President's Office

Welcome from the President

What makes Cochise College so special? Cost of attendance, return on investment, graduation success rate, student-teacher ratio, exceptional student outcomes in learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and access and success for minority and low-income students make us stand out.

The college is regularly eligible for the Aspen Prize, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.

On behalf of the Cochise College Governing Board, administration, faculty and staff, welcome to our learning community.

Sincerely,
James Dale (J.D.) Rottweiler, Ph.D.
President | president@cochise.edu

President's Biography

Dr. James Dale (J.D.) Rottweiler became the 11th president of Cochise College on July 1, 2009. A first-generation college graduate himself, J.D. understands the importance of education in enhancing one’s quality of life.

J.D. earned a bachelor of arts in sociology with a Japanese minor in 1990, and a master of arts in sociology in 1992 from the University of Wyoming. In 2005, he earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy from the University of Utah. His dissertation, “Presidential Profiles: University Presidents by Institutional Type, Control, and Reputation,” established mobility patterns for American university presidents.

J.D.’s area of expertise is in cultural studies and social mobility. He has spent a significant amount of time in Japan and produced the documentary film “A 20th Century Matsuri: The Secularization of the Japanese Religious Festival.” A teacher at heart, J.D. enjoys any opportunity to teach others the subtle meanings and influences of culture and social structure.

J.D. has over 25 years of higher education experience, ranging from small, rural colleges to large, multi-campus, urban institutions. Prior to becoming president of Cochise College, he was executive vice president for academic services and professor of sociology at Central Wyoming College. He has served as associate dean of instruction at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, Iowa, and on the faculty at Ricks College, now Brigham Young University – Idaho, and was associate professor/chair of the Department of Sociology at Salt Lake Community College. He also is a consultant/evaluator with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

J.D. is a graduate of the Community College Leadership Initiative Consortium, the Salt Lake Leadership Academy, and Leadership Fremont County in Wyoming. In 2006, he was recognized as one of Wyoming’s “40 under 40,” individuals under the age of 40 making a difference in Wyoming.

J.D.’s wife, Melanie, is also an educator; the couple has three children, and two grandsons.

Year in Review

From a humble beginning of 441 students to serving a diverse population of over 9,000 today, I wonder if the college's founders knew how life-changing the college would become for students and what transformational impact it would have on our communities. Cochise County is a different place because of Cochise College! Like that first day in 1964, Cochise College is driven by its mission, vision and values.

 

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