Los Angeles Pierce College , also known as Pierce College , Pierce , is a community college that serves more than 23,000 students in the northern Chalk Hills of Woodland Hills , a community within the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles , California . The college began with 70 students and 18 faculty members on September 15 , 1947 . Originally known as the Clarence W. Pierce School of Agriculture , the institution 's initial focus was crop cultivation and animal husbandry . Nine years later , in 1956 , the school was renamed to Los Angeles Pierce College , retaining the name of its founder , Dr. Pierce , as well as his commitment to agricultural and veterinary study . -LRB- Pierce still maintains a 225 acre working farm for hands-on training . -RRB- Pierce College offers courses on more than 100 subjects in 92 academic disciplines , and has transfer alliances with most of the universities in the state . Students at the school successfully transfer to UC and CSU schools . Students can pursue any of the 44 Associate 's degrees or 78 Certificates of Achievement the school offers directly . Pierce College comprises 426 acre amidst a dense metropolis , an area larger than many university campuses , including that of UCLA . The grounds are landscaped with more than 2,200 trees , thousands of roses and a 1.9 acre botanical garden . The Pierce College farm houses small herds of cattle , sheep , goats , pigs , a small poultry flock , as well as a llama and an alpaca for its students to learn from . The Associated Students Organization -LRB- ASO -RRB- is the official Student Government of the 23,000 students at Los Angeles Pierce College . It has been in existence since the mid-50 's and has three branches : Club Council , Senate and Student Court . Besides hosting the Brahmas ' football and women 's soccer teams , John Shepard Stadium -LRB- current capacity 5,500 -RRB- also has hosted many outdoor professional sporting events in San Fernando Valley history . From 1976 to 1979 , the San Fernando Valley 's first professional sports team , the Los Angeles Skyhawks of the American Soccer League , played their home games at the Pierce college stadium . The Los Angeles Express of the USFL played their last home game here on June 15 , 1985 . The stadium was expanded to 16,000-person capacity for the game . Shepard Stadium hosts Nuts for Mutts , an annual dog show and pet fair that raises funds for the New Leash on Life Animal Rescue . The stadium is also the former home stadium of the San Fernando Valley Quakes men 's soccer team , which competed in the USL Premier Development League . Since the approval of Los Angeles County Propositions A and AA , Pierce College has been undergoing large-scale renovation . By 2010 two new `` green '' complexes now under construction -- a 109000 sqft . Center for the Sciences and a 50000 sqft . Student Services Building -- will add increased capacity and classrooms and laboratories with enhanced technologies . Other key improvements are increased parking , new infrastructure and roadways , and renovations to existing facilities . The 2008 passage of Measure J for Jobs will bring further enhancements to the College , with a new Library/Learning Center/Instructional Media Center , and classroom facilities that offer programs focusing on emerging green technologies and new media in the planning stages . The 2 acre S. Mark Taper Foundation Life Science Botanic Garden , completed in 2007 , is a `` living classroom '' in the middle of campus . It features one of the finest collections of drought-resistant plants in the region . Pierce College prides itself as an environmentally-forward institution , with a 191-kilowatt solar generation system that has 1,274 photovoltaic panels and a 360-kilowatt , natural gas co-generation system . This project is the largest of its kind to be undertaken by a U.S. community college , yielding around 4.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year and reducing Carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,500 tons over its operating lifetime . The college also has a water retention pond beneath its soccer field , collecting run-off from the adjacent parking lot . The Los Angeles River is nearby to the north . Under propositions A and AA , a new water reclamation facility is also being planned , and the new facilities will meet rigorous Silver-level guidelines set by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design . The campus is home to `` Old Trapper 's Lodge , '' California Historical Landmark No. 939 , an outsider art environment that pays homage to the pioneer upbringing of its creator , John Ehn . It represents the life work of John Ehn -LRB- 1897 -- 1981 -RRB- , a self-taught artist who wished to pass on a sense of the Old West , derived from personal experiences , myths , and tall tales . From 1951 to 1981 , using his family as models , and incorporating memorabilia , the ` Old Trapper ' followed his dreams and visions to create the Lodge and its ` Boot Hill ' . The artwork was moved from the original site in Sun Valley , CA , and relocated to the college . Pierce College is one of the nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District , and is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges , a nationally recognized accrediting agency . It is located at 6201 Winnetka Ave. near Victory Boulevard . The campus is accessible from the LACMTA Orange Line station of the same name . In April 2010 , after securing a $ 100,000 grant , Pierce College launched a 24-hour student-run online radio station , KPCR , airing a mix of music , sports , drama , and locally-produced news and features . The station has two faculty advisers and a staff of 23 . In April of every year , the Foundation for Pierce College hosts Farmwalk , an outdoor festival including animals , activities , displays , games and music . The Farmwalk also includes face-painting , a petting-zoo and hayrides for children , all to benefit the Pierce College farm . In October the Foundation sponsors an annual Harvest Festival , featuring tons of pumpkins grown on the Pierce farm , a five-mile -LRB- 8 km -RRB- corn maze , rock climbing , games and rides for the children , a petting zoo , live music and Halloween frights for the whole family . The College also serves as a Los Angeles County large animal emergency evacuation center . During a slew of fires in Southern California in 2007 , Pierce College sheltered and fed more than 150 horses under the direction of the L.A. County Volunteer Equine Response team . The horses were taken in for free at Pierce , and a veterinarian was onsite . Trained volunteers from Pierce 's equestrian program assisted the county rescue effort . Pierce College currently fields 11 athletic teams , which compete in the Western State Conference . Many athletes receive scholarships to four-year universities after playing at Pierce -- and Pierce has some of the top sports facilities in the San Fernando Valley . In 2009 the Pierce Brahmas won the American Pacific Conference , losing in the first round of bowl playoffs to the National Champs Mt. San Antonio College .