The first community college in the San Luis Obispo area was founded in 1916 as a division of San Luis Obispo High School, it lasted until 1919 with the United States involved in World War I. Cal Poly had a junior college division from 1927 to 1932. Miramonte College of Atascadero filled the void as a private institution from 1933 to 1936. The county's second public junior college was formed in 1936 as a part of San Luis Obispo High School District, but ceased operation in June 1959. On April 16, 1963, voters in SLO County agreed to form a community college district, forming the San Luis Obispo County Junior College District. In 1964, a limited evening division began at Camp San Luis Obispo, a California National Guard facility located between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay. On October 4, 1965, the college was officially named Cuesta College. In 1970, Cuesta broke ground on its current campus west of Camp San Luis Obispo.
Campus
Located on State Route 1, the Cuesta campus is from the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and from San Luis Obispo. Cuesta College also has a satellite campus, known as 'North County Campus', located in Paso Robles, which is to the northeast of the main campus near San Luis Obispo. Limited course offerings are also available at two other sites within the county operated by Cuesta College, one located at Arroyo Grande High School in Arroyo Grande, and the other located at Nipomo High School in Nipomo.
Organization and administration
Cuesta College is the only college in the San Luis Obispo County Community College District and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The district is governed by an elected five-member Board of Trustees. Dr. Jill Stearns, the current president, began her presidency in July 2018 after Dr. Gilbert H. Stork retired. The gymnasium was renamed Gilbert H. Stork Gymansium in his honor in August 2018.
Academic profile
The college offers 76 Associate's degree programs and 96 certificate programs. A number of Cuesta students transfer to the publicCalifornia State University and University of California systems, including the nearby Cal Poly SLO campus, as well as private colleges and universities. In 2012, Cuesta College's regional accreditor Western Association of Schools and Colleges placed the college on "show cause" status, warning the college that its accreditation might not be renewed. A year later, the college's accreditation was renewed and its status upgraded to "on warning." The Tribune, the local newspaper of San Luis Obispo, described this as the result of a "years-long struggle to fix several deficiencies identified by the commission came at a cost: lower enrollment, difficulty recruiting applicants and damaged morale." In February 2014, it was announced that Cuesta's "on warning" status was removed, and that the school meets all standards for accreditation.
