Cuyamaca College is a public community college in Rancho San Diego, California. It is part of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District and the California Community Colleges System. Along with Grossmont College, it serves the eastern suburbs in the San Diego area. Cuyamaca College opened in 1978 and now offers 81 associate's degree programs and 66 training certification programs to approximately 8,500 students. Many of the college's students transfer to the University of California, San Diego or San Diego State University to complete their bachelor's degrees. Cuyamaca's mascot is the coyote. History Cuyamaca College is located in the San Diego County community of Rancho San Diego on 165 acres that at one time was a part of the Old Monte Vista Ranch. Along with its sister campus, Grossmont College, it is part of the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District. The college's name, linked to the area's Native-American roots, comes from the Kumeyaay phrase “Ekwiiyemak,” which has been translated to mean “behind the clouds,” “above the rains,” and “the place where the rain comes from the heavens.” The campus site was acquired by the district's board of trustees in September 1972 and the college officially opened six years later. Today, Cuyamaca College offers more than 140 degrees and certificates, serves nearly 10,000 students, and is a significant contributor to the regional workforce and economy. The name for the college was selected by the Board of Trustees, as a reflection of the history and heritage of this area of San Diego County. One historian notes that "The very old Indian name 'Cuyamaca' has persisted through Spanish, Mexican and American times", and has, at various times, been "applied to mountains, lakes, valleys and ranches." Writers have interpreted the Indian meaning of the name in various ways, including "above rain" and "place where the rain comes from heavens". The building site was acquired by the board of trustees in September 1972, and the college officially opened in the Fall of 1978. The second phase of buildings was completed in January 1980. In 1989, the Learning Resource Center opened. The campus consists of twelve classroom buildings and is also the site of the Heritage of the Americas Museum and the Water Conservation Garden. In the Spring of 1995, Rancho San Diego Parkway, the Fury Lane entrance road, was completed, providing students easier access to the college. In the Fall of 1995, the college dedicated a new physical