WCC’s History
In 1962, a steering committee composed of area citizens was organized to obtain support for a college in Wytheville. After approval by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the General Assembly, the Wythe County-owned Simmerman Building was chosen as the first site of the college.
Wytheville Community College welcomed its first students in September of 1963, as a two-year branch of Virginia Polytechnic Institute. During its first year of operation, the college enrolled 107 students and employed five full-time faculty members.
The Virginia Community College System was established during the 1966 session of the General Assembly. Wytheville Community College became a member of the system on July 1, 1967. In the first year of its operation, the college’s enrollment rose to 837 and the number of full-time faculty members increased to 21. Today, the college’s enrolls more than 5,000 students annually in credit classes, and employs nearly 35 full-time and 90 part-time faculty.
Acquisition of property for the permanent site began in 1965, when a tract of 103 acres was purchased from the Wytheville Knitting Mill Corporation by the County of Wythe and the Town of Wytheville. Approximately three acres adjoining the campus on the east were purchased by the college in 1975. In 1979, the State Board for Community Colleges approved a gift of land (approximately 42 acres) from Helen Janssen Wetzel, Elsa L. Bowman, and Helene L. Master. The gift of land was made in memory of Mr. Richard C. Wetzel, Dr. John E. Livingood, and Mr. Harry Janssen, an industrial pioneer in the American textile industry and builder of the old Wytheville Knitting Mills.
The first building on the permanent site, Fincastle Hall, was occupied in September of 1968. Bland Hall, which now houses primarily the college’s administrative offices, and an occupational-technical classroom building, Carroll Hall, were occupied during the 1970-71 academic year. A nursing and allied health building, Galax Hall, was completed in the spring of 1973. An occupational-technical building, Grayson Hall, was dedicated in the spring of 1985. Smyth Hall, the college’s learning resource center, was completed and dedicated in the spring of 1998.
In the 1990s, a surge in the use of educational and administrative technologies occurred. Today, WCC boasts that it is on the leading edge of technology appropriate for a learning-focused and student-centered institution of higher education.
Wytheville Community College is a two-year comprehensive community college serving residents of the counties of Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth (Marion and eastward), Wythe, and the City of Galax. The college, one of 23 in the Virginia Community College System, operates under policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges and the Wytheville Community College Board. The college is financed primarily with state funds supplemented by contributions from the participating localities.
College Mission Statement
“Dedicated to teaching excellence and student success, Wytheville Community College is an educational and community leader, providing lifelong career and personal growth, cultural enrichment, and economic advancement.”
Vision
WCC is committed to unsurpassed student success and will be the leader for innovative, accessible programs that are responsive to community and regional need. We are a proactive, forward-thinking institution, providing world-class learning opportunities in a caring, inclusive, collaborative environment that values the contributions of all students, employees, and stakeholders.
Values and Beliefs
- Learning and Growth
- We value, promote, and support learning and growth in our students, faculty, and staff. We believe in lifelong learning, the worth and dignity of all people and their right to realize their full potential.
- Excellence
- We value excellence in teaching, learning, and service. We believe in accountability and the use of assessment for continuous improvement.
- Community
- We value community. As a community, both internally and with our external partners, we adhere to high standards of professional conduct, are respectful of others, and value the contributions of each person as we work collaboratively to fulfill our mission and pursue our vision. We believe in partnering with business, industry, and civic leaders to strengthen the economic vitality of our community and are committed to providing cultural and personal enrichment opportunities for area citizens.
- Diversity
- We value diversity, in people and ideas, and believe in the importance of maintaining an inclusive culture.
Accreditation and Recognitions
Wytheville Community College is approved by the State Board for Community Colleges and by the Virginia Community College System. The associate degree curricula of the college have also been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Wytheville Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500) for questions about the accreditation of Wytheville Community College. (Note: Inquiries to the Commission should relate only to the accreditation of WCC, and not to general admission information.)
The Associate Degree Nursing program at Wytheville Community College at the Main Campus located in Wytheville, Virginia is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326 (404) 975-5000.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners for the Associate Degree Nursing program is Continuing Accreditation.
The Practical Nursing Program is approved by the Virginia State Board of Nursing.
The Medical Laboratory Technology Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018-5119, (847) 939-3597 or (773) 714-8880, FAX (773) 714-8886.
The program in Dental Hygiene is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA).
The Physical Therapist Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Wytheville Community College is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges.
Education Centers
Wytheville Community College operates two education centers that enhance the educational opportunities available through the college.
Formerly called the “Galax Education Center,” WCC at the Crossroads Institute is located at 1117 East Stuart Drive (Rt. 58) in Galax. The Crossroads Institute, with its electronic and lecture classrooms, computer labs, and conference rooms, provides space for industrial training, community meetings, curricular classes, workshops, seminars, teleconferences, and more. Special programs available there include the Practical Nursing program, Construction Technologies, and Welding. For more information regarding learning opportunities in the Galax area, call WCC at the Crossroads Institute at (276) 744-4974.
WCC at the Summit Center for Higher Education is located in downtown Marion about 30 miles south of Wytheville on Interstate 81. The Summit supports WCC curricular offerings, continuing education programs, and community service. Educational activities at the center include day and evening courses, business- and industry-related training, pre-employment training, seminars for small business owners, and personal development workshops. For more information regarding WCC educational opportunities in Smyth County, call the Summit Center at (276) 783-1777.
The WCC Educational Foundation and the WCC Scholarship Foundation
The Wytheville Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to foster and promote the growth, progress, and general welfare of Wytheville Community College. Through private contributions, the WCC Educational Foundation:
- Manages over 200 different scholarship endowments and funds, awarding approximately $900,000 each year to qualified WCC students.
- Helps purchase special equipment and supplies for WCC programs and activities.
- Seeks funding for capital projects, having secured $1.5 million for construction of the William F. Snyder Auditorium and $75,000 for creation of the Chitwood Nursing Lab.
- Supports professional development opportunities for WCC faculty and staff to help employees remain current in their respective fields.
- Assists with the college’s delivery of services at the Crossroads Institute in Galax and at the Summit in Marion.
- Helps provide funding for the college’s Kegley Library, a special local history collection.
- Supports WCC’s participation in various community events and projects.
- Provides various academic, recognition, and service awards to WCC students, faculty, staff, and friends of the college.
A 19-member Board of Directors with representatives from all areas of the college’s service region govern the WCC Educational Foundation. A host of community leaders and WCC alumni serve as volunteers during annual and special fund-raising campaigns. Thanks to the “Forging Futures Capital Campaign,” the first capital campaign undertaken in the college’s history, the Foundation secured over $3 million to support WCC. * As of December 31, 2019, the WCC Educational Foundation’s net assets totaled more than $11.3 million.
In addition to the WCC Educational Foundation, the WCC Scholarship Foundation, a second non-profit 501(c) (3) organization, provides scholarships for economically disadvantaged WCC students who meet specified federal poverty guidelines. The WCC Scholarship Foundation, Inc. receives special state tax credits through the Neighborhood Assistance Act Tax Credit Program for Education, administered by the Virginia Department of Education. This allows the WCC Scholarship Foundation to award a 65-percent state tax credit to qualified businesses and individuals, in addition to offering tax deductions for charitable contributions. As of December 31, 2019, net assets of the WCC Scholarship Foundation totaled $761,037. The WCC Scholarship Foundation is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, with representatives from all areas of the college’s service region.
Private support greatly enhances the work of Wytheville Community College. The WCC Educational Foundation accepts gifts of cash, stock, and real estate, as well as works with donors who may wish to make planned gifts through bequests, charitable remainder trusts, annuities, life insurance, or other types of special donations. The WCC Scholarship Foundation accepts primarily gifts of cash or stock. Contributions to both the WCC Educational Foundation and the WCC Scholarship Foundation are tax-deductible as allowable by IRS guidelines.
For more information about the WCC Educational Foundation or the WCC Scholarship Foundation, please contact Dr. Rhonda K. Catron-Wood, Vice President of Academics and Institutional Advancement, at 276-223-4772, or via e-mail at foundation@wcc.vccs.edu.
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