Welcome to College of the Desert

Laura Hope, Interim Superintendent/President

DESERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT 

College of the Desert

ADMINISTRATION

Laura Hope
Interim Superintendent/President

Val Martinez Garcia, M.S.
Vice President
Instruction 

Jeff Baker, M.A.
Vice President
Student Services

Rodrigo Garcia, C.P.A., M.B.A.
Vice President
Administrative Services

Diana Galindo, M.P.A.
Vice President
Human Resources and Employee Relations

 

Welcome to College of the Desert! 

Whether you are a continuing or a new student, you have made the right choice to pursue your education with us.  College of the Desert provides a wide array of career and university transfer programs to help you achieve your next goal.  Education is the vehicle to an exciting new chapter in your future, and the faculty and staff are ready to help you in every possible way to ensure that your educational journey is successful and propels you to an improved quality of life.

At College of the Desert, we support the whole student, offering many resources and support services to ensure your success. For instance, we offer free tutoring support, counseling and educational planning, wellness programming, food pantries, and financial support/aid that are all designed to address students’ full range of needs.  For most of our students, college is just one part of their busy lives, and we want to help you in every way possible to ensure that you can focus on learning and achievement.

We also offer a variety of campus activities can help you connect with classmates and new friends. On-campus clubs provide specialized assistance to veterans, LBGTQIA+, and other student populations in order to create a rich, diverse, and inclusive learning environment that is a hallmark of College of the Desert.  We want you to experience the social and collaborative part of college through our student life options.  We strive to ensure that every student feels that they belong and are valued as they move through their educational journey.

In addition to a variety of programming, students are also supported at College of the Desert at our five campuses across the Coachella Valley that offer in-person classes, online classes, or a combination of both. You can take the classes you want, when you want, where you want.  Thanks to valley taxpayers and voters who passed Measure B and CC, College of the Desert will be building even more opportunities across the valley in the future.   Look for more about these new facilities in the future.

Thank you for choosing College of the Desert.  We are glad that you chose us, and we pledge to make your educational experience the very best.

Sincerely,

Laura Hope

Interim Superintendent/President