Washington State University has been in Yakima County for almost a century, providing educational research to the community through its Extension Facility. In 1997, WSU established an academic center housed at the WSU County Extension Office. This center provided support for the University's Distance Degree Programs, which offered a number of undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs via internet-based classes. The center also supported WSU programs that were delivered via Interactive Television and video-conferences from WSU campuses across the State.
Washington State University realized the growing need to deliver more courses and programs to the Yakima Valley, especially to students that were place and time bound and thus could not travel, nor move to attend university in another city. Extension partnered with Central Washington University and Yakima Valley Community College to seek funding from the State Legistlature to construct a higher education building on the YVCC Campus. The funding was approved through the support of the community and hard work of the area's state legislators.
In the fall of 2003, the Deccio Higher Education Center was opened. The Center is a new approach taken by the university to provide higher education to the area. Instead of adding a branch campus or establishing a new university, the legislature determined that by building a shared facility, there would be a significant cost savings and a wider variety of programs. The Deccio Center houses Washington State University, Central Washington University, and Yakima Valley Community College student services, twelve interactive television classrooms, two video-conferencing rooms, seven computer labs, two workshop/seminar rooms, a graduate study area for Cougar students, and a large meeting room. These areas are either designated to a specific institution, shared, or joint, depending on their function. The center has received interest from around the country for it's innovative concept and collaborative partnership.
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