Westmoreland County Community College is a public community college in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1970 during an era of community college proliferation within the state. Its location on the suburban fringe was designed to attract students from both the Westmoreland County suburbs of Pittsburgh and the Monongahela Valley, then a still booming industrial center. The college has also extended its outreach to provide services to students from Fayette and Indiana Counties.
History
Westmoreland County Community College, founded in 1970, first offered evening classes at Jeannette High School in 1971. By the fall of 1972, the college took up a permanent residence in a former Westinghouse plant in Youngwood, PA establishing a permanent facility and expanding into day classes. In the four decades since, Westmoreland's original campus has expanded to four buildings and the college has opened additional centers in other areas: the Murrysville Education Center in Export, Fayette County Education Center in Uniontown, Indiana County Center in Indiana, Latrobe Education Center, New Kensington Education Center and Public Safety Training Center in Smithton. Throughout all the growth, Westmoreland maintains the lowest tuition among all Pennsylvania colleges. Westmoreland currently offers 64 associate degree programs, 13 diploma options and 49 certificate programs to prepare students for careers or transfer to baccalaureate degree programs at a four-year institution. The college also offers Continuing Education courses for adults, displaced workers, non-traditional students and even college for kids.
Youngwood Campus
Starting with a single building, Westmoreland County Community College now comprises four buildings on its main campus in Youngwood, PA.
Westmoreland's original building, formerly known as Founders Hall, houses academic and administrative offices, classrooms, the library, a 300-seat amphitheater and a tutoring and learning center. It also contains the college store, student center, cafeteria and a licensed day care center. A gymnasium, indoor running track and a combination aerobic/fitness center provide fitness options for students and faculty.
Commissioners Hall
Commissioners Hall houses additional academic and administrative offices, classrooms, laboratories, a culinary arts complex and a dining facility.
Science Innovation Center consists of classrooms and laboratories, a dental hygiene clinic and an art gallery. The facility also contains a 420-seat theater.
Business and Industry Center
The Business and Industry Center contains administrative offices and classrooms. It also holds offices for PA CareerLink-Westmoreland and the Workforce Investment Board.
Athletic Facilities
Constructed in 1992, the baseball field, softball field and multipurpose field are used for intercollegiate competitions, intramural sporting activities and noncredit programming.
Academic Centers
Westmoreland County Community College maintains education centers that serve all of Westmoreland, Fayette and Indiana counties. Each center offers day and evening classes as well as online courses. Student services such as counseling, advising and financial aid are available at scheduled times.
Murrysville Education Center
Located in Export, this center houses traditional classrooms, a distance learning classroom, computer and science laboratories, workforce development training and a student lounge.
Latrobe Education Center
This center contains traditional classrooms, distance learning classroom, computer classrooms/labs, electronic classrooms, a natural science classroom/lab and student lounge areas.
New Kensington Education Center
Founded in 2009, this center is located in downtown New Kensington. It contains traditional classrooms, a distance learning classroom, computer classrooms/labs, a science lab and a student lounge. The New Kensington Education Center is also home to PA CareerLink - Alle-Kiski, which provides services to the unemployed.
Public Safety Training Center
Completed in 2003 with an addition in 2018, this training center is located in South Huntington Township. Designed for firefighter, police and emergency services personnel, it features a class A live burn building, outdoor firing range, rubble pile and a classroom/administration building.
Fayette County Education Center
Housed in the Fayette County Community Action Agency Inc. Campus in Uniontown, this center features traditional classrooms, a computer classroom, a videoconferencing classroom and administrative offices.
Indiana County Center
Located in Indiana near the Jimmy Stewart Airport, the center contains a computer lab, nursing lab, six classrooms, an office and a student lounge.
Located in New Stanton in the former Sony Technology Center. The Advanced Technology Center offers training for students and incumbent workers in: •Applied Industrial Technology •Mechatronics •Energy technologies •Design technologies •Machining and Fabrication •Additive Manufacturing •Welding •STEM
