Wenatchee Valley College

Wenatchee Valley College
Type Community college
Established 1939
President Jim Richardson
Students 3,353
Location Wenatchee, WA, United States
Campus Rural
Colors Black and White
Mascot Knights
Affiliations NWAACC
Website http://www.wvc.edu/

Wenatchee Valley College, or WVC, is a two-year community college located in Wenatchee, Washington, United States. The college provides students with adult education classes, certifications, and 2-year Associate Degrees. WVC's primary service district is one of the largest in the state, serving an area larger than Massachusetts, at more than 10,000 square miles (30,000 km2). The school consists of two campuses: a main campus in central Wenatchee, and an Omak campus. Because of the close proximity to area high schools, WVC maintains a sizable Running Start student population, with students attending college during the junior and senior years in high school.[1]

History

Wenatchee Valley College originally opened as a private college in 1939, supported by donations from 51 area residents. In 1941, Wenatchee Valley College was adopted into the state public education system. Originally, classes were held on the third floor of the original Wenatchee High School situated at King and Idaho streets.

In 1949, the college moved to the home of A. Z. Wells on 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land along Fifth Street. The home was hand-built, consisting of stones from the Columbia River, and was modeled with castle style turrets. Wells House held all classrooms and offices, until additional buildings could be constructed allowing the Wells House to become a dormitory.

WVC was able to purchase land from neighboring land owners, expanding the campus to its current 56 acres (230,000 m2). Wells House still stands on the WVC Main Campus, although the building is owned by the Wells House Committee, and the Wenatchee Valley Museum currently maintains the mansion.

Community College District #15 was formed in 1967, expanding WVC's service area to include Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties. A satellite campus was set up in Omak in a former hospital building, until the Omak campus was built in the mid-1970s near downtown Omak.[2]

Recent expansion

A large section of the WVC Main Campus in Wenatchee has undergone expansion. The college added parking to accommodate additional students. A new Central Washington University extension building was constructed west of Batjer Hall and north of Sexton Hall. Anderson Hall was demolished to make way for the new 82,000-square-foot (7,600 m2) Wenatchi Hall, which opened in September 2007. Wenatchi Hall provides expanded room for Allied Health and Safety programs, science, math and other courses. The Wenatchee Valley Foundation raised funds to help finance the construction of the Music and Art Center, which opened near the Wells House in the fall of 2012. The MAC houses "The Grove" recital hall and the MAC Gallery as well as rehearsal halls, computerized music classrooms, recording studios, a sculpture studio, and four 2-story art studios with window walls facing north. In the spring of 2015, students voted to assess themselves a fee to build a new rec center which is expected to be completed near the end of 2016.

Accreditation

Wenatchee Valley College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The Nursing Program and other Clinical programs are accredited through either the National League for Nursing or the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Sciences.[1]

Omak Campus

The Omak campus consists of five buildings all located near downtown Omak. Two specialty programs offered at this campus both on-site and via distance learning include nursing and chemical dependency studies. There are no dormitories or residential living quarters on or designated to this campus. In the spring of 2015, WVC opened Hazel Allen Burnett Hall which houses classrooms and faculty offices.

Campuses

Campus Location City
Main 1300 Fifth Street Wenatchee
Omak 116 West Apple Ave. Omak

Athletics

Wenatchee Valley College competes in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) as the Knights, fielding men's teams for baseball, women's teams for softball and volleyball and men's and women's teams for basketball and soccer.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.wvc.edu/about/ about Wenatchee Valley College
  2. ↑ http://www.wvc.edu/about/history.asp WVC History
  3. ↑ "Wenatchee Valley College: WVC Athletics". Wenatchee Valley College. Retrieved September 22, 2016.

See also

Coordinates: 47°25′53″N 120°20′10″W / 47.43139°N 120.33611°W / 47.43139; -120.33611

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