Portland Community College

Portland Community College
Established	1961
President	Preston Pulliams
Students	86,164
Location	Portland, Oregon, United States
Campus	256 acres (104 ha)
Website	www.pcc.edu

Portland Community College (or PCC) is Oregon's largest community college, located in Portland, United States. It serves over one million residents in the five county area of Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia. PCC enrolls over 83,000 (55% female, 45% male) students annually in this 1,500 square miles (3,900 km²) area in northwest Oregon.

History

The college was founded in 1961 as an adult education program for the local public school system, operating out of the former Failing Elementary School.^[1] Voters approved the establishment of an independent district for the college in 1968.^[1] Amo DeBernardis (ca 1914-2010), former assistant superintendent of Portland Public Schools, was the founding president of the school, serving from 1961 to 1979.^[1]

In 1971 the Cascade Campus opened in North Portland, and the Rock Creek Campus in Washington County opened in 1976. The district passed a $374 million bond measure in 2008.^[2] PCC's $25 million Willow Creek Center opened in 2009 and earned a platinum LEED certification the next year.^[2][3]

Facilities

There are three main campuses, which are larger facilities offering two-year degrees and a range of typical student services:

• Sylvania, opened in the Far Southwest neighborhood of Portland in 1968 and serves over 26,000 students annually
• Rock Creek, a 256-acre (104 ha) suburban campus, opened in 1976, near Hillsboro; also home to the Washington County Museum
• Cascade, an urban campus, opened in 1971, and located in the heart of North Portland
• Southeast Center, in the former home of the local U.S. Corps of Engineers headquarters

There are several centers throughout the metropolitan area, which are smaller facilities offering more limited or specialized programs:

• Central Portland Workforce Training Center, located near OMSI
• Portland Metropolitan Workforce Training Center
• Willow Creek Center, opened in 2009 in Hillsboro^[3]
• Hillsboro Center, which serves about 500 students and moved to the Hillsboro Intermodal Transit Facility in 2010.^[4]

PCC is a member of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, with its men's and women's basketball teams competing against those from the community colleges of Chemeketa, Clackamas, Mount Hood, Lane, Linn-Benton, Southwestern Oregon, and Umpqua.

The Technology Classroom Building at PCC Sylvania

Community education

PCC operates one of the largest^{[citation needed]} non-credit life-long learning programs in the nation through its community education program. Every year, PCC Community Education offers more than 4,000^[5] non-credit and continuing education courses and enrolls over 30,000 students in those courses.^[5] Courses are offered in five general subject areas: Creative Arts, Home and Garden, Language and Culture, Recreation and Wellness, and Work and Life Balance.

In addition to classes held at PCC campuses and centers, PCC Community Education partners with local business, schools, community centers, churches and parks to offer classes in neighborhoods throughout the PCC district.^[6] Hundreds of classes are also held online.^[7]

National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium

Main article: National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium

This is a NAFTC's Training Center.

See also

• List of Oregon community colleges

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Graves, Bill (2010-02-23). "Amo DeBernardis, founding president of Portland Community College, dies". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2010/02/amo_debernardis_founding_presi.html. Retrieved 2010-02-24. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Navas, Melissa (March 26, 2010). "Portland Community College's Willow Creek Center earns platinum LEED certification". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/index.ssf/2010/03/portland_community_colleges_willow_creek_center_earns_platinum_leed_certification.html. Retrieved 20 August 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Owen, Wendy (March 02, 2010). "New PCC employment center officially opens in Hillsboro". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2010/03/new_pcc_employment_center_officially_opens_in_beaverton.html. Retrieved 20 August 2010. 
4. ^ Christensen, Nick (August 19, 2010). "PCC set to move to transit facility". The Hillsboro Argus. http://blog.oregonlive.com/hillsboroargus/2010/08/pcc_set_to_move_to_transit_fac.html. Retrieved 20 August 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "PCC News". http://www.pcc.edu/news/NewsRelease.cfm?BrowseBy=display&NewsNo=09-85jh. Retrieved 2009-09-28. 
6. ^ "PCC Locations". http://www.pcc.edu/location/. Retrieved 2009-09-28. 
7. ^ "PCC Community Education Online". http://www.pcc.edu/community/online/. Retrieved 2009-09-28. 

Coordinates: 45°26′19″N 122°43′51″W / 45.43857°N 122.73093°W / 45.43857; -122.73093