Minnesota North College – Vermilion (VCC), previously known as Vermilion Community College (VCC), is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

campus located in

Ely, Minnesota Ely ( ) is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Vermilion Range (Minnesota), Vermilion iron range, Ely once ha ...

, adjacent to the

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or BWCA) comprises of pristine forests, glacial lakes, and streams in the Superior National Forest. Located entirely within the U.S. state of Minnesota at the Boundary Waters, the wilderness are ...

and the

Superior National Forest The Superior National Forest, part of the United States National Forest system, is located in the Arrowhead Region of the U.S. state, state of Minnesota between the Canada–United States border and the North Shore (Lake Superior), north shore o ...

. It several niche programs focusing on natural resources, natural sciences, and outdoor education. The campus offers residential housing to nearly half of all attending students. In 2022, the board of trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities merged the college with several others into a single institution called Minnesota North College.

Campus

The campus sits on over 80 acres of property located on the outskirts of Ely, and runs an off-site Outdoor Learning Center for student use. This center has cabins, a classroom, forest area, a beach with docks, and is located on Fall Lake which is as an entry point into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). In March 2022, the board of trustees of the

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system or Minnesota State, previously branded as MnSCU, comprises 26 state colleges and 7 state University, universities with 54 campuses throughout Minnesota. The system is the largest University ...

approved merger of the college with Hibbing Community College, Itasca Community College,

Mesabi Range College The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district and mountain range in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iro ...

and Rainy River Community College into a single institution called Minnesota North College.

Academics

Academic programs range from Law Enforcement to Natural Resources to Animal Sciences to Outdoor Recreation to Business to Liberal Arts.

Law enforcement program

The Law Enforcement program offers a 19 credit certification program called Seasonal Park Law Enforcement Ranger Training with an optional park ranger academy at the end.

Art program

In 2015, a kiln shelter was built on the campus for wood and soda firing of ceramics, as well as an area for a foundry. The art department offers traditional art courses that include Drawing, Ceramics, and Painting from Environmental Design, Wilderness Digital Photography, and Introduction to Video and the Moving Image.

Vet tech program

In the fall of 2017, a new vet tech program was launched. The program involves 75 credit hours.

Housing

In August 2017, the campus unveiled a new $6 Million 120 bed townhouse style housing that covers 26,000 square-feet. Vermilion Community College accommodates over 60% of its students in its housing.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Minnesota North College, Vermilion Two-year colleges in the United States Universities and colleges in St. Louis County, Minnesota Universities and colleges established in 1922 Community colleges in Minnesota Minnesota North College Buildings and structures in Ely, Minnesota NJCAA schools 1922 establishments in Minnesota