Whatcom Community College
| Type | Community college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1967 |
| President | Kathi Hiyane-Brown |
|
Academic staff
|
20:1 student-faculty ratio, 78 full-time faculty, 232 part-time faculty |
|
Administrative staff
|
479 employees |
| Students | 10,694 annually, 6,457 quarterly, 4,126 FTEs |
| Location | Bellingham, Washington, USA |
| Campus | 72 acres |
| Mascot | Orca whale |
| Website | http://www.whatcom.edu |
 |
|
Whatcom Community College (WCC), known as Whatcom, is a community college located in Bellingham, Washington, United States, in Whatcom County. Established in 1967, Whatcom has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1976.
Whatcom Community College is an accredited two-year college serving 11,000 students annually. Whatcom offers transfer degrees, professional and technical training programs, basic education, job skills, online courses and Community & Continuing Education classes.
81% of Whatcom's students are pursuing their academic transfer
1967 The Community College Act of 1967 establishes 22 community college districts, each governed by five trustees. Whatcom is District 21. Gov. Dan Evans appoints first Board of Trustees: Sam Kelly, Elizabeth Bay, Lawrence Belka, Duane Reed and Catharine Stimpson. The first board meeting is held May 29 at the Leopold Hotel, Bellingham.
1970 March: Former Ferndale Schools Superintendent Everett Sanders is first employee; his title is coordinator. The first full-time faculty member is hired the next month. Floyd Sandell teaches Farm Management, a program transferred from the Bellingham School District. The College’s first office is on Third Street in Ferndale.
May: The Board of Trustees rules that “Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured” (ambulance driving) will be the college’s first class, offered tuition free.
June: The college is named Whatcom Community College. Other names considered are Kulshan, Mt. Baker and Nooksack. Sanders says, “Since capital funds are not available, it seems District 21 will operate without a campus … We can serve people, not buildings.”
September: Tuition for first quarter of courses is set at $6 per credit.
1972 April: Richard A. Arntson receives the first A.A. degree from WCC.
July: Dr. Robert Hamill becomes the first president of WCC.
September: College leases two acres on Northwest Road adjacent to the Whatcom County Library. Modular buildings are used for administrative offices and the Learning Resources Center.
1974 June: College leases an abandoned Thriftway grocery store as the Marine Drive Instructional Center.
December: Lynden Instructional Center opens in a remodeled Safeway store at Sixth and Grover streets. The center offers farm management and art for seniors.
1976 WCC earns accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
1977 Ferndale Instructional Center opens on Third Street. Blaine Instructional Center opens on Peace Portal Drive. Dr. William J. Laidlaw is appointed president.
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