QVCC Catalog 2016-2017

About the College
Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC) is a public twoyear
college, supported by the State of Connecticut and
governed by the Board of Regents for Higher Education.
Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges, QVCC is one of 17 institutions in the Connecticut
State Colleges & Universities(CSCU) system and serves
Windham County in the northeast corner of the state.
QVCC offers first-rate academic programs in accounting, allied
health, art, business, computer science, education, engineering,
general studies, human services, liberal arts and sciences,
manufacturing, science, and technology studies. Graduates
transfer easily to top-notch four-year colleges and universities or
enter the workforce to begin or continue a career. QVCC also
provides robust opportunities for continuing and professional
education and custom training programs for business and
industry. The College takes pride in being a community center,
opening its library and many events to the general public.
Lectures, art exhibitions, concerts, and dramatic productions
attract many residents to the campus each semester. In short,
QVCC is a viable and significant resource in and for the
communities served.
Mission Statement
Quinebaug Valley Community College provides
opportunities for northeast Connecticut residents to
learn in an affordable, challenging, and supportive
environment that enables students to become fully
engaged citizens in an ever-changing global
community.
Adopted: June 2016
History of QVCC
As early as 1946, a group of area citizens sought to establish a
two-year junior college in northeastern Connecticut to meet the
educational needs of returning World War II veterans. Their
vision finally became a reality in 1965 when the state organized
the community college system. In 1969, Connecticut legislators
authorized the establishment of a community college in
Danielson.
Between 1969 and 1971, strong pressures at the state level
mounted to postpone the opening of further colleges for an
indefinite period. However, the efforts of the local Citizens
Planning Committee and the support of thousands of local
citizens who wrote letters to Hartford resulted in the state
approving funds for classes to begin in fall 1971.
Under the leadership of Founding President Dr. Robert E. Miller,
the College opened with 215 students, eight full-time
professional employees, and a few office support personnel.
Classes met at Harvard H. Ellis Regional Vocational Technical
School and Killingly High School.
Even before the College opened, a Citizens Planning Committee
had developed criteria for a campus and had visited several
possible sites. By the fall of 1978, however, operating from four
"temporary" locations in and around Danielson, QVCC faced
the most difficult period in its history. The then Board of
Education cut $1 million from the requested appropriation for
the new campus and voted to delay beginning of construction.
Many speculated QVCC would be merged with another
community college.
An outpouring of citizens' concern persuaded the Board of
Higher Education to rescind its delay order and to restore
$500,000 in funding. Within a few years, the state acquired 68
acres of land on Upper Maple Street, and Quinebaug Valley
Community College welcomed students to its new campus in
1983.
The College took its name from a small tribe of Native
Americans who inhabited the region. According to some
sources, Quinebaug literally means "crazy river" - signifying the
meandering course of the river that flows through south-central
Massachusetts, eastern Connecticut, and western Rhode Island.
In 1986, QVCC opened a satellite location in Willimantic to
better serve residents in southern Windham County. During the
summer of 1992, the legislature authorized the merger of the
community and technical colleges, enabling the College to
expand its mission by offering career and technical education.
In May 1992, after the retirement of Dr. Miller, Dianne E.
Williams became the second president, and the following
January, QVCC became a comprehensive community college.
After Ms. Williams retired, Dr. Ross Tomlin became the third
president, serving from March 2010 to November 2012. Dr.
Miller returned as interim president from December 2012
through July 2013, and Dr. Carmen Cid served as interim
president through June 2014. Dr. Carlee R. Drummer began her
tenure as the fourth president on July 1, 2014.