Westmoreland County Community College was founded in 1970 and is located in Youngwood, Pennsylvania, USA. In 2009, a new enrollment record was set, with Westmoreland registering its 7,000th student.
Westmoreland 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, Somerset, Greene, and Indiana Counties.
The college has four main buildings: Founders Hall, Commissioners Hall, Business and Industry Center, and Science Hall. Currently, 54 associate degrees, as well as 48 certificate programs are available on-site. An education center was established in New Kensington in 2008 to complement a long active facility in Rostraver Township.
History
Westmoreland County Community College, founded in 1970, first offered evening classes at Jeannette High School in 1971. By the fall of 1972, the college took up a permanent residence in a former Westinghouse plant in Youngwood, PA establishing a permanent facility and expanding into day classes.
In the four decades since, Westmoreland's original campus has expanded to four buildings and the college has opened additional centers in other areas: the Bushy Run Education Center in Export, Fayette County Education Center in Uniontown, Greene County Education Center in Waynesburg, Indiana County Community College Center in Indiana, Laurel Education Center in Latrobe, New Kensington Education Center in New Kensington, and Public Safety Training Center in Smithton.
Throughout all the growth, Westmoreland maintains the lowest tuition among all Pennsylvania colleges.
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.
Youngwood Campus
Starting with a single building, now known as Founders Hall, Westmoreland County Community College now comprises four buildings on its main campus in Youngwood, PA.
Founders Hall
Westmoreland's original building, it now houses academic and administrative office, classrooms, laboratories, the library, 300-seat amphitheater and a tutoring and learning center. It also contains the bookstore, 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.
Commissioners Hall
Commissioners Hall houses additional academic and administrative offices, classrooms, laboratories, a culinary arts complex and a dining facility.
Science Hall
Science hall consists of classrooms and laboratories for the physical science and horticulture departments, a dental hygiene clinic, a greenhouse, and an art gallery. The facility also contains a 420-seat theater.
Business and Industry Center
The Business and Industry Center contains administrative offices for Continuing Education and workforce development along with classrooms and labs for engineering science and industrial technology programs such as robotics and welding. It also holds offices for PA CareerLink-Westmoreland and the Workforce Investment Board.
Athletic Facilities
Constructed in 1992, the baseball field, which meets major league specifications, softball field and multipurpose field are used for intercollegiate competitions, intramural sporting activities and noncredit programming.
Academic Centers
Westmoreland County Community College maintains education centers that serve all of Westmoreland, Fayette, Greene 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.
Bushy Run Education Center
Located in Penn Township, the Bushy Run Center houses traditional classrooms, a distance learning classroom, computer and science laboratories, workforce development training and a student lounge.
Laurel Education Center
Established in a former Kennametal facility in Latrobe 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, 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.
Greene County Education Center
Accessible just off I-79, the center resides in EverGreene Technology Park in Waynesburg. It features two computer labs, a nursing lab, six classrooms and a student lounge.
Indiana County Community College Center of WCCC
Located in Indiania near the Jimmy Stewart Airport, the center contains a computer lab, nursing lab, six classrooms, an office and a student lounge.
Advanced Technology Center
Located in New Stanton in the old Sony Technology Center. Westmoreland’s state-of-the-art Advanced Technology Center is designed to create the future of advanced manufacturing in our region. The Advanced Technology Center offers education and training for students and incumbent workers in:
•Applied Industrial Technology •Mechatronics •Energy technologies •Design technologies •Machining and Fabrication •Additive Manufacturing •Welding •STEM
Notable Alumni
Richard Rosendale CMC
Herman Mihalich
External links
- Westmoreland County Community College official site
References
