West Valley College

West Valley College
Type Community college
Established 1963
President Bradley Davis
Academic staff
 198 full-time and 270 associate
Students 14,058[1]
Location Saratoga, California, United States
Campus 143 acres (58 ha)
Affiliations West Valley–Mission Community College District
Website http://www.westvalley.edu/

West Valley College is a community college in northern California. It is part of the 112-campus California Community College system.

History

The college was founded in 1963. It was to serve the footprint of the Campbell Union High School District, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District and the Santa Clara Unified School District. The district was formed by voter approval in January 1963.[2] The first classes began September 14, 1964. The first campus took over the space of the defunct Campbell Union Grammar School, at 1 East Campbell Avenue near Winchester Boulevard in Campbell, CA across the street from Campbell High School..[3] The grammar school itself was closed because its WPA era buildings were deemed unsafe in the event of an earthquake. While some of the existing buildings were put to use, most of the classrooms were portable, parked on the former playgrounds.[4] Since all the activity was behind the main building, the effective entrance to the campus was off the back of the school from Latimer Avenue. Because of this, the school picked up the local moniker of UCLA, a parody of UCLA but standing for University of Campbell, Latimer Avenue.[5]

The land for the new campus, where the school is located now was purchased in 1966. Groundbreaking for the new construction was June 15, 1967.[2][6] Starting in 1968 the first new building was occupied and a few classes transitioned to the new campus, many in temporary classrooms while further permanent structures were built. The transition was completed in 1975.[7]

Campus

The campus occupies 143 acres (58 ha) in the city of Saratoga. One of the distinguishing features of the school's location is that it is located right off of the West Valley Freeway.

Organization and administration

West Valley College is part of Silicon Valley's West Valley–Mission Community College District, which also administers Mission College in nearby Santa Clara, California, in turn part of the California Community Colleges System. The district serves the cities of Campbell, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Monte Sereno, Santa Clara, and San Jose. The district headquarters is on the West Valley College campus.

Academic profile

As of 2010, the school had a total enrollment of 9,502 students and its faculty had 198 full-time and 270 associate members. As of 2005, West Valley College offered 61 associate degree programs and 94 certificate programs.

Aside from traditional programs, West Valley College offers degrees in interior design, architecture, landscape architecture, fashion design, park management, health care technologies, paralegal, real estate, child studies, court reporting, engineering and drafting, and information technologies to include computer information systems, computer applications, and digital media.

Student life

Athletics

The athletics nickname of West Valley College is the West Valley Vikings, also using the vikings as their mascot, and the school colors are white, navy blue and orange.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office - Data Mart".
  2. 1 2 "Finding aid for the West Valley College Study of Enrollment, Weekly Student Contact Hours, Average Daily Attendance".
  3. ↑ "Raising temporary location sign for West Valley Junior College at Campbell Grammar School location, 1964". 19 December 1964.
  4. ↑ "Moving relocatable building unit through archway at Campbell site".
  5. ↑ "Stan Bunger of CBS San Francisco - Journalist on Muck Rack". line feed character in |title= at position 15 (help)
  6. ↑ "Saratoga campus groundbreaking".
  7. ↑ "West Valley College's First Home". Campbell, CA Patch. 19 March 2012.
  8. ↑ "Cung Le UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

Coordinates: 37°15′48″N 122°00′36″W / 37.263429°N 122.010000°W / 37.263429; -122.010000

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