Umpqua Community College

Umpqua Community College
Established 1964
President Debra Thatcher
Students 3,300 full-time, 16,000 part-time[1]
Location Roseburg, Oregon, U.S.
Campus Rural, 100 acres (40 ha)
Athletics Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges
Nickname Riverhawks
Affiliations Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Website Official website

Umpqua Community College (UCC) is a community college located approximately six miles (9.7 km) north of Roseburg, Oregon, United States. The college has sixteen campus buildings located on 100 acres (40 ha)[1] bordering the North Umpqua River.[2] The campus also features a track, tennis courts, and an outdoor pool. In 2009, a vineyard was added to the campus.[3] About 3,300 full-time students and 16,000 part-time students attend UCC. Umpqua Community College serves the greater Douglas County region with the exception of Reedsport and its immediate area along the Oregon Coast.

History

Map of the campus
Danny Lang Center

In the late 1950s, interested community members formed a committee, sponsored by the American Association of University Women, to explore the idea of establishing a community college in Douglas County. After visiting other campuses, the group wrote a report, and in 1960 the Chamber of Commerce formed an Education Committee with Wayne Crooch as its chair. In February 1960, the Roseburg School Board was asked to approve a program of lower-division college courses. The request was approved and an agreement was established with Southern Oregon College (now Southern Oregon University) and the Oregon University System. Harry Jacoby, assistant Superintendent of the Roseburg School District, was named coordinator of the project.[4]

The first college courses were offered in 1961. Classes were first held in rented facilities in Roseburg. The cost was $5 per term and $11 per credit.[4]

After meeting the legal requirements for forming a college district, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education ordered establishment of the proposed district on December 11, 1962. Voters supported formation of the district by voting 3,190 "yes" and 825 "no" on March 30, 1964. The same election also established the first seven-member board of directors. At the first board meeting on April 2, 1964, Ralph Snyder was appointed registrar and Harry Jacoby was hired as the first president of the college.[4]

The land for the campus, 98.5 acres (39.9 ha) of pasture land along a bend in the North Umpqua River, was donated by Elton and Ruth Jackson. The Board accepted the site in February 1965.[4] College construction was funded by a serial levy passed in May 1965 and a bond issue passed in 1968. Additional financing came from interest earnings, state funding, and federal grants.[1] Classes were first held on "Phase I" of the new campus in Fall 1967.[4]

In September 2010, the school started construction on a $6.7 million viticulture education facility to be the home of the school's Southern Oregon Wine Institute.[5] Planned to be opened in 2011, the 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m2) building will be named the Danny Lang Teaching, Learning and Event Center.[5]

On October 1, 2015, a mass shooting occurred at the school campus. Ten people, including the gunman, Christopher Harper-Mercer,[6][7] were killed; seven to nine others were wounded, with two critically injured.[8][9] The active shooter, a 26-year-old male student at UCC, killed himself following a very brief gun battle with the first responding police officers.[10][11][12]

Alumni

Notable alumni include Alek Skarlatos, one of three Americans who tackled the perpetrator of the attempted Thalys train attack in France in 2015.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Umpqua Community College (2010). "Umpqua Community College Catalog, 2010–2011". Umpqua Community College. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Umpqua Community College". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 1, 1991. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  3. ↑ DD Bixby (May 21, 2009). "Putting Down Roots". The News-Review. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 UCC Community Relations (1994). Umpqua Community College: The First 30 Years of Excellence. Umpqua Community College.
  5. 1 2 Tims, Dana (September 9, 2010). "Construction Begins on Long-awaited Teaching Winery in Roseburg". The Oregonian. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Umpqua Community College shooter was enrolled in class targeted, deputies say". OregonLive.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Oregon shooter: New details emerge about Chris Harper-Mercer". OregonLive.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015. He enrolled at Umpqua in the summer term taking a writing course and a theater class, confirmed Dr. Rita Calvin, Umpqua Community College interim president. He was listed as a production assistant the college's production of "Blithe Spirit," slated to debut later this month.
  8. ↑ "10 dead, 9 injured in mass shooting at Oregon college". KGW. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Oregon college shooting: Alleged gunman ID'd as Chris Harper Mercer, 26". CBC News. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Gunman among 10 dead at Umpqua Community College". KOIN. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Oregon shooting: Gunman killed himself". BBC News. October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ Ortiz, Erik; Johnson, M. Alex; Winter, Tom (October 1, 2015). "13 Killed in Shooting at Oregon's Umpqua Community College: Officials". NBC News. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  13. ↑ Maria Coder (October 2, 2015). "Alek Skarlatos Rushes Back to Oregon After Umpqua Community College Shooting : People.com". People. Retrieved October 4, 2015. Skarlotos, who is currently starring on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, was enrolled last year at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. He had been registered for classes on this week on campus, but postponed his education to appear on TV.
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Coordinates: 43°17′24″N 123°19′59″W / 43.290°N 123.333°W / 43.290; -123.333

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