Southern Region News
Doña Ana Community College provides educational services to residents of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, a large rural county in the southern part of the state. Most of the population resides in four areas: Sunland Park, near the Santa Teresa Port of Entry with Mexico; Anthony and Chaparral, on the border with Texas, just north of El Paso; Las Cruces, centrally located in the county with the largest population in the county; and Hatch, the “Chile Capital of the World” located in the northwest sector of the county, near Spaceport America. The distance between the southernmost community, Sunland Park, and the northernmost community, Hatch, is approximately 90 miles.
South County Centers
Gadsden Center • 1700 E. O’Hara Road, Anthony, NM 88021 • Telephone 575-882-3939
Sunland Park Center • 3365 McNutt Road, Sunland Park, NM 88063 • Telephone 575-874-7780
These centers offer freshman- and sophomore-level coursework in vocational, technical, developmental, and general education. A number of DACC certificates and associate degrees are offered, as well. The centers also provide concurrent enrollment (dual credit) programming for the Gadsden School District. ESL, GED, and citizenship classes for the border area are available through the Adult Education program, also housed at the centers. Refer to the section titled, “Adult Education,” in the DACC Catalog for a full listing of services. These centers also provide a Student Success Center (student tutoring), computer labs, and library support services.
Attending one of the south county centers is equivalent to attending one of the Las Cruces campuses of DACC. The same procedures and regulations apply. Students attending the Gadsden Center or the Sunland Park Center may attend classes at any other DACC or NMSU campus without completing additional admissions procedures. Students may attend one or more campuses and/or centers simultaneously; however, the total credit-hour load may not exceed that stipulated by the normal class-load policy.
All students currently attending, or planning to attend, one of the south county centers also may use the student services and tutoring available at either of the Doña Ana Community College campuses in Las Cruces. An advisor is available at the south county centers to advise students as they make career, program, and scheduling choices.
Courses
The Gadsden and Sunland Park centers offer a variety of general education courses that meet departmental and college requirements in liberal arts and business. Typical general education subjects are communications, economics, English composition, math, psychology, and sociology. All general education courses offered through the south county centers are consistent with Veterans Administration and Social Security Administration regulations.
Academic Calendar
The south county centers follow the same academic calendar as the DACC central campus. Classes offered at these sites can be found in the DACC class schedule.
Most academic services for students enrolling in classes at the centers are available on site. These services include admissions, registration, advising, tuition payment, schedule changes, withdrawals, and purchase of textbooks.
Admissions
Degree and non-degree applicants seeking admission may apply at either center, at DACC’s Central Campus, or at the new East Mesa Campus in Las Cruces. Students attending a satellite center may attend classes at either of the Las Cruces campuses of Doña Ana Community College, NMSU’s main campus, or other NMSU branches, without completing additional admissions procedures. Students may attend one or more campuses simultaneously; however, the total credit-hour load may not exceed that stipulated by the normal class-load policy. A onetime application fee of $20 is charged for students who have never before applied to NMSU or one of its branches.
Student Services
All students currently attending, or planning to attend, one of the south county centers also may use the student services available at either of the Doña Ana Community College campuses in Las Cruces. An adviser is available at the south county centers to advise students as they make career, program, and scheduling choices. DACC students may also take advantage of tutoring services at either or both locations.
Chaparral Center
Chaparral Center • 755 Prescott Anthony Drive, Chaparral, NM 88081 • Telephone 575-824-2000
Located in the southeastern corner of Doña Ana County, the Chaparral Center, which opened in Spring 2012, is situated adjacent to Chaparral High School. The 6,200-square-foot center offers freshman- and sophomore-level coursework, including dual-credit courses for high school students. It also is the site of the Adult Education program in Chaparral. Refer to the Adult Education website for more information.