Fact Sheet


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Name: Cypress College

Description: Cypress College is a public two-year campus providing educational excellence in the North Orange County (CA) area. The college primarily serves the communities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton. Cypress College is one of three institutions in the North Orange County Community College District and one of 116 in the California Community College System — the largest system of higher education in the world. Cypress College enrolls approximately 16,000 students each semester.

Location: The Cypress College campus is located at the intersection of Valley View Street and Lincoln Avenue in the City of Cypress. The is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22 and 405, and is in close proximity to major tourist destinations such as Disney’s California Resorts and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Accreditation: The college is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Cost: A Cypress College education costs state residents $46 per unit, California’s lowest tuition. Financial aid and scholarships also are available to qualifying students.


Leadership: Scott W. Thayer, Ed.D, became Cypress College’s 13th president in January, 2024. Dr. Thayer has 24 years of higher education experience in a variety of administrative roles. From 2017 through 2023, he served as the Vice President of Student Services at San Bernardino Valley, having also served there as Interim President. He also served as the Vice President of Student Services at Cuyamaca College and was the Dean of Student Affairs at Pasadena City College. Dr. Thayer has been an advocate for historically underrepresented students throughout his professional career and was integral in establishing a food pantry, housing support, and basic needs resources at San Bernardino Valley College. He is a part-time faculty member teaching in the San Diego State University Community College Leadership Program and serves on doctoral dissertation committees. Dr. Thayer received his doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Southern California. He completed his Master of Arts in Counseling and Guidance degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in California, his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rollins College in Florida, and his Associate of Arts degree from Normandale Community College in Minnesota.


Governance: The North Orange County Community College District is headed by Chancellor Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland Elected members of the Board of Trustees are: Ryan Bent; Stephen T. Blount; Jeffrey P. Brown; Dr. Barbara Dunsheath; Ed Lopez; Jacqueline Rodarte; and Evangelina Rosales.

Educational Opportunities: Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career- certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year.

Campus: Cypress College is built on 110 acres. Construction began just 90 days before the college opened for instruction in September 1966. Today, the campus features 17 major buildings.

HSI: The federal government has designated Cypress College as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.


Areas of Study: Cypress College has 10 instructional divisions, all headed by a dean: Business and Computer Information Systems (Dr. Treisa Cassens, Interim Dean); Career Technical Education (Rick Hodge, Dean); Counseling and Student Development (Dr. Troy Davis, Dean); Health Science (Colin Preston, Dean); Language Arts (Janet Vera, Dean); Library/Learning Resources (Dr. Treisa Cassens, Dean); Kinesiology (Colin Preston, Dean); Science/Engineering/Mathematics (Patricia Menchaca, Dean); Social Science (Jamie Thomas, Dean); and Visual and Performing Arts (Dr. Kellori Dower).

Administration: In addition to Dr. Thayer, campus administration includes: Dr. Kathleen Reiland, Vice President, Instruction; Dr. Paul de Dios, Vice President, Student Services; Dr. Stephen Schoonmaker, Acting Vice President, Administrative Services; Bryan Ventura, Director of Institutional Research and Planning; Howard Kummerman, Executive Director, Foundation and Community Relations; and Marc Posner, Director of Campus Communications.

Employees: Cypress College employs more than 215 full-time faculty, over 400 part-time instructors, roughly 245 support staff and approximately 40 managers.


Address: 9200 Valley View Street, Cypress, CA, 90630

Phone: (714) 484-7000

Website: www.cypresscollege.edu

Media Contact: Office of Campus Communications, (714) 484-7006 or news@cypresscollege.edu