Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College


Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College is a technical and community college for the Hayward, Wisconsin area. The college is one of two tribal colleges in the state of Wisconsin. The enrollment averages 550 students. The LCOOC has a main campus in Hayward. More than one-third of students are enrolled at the four outreach sites at Odanah, Bayfield, Hertel, and Lac du Flambeau.

History

The college was founded by the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in 1982 to serve the tribe and the local Hayward community. The college is one of the two tribal colleges in Wisconsin, which are owned and operated by American Indian tribes.

Academics

The LCOOCC provides career, cultural and liberal arts education through 13 associate degree programs, technical diploma programs, certifications and adult continuing education programs. More than 70 percent of students are American Indian. The college maintains an open door policy with both traditional and non-traditional students attending. The average age of an LCOOCC student is 34. Smaller class sizes lead to more individualized attention and support; the student-to-faculty ratio is consistently ten-to-one.
The college is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Formal articulation and transfer agreements are in place between LCOOCC and University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota, and other public colleges. LCOOCC is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, which is a community of tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations and make a lasting difference in the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives. LCOOCC was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians. It is generally serves geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level.