Centralia College
Encyclopedia
Centralia College is a two-year institution of higher learning located in Centralia, Washington
. Founded in 1925, Centralia is the oldest continuously operating community college
in the state of Washington. As shown below, the college sits on 29 acres (117,358.9 m²) in the middle of the town of Centralia. There is a branch campus, Centralia College East, in the town of Morton
and the college offers a range of online and correspondence courses. Overall the college serves an area of 2409 square miles (6,239.3 km²) in Lewis County
and southern Thurston County under the administrative classification of Community College District Twelve.
Centralia College opened in 1925 under the name of Centralia Junior College. Developing slowly at first, the college constructed its first physical campus in 1950 with Kemp Hall. Also, in 1948 the college received its accreditation
from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
. Growing from an entrance class of 15 students, the college has an enrollment of 4,803 students in 64 academic programs. The college is affiliated with the private Centralia College Foundation, founded in 1982 by community members, to supplement its public resources.
The college is also home to Michael Spafford's Twelve Labors of Hercules, a series of murals commissioned in the early 1980s for the House of Representatives' chambers. From 1982 to 1987 they were covered with curtains due to their sexually suggestive nature and later were placed in storage. Following a decade of negotiations, the college acquired the murals in 2003 for display in the Corbet Theatre.
(NWAACC).
Centralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
. Founded in 1925, Centralia is the oldest continuously operating community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
in the state of Washington. As shown below, the college sits on 29 acres (117,358.9 m²) in the middle of the town of Centralia. There is a branch campus, Centralia College East, in the town of Morton
Morton, Washington
Morton is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,126 at the 2010 census.-History:Morton was first settled in 1871 by James Fletcher. It was later named after Benjamin Harrison's Vice President, Levi P. Morton, in 1889. Morton was officially incorporated on January...
and the college offers a range of online and correspondence courses. Overall the college serves an area of 2409 square miles (6,239.3 km²) in Lewis County
Lewis County, Washington
Lewis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 75,455. The county seat is at Chehalis, and its largest city is Centralia....
and southern Thurston County under the administrative classification of Community College District Twelve.
History
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education since 1952 and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the regional authority on educational quality and institutional...
. Growing from an entrance class of 15 students, the college has an enrollment of 4,803 students in 64 academic programs. The college is affiliated with the private Centralia College Foundation, founded in 1982 by community members, to supplement its public resources.
The college is also home to Michael Spafford's Twelve Labors of Hercules, a series of murals commissioned in the early 1980s for the House of Representatives' chambers. From 1982 to 1987 they were covered with curtains due to their sexually suggestive nature and later were placed in storage. Following a decade of negotiations, the college acquired the murals in 2003 for display in the Corbet Theatre.
Athletics
The college's mascot is the Trailblazer and the athletics program includes teams for volleyball, baseball, basketball, fast pitch softball and golf. These teams play in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community CollegesNorthwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges
The Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, commonly called the NWAACC , is a sports association for community colleges in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, and the Canadian province of British Columbia....
(NWAACC).