Shoreline Community College

Mission We are dedicated to serving the educational, workforce and cultural needs of our diverse community.

Vision We will be a world-class leader in student success and community engagement.

History:

Would Ray W. Howard recognize the Shoreline Community College that he helped found in 1964? Dr. Howard, one of Shoreline's greatest education leaders, was the Superintendent of the Shoreline School District at the time the College opened its doors. The Shoreline School District had already begun to develop a strong reputation for excellence in the K-12 system, thanks in part to the work of Dr. Howard. At the same time, he was also looking beyond K-12 and knew that higher education should be available to anyone who desired it and was willing to work for it.

In 1948, the Washington State Legislature passed a law that prevented community colleges from establishing their operations any place where a state four-year institution existed. This measure was intended to restrain institutions from competing with one another or from duplicating their efforts. As a result, community colleges in the Puget Sound region did not come into existence until around the mid 60s when that law was repealed. Dr. Howard was a key proponent of such a measure and actively worked with other school districts in the area to convince legislators of the needs of "non-traditional" students who could not attend the University of Washington or other four-year institutions.