Western Texas College
Encyclopedia
Western Texas College is a community college
founded in 1971 and located in Snyder
in Scurry County, Texas. In addition to the main campus, a downtown Snyder location focuses on Workforce and Community Service. The school has an extensive Distance Learning department and dual credit courses to high schools in the West Texas
area.
As defined by the Texas Legislature
, the official Western Texas College service area encompasses Borden
, Dickens, Fisher, Jones
, Kent, Mitchell, Nolan, Nolan, and Stonewall counties.
Western Texas College topped 1.1 million contact hours, the first time the college has eclipsed one million. The 28.8% increase was well above the state average of 7% growth.
In fall of 2009, WTC eclipsed 2,500 students for the first time. It is the 17th consecutive semester of growth, a trend which began in summer of 2004.
.
The men's and women's basketball teams play their home games on Invenergy Court in the Coliseum, which has a new scoreboard. The arena is host to the WTC rodeo as well as numerous civic and cultural events.
Home of the Lady Westerners softball team and host to tournaments for high schools and colleges.
Home of the Westerner baseball squad and local and regional baseball tournaments, including the annual Snyder High School tournament. The Westerners had their first winning season in the '10-'11 year posting a 37-17 record. Led by All Conference pitcher Kyle Breitner and right fielder Brett Kauten. Chris Fischer also helped the team by sitting on the bench and begging teammates for cans of dip.
The WTC campus expanded by forty acres after Texas clothing and boot magnate James Cavender
donated property adjacent to the campus for the construction of a soccer and track complex. The land is under development for a full-sized collegiate soccer field and several practice fields, one of which will eventually be encircled by a regulation 400-meter track.
The complexs will also include locker rooms, concessions, seating, and parking lots. Soccer and track are the newest sports at WTC.
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...
founded in 1971 and located in Snyder
Snyder, Texas
Snyder is a city in and the county seat of Scurry County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,653 at the 2010 census. It is located on Deep Creek, a minor tributary of the Colorado River of Texas. Snyder is approximately 150 km southeast of Lubbock.Located in Snyder is the Scurry County...
in Scurry County, Texas. In addition to the main campus, a downtown Snyder location focuses on Workforce and Community Service. The school has an extensive Distance Learning department and dual credit courses to high schools in the West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
area.
As defined by the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
, the official Western Texas College service area encompasses Borden
Borden County, Texas
Borden County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 729. Its county seat is Gail. Gail and Borden County are named for Gail Borden, Jr., businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk...
, Dickens, Fisher, Jones
Jones County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,785 people, 6,140 households, and 4,525 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 7,236 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, Kent, Mitchell, Nolan, Nolan, and Stonewall counties.
Courses of study
Western Texas College offers programs that qualify students for the Associate of Arts degree and junior standing in a senior college or university, and programs that qualify students for the Associate of Applied Science degree. Students may also earn certificates of completion for vocational programs of less than two years’ duration.Growth
Western Texas College is listed as the fastest growing community college in the State of Texas in a report released by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.Western Texas College topped 1.1 million contact hours, the first time the college has eclipsed one million. The 28.8% increase was well above the state average of 7% growth.
In fall of 2009, WTC eclipsed 2,500 students for the first time. It is the 17th consecutive semester of growth, a trend which began in summer of 2004.
Sports
Western Texas College is part of the Western Junior College Athletic Conference and the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 5. Competing athletic teams include Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Rodeo, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Track and Field, and Volleyball. Basketball games are broadcast on KGWBKGWB
KGWB is a radio station licensed to serve Snyder, Texas. The station is owned by Western Texas College and licensed to the Scurry County Junior College District. It airs a college radio format....
.
The Coliseum
Western Texas College took over ownership and operations of the 40-year-old Scurry County Coliseum in 2008. Re-named "The Coliseum," the 3,400-seat arena has been received a facelift thanks to a $500,000 donation from wind energy company, Invenergy.The men's and women's basketball teams play their home games on Invenergy Court in the Coliseum, which has a new scoreboard. The arena is host to the WTC rodeo as well as numerous civic and cultural events.
United Field
Home of the Lady Westerners softball team and host to tournaments for high schools and colleges.
Westerner Field
Home of the Westerner baseball squad and local and regional baseball tournaments, including the annual Snyder High School tournament. The Westerners had their first winning season in the '10-'11 year posting a 37-17 record. Led by All Conference pitcher Kyle Breitner and right fielder Brett Kauten. Chris Fischer also helped the team by sitting on the bench and begging teammates for cans of dip.
New soccer complex
The WTC campus expanded by forty acres after Texas clothing and boot magnate James Cavender
Cavenders
Cavender's Boot City is a western clothing store. It is a privately held company owned by the Cavender family, with James Cavender as the company's current Chairman, President and CEO. Cavender's is one of the largest western clothing stores in the US, operating 50 stores , with 46 of the stores...
donated property adjacent to the campus for the construction of a soccer and track complex. The land is under development for a full-sized collegiate soccer field and several practice fields, one of which will eventually be encircled by a regulation 400-meter track.
The complexs will also include locker rooms, concessions, seating, and parking lots. Soccer and track are the newest sports at WTC.
Notable faculty
- John Caraway, instructor of history, won the Ruth Leggett Jones Award for "Best Article" in the 2010 Year Book published by the West Texas Historical AssociationWest Texas Historical AssociationThe West Texas Historical Association is an organization of both academics and laypersons dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the total history of West Texas, defined geographically as all Texas counties and portions of counties located west of Interstate 35.-Formation of the...
in LubbockLubbock, TexasLubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Caraway's article, which brought a $1,250 prize, is entitled "Dallas Scarborough: AbileneAbilene, TexasAbilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
Attorney and Civic Leader." Caraway is a former faculty member at Cisco College and Abilene Christian UniversityAbilene Christian UniversityAbilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
.