Southwestern Community College (SWCC) is an American public

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

with its main campus in

Creston, Iowa Creston is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Iowa. The population was 7,536 at the time of the 2020 Census. History Creston was originally settled in 1868 as a survey camp for the Burlington and Missouri Railroad. It was name ...

. It also has centers in

Red Oak, Iowa Red Oak is a city in, and the county seat of, Montgomery County, Iowa, United States, located along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 5,362 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 6,197 population in 2000. History Red Oak derives i ...

, and

Osceola, Iowa Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,160 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County. History Osceola was named after a Seminole Indian leader of the same name. Osceola is a ...

. In addition to an arts and sciences program, SWCC offers career and technical education (CTE) degrees and certificates.

History

Southwestern Community College (SWCC) began operation as part of the Iowa community college system in 1966, on a campus in northwest Creston, Iowa. SWCC is a two-year public institution offering programs for transfer to four-year colleges and universities; career and technical education programs to train students for the workforce; continuing education courses and programs; and industrial training classes. Southwestern inherited the facilities and instructional programs of Creston Community College, which had been operated by the Creston Community School district since 1926. In 1970, the campus was expanded with construction of a technical center, administrative offices, and a student center. In 1995 a Wellness Center was built; it included an Olympic sized pool, gymnasium, and performing arts auditorium. The Wellness Center also hosts the Southern Prairie Family Fitness Center and adult and continuing education department. In 2000 another addition to the campus was made, which added an allied health and science center, a second technical center, and the Spartan Suites apartment-style dormitories. On April 14, 2012, during the

tornado outbreak of April 13–16, 2012 From April 13 to 16, 2012, a major tornado outbreak occurred across a large portion of the Great Plains. The storms resulted in six tornado-related fatalities, all of which occurred as a result of a nighttime EF3 tornado that caused major damage i ...

, an EF2 tornado struck Creston, resulting in considerable damage to the campus. Each semester, SWCC has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students. SWCC won the 2017

NJCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Division II Basketball Championships consists of sixteen teams playing over a five-day period (Wednesday through Saturday) in March to determine a National Champion. About the tourname ...

, the first national title in Spartan history.

Board of trustees

SWCC is governed by an eight-member board of trustees. They represent eight districts. The board includes Jane Ernst of Greenfield (District 1), Fred Shearer of Corning (District 2), Jerry Smith of Osceola (District 3), Carol Saxton of Leon (District 4), Kevin Britten of Red Oak (District 5), Zach Gunsolley of Diagonal (District 6), TBA (District 7), and Tony Cass of Creston (District 8).

Notable alumni

* Lee Nailon, NBA basketball player and 2007

Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP The Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP, or Israeli Basketball Super League MVP, is an annual basketball award that is presented to the most valuable player in a given season of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, which is the top-tier level ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Community colleges in Iowa Educational institutions established in 1966 Education in Union County, Iowa Education in Montgomery County, Iowa Education in Clarke County, Iowa 1966 establishments in Iowa NJCAA athletics Creston, Iowa