Shoreline Community College

Founded in 1964 with land acquired with help from the Boeing family, Shoreline Community College offers more than a hundred excellent academic, professional/technical and workforce training programs to meet the lifelong learning needs of its community. Dedicated faculty and staff are committed to the educational success of all students. 

Would Ray W. Howard recognize the Shoreline Community College that he helped found in 1964? Dr. Howard, one of Shoreline's greatest education leaders, was the Superintendent of the Shoreline School District at the time the College opened its doors. The Shoreline School District had already begun to develop a strong reputation for excellence in the K-12 system, thanks in part to the work of Dr. Howard. At the same time, he was also looking beyond K-12 and knew that higher education should be available to anyone who desired it and was willing to work for it.

In 1948, the Washington State Legislature passed a law that prevented community colleges from establishing their operations any place where a state four-year institution existed. This measure was intended to restrain institutions from competing with one another or from duplicating their efforts. As a result, community colleges in the Puget Sound region did not come into existence until around the mid '60s when that law was repealed. Dr. Howard was a key proponent of such a measure and actively worked with other school districts in the area to convince legislators of the needs of "non-traditional" students who could not attend the University of Washington or other four-year institutions.

 Photos from the SCC 40th Anniversary Celebration - January 2004

These non-traditional students, many of whom were working adults, were part of a growing population of those who desired a college degree, but because of economic circumstances, were forced to work and support families. Many of these students also could not afford the tuition and room and board of a four-year university.

The mission of community colleges in this state has always been to provide access to higher education to students such as these and to offer them the chance to build skills to take them to higher wage levels.

Dr. Howard and many other community college advocates saw this need and the long term benefits to our state economy. With the repeal of the law, the door was opened to found Shoreline Community College.

Shoreline Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

More than 300 students and 50 family members arrived to take part in the fall quarter International Student Orientation Program (ISOP). This is Shoreline’s largest incoming international-student class with students coming from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Thailand, Russia, Burma and many other countries being welcomed.

For many international students, this is the first time they have left home.  Leaving friends and family behind to embark on such a journey can leave many students feeling scared and nervous.  Many have limited English skills and find themselves thrown into a new culture with different rules, regulations and traditions.

Students who seek services at the Counseling Center will initially meet with a counselor for an intake appointment. Depending on the student's needs, services rendered may include:

• individual counseling
• educational counseling
• career counseling and/or career assessment
• crisis intervention
• referral for assessment and treatment for alcohol or other drug abuse
• referral to other campus or community resources for consul