History of Tohono O’odham Kekel Ha-Mascamakud (TOCC)

Tohono O’odham Nation leaders and community members identified the need for a local college that could serve the needs of Nation members nearly half a century ago. In 1998, Chairman Edward Manuel established a task force to make the dream a reality. TOCC partnered with Pima Community College and offered classes starting in 2000, and achieved its own accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) in 2005.

Chronology

1998–2000
1998—TOCC was chartered by the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Legislative Council. A board of trustees was established.

1999—TOCC’s Board of Trustees appointed the first president, Richard Durán, PhD. TOCC’s vision, mission, and goals were codified. Benchmarks were identified, including seating a Native American president within two years and attaining full accreditation within five years.

2000–2010
2000—Classes began under the auspices of Pima Community College, providing the needed accreditation until such time as TOCC could achieve its own accreditation.

2001—The Tohono O’odham Nation Career Center was housed under TOCC by tribal Council Resolution. That Center is now TOCC’s West Campus. Robert G. Martin, PhD, was appointed as the first Native American president.

2002—A second campus opened in Sells, expanding classroom numbers through the acquisition of five modular buildings leased from the Baboquivari Unified School District.

2003—The Higher Learning Commission of the then “North Central Association” approved initial candidacy for TOCC.

2004—The United States Department of Agriculture designated TOCC a 1994 tribal land grant institution of higher education.

2005 – TOCC achieved full accreditation, providing its own accredited coursework. A Tohono O’odham Nation member, Olivia Vanegas-Funcheon, MBA, was appointed president. The Tohono O’odham Nation allocated $6 million for the first phase of the permanent campus construction. The proposed Pisinemo campus site, on the far west of the Nation, was blessed.

2006—The future Schuk Toak campus site was blessed. TOCC’s Capital Campaign was launched.

2007—The Pisinemo lease for the establishment of a campus site was signed.

2008—TOCC signed a lease with Schuk Toak District, providing 32 acres of land for the TOCC Main Campus, ten miles east of Sells.

2009—Preconstruction activities for the permanent campus in the Schuk Toak District were conducted, including water testing, digging the well, and laying cable as a result of the implementation of the Campus Master Plan.

2010–2019
2010—President Olivia Vanegas-Funcheon left TOCC. Jane Latané, MEd, was appointed interim president.

2011—James Vander Hooven, EDd, was appointed the fourth TOCC president. The men’s basketball team was established. The Higher Learning Commission granted TOCC continued accreditation, with a Focused Visit on assessment of student learning, strategic planning, and new campus construction set for 2012.

2012—The Higher Learning Commission conducted a Focused Visit on assessing student learning, strategic planning, and new campus construction, and found that TOCC met areas of concern. The women’s basketball team was established. Dormitories and the first classroom building opened on the main campus.

2013—A 12,000-square-foot, refabricated building originally intended to house Building Construction Trades at the main campus was repurposed to house the Education and Student Services Divisions. Erection was completed, and the move was made in time for the fall semester of 2013.

2015—President James Vander Hooven resigned. Mario Montes-Helu, PhD, the academic chair, was appointed interim president.

2016—Paul Robertson, PhD, was appointed the fifth TOCC president in January. A Higher Learning Commission (HLC) team conducted a comprehensive visit in March 2016. TOCCʼs accreditation was affirmed in November, and the College was placed on the Standard Pathway.

2016—TOCC partnered with San Carlos Apache College (SCAC) in San Carlos, laying the groundwork for designating SCAC a site under TOCC’s auspices, with a start date of the fall semester 2017.

2016—TOCC’s full-time equivalent enrollment reached a high of 314 students in the fall semester of 2016, up from 212 in the fall semester of 2015. Among the numerous reasons for the increase was a 50% tuition reduction to $34.25/credit hour, the lowest rate in the state of Arizona, and the second lowest among all tribal colleges.

2017—HLC approved TOCC’s request to recognize San Carlos Apache College as a TOCC site. Courses were offered to 58 students there in the fall semester of 2017. The intent was to support the site until SCAC could be accredited independently, with a target date sometime between 2019 and 2021.

2020-Present
2020—Tohono O’odham Community College provided 100% online courses from March 30 through the end of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TOCC offered free tuition for Native Americans for the summer session and fall semester.

2021—The College went through a comprehensive evaluation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which reaffirmed TOCC’s accreditation. Free tuition to Native Americans continued. Classes were online only (synchronously and asynchronously) for spring and summer 2021 courses. In-person classes resumed in fall 2021. The first cross-country team was formed.

2022—Dormitories reopened, and the Monday-Friday food program expanded, serving three meals per day to dorm residents, and two meals per day to anyone on campus at S-cuk Du’ag Maṣcamakuḍ. (The College subsidizes the program so that meals are provided at no cost to recipients.) TOCC hosted an O’odham and Pee Posh Early Childhood Symposium with early childhood educators and elders from the four O’odham nations and the Pee Posh community presenting and sharing ideas.

2023—Enrollment surpassed one thousand students, with fall 2023 unduplicated headcount at 1,174 and a full-time student equivalency of 903 (at 12 credit hours). The College hosted the first-ever reunion for alumni on June 23, 2023. TOCC reached its 25th year since being established by the Tohono Oʼodham Legislative Council resolution in 1998.

2024—TOCC marked its 25th anniversary on March 8, 2024, with a celebration held at the Desert Diamond Casino and Hotel. Former Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman and current Tohono O’odham Legislative Council Representative Edward D. Manuel served as the keynote speaker. Dr. Paul Robertson, who served as College President 2016–2024, finished his term and was recognized at the end of May 2024. Dr. Mario Montes-Helu served as Interim President during June. In July 2024, Dr. Stephen Schoonmaker became College President. On November 19, 2024, the O’odham Ñiʼokĭ Ki: (the Oʼodham Language Center) held its grand opening. S-Ki:kig Maṣcama Ki: (the Phoenix Center) celebrated its fifth anniversary and moved to a new site in Midtown Phoenix.

2025—In spring 2025, TOCC partnered with the Tohono O’odham Nation Health Care (TONHC) and the Tohono O’odham Nation Fire Department (TONFD) to offer the first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training program held on campus. On September 12, TOCC inaugurated Dr. Stephen Schoonmaker as sixth College President.