Salt Lake Community College
Encyclopedia
Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers online class options and operates 13 convenient locations throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1. Since 1948, the College has focused on providing individual attention and personal care to each student.
Although the college does not offer four-year degrees, school officials work with the state's other institutions of high learning to ensure that credits are transferable. General education credits may be transferred to any four-year school in Utah including private school
s such as Brigham Young University
and Westminster College
.
SLCC has open enrollment and serves the local community, with approximately 95% of the student body considered Utah residents. Of the enrolled student body, two-thirds aspire to eventually obtain four-year degrees.
continued funding the program on its own, which was a burden for the district. The district, with the State Board of Vocational Education, the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, the local American Legion
, and Veterans of Foreign Wars
successfully lobbied the state legislature to create state-supported vocational schools. On March 19, 1947 money was appropriated for establishing vocational schools in all school districts serving populations of at least 140,000.
The Salt Lake City School Board selected long-time vocational teacher Howard Gunderson as the schools first president. The old Troy Laundry Building on 461 South 600 East in Salt Lake City
was selected as the school's first building, and equipment was donated from Salt Lake area High Schools which had house War Production Training Schools during the war. Gunderson received authorization from the Salt Lake City, Park City, and Tooele School districts to teach 39 vocational programs, although teachers could not be found for all of them immediately.
Newspaper ads for the school carried the slogan, "Learn to Earn", which would be used into the 1970s. In its first quarter, tuition for the school was $78 annually, and 246 students registered in 14 classes. By the following quarter, 948 students were enrolled including 589 veterans.
In 1949 J. Bracken Lee
became governor of Utah. A fiscal conservative, he opposed the Area Vocational School as duplicating services available elsewhere. When the legislature presented the 1949–1950 budget with expenses projected to exceed revenues by $2 million, Lee used line-item veto
s to cut the entire $500,000 appropriated to the school. Lee's veto drew criticism from The Salt Lake Tribune
, labor unions, and veteran's organizations, but the supporters of the cut stood firm, citing the alleged wastefulness of the school. Only by scaling back operations to $145,000 annually was Gunderson able to keep the school open.
The second President of the school, Jay L. Nelson (1949–1978), referred to the first years of Lee's governorship as "the starvation years". No state funding was provided to the school again until 1951 when it began receiving modest subsidies, and a $312,000 grant to purchase the Troy Laundry Building it was in.
Initially the school was seen as a central location for high school vocational education
, and the school was thus an extension of public secondary education
. The school was guided jointly under the direction of the state and local school board until 1959 when it changed its name to Salt Lake Trade Technical Institute, reflecting the more adult-oriented nature of the school. Governance for the school also moved solely into the state's hands under the State Board for Vocational Education.
In 1967 most departments of the school (now renamed Utah Technical College at Salt Lake) moved to the current location at 4600 South Redwood Road in what is now Taylorsville
. The state legislature granted money for expansion at the Taylorsville Redwood campus
, which is now the primary campus of SLCC. A thriving vocational program existed at the original site well in to the 1980s that served thousands of students seeking basic education and occupational skills.
In 1969 the State unified the scattered public higher education direction into the State Board of Higher Education (later called the Board of Regents). However, the Technical College was not placed entirely under this board. Instead, it was jointly governed by the State Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Vocational Education. Turf wars between the boards erupted almost immediately in 1970 and again in 1974 when the boards fought over who had authority to raise salaries (it was decided that the vocational board controlled wages, but that the higher education board dictated budgets). The Board of Higher Education first sought to convert the schools into community college
s in 1970, which the vocational board outright rejected. The Vocational Board eventually relinquished control of the school in 1978 with an agreement that technical school maintain 75% vocational training, which was state law at the time. President Jay L. Nelson believed this was necessary to prevent the school from becoming merely a feeder for the University of Utah
. However, in 1987 the school formally became Salt Lake Community College and the old requirement 75% for vocational training ended.
than graduates of any other institution of high learning.
, the Taylorsville Redwood Campus is the primary campus and harbors the school's student center and main offices. Serving over 15,000 students a year, the campus is spread across two city blocks and is home to twelve academic buildings. Taylorsville Redwood contains a library (approx 90,000 volumes), several athletic facilities, an amphitheater, and a student union.
Anime Banzai
, Utah's only anime
convention and the largest fan convention in Utah, was held annually in October on the Taylorsville Redwood campus. The Rocky Mountain Revue
, a pre-season basketball tournament sponsored by the NBA's Utah Jazz
, was hosted in the Lifetime Activities Center until 2008. The arena has also hosted several professional basketball teams at various times, including the Utah Snowbears
, the Salt Lake Dream
, and the Utah Eagles
.
Located at 1575 South State Street in Salt Lake City
, the South City Campus occupies the former home of South High School
. This campus serves over 6,000 students in nearly 100 classrooms. Additionally, the campus houses a swimming pool, labs, and the Grand Theatre http://www.slcc.edu/the-grand/index.asp, home of the Grand Theatre Foundation and Community Institute, which sponsors many community events.
Located at 3491 West 9000 South in West Jordan
, the Jordan Campus is SLCC's third full-service campus. It houses a library, food court, financial aid, a dental clinic for the dental hygienist program, academic advising offices, and Cate Field (where the SLCC baseball team plays its home games).
College plans call for the Jordan Campus to become the largest and main campus by 2020. The nursing program opened at the campus by 2007 in a new five-story Health Science building. A UTA TRAX
station will eventually be constructed across the street for the college. Other non-college buildings on the campus include the Jordan School District
applied technology center, Itineris Charter School built by Bill Gates
, and an LDS Institute of Religion.
(NJCAA) since 1985. Currently, the school fields men's teams in baseball and basketball and women's teams in basketball, softball, and volleyball. Also, the school hosts club teams for men's and women's soccer. Dating back to 1985, the Bruins boast 54 NJCAA All-American athletes. Additionally, SLCC has produced 513 Academic All-Region honorees and 192 Academic All-Americans.
Led by veteran coach Norm Parrish, the men's basketball program advanced to the NJCAA championship game in 2008, narrowly losing to South Plains College
. The following season, the Bruins returned to the title game, this time defeating Midland College
to claim the first national championship in school history.
Prominent professional athletes who trained and competed at SLCC include Sinan Güler
(basketball), Justin Braun (soccer), Eddie Gill
(basketball), and Chris Shelton (baseball).
Although the college does not offer four-year degrees, school officials work with the state's other institutions of high learning to ensure that credits are transferable. General education credits may be transferred to any four-year school in Utah including private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s such as Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
and Westminster College
Westminster College, Salt Lake City
Westminster College is a private liberal arts college located in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. The college comprises four schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Nursing and Health...
.
SLCC has open enrollment and serves the local community, with approximately 95% of the student body considered Utah residents. Of the enrolled student body, two-thirds aspire to eventually obtain four-year degrees.
History
Salt Lake Community College began teaching classes September 14, 1948 as the Salt Lake Area Vocational School. A product of the GI Bill, the school evolved out of the War Production Training School established at West High School during the war. After most federal support dried up in 1946, the Salt Lake City School DistrictSalt Lake City School District
The Salt Lake City School District is among the oldest public school districts in Utah. Boundaries for the district are identical to the city limits for Salt Lake City. Employing about 1,300 teachers who instruct about 24,000 students K-12, the district is the ninth largest in the state, as of...
continued funding the program on its own, which was a burden for the district. The district, with the State Board of Vocational Education, the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, the local American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, and Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
successfully lobbied the state legislature to create state-supported vocational schools. On March 19, 1947 money was appropriated for establishing vocational schools in all school districts serving populations of at least 140,000.
The Salt Lake City School Board selected long-time vocational teacher Howard Gunderson as the schools first president. The old Troy Laundry Building on 461 South 600 East in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
was selected as the school's first building, and equipment was donated from Salt Lake area High Schools which had house War Production Training Schools during the war. Gunderson received authorization from the Salt Lake City, Park City, and Tooele School districts to teach 39 vocational programs, although teachers could not be found for all of them immediately.
Newspaper ads for the school carried the slogan, "Learn to Earn", which would be used into the 1970s. In its first quarter, tuition for the school was $78 annually, and 246 students registered in 14 classes. By the following quarter, 948 students were enrolled including 589 veterans.
In 1949 J. Bracken Lee
J. Bracken Lee
Joseph Bracken Lee was a political figure in the state of Utah, United States. A Republican, he served two terms as the ninth Governor of Utah , six two-year terms as mayor of Price, Utah , and three terms as the 27th mayor of Salt Lake City ., Lee is the most recent Governor of Utah who was not a...
became governor of Utah. A fiscal conservative, he opposed the Area Vocational School as duplicating services available elsewhere. When the legislature presented the 1949–1950 budget with expenses projected to exceed revenues by $2 million, Lee used line-item veto
Line-item veto
In United States government, the line-item veto, or partial veto, is the power of an executive authority to nullify or cancel specific provisions of a bill, usually a budget appropriations bill, without vetoing the entire legislative package...
s to cut the entire $500,000 appropriated to the school. Lee's veto drew criticism from The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
, labor unions, and veteran's organizations, but the supporters of the cut stood firm, citing the alleged wastefulness of the school. Only by scaling back operations to $145,000 annually was Gunderson able to keep the school open.
The second President of the school, Jay L. Nelson (1949–1978), referred to the first years of Lee's governorship as "the starvation years". No state funding was provided to the school again until 1951 when it began receiving modest subsidies, and a $312,000 grant to purchase the Troy Laundry Building it was in.
Initially the school was seen as a central location for high school vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
, and the school was thus an extension of public secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
. The school was guided jointly under the direction of the state and local school board until 1959 when it changed its name to Salt Lake Trade Technical Institute, reflecting the more adult-oriented nature of the school. Governance for the school also moved solely into the state's hands under the State Board for Vocational Education.
In 1967 most departments of the school (now renamed Utah Technical College at Salt Lake) moved to the current location at 4600 South Redwood Road in what is now Taylorsville
Taylorsville, Utah
Taylorsville is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 57,439 at the 2000 census...
. The state legislature granted money for expansion at the Taylorsville Redwood campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
, which is now the primary campus of SLCC. A thriving vocational program existed at the original site well in to the 1980s that served thousands of students seeking basic education and occupational skills.
In 1969 the State unified the scattered public higher education direction into the State Board of Higher Education (later called the Board of Regents). However, the Technical College was not placed entirely under this board. Instead, it was jointly governed by the State Board of Higher Education and the State Board of Vocational Education. Turf wars between the boards erupted almost immediately in 1970 and again in 1974 when the boards fought over who had authority to raise salaries (it was decided that the vocational board controlled wages, but that the higher education board dictated budgets). The Board of Higher Education first sought to convert the schools into 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...
s in 1970, which the vocational board outright rejected. The Vocational Board eventually relinquished control of the school in 1978 with an agreement that technical school maintain 75% vocational training, which was state law at the time. President Jay L. Nelson believed this was necessary to prevent the school from becoming merely a feeder for the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. However, in 1987 the school formally became Salt Lake Community College and the old requirement 75% for vocational training ended.
Programs
SLCC offers more than 100 degree programs in academic, technical, and vocational fields. It is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, and many credits are transferable to all of the state's four-year colleges. More SLCC graduates attend the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
than graduates of any other institution of high learning.
The Taylorsville Redwood Campus (1967)
Located at 4600 South Redwood Road in TaylorsvilleTaylorsville, Utah
Taylorsville is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 57,439 at the 2000 census...
, the Taylorsville Redwood Campus is the primary campus and harbors the school's student center and main offices. Serving over 15,000 students a year, the campus is spread across two city blocks and is home to twelve academic buildings. Taylorsville Redwood contains a library (approx 90,000 volumes), several athletic facilities, an amphitheater, and a student union.
Anime Banzai
Anime Banzai
Anime Banzai is Utah's first anime convention, originally held at and sanctioned by Salt Lake Community College and created and run by members of its anime club. It is held in late summer or fall, originally for one day, expanded to two days in 2006 and 2007, and again to three days in 2009. Anime...
, Utah's only anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
convention and the largest fan convention in Utah, was held annually in October on the Taylorsville Redwood campus. The Rocky Mountain Revue
Rocky Mountain Revue
The Rocky Mountain Revue, until 2008, was one of the NBA's summer leagues, along with the Vegas Summer League and the Orlando Pro Summer League. It is hosted by the Utah Jazz. It started in 1984 as a pro-am league with students and alumni of Utah, BYU, Weber State and Utah State...
, a pre-season basketball tournament sponsored by the NBA's Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, was hosted in the Lifetime Activities Center until 2008. The arena has also hosted several professional basketball teams at various times, including the Utah Snowbears
Utah Snowbears
The Utah Snowbears were a basketball team in the revived American Basketball Association based in Taylorsville, Utah for the 2004-2005 season. The team played its home games in the Lifetime Activities Center on the Redwood Campus of Salt Lake Community College...
, the Salt Lake Dream
Salt Lake Dream
The Salt Lake Dream was an American Basketball Association team in Salt Lake City. The team's inaugural season was slated to begin November 2006 as a member of the Red Conference...
, and the Utah Eagles
Utah Eagles
The Utah Eagles were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their games in Taylorsville, Utah, and although they started play in the 2006-2007 season, they folded in mid-season....
.
South City (1992)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, the South City Campus occupies the former home of South High School
South High School (Salt Lake City)
South High School was a high school in Salt Lake City, Utah, which operated from 1931 to 1988. The school was located on the southern end of Salt Lake City proper, at 1575 S. State Street...
. This campus serves over 6,000 students in nearly 100 classrooms. Additionally, the campus houses a swimming pool, labs, and the Grand Theatre http://www.slcc.edu/the-grand/index.asp, home of the Grand Theatre Foundation and Community Institute, which sponsors many community events.
Jordan Campus (2001)
West Jordan, Utah
West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. West Jordan is a rapidly growing suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 103,712, placing it as the fourth most populated in the state. The city occupies the...
, the Jordan Campus is SLCC's third full-service campus. It houses a library, food court, financial aid, a dental clinic for the dental hygienist program, academic advising offices, and Cate Field (where the SLCC baseball team plays its home games).
College plans call for the Jordan Campus to become the largest and main campus by 2020. The nursing program opened at the campus by 2007 in a new five-story Health Science building. A UTA TRAX
UTA TRAX
TRAX is a three-line light rail system in Utah's Salt Lake Valley, serving Salt Lake City and several of its suburbs throughout Salt Lake County. The system is operated by the Utah Transit Authority ....
station will eventually be constructed across the street for the college. Other non-college buildings on the campus include the Jordan School District
Jordan School District
Jordan School District was the largest of Utah school districts , It now employs 2,631 teachers and other licensed personnel who educate more than 48,000 students. An additional 2,610 employees provide support services for the system...
applied technology center, Itineris Charter School built by Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
, and an LDS Institute of Religion.
Athletics
The Bruins have competed in the National Junior College Athletic AssociationNational Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
(NJCAA) since 1985. Currently, the school fields men's teams in baseball and basketball and women's teams in basketball, softball, and volleyball. Also, the school hosts club teams for men's and women's soccer. Dating back to 1985, the Bruins boast 54 NJCAA All-American athletes. Additionally, SLCC has produced 513 Academic All-Region honorees and 192 Academic All-Americans.
Led by veteran coach Norm Parrish, the men's basketball program advanced to the NJCAA championship game in 2008, narrowly losing to South Plains College
South Plains College
South Plains College is a community college located in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview and at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in Lubbock. SPC also has many classes in the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock, as part of a...
. The following season, the Bruins returned to the title game, this time defeating Midland College
Midland College
Midland College was established as an independent junior college in 1972 and held its first classes on campus in 1975. Since that time, the campus has expanded to a main campus on in Midland, Texas, United States - a county seat of over 100,000 people in the Permian Basin region of west Texas...
to claim the first national championship in school history.
Prominent professional athletes who trained and competed at SLCC include Sinan Güler
Sinan Güler
Sinan Güler is a Turkish professional basketball player currently playing for Anadolu Efes. He is son of retired basketball player Necati Güler and younger brother of basketball player Muratcan Güler....
(basketball), Justin Braun (soccer), Eddie Gill
Eddie Gill
Eddie Gill is an American professional basketball player. He is a 1.84 m point guard.Gill went undrafted after a college career at Salt Lake Community College and Weber State University...
(basketball), and Chris Shelton (baseball).
Sources
- Randa, Ernest W. Salt Lake Community College: A College on the Move 1949-1998. Agreka Books. ISBN 1-888106-46-8
- http://active.slcc.edu/thaynecenter/ Salt Lake Community College's Thayne Center for Service & Learning Website
External links
- Salt Lake Community College, official site
- Salt Lake Community College, capsule from the Utah System of High Education
- Salt Lake Community College Student Association
- Salt Lake Community College's Thayne Center for Service & Learning Website