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What’s New at COCC?

Published 12:00 am Friday, August 1, 2025

New courses, new locations, new cohorts are all part of a new school year at COCC

By Mark Russell Johnson

With fall term looming at Central Oregon Community College (COCC) — classes start Sept. 22 — the new academic year is bringing more than a new wave of students. Across campuses and classrooms, plenty of other “new” awaits.

For instance, the college’s one-year medical assistant training program — which prepares students to perform front-line care skills, like drawing blood, giving vaccines and recording vital signs — has long had its base of operations at the Bend campus. Starting soon, due to the surge in demand for medical assistants, a new chapter will begin for the training: The newly expanding Madras campus will begin housing an added site for the medical assistant program, along with other health care training opportunities.

“The program will stream lectures to the existing Madras building from the Bend campus, and until the new facility is open, all labs will be done at St. Charles in Madras,” explains Shannon Waller, program director of medical assisting. Now in the final phases of construction, the building is expected to open its doors for winter term, when labs will move to the new building.

Medical assistants are certainly entering the field at a novel moment. Current projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics call for a 15% growth rate of the entry-level health care occupation nationwide between 2023 and 2033, a response to the growing need for health care workers as the Baby Boomer generation ages. In Oregon, that growth rate goes even higher: to 21%. Another Oregon plus is the median annual wage, $49,900, compared to a national median of $44,200.

Over at the Redmond campus, the two-year veterinary technician degree program is debuting a brand-new design. Originally launched in 2013, the program will for the first time start a new cohort of 20 students each year, rather than every other year. (The cohort for 2025 is full, but openings are available for 2026.) With the demand for vet techs rising both regionally and nationally, the college is meeting the industry’s shortage of workers and an increasing interest in the career path, explains Beth Palmer, program director.

“We’re being recognized as a place with a stellar reputation,” adds Palmer, who points out that her current students have come from places near and far, including Washington and Nebraska, drawn to COCC in part by the fact that grads of the program have hit a 100% passing rate on the national exam since 2018. COCC’s is also only one of two American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited programs in Oregon.

New coursework for other Redmond-based programs includes a welding class that focuses on interpreting technical drawings for fabrication. Previously offered with a more generalized manufacturing lens, the welding-specific print reading class explores things like dimensioning, cut lists, bills of material, assembly prints and symbols of the American Welding Society. “We’ve hired two new manufacturing faculty members,” says Amy Ward, campus director, “which opens up a lot of sections for entry-level classes.”

At Bend’s campus, while “Forestry Perspectives” is a forestry class that’s been available for several years — with material that covers tree harvesting, stream restoration and fire management, packaged together with an overview of state and local employment opportunities — it will soon serve a new purpose. The class will be part of Education Pathways at COCC, a well-proven, comprehensive learning model that narrows down college majors into categories, helping students more easily find their ideal educational track.

These introductory classes will offer COCC students an up-close look at fields and occupations — from forestry and pharmacy tech to engineering and exercise science — with equal measure inspiration and insight. “It includes asking, early and often, ‘What are your interests, what are your goals, how can we help you get there?’” says Annemarie Hamlin, vice president of academic affairs. Beginning Oct. 6, the Pathways learning model will go live on cocc.edu to help students orient toward their certificate or degree, with the full structure of the program — including wraparound support and advising — launching in fall term 2026.

Also new at COCC this year: the college’s president, Dr. Greg Pereira. A native Oregonian who comes to COCC from a higher education background in Arizona, Pereira is excited to welcome students to fall term. “Whether you’re seeking a college degree, sharpening skills or continuing a lifelong love of learning, we’re with you every step of the way,” he says. “Together, there’s no limit to what we can achieve.”

Explore what else is new at cocc.edu, or call 541-383-7700. COCC’s fall term starts Sept. 22; admissions deadline is Sept. 12.