OCCC held its first classes in 1987, meeting in whatever spare space the staff could find. "You could be teaching in a church basement, fire station, real estate office," college presidentPatrick O'Connor recalled. The following year, OCCC found a permanent home in a building formerly known as "Jake's High Tide Bar". In 2004, local voters approved a $23.5 million bond levy, which was used to build three buildings between Lincoln City and Waldport. According to former OCCC president Patrick O'Connor, the three buildings are necessary due to Lincoln County's size and treacherous driving weather during the winter months.
Facilities
OCCC consists of three learning centers in the communities of Newport, Waldport, and Lincoln City. The Central Campus in Newport consists of the main campus structure and the Aquarium Science Building, which are located on 20 acres of newly developed timber land in the South Beach area. The Aquarium Science facility is equipped with an animal holding laboratory, a teaching lab, a food prep area, and a water quality/animal health lab. Each facility was engineered and constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver standards by meeting energy efficiency and indoor air quality criteria. The North Center, in Lincoln City, is situated near Taft High School, which supports a considerable enrollment of Taft students in OCCC courses. The South Center, in Waldport, is adjacent to Waldport High School and Crestview School. This facility supports the local community by housing programs in Allied Health.
Aquarium science program
Oregon Coast Community College offers a degree program in aquarium science, and is the only college in the United States to do so. There are two programs, one to obtain an associate's degree and the other a one-year certification for those with a bachelor's degree or higher in life sciences. Because of the limited number of places available, applicants must apply early and are interviewed by several aquarists and biologists. Classes offered range from Biology of Captive Fish and Aquatic Animal Health Management to a scuba diving course. Those studying for either their associate degree or their one-year certification end with an internship at a public aquarium, zoo, fish hatchery, or marine laboratory.
