Sep 30, 2025 | Curry News, News
Looking for an affordable, high-quality college experience? Southwestern Oregon Community College is now accepting applications for the 2026-27 academic year! Whether we met you at a recent college fair or you’re just starting to explore your options, now is the perfect time to see what makes Southwestern a great place to start your educational journey.
Why Southwestern? Here’s what we offer…
- No out-of-state tuition! Study at a beautiful coastal campus without paying extra fees as an out-of-state student.
- Apartment-style student housing—live comfortably right on campus, with lakefront views!
- Active campus life: It’s easy to get involved in student clubs and organizations and meet new friends.
- Diverse community: Meet students from 40 states and 35 countries!
- Top-notch facilities: Study in our new Umpqua Health & Science building and recently renovated Coaledo and Sumner Halls.
- Small classes, qualified instructors: Get personalized attention from experienced instructors (NOT teacher aides) who genuinely want you to succeed.
- Largest athletics program of any community college in the Northwest!
- Scholarships and tuition breaks: Ask us about scholarships and opportunities for free tuition! Have 3.75+ GPA? You might be eligible to receive a tuition waiver!
For a full list of academic programs and degrees, explore our pathways and degrees page.
Considering a career in the Culinary Arts?
If your passion is in cooking or baking, our Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) provides a boutique-style, hands-on training experience that’s unmatched. Small class sizes mean you get personal attention from experienced, award-winning chefs. You’ll be in the kitchen almost every day, developing the skills you need to succeed in the culinary world.
OCCI’s competitive culinary and ice teams have won national championships in 2022, 2020, and 2019, giving students the chance to showcase their talents and travel the world. Start your culinary career on the Oregon Coast!
Ready to take the next step?
Become a Student!
Not quite ready to apply, but curious to learn more?
Choose the option that works best for you:
- Schedule a visit and let us show you what your student life would be like here at Southwestern
- Text “SWOCCBOUND” or call 541-240-8227
- Email swoccbound@socc.edu
- Complete this form and we’ll get back to you
Whatever your future plans, we’re here to help you achieve them. We hope to hear from you soon!
Sep 29, 2025 | News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College is pleased to announce its first-ever Guest Artist in Residence. This year’s guest artist, Tristan Perrotti, is a Portland-based visual artist, arts advocate, and educator.
“This is the first time in the college’s history that we have hosted an Artist in Residence, and we’re excited to share this opportunity with the community we serve! It will be a truly unique experience for our students and for anyone who has the chance to work with Tristan or engage with his work,” said Ali Mageehon, Vice President of Instruction and Student Services.
The Guest Artist in Residence project is a partnership between the College, SWOCC Foundation, private donors, and the Coos Art Museum. It’s designed to provide a nearly year-long opportunity for an artist to focus on their work, inspire artistic exploration, and drive collaboration between the college and community.
“It is vitally important in a community to have the arts flourish. Coos Bay and North Bend have always had a major art community. To support that community with The Arts and an Artist in Residence is important. SWOCC Foundation is committed and excited in being able to help,” said Arnie Roblan, SWOCC Foundation Chair.
The program will run from September 2025 – June 2026 at Southwestern’s Coos Campus. Through the year, Perrotti will continue to build his personal practice, mentor students through workshops, and have access to the College’s gallery space in Eden Hall to exhibit his own work.
Artist Talk & Reception – October 8, 5:00-6:00 pm
Perrotti will be giving an Artist Talk to present his work and artistic philosophy on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 5:00 pm. The presentation takes place in the Eden Hall lecture room, on the Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay). The college will provide a reception with refreshments in the Eden Hall lobby. This event is free and open to the public.
This is event is scheduled on the eve of the annual Bay Area Artists Association exhibit opening the next day on Thursday, October 9, 11:00 am -1:00 pm. This makes for a lively “Art-stranvaganza” on campus with back-to-back visual arts events in Eden Hall.
Upcoming Workshops:
Workshops are free and all materials will be provided. Must be 16 years or older to participate. Workshops held in Eden Hall on the Coos Campus.
ART 0801 65 – Faces in Flux: Expressive Portraiture – October 15 – 6:00-9:00 pm
Students will explore portraits as emotional landscapes rather than strict likeness. Through quick warm-ups, color exploration, and exaggerated form, participants will create a finished expressive portrait in one sitting.
ART 0802 65 – Fast and Fearless: The Art of Immediate Painting – October 22 – 6:00-9:00 pm
This speed-driven session will push students to commit to their first instincts. Students will work through timed exercises, then create one final piece without overworking it.
ART 0803 65 – Corporate Myths and Modern Icons – October 29 – 6:00-9:00 pm
Participants will deconstruct familiar brands and logos to create their own “subversive brand” artwork, mixing painting, collage, and text.
ART 0804 65 – From Sketch to Statement: Building a Mini-Series – November 17 and November 19 – 6:00-9:00 pm
Session one guides students through concept brainstorming and quick sketching for a small, themed set of works. Session two focuses on completing and refining the pieces and writing a concise artist statement.
To register:
- You must have an active SWOCC Student ID number. If you have taken classes at SWOCC within the last year, you will have an active SWOCC Student ID number.
- If you have not taken a class at SWOCC within the last year, you’ll need to complete the Community Education & Personal Enrichment application. Go to www.socc.edu/community for instructions and a link to the form.
- This will get you an active SWOCC Student ID number. Skip this step only if you have taken classes at Southwestern within the past year.
- When you have an active SWOCC Student ID number, call 541-888-7352 or email onestop@socc.edu.
About the Artist:
Raised in rural southern Oregon, Perrotti holds an MFA in Visual Studies from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and has exhibited nationally and internationally, including solo and group shows in Portland, Los Angeles, and Bucharest, Romania, as well as art fairs in Seattle, New York, and San Francisco. Beyond his studio practice, he has curated exhibitions that elevate emerging and underrepresented voices in contemporary art.
Perrotti’s work bridges the emotional immediacy of expressionist portraiture with a sustained engagement in community and public life, exploring masculinity, labor, and the performance of self through painting.
Perrotti brings a record of arts advocacy, having worked in the Oregon State Legislature to champion historic preservation, creative economy jobs, and access to arts education. His residency at Southwestern will focus on creating new, site-responsive work and fostering connections across the Bay Area arts community.
You can contact Perrotti at tristan.perrotti@socc.edu or by calling 541-841-1585.
Sep 24, 2025 | News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 6:00 pm, for “Forward! To the Moon” a planetarium show and a telescope viewing with an Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium (OSGC) Student Ambassador. This is a free event; all ages are welcome.
Join us at the Hales Center for the Performing Arts on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
About the Show: This planetarium show is about NASA’s Artemis program goals. Another mission is to establish a sustainable future on other celestial bodies, like the moon. NASA’s 21st century Artemis program, named after the Greek moon Goddess and twin of Apollo, is the next step in our mission to explore the universe. Come check out the SeeStar telescopes for a chance to look at space!
About the Presenter: Sabrina Pingree is an OSGC Student Ambassador representing District 4, and a chemistry student at Southwestern.
For more information on upcoming lectures contact Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or cassie.coyner@socc.edu.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Sep 9, 2025 | Community, News
Coos Bay, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College athletics is once again pleased to host the youth Hoop Group basketball camp for kindergarten through 8th grade students this fall 2025. Hoop Group is led by the current 2025-26 men’s basketball coaches and players, designed to prepare local youth for the upcoming basketball season.
These one-day camps take place for six consecutive Sundays starting September 21, 2025, from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in Prosper Hall on Southwestern’s Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay).
The camp fee is $20 per player, per day. Proceeds will support Southwestern’s basketball team.
Hoop Group Fall 2025 Dates:
All on Sundays from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. in Prosper Hall
- September 21
- September 28
- October 5
- October 12
- October 19
- October 26
Registration Info:
Participants are encouraged to register online using the following link (payment will be accepted at the door):
Register for Hoop Group!
Sep 8, 2025 | Community, Curry Campus, Curry News, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 6:00 pm, for “Solar PV Panels: Salvation or Snake Oil Part 2” with Frazier Pruett, Engineering Faculty at Southwestern. This is a free event; all ages are welcome.
Coos County residents can join us in-person in the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Curry County residents can join us for a watch party on the Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings.
For those not able to attend in person, the lecture will be streamed live on the College’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
About the Lecture:
In part 2 of this series, Frazier Pruett discusses practical constraints on solar panels and solar power systems. He will investigate critical components of solar PV system infrastructures and the challenges of monetizing the return on investment (ROI) of current solar technologies. We encourage participants to join even if they did not attend the first lecture in the series.
About the Presenter:
Frazier Pruett graduated from the University of Florida in 1984 with a degree in Electrical Engineering after spending over a decade as a professional electronic technician and hobbyist. He has worked as a professional design engineer since then in various types of power conversion designs. These power conversion systems have a wide range of applications across many fields and sectors. His specialty is lighting drivers for incandescent, fluorescent, HID, UHP, LEDs, and LASERs. He holds more than 25 patents in various fields. Frazier currently owns Bespoke Power and co-owns Emgen Engineering, two local engineering consulting firms. He is also part-time engineering faculty at Southwestern Oregon Community College.
For more information about the lecture series contact Dr. Aaron Coyner, Associate Professor, Physics and Engineering at aaron.coyner@socc.edu or 541-888-7244.
For more information on upcoming lectures contact Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Coordinator, at 541-888-7416, or cassie.coyner@socc.edu.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Sep 4, 2025 | Alumni, Community, News, Student Success
SWOCC Alum making a difference!
As classrooms across the South Coast welcome students back this fall, North Bay Elementary’s Hope Huntley will be right there among them — beginning her 16th year as an elementary school teacher. And for her,
every first day of school is more than just tradition, it’s a full-circle moment.
“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Hope says. “SWOCC helped guide me into the profession with support and knowledge.”
A 2004 graduate of North Bend High School, Hope started her college journey at Western Oregon University. Like many students, she quickly realized she needed something closer to home. She returned to Coos
Bay and enrolled at SWOCC in the winter of 2005, where she found both direction and a community that believed in her.
“SWOCC was very inviting for me as a young person,” she reflects. “The professors were welcoming and worked hard to make sure I was successful in every way.”
Hope earned her associate degree and Child & Family Studies certificate from SWOCC in 2007, and lost her father shortly thereafter. She recalls SWOCC staff supporting her through that life-changing experience in many ways — making her realize being in Coos Bay was a positive choice for her moving forward.
Hope was able to continue her studies through Eastern Oregon University where she graduated with her bachelor’s in 2010. She began teaching that summer and has since taught first through fourth grade in both Coos Bay and North Bend schools.
Today, she teaches third grade at North Bay Elementary, where she also mentors students, helps lead professional learning, and coaches T-ball for the North Bend Independent Baseball Program. But what keeps her
going isn’t just curriculum — it’s community.
“I love my job, and the true joy is watching your former students walk at graduation. It’s the best gift you could give a teacher.”
She has since earned her master’s degree in education, taking hybrid classes at SWOCC during the summers.
“Because of SWOCC I was able to find myself and become the best version of myself. I am able to give back to my community every day by teaching and guiding students to success stories like mine.”
As she looks ahead, Hope’s goals are simple: to grow as an educator, be the best mom, wife, and friend she can be, and keep showing up for the community that helped shape her.
“SWOCC isn’t just a place to get a degree,” she says. “It’s a place to grow into who you’re meant to be.”
