| Doņa Ana Branch Community College (DABCC) is a public 2-year institution enrolling more than 4,000 credit students and more than 10,000 non-credit students. It is situated on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. When its doors opened in 1973, its purpose was to provide post-secondary vocational-technical education for Las Cruces and the surrounding area residents. During the past 27 years, Doņa Ana Branch Community College has expanded its role as a community college and now offers High School Equivalency, Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language, 2-year associate degrees, certificates in 26 career-technical programs, and college preparation courses. In addition, DABCC has numerous outreach programs designed to alleviate the poor educational and job opportunities of the large Hispanic population in the area. The college endorses an open-door admission concept and will admit, to the limit of its physical and financial resources, all who wish to attend.
The focus area of the HSIAC-funded project is known as the Mesquite District. This area encompasses many of the oldest sections of Las Cruces, the oldest of which was laid out in 1849 as part of the original Las Cruces townsite. The district has a unique character that sets it apart from the rest of the city. Narrow streets and flat-roofed, one-story adobe buildings in the core fade into more modern architectural styles toward the peripheries. However, during the last 30 years the district has been characterized as a low-income area troubled by urban flight, a deteriorating infrastructure, declining housing stock, high crime rates, and drug proliferation.
A major component of the HSIAC grant will be the construction of a learning center in the Mesquite District. This learning center will provide a place where individuals feel comfortable while trying to better themselves. Through this center, education, housing, and health courses will be offered, as well as legal services, job training, and small business development. DABCC will become a vital and irreplaceable resource in the Mesquite District.
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