivate & Expand Community Connections

  • Educational partners & programs (Dual Enrollment, Transfer Programs, CTE, International)
  • Business Partners & CTE pathways
  • Community Based Organizations

President's Office and Organization Chart

Dr. Angelica Suarez
President
(714) 432-5577
Thuy Nguyen
Executive Assistant to the President
(714) 432-5816
Beatriz Rodriguez
Administrative Assistant to the Senates
(714) 432-5050
Michelle Wang
Administrative Assistant
to the President’s Office
(714) 432-5159