Accreditation
Garden City Community College (GCCC) is officially accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, 230 SouthLa-Salle, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604, 1-800-621-7440, www.hlcommission.org, and the Kansas State Department of Education. On July 1, 1999, governance of the Kansas Community Colleges was transferred to the Kansas Board of Regents (SB345). Local control by the GCCC Board of Trustees remains unchanged. The GCCC Practical Nursing Program and the Associate Degree Program are approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing. In addition, the Associate Degree Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Certain GCCC programs have also obtained other specific individual accreditations, including Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; Emergency Medical Technician, and Paramedic.
The College is a member of the American Association of Community College (AACC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Council of North Central Two-Year Colleges (CNCTYC), American Council on Education (ACE), Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and Kansas Association of Community College Trustees (KACCT).
Expected Student Learning Outcomes
Essential Skills
Students will possess essential skills.
- Students will illustrate writing skills
- Students will demonstrate oral communication skills
- Students will develop critical thinking skills
- Students will develop awareness of diversity.
- Students will develop an awareness of social responsibility.
Employability Skills
- Students will be able to communicate effectively.
- Students will apply problem solving skills in industry-specific situations.
- Students will model work ethic.
Work Preparedness
Students are prepared for success in the workplace.
- Students will have the skills and knowledge required for successful entry into the workplace.
- Students will have the work ethics, discipline, and collaborative skills necessary to be successful in the workplace.
- Students will have the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain, advance, or change their employment or occupation.
Academic Advancement
Students desiring academic advancement are prepared for successful transfer to other colleges and universities.
- Students will have appropriate knowledge of transfer requirements.
- Students will have the academic prerequisites sufficient for successful transfer.
Personal Enrichment
- Recipients pursuing individual interests are personally enriched.
- Community outreach will serve the needs of all citizens.
Workforce Development
- Workforce development are responsive to community economic development needs.
College History
The first four community colleges in Kansas were established in 1919, and GCCC is one of the two from that group which still exist. It was created by county-wide election on April 1, 1919, and opened in September of the same year. GCCC initially shared facilities with Garden City High School and opened with a first class of less than three dozen students. The first graduate, Mildred Hope of Garden City, received her degree in the spring of 1920.
The College moved to the then-new Garden City High School building in 1954, and first occupied a campus of its own in 1958 on property where Buffalo Jones Elementary School is located.
The Kansas Legislature passed the Community College Act in 1965, authorizing the establishment of 22 independent colleges including GCCC. This authorized the institution to levy taxes, conduct its own programs, and function independently of the K-12 school system. County voters elected the first GCCC Board of Trustees in July 1965, and the first college president, L.C. Crouch, was hired.
The original 13-building, 63-acre campus at 801 Campus Drive was designed between July 1965 and January 1966. In addition, GCCC owns 75 acres east of Campus Drive. That property includes a baseball practice building, football and soccer practice areas, and a running track. The city of Garden City added a baseball field and a softball complex to the East campus in the spring of 1996.
Voters approved a $2.5 million bond issue, supplemented by a $538,000 federal grant for construction. Buildings erected between 1968 and 1970 were the Residence Hall, Student Center, Academic Building, Thomas F. Saffell Library, Administration Building, Warren L. Fouse Science-Math Building, Pauline Joyce Fine Arts Building and the Physical Education Building. The John Collins Vocational Building was added in 1974. The Williams Baseball Stadium, named for Garry and Janet Williams, was added in 1986, and a residential life addition was built in 1978. The Penka Building, named for Sister Aquinata Penka, was added in 1986 when additions were completed to the Joyce, Collins and PE Buildings.
In January of 1996, a 15,000 sq. ft. 1.4 million dollar technical teaching laboratory was completed so that GCCC could provide more training for workers in area and national industries. In 2007, the Annex was renamed the Gary E. Jarmer Technical Annex.
In 2002, three new apartment style residence complexes were built and extensive renovations were made to the existing student housing. An addition to the existing Student Center was completed in January 2004, and the Center was renamed the Beth G. Tedrow Student Center.
In January of 2005, the Physical Education Building was renamed the Dennis B. Perryman Athletic Complex. Later that same year, construction began on a three-level, two story addition to the south end of the Administration Building. The new Student and Community Service Center was completed in August 2006. This $3.12 million project provided a single location for student services, community services, and adult education programs. Created in partnership with the City of Garden City, the Southwest Kansas Fire Training Center opened on campus in 2008.
Garden City Community College continued to grow along with the economic development in Southwest Kansas and in 2014 GCCC realized a 7% increase in enrollment-the highest increase of the 19 Kansas Community Colleges.
In September of 2013 the residence halls were filled to capacity with students on a waiting list. Construction began on new student housing in 2014. Just across from the College on Spruce Street, this new housing saw its first students in January of 2015. Governor Sam Brownback and over 100 people attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for Broncbuster Housing. Continued increases in enrollment furthered the need for additional housing. During Fall 2016, GCCC purchased the Wagner Apartments complex located just south of the College behind the newer BroncBuster Housing. The apartments were named “Broncbuster Suites,” and saw the first students being housed there in the fall 2016 semester.
In 2014, GCCC was recognized as “Outstanding College of the Year” by the Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA). Additionally, CNN Money Magazine ranked GCCC among the top 24 community colleges in the nation; GCCC ranked #31 in the list of top community colleges in the nation by “The 50 Best Community Colleges”. In 2015, GCCC was named to Aspen Institute’s top 10% of community colleges in America and has been listed as a “Military Friendly” college for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Administration introduced a mobile classroom in 2013, funded by the TRAC 7 grant. The mobile classroom has internet access and up to 25 instructional computers which can provide on-site training at various locations in remote areas.
During fall 2014, the College opened its brand new Phase I multi-sports complex with seating for 3,000 spectators. The complex is home to Broncbuster Track and Field, Soccer, and Football. The complex is located near campus housing and all field sports are offered at GCCC. The inaugural football game was played against Highland Community College on August 30, 2014. The Busters won the game 29-26. The complex has quickly become a hub for community events and hosted the 1A Regional Track meet in both 2015 and 2016. GCCC hosted the NJCAA Region VI Track & Field Championships in May 2016.
During the month of June 2014, the Garden City Community College Board of Trustees unanimously voted to transition the existing Department of Campus Safety to a professional law enforcement agency. The licensed police department proposal included several full-time and part-time commissioned police officers, along with a current full-time position for a Campus Police Chief. After receiving state approval, the GCCC Police Department’s first official day was July 1, 2014. In March 2015, a tornado siren was installed on campus and linked with the City of Garden City system.
The summer of 2015 saw major improvements to buildings and parking lots at Garden City Community College. Several buildings were updated to make better use of space and remodeling was completed to bring the campus compliant with the current code.
The Broncbuster Bookstore relocated to the first floor of Beth Tedrow Student Center. A cybercafé with coffee bar seating and WIFI access was added. The student lounge was also renovated and a new activities center was added.
The Dennis Perryman Athletic Center was remodeled, bringing the building to ADA compliance. A mural was also added featuring successful student athletes.
Utilizing a U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant, the welding center moved to a new updated facility, expanding capacity to serve more students.
In 2016, the College purchased four apartment buildings south of campus on Laurel Street. The property, named Broncbuster Suites, provided housing for an additional 80 students. In 2017, the College purchased the remaining apartment buildings at the Laurel Street location, bringing the total number of beds at that location to 165.
That same year, the Broncbuster football team won the program’s first national title, completing a perfect 11-0 season with a heart-stopping 25-22 victory over No. 2 Arizona Western in the El Toro Bowl. Peyton Huslig engineered a six-play, 85-yard drive, punctuating it with a game-clinching one-yard touchdown pass to Harley Hazlett in the final minute.
In February 2019, Dr. Ryan Ruda was named the seventh President in Garden City Community College history. That coincided with the school’s Centennial Celebration, which culminated in a 100-year homecoming bash on September 28 that was coronated with the football team’s 42-16 thrashing of Fort Scott Community College.
And this past year, the school completed a $500,000 renovation project to overhaul two athletic training facilities and the Super Circuit/Wellness Center. In addition, the College raised more than $100,000 to fund a new state-of-the art video board inside Conestoga Arena.
In March of 2020, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infections soared and in response, Garden City Community College closed its campus in order to combat the spread. The NJCAA cancelled all spring athletics. Health and safety of students, employees, and the community was the top priority during this unprecedented time. Students transitioned to online distance learning and many employees worked from home for the remainder of the semester. The 100th Commencement was held virtually via YouTube livestream. When it was safe to reopen campus in late summer, GCCC worked closely with the local health department to create strict health and safety guidelines. Despite the uncertain times, GCCC enrollment increased throughout the pandemic times.
GCCC was awarded a Title III Hispanic Serving Institution STEM Grant from the Dept. of Education in late 2021. This five-year, $5 million grant funded the addition of three new programs, two faculty and two staff positions, and an addition to the Fouse building: the STEM Success Center. This state-of-the-art 10,000-square-foot facility featured classroom, lab, office and collaboration space dedicated to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instruction. The new Robotics program and Computer Support Specialist program were housed in this addition and the new Crop Production Technology program saw the addition of a greenhouse on campus.
The year 2022 saw the celebration of the 50th graduating class from the GCCC Nursing Program. Also in the same year, GCCC received $1.5 million in state funding and over $1.5 million in donations for expansion of the Gary E. Jarmer Technical Annex for the John Deere Technical program. The 8,000-square-foot expansion grew the existing facility and added classroom, four-bay shop area, and offices for the Information Technology department.
In May of 2023, the GCCC Alumni Association was launched. The mission of the GCCC Alumni Association is to keep Broncbusters engaged with GCCC while supporting alumni programming, networking opportunities, student scholarships, and more. Additionally, GCCC was named “Most Promising Places to Work” for a third time by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD).
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