History and Organization
The people of the area voted to establish West Shore Community College in 1967, and in 1968 the college began serving the needs of students. The college district includes all of Mason County, Manistee County, and parts of Lake, Newaygo, and Oceana counties. In the true spirit of a community college, West Shore’s instructional programs prepare students for immediate employment and/or provide a sound two-year base from which they can continue work towards a bachelor’s degree. A seven member board of trustees, elected at-large from the college district, provides leadership and direction for the college’s overall operation.
Accreditation
West Shore Community College participates in the Open Pathway model of accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Open Pathways is one of three options institutions have for maintaining accreditation. Open Pathways follows a ten-year cycle and is focused on quality assurance and institutional improvement.
Mission Statement
West Shore Community College’s Mission is to make our community a better place in which to learn, live, work and prosper.
Core Values
West Shore Community College values people first. As we pursue greatness, we are guided by these values:
LEARNING Creating opportunities for gaining core abilities, workplace skills, and lifelong personal growth.
INTEGRITY Honoring our commitments and promises with openness and mutual respect.
EXCELLENCE Striving for greatness through a positive attitude and continuous improvement.
INCLUSIVENESS Building community through teamwork, collaboration, and outreach.
CREATIVITY Opening our minds and the minds of our students to infinite possibilities.
Statement of Non-Discrimination
West Shore Community College is an equal opportunity, non-discriminatory educational institution and employer. No person shall be denied admission, employment, or any other benefit offered by the college on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, or disability. Concerns regarding assistance for students with disabilities and questions about non-discriminatory policies, including grievance procedures, should be directed to the Dean of Student Services, extension 5965.
Business and Industry Training
Since West Shore Community College opened its doors in 1967, it has worked closely with business and industry to provide a well trained workforce in a variety of job skill areas. Through the years the college’s role in job training has grown to the point that today WSCC offers or can custom design a training program to fit almost any need.
WSCC training can take place on campus or at a business site. Because of our flexibility and interest in serving the exact needs of business and industry, the possibilities are virtually limitless. Instructors have extensive experience and training in offering business and industrial training programs. For additional information about West Shore’s customized training for business and industry, please contact: Cara Mitchell, Assistant to the Business Opportunity Center, 231-843- 5825 or e-mail at cmitchell@westshore.edu.
Citizen Advisory Committees
A comprehensive instructional program to meet the needs of students of all ages must include practical and up-to-date technical/vocational/occupational programs designed to prepare individuals for a rapidly changing world of work. This requires the best cooperative efforts of business, industry, labor, and the community as a whole. West Shore Community College has organized advisory committees in all occupational areas in accordance with the State Plan for Vocational Education in Michigan.
Community Services
The college serves the area in a number of ways in addition to offering instructional programs, including:
Cultural, Performing, and Visual Arts
The college offers open-to-the-public enrichment opportunities, such as a series of performing arts programs, theater productions, choir concerts, and art exhibits.
William M. Anderson Library
The William M. Anderson Library serves as a resource center for the West Shore Community College district. The facilities and resources are available to the students, staff, and residents of the College district. The library houses a collection of 10,000 books, four study rooms, the college archives, local newspapers, a children’s literature section, reference materials for courses, and a periodical collection with access to over 4,000 journals in electronic format. The library also offers 24 desktop computer stations, additional space for laptop use, and free Wi-Fi access.
Meeting and Dining Facilities
College facilities, including meeting rooms and dining services, are available to the public.
Recreation Services
The Recreation Center’s swimming pool, racquetball and tennis courts, basketball arena, weight room, and Wellness Center are available to the public for a minimum charge. The West Shore Ice Arena, a regional facility, is located on the College’s campus.
Community Education Classes
The college offers non-credit community education classes designed to meet the general interest needs of area residents.
Technology at West Shore
Because graduates enter a world dominated by technology, West Shore works hard to have the latest technology on campus for student use, from computers and computer programs to equipment in math, science, computer aided design, machine tool technology, nursing, electronics, welding and many others.
Many WSCC professors use technology extensively in teaching their classes, from in-class presentations to using various electronic formats to communicate with students and by encouraging students to use the Internet for research.
There are a number of computer labs on campus and computers are available in several areas in addition to the labs, such as the Library and the Learning and Testing Center.
The Campus
West Shore Community College’s “home base” is 360 beautiful acres of rolling timberland at the corner of North Stiles and Sugar Grove Roads, about four miles north of US-10 and four miles west of US-31.
Arts and Sciences Center
Within the walls of the Arts and Sciences Center is a 279 seat theater and classrooms. Many faculty members also have their offices in this building, as does the Dean of Arts and Sciences.
Completed in 2002, the Science Wing addition to the Arts and Sciences Center is an 18,000 square foot facility. The facility contains two biology labs, chemistry lab, physics lab, preparation and storage rooms, 40 seat lecture room, a 12 seat conference/lecture room, a cadaver room, greenhouse, and faculty offices. The addition has been fully equipped for student learning in comfortable and up-to-date surroundings.
The most recent facility improvement for the Arts and Sciences Building was completed in 2010. This project resulted in the creation of two music rehearsal rooms, one instrumental and one choral, four private, acoustically-controlled, music practice rooms, and an electronic keyboard classroom. The Center Stage Theater was extensively remodeled to expand the stage and shop areas. Included in the theater renovation was a new lighting and sound system along with new dressing rooms. Two new art studios were created for ceramics/sculpture and painting/drawing classes and a digital photography laboratory was added. At the center of the project is the new Manierre Dawson Art Gallery which will be the primary venue for college-sponsored art exhibits. Finally, the project resulted in the remodeling of three existing classrooms and the construction of two new classrooms, all equipped with state-of-the art electronic media. These improvements, along with the addition of new faculty offices and conference rooms, created an exceptional learning environment for students and a center for our cultural arts enrichment initiatives that support our community.
Schoenherr Campus Center
Located in the Schoenherr Campus Center are the Student Senate Office, Student Services, Campus Bookstore, Campus Cafe, Women’s Resource Center, Tutoring Center, Disabilities Access Services, Math Center, Writing Center, Library, Learning and Testing Center, Faculty Innovation Room, and lounges.
Beans & Bread Café
Located in the Campus Center, Beans & Bread serves a large variety of menu items including breakfast and lunch entrees, specialty drinks and a coffee bar. A complete menu and hours of operation are available online at http://www.westshore.edu/cafe. Beverage and snack machines can be found at various locations on campus. Simply Catered, operated by the Food Service Department, provides banquet services. Arrangements for services may be made by contacting extension 5779.
The Bookstore
The Bookstore provides a complete line of textbooks and supplies for all WSCC classes. Apparel, backpacks, and personal reading materials can also be purchased at the bookstore. The Bookstore sells postage stamps, mails textbooks to off-campus students, and places special orders. Store hours and additional information can be found on our website. Books and merchandise can also be ordered at bookstore’s website. Stop in today or visit us online: www.westshore.edu/bookstore
Learning and Testing Center (LTC)
The purpose of the Learning and Testing Center (LTC) is to help students succeed in college by providing an array of learning support services. The Center has a computer lab, open to all students, with access to the internet, specialized software for reading, as well as microscopes and slides for Anatomy & Physiology. The LTC also has DVDs available for Ornithology and provides a number of testing services for both the potential student and the current student. Testing for WSCC courses, including makeup exams, online testing, CLEP testing (College Level Examination Program), and COMPASS placement testing (basic skills assessment), are all offered in the LTC. These services are available to all students free of charge. Additionally, testing for distance learning students from other colleges and universities may also be arranged through the Center. A reasonable proctor fee is charged for this service. Employers and students may also take WorkKeys, NOCTI, CDA, Certiport, GED, and MOS testing in the LTC for a test and proctor fee. Some testing requires online registration and test scheduling.
William M. Anderson Library
The WSCC Library serves as a resource center for the West Shore Community College district. The facilities and resources are available to the students, staff, and residents of the College district. The library houses a collection of 10,000 books, a computer lab with 24 stations, 4 study rooms, the college archives, and a periodical collection with access to over 4,000 journals in electronic format. Semester hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The library is closed weekends.
Writing Center
At the Center, you can work with faculty and students (your West Shore peers) who are experienced writers and training writing coaches. Some writers come because they have a specific question or issue, but you don’t need to have a “writing problem” to benefit from our services. Students can, and should, visit the Writing Center no matter their level of confidence with writing and at any point in the writing process (the earlier, the better!). The West Shore Writing center is located on the second floor of the Campus Center, and hours are posted each semester on the website and the Facebook page.
Technical Center
The Technical Center houses classrooms and laboratories for the college’s career and technical programs. There are also faculty offices, the office of the Dean Occupational Programs, Director of Business Opportunity Center, lounge areas, and computer labs. There is an open computer lab available to all students during the fall and spring semesters from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The open computer lab is usually in Room 214 of the Technical Center. When Room 214 is scheduled for a class, just look for a sign on the door which will direct students to another location.
The open computer lab offers Internet access, Microsoft Office, and other software programs. All computer systems have a 250 MB zip disk drive as well as diskette drives and USB ports. A scanner, headphones, a laser printer, and a color laser printer are available in Room 214. A computer lab assistant is on hand to help students with computer questions. Occasionally computer labs are open on the weekend. When an open computer lab is scheduled on a Saturday, a message will be displayed on the monitors to inform all students.
Recreation Center
The Recreation Center is located on the northeastern part of the college campus. The Criminal Justice programs occupy the upper floor of the building. The lower level of the building houses the Wellness Center, weight room, pool, gym, and racquetball court. Payment of the student service fee entitles students enrolled for six or more credits to unlimited use of the Recreation Center during operating hours. Lockers are available and scheduled hours for use are posted outside the Recreation Center Office. First time users of the Wellness Center are encouraged to schedule an orientation. The Wellness Center, supervised by knowledgeable staff, consists of an “Aerobic Circuit”, which includes strength training machines and stationary bikes designed to improve total fitness. During the academic year, students may elect to enroll in PED 100 - Aerobic Conditioning .
West Shore Community Ice Arena
The West Shore Community Ice Arena is a regional facility which provides figure skating, hockey, and open skating opportunities for all the citizens of the area. The arena, which is owned by Mason County and operated by West Shore Community College, is located near the Recreation Center and contains a National Hockey League size ice surface with seating capacity of 320 spectators. The Ice Arena has four locker rooms, a full service pro shop, concession, and a skate rental providing both hockey and figure skates of all sizes. During open skate and sticks and pucks, WSCC students skate free of charge. Scheduled hours are posted in the Ice Arena brochure.
Manistee County Center
In an effort to bring West Shore to the community and its students, the Manistee County Center was developed in partnership with West Shore Medical Center. Located on US 31, just north of the city of Manistee, the satellite location serves students in the northern portion of the college district. The facility houses classrooms, a science lab, and a computer lab. While the classes offered change from semester to semester, many introductory and advanced courses are offered.
WSCC Foundation
The West Shore Community College Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, was established in 1971 to promote, establish, conduct, maintain, and operate educational and scientific activities for West Shore Community College, its students and the communities the college serves.
The WSCC Foundation is governed by a board of directors that includes the President of West Shore Community College and no less than ten members or more than 21 members. The board must have at least one WSCC graduate Alumnus and no more than two WSCC Board of Trustees members.
The WSCC Foundation provides financial support for many activities that benefit the college, its students, and the communities it serves including the WSCC Performing Arts Series, WSCC Student Resource Center, scholarships, Quiz Bowl, Book of the Year, Regional High School Art Competition, and the West Shore Community Ice Arena. The foundation is actively working to build its endowment fund to provide additional scholarships for students desiring to attend the college. All of the programs sponsored by the foundation have been made possible through the generous support of the businesses, organizations, and people of the college’s communities.
If you would like more information about the programs and financial opportunities of the West Shore Community College Foundation, contact:
Thom Hawley
Executive Director of Communications and Community Engagement
231-843-5803
E-mail: tahawley@westshore.edu
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