North Seattle College

North Seattle College

View from southwest in February 2013
Former names	North Seattle Community College (1970–2014)
Type	Public college
Established	1970; 54 years ago(1970)
Parent institution	Seattle Colleges DistrictandWashington Community and Technical Colleges
Accreditation	NWCCU
President	Chemene Crawford
Academic staff	318
Administrative staff	174
Students	17,994
Location	Seattle , Washington , U.S. 47°41′57″N122°20′00″W / 47.69917°N 122.33333°W /47.69917; -122.33333
Campus	urban
Mascot	Star the Pacific Tree Frog
Website	northseattle.edu

North Seattle College(NSCorNorth Seattle) is apublic collegeinSeattle,Washington. It is one of three colleges comprising theSeattle Colleges Districtand part of theWashington Community and Technical Collegessystem.^[1]

Founded 54 years ago in 1970, NSC isaccreditedby theNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and offers associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, university transfer, and certificate programs, as well ascontinuing educationandcollege preparationprograms.

In March 2014, the board of trustees of the Seattle Community Colleges District voted unanimously to change the name of the district to "Seattle Colleges" and North Seattle Community College becameNorth Seattle College.^[2]

NSC programs include academic degrees, college prep and transfer,cross-disciplinary, continuing and senior adult education programs.^[3]NSC is also home to the Watch Technology Institute, the only two-year program in the art of Swisswatchmakingand technology in thewesternUnited States.^[4]NSC also providesRunning Start, where high school juniors and seniors can take college classes to earn high school credits as well as college credits.

Since 2010, as part of a new Washington State educational initiative, North Seattle College began offering Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree programs to students that have previously completed a two-year degree.^[5]

The North Seattle College maincampusoccupies 62 acres (25 ha), including eleven acres (4.5 ha) of environmentally sensitivewetlands, in theLicton Springs/North College Parkneighborhood of theNorthgatedistrict of Seattle.^[6]Located at 9600 College Way North, the campus is five miles (8 km) north of thecity centerand is easily accessed fromInterstate 5, severalKing County Metrobusroutes, andNorthgate Stationof theLink1 Linevia a dedicated pedestrian bridge over I-5.

NSC campus consists of various academic, athletics & supporting facilities:

• The college's library was founded in 1970; as of 2017, it contains over 174,000 volumes (books, media, serials) in the physical and digital collection, along with 40 plus databases that provide access to many thousands of scholarly, popular, trade, and newspaper articles.^[7]
• The Computer Lab facilities & laboratories
• North Seattle Indoor Arena, Physical Education, gymnasium, fitness & wellness center
• NSC Bookstore
• NSC Art Gallery

The North Seattle College Wetlands sit at the South Fork ofThornton Creekand are important ecological lands for the Thornton Creek watershed as they work as a sponge to hold surge flows of water as well as filtering out pollutants. The wetlands serve as a critical habitat for many species including thePacific Tree FrogandLong-toed salamander, as well as several species of avian and plant life.^[8]

Currently, there is a system of crude trails that get you to and through most of the wetlands habitat. The main trail is a loop that walks around the northern part of campus. There are spurs that branch off of this main loop trail. An interpretive trail is in progress and a map is available with points of interest for those wishing to explore the wetlands further.^[9]

A wide variety of native and non-native plant species can be observed throughout the main campus and surrounding wetlands habitat. There are many mushrooms growing in and around the wetlands. Some notable species include Redlead Roundhead (Stropharia aurantiaca), Harefoot Mushroom (Coprinopsis lagopus), Fiber Caps (Inocybe mixtilis),Shaggy Parasol(Chlorophyllum olvieri), and Bellybutton Hedgehog (Hydnum umbilicatum).

Wetlands shrub life includes Snowberry Shrubs (Symphoricarpos albus), Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus discolor), Burning Bush (Eunonymus alatus), andNootka Rose(Rosa Nutkana). Campus and wetlands are also home to many plants such as Sumac (Rhus Species), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum), and Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense).

• Thornton Creek
• Licton Springs

• Official website