About Us

College History

2020s

 

March 2020: Worldwide pandemic closes campus 
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic brought all campus activities, including regular operations and classes, to a halt for the remainder of the spring semester beginning on March 25. Using enhanced digital support, classes resumed in a virtual environment on April 6, and employees moved offsite to work from home for most of the spring and summer. NWC’s commencement ceremony also became a virtual event, with graduates and faculty joining via Zoom. NJCAA fall sports in 2020 were moved to the spring 2021 semester, and the start dates for winter sports were pushed back to January 2021. 

January 2021: The college’s first bachelor's degree program is approved 
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) approved the first four-year degree to be offered at Northwest College, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Professional Studies. The Professional Studies program provides students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to become successful managers and leaders in their area of specialization. The degree was designed for those looking to build upon current skills or academic progress with a curriculum focused on enhancing student skills in communication, management, marketing and organizational leadership. The new program was made possible by using existing faculty and staff resources at NWC. 

September 2021: 75th Anniversary of Northwest College 
A year-long celebration of Northwest College’s 75th Anniversary begins, recognizing its place in the community and important events since the college was founded in 1946 as the University of Wyoming Northwest Center. In the years between, when the college started with less than 100 students and three instructors, NWC blossomed into a 132-acre residential campus with more than 60 buildings and nearly 1,500 students. 

March 2022: Lisa Watson is announced as the ninth president of Northwest College 
Lisa Watson is announced as the ninth president of Northwest College after serving as interim president since November 19, 2020. She was previously the College’s Vice President of Administrative Services and Finance. Watson assumed the role of president with close to 12 years’ experience in higher education, including four at Miles Community College where she also served as Interim President and Vice President. Under her leadership, she guided transformational work, developed facility master planning, improved budgeting and financial operations, and developed a strong understanding of the Wyoming Community College system and legislative process. Before working in higher education, Watson held various positions in finance and private industry, and as a CPA, and worked with a variety of businesses, including family-held ag operators, downtown business owners, and fortune 500 companies with international operations. She earned a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in international business from the University of Miami, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and her bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Colorado. 

September 2022: A positive mid-cycle assurance review from the Higher Learning Commission 
Northwest College received a positive mid-cycle assurance review from the Higher Learning Commission regarding its ongoing accreditation. The review team unanimously re-affirmed that NWC met the criteria for accreditation, with no further interim monitoring required during the cycle. The five-person peer-review team evaluated the College in five major categories, and among the highlights noted were a clear mission statement that firmly guides the College’s operations; a set of comprehensive policies and procedures that provide guardrails for students and staff to operate in an ethical manner; and policies that ensure and support the freedom of expression both in and out of the classroom. The College was also praised for having the highest completion rate among Wyoming Community Colleges in 2020-21 and establishing clear student success goals. 

November 2022: Board of Trustees approves new strategic plan, “Vision 2030” 
A new strategic plan, titled "Vision 2030” was implemented with four pillars designed to address the changing landscape in higher education, including a projected nationwide drop in college enrollment. More than 400 people contributed to the visioning and transformational effort, and throughout the process, work was noted in transfer articulation, expanded career and technical programming, the newly instituted bachelor’s program, enrollment processes, shared governance, budgeting, policy, scheduling, and campus physical improvements. Ideas developed around the concepts of destination, pathways, workforce, and distinctive programming, leading to the four pillars: Innovate, Attract, Champion, and Revitalize. 

March 2023: Northwest College announces new Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice 
A second bachelor’s degree program is approved by the Higher Learning Commission, with Northwest College adding the B.A.S. in Criminal Justice Studies. The degree provides an option for students who have already completed an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S) degree, or for those already working in the field seeking advancement, a chance to continue their education and acquire upper-division skills and training. The curriculum at Northwest College was designed to combine traditional academic studies with a more hands-on practical application of content being learned, unlike many typical universities focused on pre-law. 

November 2024: A new student center opens, replacing the DeWitt Student Center 
Following nearly two years of demolition and construction work, Northwest College opened a new student center that replaced the nearly 60-year-old DeWitt Student Center on the same footprint in the center of campus. The more than $23 million project, designed by Hord Coplan Macht and built by Groathouse Construction, features the dining hall and food service operations in addition to a coffee bar, student lounge, student activities center, and state-of-the-art study and instructional spaces. Offices for resident life, campus security, and student success, an area for student clubs and a multi-purpose community meeting room are also included. The project also included a temporary dining facility next to Trapper Field that was later converted into locker rooms, offices, storage space and concession area for the NWC soccer teams. The Wyoming State Legislature provided matching funds for the project, only the second time in NWC’s history that it received general fund appropriations from the state for capital construction. The Northwest College Foundation committed to a $3.5 million capital campaign to support the project and contributed an additional $1.35 million to assist with costs. The college drew from reserves for the remaining balance covering approximately $7 million, and the entire project was completed debt-free.