Westmoreland County Community College

Public college in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, US

Westmoreland County Community College

Motto| Ambitious.
Type| Public community college
Established| 1970
President| Tuesday Stanley
Location|

Youngwood, Pennsylvania

U.S.

40°13′59″N 79°33′59″W﻿ / ﻿40.2331°N 79.5664°W﻿ / 40.2331; -79.5664
Colors|  Blue and green
Nickname| Wolfpack

Sporting affiliations

| NJCAA
Mascot| Westly Wolf
Website| www.westmoreland.edu

Westmoreland County Community College is a public community college in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1970 during an era of community college proliferation within the state. Its location on the suburban fringe was designed to attract students from both the Westmoreland County suburbs of Pittsburgh and the Monongahela Valley, then a still booming industrial center. The college has also extended its outreach to provide services to students from Fayette and Indiana Counties.

## History

[edit]

Westmoreland County Community College, founded in 1970,[1] first offered evening classes at Jeannette High School in 1971.[2] By the fall of 1972, the college took up a permanent residence in a former Westinghouse plant in Youngwood and expanded its schedule to include day classes.[3]

In the four decades since, Westmoreland's original campus in Youngwood has expanded to four buildings. The college has opened additional centers in other areas: the Murrysville Education Center in Export, Fayette County Education Center in Uniontown, Indiana County Center in Indiana, Latrobe Education Center, New Kensington Education Center and Public Safety Training Center in Smithton.

Westmoreland currently offers 64 associate degree programs, 13 diploma options and 49 certificate programs to prepare students for careers or transfer to baccalaureate degree programs at a four-year institution. The college also offers Continuing Education courses for adults, displaced workers, non-traditional students and even college for kids.

The college hosts several athletics teams, nicknamed the Wolfpack, including baseball, basketball, bowling, softball, and volleyball. In fall 2020, the women's cross country team was ranked number two in the nation by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.[4] In fall 2023, the athletics program transitioned to Division II in the NCJAA and began to offer scholarships to student athletes.[5]

## Campus

[edit]

Student Achievement Center at the Youngwood campus

Starting with a single building, Westmoreland County Community College now comprises four buildings on its main campus in Youngwood, Pennsylvania.

Student Achievement Center

Westmoreland's original building, formerly known as Founders Hall, houses academic and administrative offices, classrooms, the library, a 300-seat amphitheater and a tutoring and learning center. It also contains the college store, student center, cafeteria and a licensed day care center. A gymnasium, indoor running track and a combination aerobic/fitness center provide fitness options for students and faculty.

Health and Culinary Center

The Health and Culinary Center, previously known as Commissioners Hall until 2020, houses additional academic and administrative offices, classrooms, laboratories, a culinary arts complex and a dining facility.

Science Innovation Center

Science Innovation Center consists of classrooms and laboratories, a dental hygiene clinic and an art gallery. The facility also contains a 420-seat theater.

Business and Industry Center

The Business and Industry Center contains administrative offices and classrooms. It also holds offices for PA CareerLink-Westmoreland and the Workforce Investment Board.

Athletic facilities

Constructed in 1992, the baseball field, softball field and multipurpose field are used for intercollegiate competitions, intramural sporting activities and noncredit programming.

## Education centers

[edit]

Westmoreland County Community College maintains education centers that serve all of Westmoreland, Fayette and Indiana counties. Each center offers day and evening classes as well as online courses. Student services such as counseling, advising and financial aid are available at scheduled times.

Murrysville Education Center

Located in Export, this center houses traditional classrooms, a distance learning classroom, computer and science laboratories, workforce development training and a student lounge.

Latrobe Education Center

This center contains traditional classrooms, distance learning classroom, computer classrooms/labs, electronic classrooms, a natural science classroom/lab and student lounge areas.

New Kensington Education Center

Founded in 2009, this center is located in downtown New Kensington. It contains traditional classrooms, a distance learning classroom, computer classrooms/labs, a science lab and a student lounge. The New Kensington Education Center is also home to PA CareerLink - Alle-Kiski, which provides services to the unemployed.

Public Safety Training Center

Completed in 2003 with an addition in 2018, this training center is located in South Huntington Township. Designed for firefighter, police and emergency services personnel, it features a class A live burn building, outdoor firing range, rubble pile and a classroom/administration building.

Fayette County Education Center

Housed in the Fayette County Community Action Agency Inc. Campus in Uniontown, this center features traditional classrooms, a computer classroom, a videoconferencing classroom and administrative offices.

Indiana County Center

The college opened a location in Indiana near the Jimmy Stewart Airport. A new state-of-the-art facility housing the Indiana County Center was opened in fall 2022, located next to the Indiana County Technology Center.[6]

Advanced Technology Center

Located in Mount Pleasant in the former Sony Technology Center, the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) offers training for students and incumbent workers in applied industrial technology, mechatronics, energy technologies, design technologies, machining and fabrication, additive manufacturing, welding, and STEM. In 2023, the ATC received a grant to create a makerspace on campus.[7]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Herman Mihalich, former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
* Richard Rosendale, chef
* John Dorsey, poet and screenwriter

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Standards committee is formed". The News-Herald. Franklin and Oil City, PA. March 16, 1970. p. 12\. "Approved a request from the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners to establish the Westmoreland County Community College."
2. ^ "243 Students Attend Community College Opening Sessions". The Daily Courier. Connellsville, PA. February 3, 1971. p. 2\. "Westmoreland County Community College has opened...The session at the temporary facilities in Jeannette Senior High School was attended by 243 students."
3. ^ "WCCC sets registration". The Ligonier Echo. Ligonier, PA. August 30, 1972. p. 1\. "...the former Westinghouse plant in Youngwood, now the WCCC Central campus."
4. ^ Beckner, Bill. "Westmoreland Campus Clippings: WCCC women's cross country wins again", TribLive, October 13, 2020
5. ^ Beckner, Bill. "WCCC to join NJCAA Division II, offer scholarships", TribLive, March 10, 2022
6. ^ Cloonan, Patrick. "WCCC cuts the ribbon on new center in White Township", Indiana Gazette. October 14, 2022.
7. ^ Maruca, Julia. "From garage to workplace: Local college makerspaces to support manufacturing". Tribe Live. July 15, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westmoreland County Community College.

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