Bellingham, Wash. – Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (below, far right) was on hand to help celebrate the groundbreaking of Whatcom Community College’s Phyllis & Charles Self Learning Commons. The Selfs are pictured in the below photo, second and third from the right, next to Gov. Inslee. The long-awaited project was part of the approved 2017-19 biennial capital budget and was funded at $34.9 million. It will be Whatcom’s first state-funded building since Kulshan Hall opened in 2004.

The 65,328-square-foot facility, located on the corner of Kellogg Road and Cordata Parkway, will open in 2020. It will house WCC’s library, writing center, math center, tutoring services, testing, media services, and other critical academic support functions. WCC is working with Schreiber Starling Whitehead Architects of Seattle and Colacurcio Brothers Construction of Blaine. The project is one of several major developments for the rapidly expanding Cordata area in north Bellingham. The College also plans to break ground on residence halls in fall 2018.

Learn more about the project at whatcom.edu/learningcommons.

During his visit to campus, Gov. Inslee also toured WCC’s cybersecurity center in Baker Hall. Whatcom is home to CyberWatch West, a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education center that is one of only four in the nation in the field of cybersecurity education. The College’s acclaimed CIS and cybersecurity programs offer multiple degree and certificate options, including a bachelor of applied science degree in IT networking with both face-to-face and online options. Learn more at whatcom.edu/cis.

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About Whatcom: Whatcom Community College is a regionally and nationally accredited college with an accomplished faculty and staff who serve 11,000 students annually. The College works closely with the community to prepare graduates to excel in their fields and meet emerging workforce needs. On its campus in Bellingham, Wash., and through online courses, Whatcom offers a four-year bachelor of applied science, transfer and professional-technical degrees, as well as basic education, job skills training, and community education classes. For more information, visit whatcom.edu.

Contact: Marisa Ellis, Whatcom Community College PIO, 360.383.3310, pio@whatcom.edu