Western Oklahoma State College
MottoA Smart Start
TypePublic community college
Established1926
PresidentDr. Chad Wiginton
Undergraduates1,500
Location
Altus
,
Oklahoma
,
United States
ColorsGreen and Gold
NicknameWestern
MascotPioneers
Websitewosc.edu

Western Oklahoma State College is a public community college in Altus, Oklahoma.

History

Western Oklahoma State College was founded in 1926 under the name Altus Junior College. In 1974 state legislature changed its name to the present Western Oklahoma State College.

In 2012, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that NCAA athletes had allegedly been taking 10-day online courses from Western Oklahoma when they don't meet academic standards at their own institutions. Western Oklahoma former president Phil Birdine defended the program, saying the school was "not a course mill."[1] The college ceased offering the courses in early 2013 after the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education recommended the courses be immediately discontinued.[2] Nevertheless, the college's regional accreditor placed the college on probation in April after they "found the college's 10-day accelerated online courses don't meet quality and rigor standards required of compressed-format courses."[3]

Athletics

WOSC is involved in intercollegiate sports such as men's basketball, women's basketball, softball, baseball, rodeo, and cheerleading.

Under coach Kurt Russell, WOSC has recently built a highly successful baseball program. The school is especially noted for its success in recruiting Latino players from northeastern cities such as New York City and Philadelphia, and from Latin American countries. The team has made it to the national junior college Division II World Series in each of the last four seasons,[4] and in 2011 WOSC defeated Mississippi's Jones County Junior College to win the national championship.[5] Notably, multiple alumni have gone on to play professionally in MLB, including Andrelton Simmons, Josh James, Juan Perez, Casey Sadler, and Angel Castro.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Wolverton, Brad (9 November 2011). "Need 3 Quick Credits to Play Ball? Call Western Oklahoma". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Silas Allen (January 30, 2013). "Western Oklahoma State College will stop offering quick-credit courses, officials announce". The Oklahoman. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  3. ↑ Silas Allen (April 19, 2013). "Western Oklahoma State College on probation after review of online courses". The Oklahoman. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  4. ↑ Jorge Castillo, "Latino Players Find Home on the Prairie", The New York Times, October 11, 2011.
  5. ↑ Lee Coleman, "Western KOs Jones County for Juco crown", Enid News & Eagle, June 4, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Western Oklahoma State College (Altus, OK) Baseball Players".

34°40′08″N 99°20′14″W / 34.66889°N 99.33722°W / 34.66889; -99.33722



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