West Valley College is a community college in northern California. It is part of the 112-campus California Community College system.
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As of March 2017, the West Valley-Mission Community College District is engaged in contentious negotiations with its faculty union. There is the possibility of a faculty strike.
History
The college was founded as West Valley Junior College in 1963. It was to serve the footprint of the Campbell Union High School District, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District and the Santa Clara Unified School District. The district was formed by voter approval in January 1963. The first classes began September 14, 1964. The first campus took over the space of the defunct Campbell Union Grammar School, at 1 East Campbell Avenue near Winchester Boulevard in Campbell, CA across the street from Campbell High School. The grammar school itself was closed because its WPA era buildings were deemed unsafe in the event of an earthquake. While some of the existing buildings were put to use, most of the classrooms were portable, parked on the former playgrounds. Since all the activity was behind the main building, the effective entrance to the campus was off the back of the school from Latimer Avenue. Because of this, the school picked up the local moniker of UCLA, a parody of UCLA but standing for University of Campbell, Latimer Avenue.
The land for the new campus, where the school is located now was purchased in 1966. Groundbreaking for the new construction was June 15, 1967. Starting in 1968 the first new building was occupied and a few classes transitioned to the new campus, many in temporary classrooms while further permanent structures were built. The transition was completed in 1975.
Campus
The campus occupies 143 acres (58Â ha) in the city of Saratoga. One of the distinguishing features of the school's location is that it is located right off of the West Valley Freeway.
Organization and administration
West Valley College is part of Silicon Valley's West Valleyâ€"Mission Community College District, which also administers Mission College in nearby Santa Clara, California, in turn part of the California Community Colleges System. The district serves the cities of Campbell, Los Gatos, Santa Clara, and San Jose. The district headquarters is on the West Valley College campus.
Academic profile
As of 2010, the school had a total enrollment of 9,502 students and its faculty had 198 full-time and 270 associate members. As of 2005, West Valley College offered 61 associate degree programs and 94 certificate programs.
Aside from traditional programs, West Valley College offers degrees in administration of justice, interior design, architecture, landscape architecture, fashion design, park management, health care technologies, paralegal, real estate, child studies, court reporting, engineering and drafting, and information technologies to include computer information systems, computer applications, and digital media.
Student life
Athletics
The athletics nickname of West Valley College is the West Valley Vikings, also using the vikings as their mascot, and the school colors are white, navy blue and orange.
Notable people
- Jason Tarver, current NFL assistant linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers
- Cung Le, former International Kickboxing Federation Light Heavyweight World Champion; professional mixed martial artist, former Strikeforce middleweight champion, and currently competing in the UFC's Middleweight Division
- Doug Capilla, Major League Baseball player
- Mark Bingham and Nicole C. Miller, passengers on the United 93 flight during the September 11, 2001 attacks
- Kit Lathrop, former NFL defensive end/defensive tackle
- H. Paul Shuch, SETI scientist
- Shauna DeBono, actress and model
- Stan Bunger, news anchor on KCBS 740 AM San Francisco, mornings 5:30-10 am, co-hosting with Susan Leigh Taylor. Bunger graduated from West Valley College in 1975.
- Vicky Galindo, Olympic Silver Medalist and former NPF second and third baseman for the Chicago Bandits.
References
External links
- West Valley College website
- West Valleyâ€"Mission Community College District website
