De Anza College

The Puente Project is a program offered at De Anza that helps underserved students transfer to 4-year institutions. "Puente" means "bridge" in Spanish, which symbolizes the bridge the program builds for the students to reach higher education. Puente is made up of three key components: English, individualized counseling, and individual mentoring. Puente students transfer from De Anza at a much higher rate than non-Puente Latino students—61% of De Anza's Puente students transfer within six years.[7]

A. Robert De Hart Learning Center

Flint Center, the main auditorium

Applied Technologies

• Automotive Technology
• Design and Manufacturing Technologies: Industry level training in computer-aided design, computer machining, computer-aided manufacturing, and 3D printing/additive manufacturing.[8]

Environmental Studies/Science Dept, offering associate degrees and vocational certificates in:

• Energy management & building science
• Environmental resource management and pollution prevention
• Facility and sustainable building management
• Wildlife science technician[9]

This is an internship program that gives students an opportunity to gain hands on experience working with computers. Qualified students in this program may get a chance to work in paid industry-based internships like in the Information Technology departments at Roche Pharmaceuticals, Synopsys, Fujitsu Computer Systems, Fujitsu America, Flextronics, Photon Dynamics and VMware. Students who are receiving financial aid are eligible to apply to receive a free refurbished computer. All donated computers are refurbished by interns in the program. [10]

Formerly called the Institute of Community and Civic Engagement, this is the community service learning and civic engagement office.[11] VIDA coordinates Community Learning Partnership's work at De Anza.[12] Its programs include:

• Internships
• Certificate for Leadership and Social Change
• LEAD (Latina/o Empowerment At De Anza)
• HEFAS (Higher Education for AB 540 Students)
• MYE (Mentors for Youth Empowerment)
• Youth Voices United for Change
• Public Policy School
• Campus Camp Wellstone
• Open Educational Resources

Its mission is:

"to empower students to become agents of change in their communities and beyond; to foster education that meets the needs of the communities we serve; and to help develop pathways to meaningful participation in local, state, and federal government decision making processes."[11]

Established as the ICCE in fall 2005, It was initiated by then new president, Brian Murphy and was led by faculty members Jackie Reza and Cynthia Kaufman.[13] In 2015 the ICCE was renamed VIDA in tribute to John Vasconcellos. VIDA's current director is Cynthia Kaufman.[14]

The Flint Center is De Anza's main theater, seating about 2,400 people, and hosts concerts, Broadway shows, dance and speaking events. Each year, De Anza invites several celebrities and dignitaries for public speaking engagements. Construction began in 1968 and the building was dedicated in 1971 as the Calvin C. Flint Center for the Performing Arts, named after the District Superintendent and first Chancellor,[15] The Flint Center also has classrooms and was home to the Film and TV department in its early years.[16]

Steve Jobs introduced the original Apple Macintosh in a 1984 press conference (which was recreated in 2015 for the movie Steve Jobs) and the iMac in 1998.[17][18][19] The Foothill DeAnza Board has voted to close the Flint Center and tear it down. The last event in the facility was June 22, 2019.[20]

The mission of the Euphrat Museum of Art is to stimulate creativity and an interest in art among audiences of all ages.[21] The museum hosts changing art exhibits and accompanying educational programs for local and distant emerging and established artists. School programs are offered, primarily in Cupertino and Sunnyvale, and each year the museum creates public art projects with young area students, De Anza student interns and Euphrat artist/teachers.

The museum is open from Monday to Thursday and is located in the Visual and Performing Arts Center.

The college is the home of the California History Center, housed in a mansion called "Le Petit Trianon".

The Visual and Performing Arts Center opened on March 6, 2009[22] and was built with an art exhibit and also a 400-seat performance and lecture hall that can be rented by De Anza College organizations and outside community groups.[23]

The Kirsch Center opened in 2005 and is the lead demonstration building for innovative ways to be more sustainable. It was the first community college building in the US to receive a LEED platinum rating.

A 17-year effort, the Kirsch Center was conceived and is operated by De Anza faculty, staff and students, with the philosophy that it is "a building that teaches about energy, resources and stewardship."[24]

Over 100 environmental classes are taught in the Kirsch Center. In addition to classrooms and labs, students can work in self-paced programs at special open study stations throughout the building.

A few examples of what the building features are:

• Solar panel roof
• Advanced natural ventilation
• Raised floor for gentle air distribution and flexibility
• Natural day lighting
• Orientation and layout for energy efficiency and passive solar benefits
• Water conservation and water runoff control
• Radiant heating and cooling
• Native species landscaping[25]

The building is a favorite location for policy makers, school officials, student groups, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to visit and utilize for conferences and for tours.[26]

The building was a 10 million dollar project that was funded by various groups including the student senate, Morgan Family Foundation, and Steve and Michele Kirsch Foundation.

The Fujitsu Planetarium, with its 50-foot dome and seating for 139, teaches De Anza students, field trip groups, and the public. It also includes an evening musical laser light show on its Saturday public schedule from September to April. Its optical-mechanical projector was installed in 2007, and the new digital projection system was installed in 2016.[27][28] The planetarium was built in the early 1970s and was named the Minolta Planetarium until 2008.[29]

• "La Vita E Una Fontana" or "Life is a Fountain" by Salvatore Pecoraro December 1, 1991
• "Longevity Turtle" by Elwood Martin Reynolds, donated by Dr. and Mrs. Alvin Rutner
• "Time Graffiti" by David Middlebrook, 1997. donated by Mrs. Rena Frabony DeHart in memory of De Anza College Founding President A. Robert DeHart.

This is a 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) natural garden containing some 400 species of plants representing 12 California natural communities. It is located next to the Kirsch Center on the southeast corner of campus, and it was built by a group of De Anza students and faculty in 1971, after having received a US$12,000 grant.[30]

The 12 plant communities are:

• Freshwater marsh and pond
• Coastal sand dunes
• Coastal redwoods
• Foothill woodland
• Grassland
• Conifers
• Channel islands
• California desert
• Coastal sage scrub
• Chaparral
• Riparian
• Xeric display

Students and visitors can learn about California's natural heritage and see plants and animals in person. Students can also conduct environmental research here and deepen their appreciation for California's biological richness.[31]

The student body association also operates The De Anza Flea Market held on every first Saturday of a month. The flea market began as a small effort by the students of De Anza College to raise money for the student body over 30 years ago and has grown into an established community event attracting vendors and patrons from throughout the state. it is still a student enterprise with the De Anza Associated Student Body paying for all of the expenses and gaining approximately $300,000 annually for a variety of programs, services and events at De Anza College. The De Anza Flea Market contains about 825 vendor stalls and usually sells out very quickly. If the weather is good the flea market will draw approximately 15,000 to 20,000 shoppers.

In 2020, De Anza adopted a new mascot after students voted overwhelmingly the previous year to retire the Don, an outdated symbol that many students had never even seen. The Mountain Lion was chosen in December by the college mascot working group, which included DASB student representatives, student-athletes and coaches, after extensive input and campus-wide participation.[34]

On January 29, 2001, San Jose police arrested De Anza College student Al DeGuzman, who was planning a Columbine-style shooting at the school.[35] At his home, police found bags filled with homemade explosives including Molotov cocktails and pipe bombs, as well as numerous guns, including a semi-automatic rifle and a cut-down 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Plans were discovered for a noon attack at De Anza College.[36]

Kelly Bennett, an employee at a Longs Drugs store in San Jose, developed pictures of DeGuzman posing with his guns and homemade bombs. She and a coworker called police, who arrived at the drugstore and waited for DeGuzman. He was arrested when he returned for his photos.[37] It was unusual for him to drop off the film since he "had always developed his own film".[36]

De Anza evacuated over 10,000 students the next day in fear that DeGuzman may have planted bombs at the college, although none were found. In the following weeks, Bennett was praised and credited with averting a tragedy; she appeared on local news, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.[36]

DeGuzman was sentenced to serve seven years in prison after most of the charges were thrown out.[38] Appeals by prosecutors resulted in a resentencing of 80 years. Several months later, he committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell.[35]

In 2007 the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department investigated an inquiry into allegations of sexual assault of a 17-year-old female student arising from an off-campus party on March 4, 2007 by eight members of the De Anza College baseball team. On June 4, 2007, Santa Clara County District Attorney Dolores Carr stated that no charges would be filed. This decision was questioned by some, and the Office of the Attorney General was invited by the prosecutor to perform an independent investigation of the available evidence. May 2, 2008, the attorney general's determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone present with a crime.