Western Technical College

Western Technical College
TypePublic technical college
Established1912
Parent institution
Wisconsin Technical College System
PresidentRoger Stanford
Students8,000 program students and 16,600 continuing ed
Location
La Crosse
,
Wisconsin
,
United States
CampusUrban
ColorsBlack & Red
AffiliationsNational Junior College Athletic Association
MascotCavaliers
Websitewww.westerntc.edu

Western Technical College (Western or WTC) is a public technical college in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A member of the Wisconsin Technical College System, the Western Technical College District serves 11 counties[1] and enrolls over 5,000 students.[2] The college has six campus locations in western Wisconsin[3] and its main campus is in downtown La Crosse. Western is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[citation needed]

History

Founded in 1912, the school was previously known as Western Wisconsin Technical College (WWTC), but "Wisconsin" was dropped on March 29, 2006.[4][5] Western received voter approval for facilities improvement via referendums in 1992 ($8.9 million), 1996 ($3.65 million), and 2012 ($79.8 million).[6][7][8]

Former names[9]

  • 1912-17: La Crosse Continuation and Adult Schools[10]
  • 1917-63: La Crosse Vocational School[11][12]
  • 1963-65: Coleman Vocational and Adult Schools[13]
  • 1965-68: Coleman Technical Institute
  • 1968-87: Western Wisconsin Technical Institute
  • 1987-2006: Western Wisconsin Technical College
  • 2006–present: Western Technical College

Locations

Western Technical College La Crosse

Other locations where classes are offered include:

Academics

Western Technical College offers more than 100 programs,[14] providing associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates. The college also offers English Language Learners courses, GED/HSED classes, and apprenticeship training.[15]

Western has agreements with several colleges and universities that allow students earn credits towards a bachelor's degree through their programs.[16]

Athletics

Western Technical College's sports teams are called the Cavaliers, who play in red and white colors. The school began athletics in 1967. The Cavaliers are members of the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Minnesota College Athletic Conference. In 2020, the Western Cavaliers Women's Basketball team finished the season 25-6 and won the NJCAA Division III National Championship, the first national title in school history.[17][18][19]

Transportation

The main campus of WTC is located northeast of downtown La Crosse and is served by the La Crosse MTU transit system, which offers fare-free service to students . Route 4 provides bus service through campus on 7th Street, connecting to downtown La Crosse and UWL.[20] SMRT buses stop on 7th Street providing regional bus service to Prairie du Chien, Viroqua, Tomah and other destinations.[21]

The bikeshare system DriftCycle has a bikeshare station at the center of campus, one of fifteen across the city.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ District Board of Directors. Western Technical College.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2015-09-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Regional Locations. Western Technical College.
  4. ^ "News". Archived from the original on 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2006-03-30.
  5. ^ Schott, Kate (2006-02-22). "Board OKs losing the 'Wisconsin' in WWTC". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  6. ^ Anderson, Patrick B. (2012-11-08). "Western referendum passes thanks to La Crosse County, urban centers". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  7. ^ Hansen, Nathan. "Western referendum projects slated to finish this fall". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  8. ^ Western Technical College (2018-01-14). "Preserving the past, building for the future". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  9. ^ Schott, Kate (2007-02-11). "The Western experience: Transforming tech school". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  10. ^ Transforming tech school; La Crosse Tribune; February 11, 2007; Schott, Kate; Retrieved October 2, 2007
  11. ^ "Business school lasted half-century". La Crosse Tribune. 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  12. ^ Rogers, Richard A. (1967). "Chapter IV: Closing of the School". A Brief History of the Wisconsin Business University, La Crosse, Wisconsin (PDF). Wisconsin State University at La Crosse.
  13. ^ Tighe, Mike (2013-01-21). "Monday profile: Dialysis patient Dean Morton champions kidney donation". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  14. ^ "Academic Programs". www.westerntc.edu. 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  15. ^ Western (2019-05-17). "Western Hosts GED/HSED Graduation". Western News Center. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  16. ^ "University Transfer". www.westerntc.edu. 2015-10-13. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  17. ^ Athletics. Western Technical College.
  18. ^ Marotta, Karley (2019-03-04). "Western once predicted to finish last in conference, wins conference championship". WXOW. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  19. ^ "Cavaliers jumped several obstacles to be national champions". WKBT. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  20. ^ "MTU Route Map". Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  21. ^ "SMRT Bus Schedule" (PDF). Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  22. ^ "DriftCycle Find a Station". Retrieved August 3, 2023.


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