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Visitors to PCC’s website are greeted with a message welcoming everyone to its 90th academic year.

At the opening of the semester students and staff were welcomed with a large banner in front of the Week of Welcome tent also celebrating the school’s 90^th academic year.

The only problem is that chronologically this is only PCC’s 89^th academic year.

Whoops?

PCC was founded in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College with the first academic year being 1924-25, which would make this academic year the school’s 89^th.

Or is it? Bobbi Abram, executive director of the PCC Foundation, insists that this year is PCC’s 90th.

“The college was officially founded in September 1924, so the first academic year was 1924-25.  If one counts each academic year since, the result is that the 2013-2014 academic year is PCC’s 90th academic year,” Abram wrote in an email.

“Regardless of how many commencements we have had, there is no confusion that this is our 90th academic year and 2014 is our 90th anniversary.”

But indeed there is some confusion about the academic year. In fact, at a recent board of trustees meeting, trustee Jeanette Mann mentioned that the college was celebrating its 89^th anniversary, only to be corrected by president Mark Rocha who insisted that the college is celebrating its 90^th anniversary.

“Indeed, our first academic year was1924, we are in our 89th academic year, and 2014-2015 will be our 90th academic year. If PCC claims otherwise, it would be pure contemporary fiction,” said Melissa Michelson, assistant language professor.

“I think there is confusion because last graduation was the 88th graduation as it says on the graduation pamphlet.”

Adding to the confusion, the brochure for PCC’s Project 90, it clearly states that PCC will celebrate its 90^th year in 2014.

It appears the campus is celebrating its 90^th birthday whether it is mathematically correct or not.

 

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