Heritage University (formerly named Holy Names College and Fort Wright College) is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

on the

Yakama Indian Reservation The Yakama Indian Reservation (spelled Yakima until 1994) is a Native American reservation in Washington state of the federally recognized tribe known as the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The tribe is made up of Klikitat, ...

Toppenish, Washington Toppenish () is a city in Yakima County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,854. It is located within the Yakama Indian Reservation, established in 1855. Toppenish calls itself the city of Murals, as it has more than 7 ...

. It offers associate,

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

, and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

History

Founded in 1907 by the

Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (Soeurs des Saints Noms de Jésus et de Marie) is a teaching religious institute founded at Longueuil, Québec, Canada, in 1843 by Blessed Mother Marie Rose Durocher for the Christian education o ...

as Holy Names College in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the ...

, the institution subsequently changed its name to Fort Wright College. In 1982, Fort Wright College moved its administration to Toppenish and was renamed Heritage College, which operated there and in

Omak Omak ( Merriam (1997), p. 869) is a city located in the foothills of the Okanogan Highlands in north-central Washington, United States. With an estimated 4,845 residents as of 2010, distributed over a land area of , Omak is the largest municipa ...

, while maintaining the Spokane campus. Five years later, the Spokane campus was closed. A fire which started on July 8, 2012, destroyed the university's oldest building, Petrie Hall.

Cooperative agreements

Heritage University offers upper-division classes at three Washington

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 s ...

campuses to allow students to work toward a four-year degree from Heritage. This cooperative program began in 1993 to allow holders of associate degrees from

Big Bend Community College Big Bend Community College (BBCC) is a public community college in Moses Lake, Washington. History Big Bend Community College was authorized by the Washington State Board of Education in 1961. Beginning fall quarter 1962 BBCC held its first r ...

Moses Lake Moses Lake is a lake and reservoir along the course of Crab Creek, in Washington state, USA. Moses Lake is part of the Columbia River basin, as Crab Creek is a tributary of the Columbia River. Although originally a shallow natural lake, Moses ...

to apply their credits toward a Heritage bachelor's degree. Similar cooperative arrangements were established with Columbia Basin College in Pasco and Highline Community College in

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines ...

in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

References

External links

Official website
Education in Yakima County, Washington Educational institutions established in 1981 Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Private universities and colleges in Washington (state) 1981 establishments in Washington (state) Yakama {{Washington-university-stub