Del Mar College News

Del Mar College’s financial aid service's director Joseph Ruiz said they’re seeing a five percent increase in students applying for FAFSA for the upcoming school year. He attributes that to inflation.

Whether you’re already a Viking or ready to become one, now’s the time to prepare for Fall 2022 at Del Mar College (DMC). Registration is already underway, and the semester starts on Monday, Aug. 29. The College is holding Registration Rallies on its Oso Creek Campus on Aug. 11 and Aug. 18 from 4 to 7:30 p.m.

On Monday (Aug. 1), Del Mar College brought back its free back to school haircuts. The event had been put on hold the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every year, the cosmetology program offers this service to families in need.

The Del Mar College Cosmetology Program will be giving free back-to-school haircuts beginning Monday, August 1 through Thursday, August 4.

While many professions are having a difficult time finding workers, truck drivers are also in major demand, especially for local governments. One of the reasons for the shortage at local municipalities is a severe shortage of pay for professional drivers. John Rojas is the Director of Del Mar's Transportation Services Training Program, and said that drivers are not as easy to come across in the current economy.

It was all about science, technology, engineering and math at Del Mar College's west campus for some local students on Thursday. Dozens of kids tested out robots and catapults they made themselves. It's part of the Corpus Christi Pre-freshman engineering camp with Del Mar College and Flint Hills Resources.

Del Mar College is helping students transitioning into high school with their Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program. The TEA accredited six-week camp is part of a partnership with Flint Hills Resources, and runs from June until July every summer. 37 students in the program showed off their STEM skills, Thursday, by putting their custom made robot vehicles to the test. The goal was to see which robot could race around the track the fastest.

The Nueces County Sheriff's Office and Del Mar College have partnered for the first time to offer select inmates at the McKinzie Jail Annex a special carpentry program.

The Nueces County Sheriff's Office and Del Mar College are working together to give inmates training to join the work force. Officials gathered at the Nueces County McKinzie Jail Annex to announce a program that has already turned out four inmates who have graduated from a grant funded construction industry job training class.

Through a new partnership with Del Mar College, inmates at Nueces County Sheriff's McKenzie Jail Annex have the opportunity to learn carpentry.

Del Mar Colleges' Diesel Applied Technology Program received a generous gift. Doggett Heavy Machinery, LLC donated a John Deere 850K Dozer, which is valued at $175,000. The dozer will be used to help train students who are learning to become diesel mechanics and heavy equipment technicians.

Robstown residents petitioned for the move to let voters decide. The benefits would include cheaper 'in district' tuition. However, it also means a tax increase. During a public hearing held by the DMC Board of Regents, people who live in Robstown got to hear from Del Mar College officials on their plan should voters approve Robstown ISD to join the college's taxing district.

Robstown residents will be going to the polls in November to decide whether or not the city should join the Del Mar College Tax District. If voters approve the measure they'll see a slight increase in their property taxes. By joining the district, Robstown students would receive the lower in-district tuition rates.

Del Mar College piano professors David Sutanto and Shao-Shan Chen traveled to France in May to perform works by American composers as part of the Corpus Christi Sister City Program. As a second part to the exchange, French pianist and composer Marc-Olivier Poingt will perform at Del Mar College’s Wolf Recital Hall on Oct. 28.

The Del Mar College board of regents approved increasing tuition for continuing education courses this week. The last time the college increased continuing education tuition was in 2017, when the board approved a 20% increase. On Tuesday, staff recommended an increase of about 10% for each course.

The Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education is hosting a panel titled ‘Easing the Mental Health issues impacting the African American community at Del Mar College's Heritage Camus as part of TABPHE Corpus Christi chapter's ten days of events to commemorate Juneteenth.

The Corpus Christi Municipal Band performs Sunday evening concerts on Del Mar College's Heritage Campus during the summer. David Irving is currently the manager of the municipal band. Though retired as a music professor from Del Mar, he has kept up his work with the band.

Kids in the Coastal Bend get a chance to reach for the stars. Nineteen high school students from CCISD, Flour Bluff, and others attended NASA camp at Del Mar College on Saturday. As part of the camp, the kids got a hands-on opportunity to learn about the principles of aerospace engineering. (Story aired on June 4, 2022)

Del Mar College held a NASA camp at its FEMA Dome thanks to a $1.2 million grant from the space administration. It was awarded to Texas A&M University-Kingsville in August 2021 with Del Mar College among the partnering higher education institutions.

A grassroots effort is underway to add Robstown ISD to the Del Mar College tax district. If successful, the expansion of the tax district would increase services and lower costs for Robstown residents studying at the college, while taxes would increase for residents of the school district.

The program will cover the cost of four consecutive fall and spring semesters, and it is money that does not have to be repaid, thus avoiding student loans.

As part of his "Think Texas" road trip newsletter/blog, Austin American-Statesman reporter Mike Barnes writes about Corpus Christi and talks to area "experts," including Del Mar College faculty and alumni. Read and learn more about what you didn't know.