History of the College
The College
West Los Angeles College (WLAC), located on a lushly landscaped hillside in Culver City, opened its doors in February 1969. One of the nine campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District, the college has approximately 10,000 students attending day, evening and weekend classes. WLAC serves Baldwin Hills, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Century City, Crenshaw, Culver City, La Tijera/Windsor Hills, Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Playa del Rey, Venice, Westchester, West Los Angeles and Westwood. Students come from a rich mixture of nationalities and cultures.
55th Anniversary
Enjoy pictures, facts and memories from West's past and share your own through our Alumni Facebook Group
Celebrating 55: Episode 1
WLAC President - 1 min
Celebrating 55: Episode 2
How We Got Here - 1 min
Celebrating 55: Episode 3
Building Up - 1 min
Celebrating 55: Episode 4
Programs Then & Now - 1 min
Celebrating 55: Episode 5
Athletics - 1 min
Celebrating 55: Episode 6
Campus Life - 1 min
Celebrating 55: Episode 7
In Summary
Or, visit West History Book Online (1960s - 2010s) compiled in honor of our 50th anniversary
The District
The Los Angeles Community College District, the largest in California, serves approximately 110,000 students and is governed by a publicly-elected seven-member Board of Trustees. The District’s administrators, a Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, and other senior staff members are appointed by the Board of Trustees. Sitting on the Board as well is a non-voting student member who is nominated by the Associated Students Organizations of all nine campuses.
The College Administration
West Los Angeles College’s president heads the college, and is assisted by three vice presidents as well as deans, associate deans, assistant deans, classified administrators, faculty and staff. They all carry out the mission of the college: “Through innovative programs and responsive community services, West Los Angeles College empowers students to succeed.”
College Divisions
The college features twelve divisions which provide quality academic transfer and vocational classes and wide-ranging support services for students. The divisions are: Allied Health, Aviation and Travel, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Business, Communication, Entertainment and Media Arts, Counseling, Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Language Arts, Library and Learning Resources, Mathematics, and Science.
The Accelerated CollegeTransfer (ACT) offers fast-paced tracks for those seeking associate degrees and transfer to four-year institutions.
Support services of the College include: the Child Development Center (CDC), Disabled Students Program and Services (DSP&S), Distance Leaning and Online Education, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services/Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (EOP&S/CARE), Student Services, Matriculation, and the Workforce Development Center.
Curricula
The college is fully accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and Universities, and offers 25 transfer and 18 vocationally-oriented programs. The American Dental Association and the Federal Aviation Administration also recognize the vocational curricula offered here at West Los Angeles College.
Independent California Colleges and Universities
California’s fully accredited independent colleges and universities provide a host of options at undergraduate, graduate and professional levels for students planning to continue their education beyond community college.
| College Presidents | ||
|---|---|---|
| James M. Limbaugh, Ph.D. | Oct 2016 - | |
| Robert Sprague | Interim | Jul 2015 - Sept 2016 |
| Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, Ed.D | Aug 2011 - June 2015 | |
| Rose Marie Joyce, Ed.D. | Interim | Aug 2010 - Jul 2011 |
| Betsy Regalado | Acting | Jul 2010 - Aug 2010 |
| Mark W. Rocha, Ph.D. | Jul 2006 - Jun 2010 | |
| Dorris Givens, Ph.D. | Interim | Aug 2005 - Jul 2006 |
| Frank Quiambao | Aug 2000 - Jul 2005 (2000 - 2002 as interim) |
|
| Roberta Sprague | Interim | Jul 2000 - Aug 2000 |
| Evelyn Wong, Ed.D | Jul 1991 - Jun 2000 | |
| B. Paul Stansbury, Ed.D | Interim | Sept 1998 - Jun 1998 (while President Wong was temporarily assigned to District office position) |
| Jose L. Robledo | Acting | Aug 1990 - Jun 1991 |
| Linda Thor, Ed.D | Mar 1986 - Jun 1990 | |
| M. Jack Fujimoto, Ph.D. | Jul 1979 - Feb 1986 | |
| David B. Wolf, Ph.D. | Acting | Mar 1979 - Jun 1979 |
| Bernard Butcher | Acting | 1977 (for 3 months while President Zeitlin was on leave) |
| Herbert Zeitlin, Ed.D. | Sept 1976 - Mar 1979 | |
| Stephen S. Kane, Ph.D. | Acting | Jun 1976 - Sept 1976 |
| Morris J. Heldman, Ph.D | Aug 1968 - May 1976 | |