The alpine town of South Lake Tahoe, located on Lake Tahoe's southern end, first expressed an interest in hosting a community college back in 1964, a year before the City of South Lake Tahoe was first established. On March 5, 1974, voters approved the formation of a community college district with 66% of the vote, and the first Board of Trustees was elected. Dr. James Duke was hired by the Board in September 1974 as the college's first president.
LTCC opened its doors for the first time on Sept. 18, 1975, in a converted motel on Highway 50. In its first year, 119 classes were offered to 1,407 students. The first graduating class of Spring 1976 consisted of 11 students. The acquisition of a site for a permanent campus was pursued vigorously in 1979. The purchase of a parcel on Al Tahoe Blvd. owned by the Shell Oil Company was negotiated and on Dec. 27, 1979, the title to the 164-acre plot in the center of South Lake Tahoe was recorded in the name of Lake Tahoe Community College.
The West Campus was opened in Fall 1982. It provided space for a library and three more classrooms in addition to what the Highway 50 campus provided. Eventually an expanded art lab and an intimate "Collegiate Theatre" were also included at the new site. This allowed for more space at the original converted motel campus. On July 8, 1986, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the permanent campus site and construction began on the first phase of the college master plan. The college moved into its present location in October 1988.
On June 30, 1990, Dr. James W. Duke, the founding president, retired after overseeing the construction of the first permanent building for the college on Al Tahoe. Dr. Guy Lease was selected as his successor and leader of the next phase of construction at LTCC. After 17 years of exemplary service and overseeing the construction of several new building phases of the college, Dr. Lease retired in 2007. The college hired Dr. Paul T. Killpatrick in July 2008 as the college's third president. Dr. Killpatrick served the college for two years before moving on to another presidency in Washington state. The college's fourth superintendent/president, Dr. Kindred Murillo, was hired in July 2011. Dr. Murillo spearheaded a successful bond campaign called Measure F in November 2014, resulting in $55 million in funding coming to campus over the next 10 years. She also oversaw the acquisition of a $5.8 million donation from South Tahoe local Lisa Maloff, which will result in the Robert and Lisa Maloff University Center coming to LTCC's campus in 2018. This structure will house LTCC's expanding bachelor's degree programs. Dr. Murillo left LTCC to take a presidency position at Southwest College in January 2017. That's when LTCC hired its fifth superintendent/president, Jeff DeFranco. Jeff had served as Vice President of Administrative Services at LTCC since 2013 before taking on his new position.
The Child Development Center opened in September 1993 to provide care for 46 children, and for use as a teaching lab for the Early Childhood Education program. The new Technology Wing was dedicated on Jan. 2, 1996, and the College Theatre opened in March 1996. In June 2005, the theatre was named after LTCC's first president, Dr. James Duke. With everything but Physical Education now located on the main Al Tahoe campus, the Board decided to lease four moveable classrooms. These "Garden Classrooms" were in place for the fall quarter of 1996, bringing the entire college to one location for the first time. In 2002, the Physical Education building and Student Center opened. The 26,000-square-foot Physical Education building includes a gymnasium, fitness education center, dance studio, and locker rooms. The culinary arts program moved into its own teaching kitchen in the 10,000-square-foot Student Center. In 2006, the campus opened a new 27,000-square-foot library and the Haldan Art Gallery. The library was renamed the Roberta L. Mason Library in 2014, in honor of LTCC's first Board of Trustees president, Roberta Mason. Most recently, the College opened a University Center, which will allow students to receive BA, MA, and PhD degrees. More college history.
Vision
"California's Premier Destination Community College"
Mission
Lake Tahoe Community College serves our local, regional, and global communities by promoting comprehensive learning, success, and life-changing opportunities. Through quality instruction and student support, our personalized approach to teaching and learning empowers students to achieve their educational and personal goals.
Beliefs
We at Lake Tahoe Community College believe:
• Students come first
• An educated citizenry is fundamental
• Learning enhances the quality of life
• Innovation, integrity, high standards and the pursuit of excellence are essential
• Diversity enriches
• We make a difference
LTCC - circa 1998
Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), a regional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education. LTCC had its accreditation reaffirmed once again in January 2018. If you would like to read more about our accreditation, including the most recent reports or documents, please check this site out.
Lake Tahoe Community College is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees elected by the citizens of the District. A student trustee is elected by the student body and is the official representative of the students to the Board. To be eligible for election, Board candidates must be at least 18 years of age, and must be a resident of and a registered voter in the District. In February 2014, a new system of Elections by Trustee Area was approved by the Board of Trustees. Board meetings are open to the public and are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the Board Room, located in the library building on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus. Meetings start at 6:15 p.m., unless noted differently on the agenda. The Board agenda is posted 72 hours prior to each meeting. Current Board agendas, packets, minutes, and audio recordings can be found on the Board of Trustees' Agendas and Packets webpage.
Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is committed to making a participatory governance structure focused on collegiality and consultation. Various councils and committees guide the achievement of LTCC's mission and strategic goals. Lake Tahoe Community College District Board of Trustees recognizes that faculty, administration, staff, and students possess diverse experiences and knowledge; and to not utilize these resources would be a wasted opportunity. The Board of Trustees encourages productive participation in governance from all sources to develop accurate and appropriate educational policies.
In order to create effective policy, it is imperative for all parties who partake in the governance process to be genuinely committed to our students, our vocation, and our institution. To LTCC, participating effectively in governance means to have a respect for divergent opinions, confidence in other participators, and a penchant to cooperate for the better of the institution. It is the objective that all participants to collectively develop recommendations for governing board action. With this goal in mind, LTCC uses consensus decision-making as the definitive way to participate effectively. Consensus decision-making is fashioned to create a collaborative environment where all group members can voice concerns before making the best possible decision for a shared proposal. Additionally, it acknowledges the need for all groups participants to submit equal input into the process. The consensus decision-making encourages members to place the good of the group above individual goals and preferences. To read more about LTCC Governance, review the governance chart, or read the governance handbook, please click here.
LTCC Academic Senate Meeting