Holyoke Community College

Holyoke Community College

Former names	Holyoke Graduate School (1946–1947) Holyoke Junior College (1947–1964)
Motto	Efficiunt Clarum Studio (Latin) "They make it clear by study"[1]
Type	Public community college
Established	September 9, 1946 July 1, 1964[2][a]
Accreditation	NECHE
Endowment	$13.4 million[3]
President	George Timmons
Academic staff	128 full-time faculty 332 adjunct[4][5]
Students	3,550[6] (fall 2022)
Location	Holyoke , Massachusetts , United States 42°11′40.35″N 72°39′0.87″W / 42.1945417°N 72.6502417°W / 42.1945417; -72.6502417
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Green & Black
Nickname	HCC
Affiliations	Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield
Mascot	Cougars
Website	www.hcc.edu

Holyoke Community College (HCC) is a public community college in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It offers associate degrees and certificate programs, as well as a transfer program for students to earn credits for transfer to other colleges. It was the first community college established in Massachusetts, as it was founded by the city's school board in 1946, while others were subsequently chartered under state jurisdiction after 1960.^[7]

HCC is located on a 135-acre (0.55 km²) campus and has satellite locations throughout the Pioneer Valley, including the HCC-MGM Culinary Arts Institute, the only culinary arts program at a Massachusetts college accredited by the American Culinary Federation.^[8][9]

The college participates in the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP) and allows high school applicants to opt for full or part-time coursework to receive both high school and transferable college credit.^[10] Enrolled students may also complete certain coursework at Mount Holyoke and Smith College, as both share faculty with the community college.^[11] Holyoke Community College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.^[12]

HCC's first director, George E. Frost, discusses enrollment with high school seniors, 1950; the community college's temporary classrooms at Beech/Sargent St, used from 1969 to 1974 following the Alderman building fire

Holyoke Community College's history is unique in that it was not only the first established community college in the state, but was initially managed municipally by the local school board. With funding provided by the GI Bill following World War II, the opportunity was granted to states to provide supplementary education in addition to coursework given through high school. In order to expedite the establishment of this coursework, the Massachusetts General Court passed an emergency act on June 13, 1946, to allow school committees to vote for post-graduate instruction.^[13] Following a period of evaluation, the Holyoke School Board voted in favor of establishing the Holyoke Graduate School on September 9, 1946, having admitted 67 students for its founding class.^[14] On April 1, 1947, this name was changed to the Holyoke Junior College after a state act was passed allowing municipalities to operate higher educational institutions under this title.^[2][15]

On July 1, 1964, with approval from the state department of education, the school board relinquished control and the college was given its current name, Holyoke Community College.^[2][16] On January 4, 1968, the Holyoke Community College building burned to the ground. Classes continued in various locations across Holyoke. A temporary campus was opened in June 1971 and the current campus opened on February 19, 1974.

In its nearly 75 year history the college has had only four presidents, as of 2024, with founding director Dr. George E. Frost serving until 1975, at which time alumnus and former Speaker of the Massachusetts House Dr. David M. Bartley succeeded him. With Bartley's retirement in 2004, William F. Messner became the third, and with his 2016 retirement the current president, Dr. Christina Royal, became the fourth and the first woman to serve the office.^[17]

In October 2019, the college announced it would launch the state's first Cannabis Education Center in partnership with the Cannabis Community Care and Research Network (C3RN). The program provides certificate training for patient advocates, budtenders, extraction and laboratory roles, as well as offerings within its culinary program.^[18]

Following a devastating fire that destroyed the then-refurbished college building (the former Alderman Holyoke High School), the yellow bricks from the former facility were sold off to raise funds for an independent charitable corporation, created by Mayor William S. Taupier. This charity, known as the Friends of Holyoke Community College, was initially founded for the purpose of conducting fundraising to construct new facilities.^[19] The idea of rebuilding such a school in Holyoke was left in doubt by the state but after hundreds of letters and phone calls from residents to Governor Volpe, funding was granted for an entirely new campus in the Homestead Avenue neighborhood.^[20] The Friends of Holyoke Community College would be renamed the Holyoke Community College Foundation in 1985,^[21] a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which fundraises to supplement state appropriations to the college through benefactor scholarships, educational grants, and the annually-awarded Elaine Marieb Faculty Chair for Teaching Excellence.^[22] As of 2018, the foundation presided over the largest endowment of any community college foundation in the Commonwealth.^[3]

In addition to the main campus on in the Homestead Avenue area of Holyoke, the community college also maintains a number of satellite campuses, generally associated with specific programs, including:^[23]

• Center for Health Education, 404 Jarvis Avenue, Holyoke
• Education to Employment Center, 79 Main Street, Ware
• HCC-MGM Culinary Arts Center, 164 Race Street, Holyoke
• Ludlow Area Adult Learning Center, 54 Winsor Street, Ludlow
• Picknelly Adult & Family Education Center, Holyoke Transportation Center, 206 Maple Street, Holyoke

• WCCH (103.5 FM), the community college's FM radio station

• Official website