Wilkes Community College was founded in October 1964 by the North Carolina Board of Education. The first Board of Trustees was sworn into office on January 15, 1965, and classes were first held in August 1965. The student enrollment for the college's first year was 68. The college's campus originally covered 75 acres and included three buildings - Thompson, Hayes and Lovette halls. The first president of WCC was Dr. Howard Thompson, who served from March 5, 1965, to June 30, 1977. Recent history Wilkes Community College currently has a 151.7-acre (0.614 km2) campus and 14 buildings. The student enrollment is typically around 3,500 students for curriculum, 900 for continuing education, and 1,600 for basic skills. The college also has satellite campuses in nearby Ashe and Alleghany counties. WCC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Like most of North Carolina's community colleges, WCC has an "open-door" admissions policy, which means that any adult with a high-school diploma can be admitted. The college pledges itself to "quality education, training and retraining for the workforce, including basic skills education, occupational, technical and pre-baccalaureate programs." In addition to offering associate's degrees in the technical, business and medical fields, the college also offers a university-parallel college transfer program, which provides the first two years of courses towards a bachelor's degree. Students who complete this program can transfer to a four-year college or university. The current president of Wilkes Community College is Dr. Gordon Burns; in 2006 the North Carolina Community College system presented him with its annual "President of the Year" award.

As a public, two-year, �open door� institution, Wilkes Community College is committed to providing comprehensive education and educational support services for people in Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties and beyond. As a member of the North Carolina Community College System, the College seeks to enhance intellectual, economic, cultural, and social development, through a variety of means, by providing: * quality education, training and retraining for the workforce, including basic skills education, occupational, technical, and pre-baccalaureate programs; * support for economic development through services to business and industry, both public and private; and * a variety of services, and cultural activities, and recreational opportunities that improve the quality of life.

Urban