West Shore Community College

In 1967 West Shore was established on 365 acres between Ludington and Manistee in Mason County , Michigan. Along with this main campus, West Shore also has a center in Manistee County , just north of the city of Manistee . Planning for the college began in 1962 with high school superintendents from three adjacent counties meeting to discuss the possibility of a community college in their districts. In September 1968, part-time faculty members were hired to teach evening courses at local high schools. [ 1 ] The first permanent structure was the Campus Center (now the Administrative Building), which was dedicated in the spring of 1970; [ 2 ] prior to this, classes were held in six relocatable classrooms the college had purchased. [ 3 ] Since 1967, West Shore Community college has experienced growth in student body as well as facilities. From an initial enrollment in the fall of 1968 of 118 students [ 4 ] and an initial graduating class of 62 students, [ 5 ] the college has grown to a current enrollment close to 1,200 students, with the most recent graduation class consisting of nearly 140 students eligible to receive degrees or certificates. [ 6 ] Growth in facilities includes the following: In 2002, an 18,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art science wing was added to the Arts and Sciences Center and West Shore Community College opened a 36,000 sq. ft. ice arena. In 2006, Manistee County Education Center, a partnership between the college and West Shore Medical Center, opened in Manistee. In 2008, the 38,000 sq. ft. Schoenherr Campus Center opened for students. Leadership John Eaton was the college's initial president; he served from 1967 to 1983. [ 7 ] William M. Anderson was the college's second president, serving from 1983 to 1998. Afterward in 2001, Governor John Engler appointed Anderson the founding director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. [ 8 ] Governor Jennifer Granholm reappointed Dr.

Anderson to her cabinet, where he continued to serve as the director of HAL until 2009. [ 9 ] Charles T. Dillon served as West Shore Community College's third president from 1998 to 2014. [ citation needed ] He was succeeded by Kenneth Urban (2015–2017). [ 10 ]

West Shore Community College offers a variety of degree programs, one and two year certificates, as well as non-credit course options. some of these courses are offered online or in hybrid modes. More than 400 students each semester take online courses, with over 25 courses to choose from. Courses range from completely online or online with proctored testing to a blend of online and on-campus (hybrid) delivery. The college's online class presence has been growing such that in the Winter 2016 semester online course credit accounted for 20% of credits being attempted. [ 11 ] Accreditation West Shore Community College participates in the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP), a quality-based, continuous improvement model of accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). This AQIP model is based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program and incorporates a review process designed to deliver clear, concrete and efficient feedback to participating institutions. Additionally, it provides assurance of institutional quality to HLC and other audiences and constituencies. [ 12 ]

The college has articulation agreements with Ferris State University , Central Michigan University , Davenport University , and Walsh College . [ 13 ] Learn more about WSCC Partnerships