General description

Irvine Valley College (also known as IVC or Irvine Valley) is a community college in Irvine, California. It is part of the California Community Colleges System. The college inherited its name from the Irvine family and the Irvine Company that were key in the development of the city of Irvine. Opened in 1979 as Saddleback College North Campus, Irvine Valley College received its current name and independent status in July 1985. In July 1988, the college received its first accreditation as a separate institution by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The school provides two-year associate of art and science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division transferable courses to other colleges and universities. It is a mid-size college campus having over 14,000 students. It is situated northeast of the University of California, Irvine and adjacent to the Irvine Spectrum Business Sector. It is less than 2 miles away from the 5 Freeway, the 405 Freeway, and the Irvine Spectrum Center. The school is also about 10 miles from Corona del Mar State Beach, Balboa Island, and Laguna Beach.

Why choose Irvine Valley College

Irvine Valley College has a five-year, $100 million building program.[when?] A new Performing Arts Center, designed by Arquitectonica, was dedicated on October 30, 2007. The venue has a 400-seat main theatre with a single-level balcony that wraps around the orchestra pit. The proscenium stage with an orchestra pit capable of rising to stage level accommodates large performances. The Black Box (Studio Theatre) provides a setting for plays and small concerts, with seating for 200. The project was funded by $32 million provided by the state of California and the South Orange County Community College District.

A new $19 million Business Sciences and Innovation Center opened in 2008.

Irvine Valley College broke ground on August 12, 2014, on the new A400 building that will house the School of Humanities and Languages. The $9.1 million, two-story, 27,000-square-foot (2,500 m2) building will replace the former single-story, 12,094-square-foot (1,123.6 m2) structure, which was demolished in June. The building will include seven 30-seat classrooms and three 40-seat classrooms. It will also have two classroom which will be able to hold 45 seats. The new building will include an Anthropology and Geography Lab. The building will also be home to a writing center as well as school's Honors program. The construction for the building will take 12 months and end in fall 2015.