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Peninsula College is a public, comprehensive community college. It was founded in 1961 and is one of 34 community and technical colleges in the state of Washington. The College service district encompasses Clallam and Jefferson Counties—an area of over 3,600 miles of land—and extends from the Pacific Ocean at Neah Bay to Brinnon on the Hood Canal, a distance of about 140 miles.
The area’s topography is notable for its forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and numerous watersheds, which have been central to its history and culture. The region is home to six Native American tribal reservations, which are dispersed across the North Olympic Peninsula.
The main campus is located in Port Angeles and occupies 75 acres in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. Extension sites are located in Forks, 57 miles west of Port Angeles, and in Port Townsend, 46 miles to the east. Peninsula College is the only resident institution of higher education on the North Olympic Peninsula.
In 2010-2011, Peninsula College enrolled 8,128 credit and noncredit students and awarded 1,070 degrees and certificates. Over 73% of vocational students were employed within 9-months of completing a job-preparatory program. The majority of students were part-time (64%) and the median age was 32-years of age.
Facts and Figures...
Points of Interest
Peninsula College
Longhouse House of Learning |
When the Peninsula College Longhouse House of Learning celebrated its opening in 2007, it became the first community college in the nation to have a Longhouse on its campus. The opening marked the culmination of several
years of planning and cooperation between Peninsula College and the tribes of the Olympic Peninsula. Starting fall 2012, Peninsula College and The Evergreen State College will partner to serve student populations from the local tribes by offering a Reservation Based Associate of Arts (AA) Degree Bridge Program at the Longhouse. Additionally, several programs throughout the year provide opportunities for everyone to share cultural traditions, and an inviting art gallery devoted to native exhibitions allows tribal artists to exhibit their work.
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Bachelor of Applied Science,
Applied Management
Degree |
In 2010, Peninsula College was “granted accreditation at the baccalaureate degree level” by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management (BAS) degree is an extension of our professional/technical programs, and it is designed to meet the employment needs of the Olympic Peninsula. During the program, each student completes two internships with employers in the public, private or tribal sector. Starting in August 2011, students will be able to complete their course work entirely online as well as by the more traditional face-to-face classes.
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| Teacher/Scholar Model |
The Teacher-Scholar Model at Peninsula College keeps teaching and learning at the center of the College’s mission and guiding principles, while providing opportunities for faculty members to engage in scholarly work. The ultimate value of this is reflected in a high-quality learning environment for students and the continuation of a community of learners and scholars. Scholarly work is supported through sabbaticals, summer stipends, research grants, seminar courses, release time, travel, university employment opportunities, individual professional development funds, student-faculty projects and professional/ conference presentations |
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