Board of Trustee
History
The vision of a new community college in Southwestern Kansas grew out of the Kansas Community Junior College Act of 1965 and the positive action of the board members of the Liberal Unified School District No. 480. On September 15, 1967, State Superintendent of Education Kampschroeder gave his approval for Liberal’s application for Seward County Community College. The date of October 24, 1967 was set aside for a countywide election to determine whether the citizens wanted a community college. The final vote carried by a margin of 3.4 to 1.
The date of the Order of Establishment for Seward County Community College was December 29, 1967. It was determined that classes could be offered after August 1, 1969. The college officially opened its doors to its first student body on September 2, 1969. From an initial enrollment of 331, the college’s enrollment had steadily grown, now over 2000 students in 2003-04.
The community college occupied temporary facilities in the Epworth Hospital building and Reno Hardware Store in downtown Liberal from 1969 until the fall of 1973. The new campus, on north highway 83, opened in August 1973.
On January 31, 1995, the voters of Seward County, Kansas approved a General Obligation Bond issue to increase the size of campus facilities by 40 percent. This expansion created a more effective cafeteria, student center, wellness and sports medicine area, additional classrooms, meeting and conference rooms. The academic and student activities expansion was opened in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
In the Fall of 1995, groundbreaking for an agriculture building was held to house the growing agriculture program. Also, located on this forty-acre tract is an outdoor biological science classroom for wildlife and ecosystem studies.
Kansas Higher Education was reorganized as a result of the 1999 Legislative Session and the passage of Senate Bill 345. Prior to 1999, Kansas Community Colleges were generally supervised and coordinated by the Kansas State Department of Education. With the passage of S.B. 345, all public post-secondary educational institutions were placed under a restructured Kansas State Board of Regents.
In the Spring of 2001, the college was successful in obtaining approval from the Kansas State Board of Regents to begin a Cosmetology program. A new facility was constructed to house the cosmetology program and opened its doors to its first class in July 2001.
In the Fall of 2001, the College Board of Trustees approved the construction of a new 166 Student Living Center complex, replacing and demolishing the old Baughman Living Center units that were constructed in the 1970's. The new Student Living Center Complex opened its doors to students in the Fall of 2002. The new Student Living Center complex and the two, two-story units provide a residential student living capacity of nearly 200 students.